Can you get 7 pin to 13 pin towing converters? ie, 7 pin on the car and 13 on the caravan? (I know you can get them the other way around) and if so, do they just work the lights etc or do they do all the other jobs too?
Just wondering if I can get away with one of these or if I will need to wire in a 13 pin socket on the car!
You can get adaptors for all combinations. You local caravan shop will stock them. The twin 7pin adaptors are cumbersome & you have to be careful they are stowed properly so they do not drag on the ground while towing. To work caravan lights only you can get much neater & cheaper 7pin socket to 13pin plug adaptor & 12s plug on caravan would need to be safely stowed while towing.
The twin adaptor will work everything but as pointed out best bet is to get twin sockets on car changed to 13pin. Any towbar place can do this. Twin adaptors are £20odd so you would be better putting that toward a 13pin socket fitted.
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If you have just a 7 pin black socket on the car then this will only be capable of operating the trailer lights and nothing more even if you connect a 7 to 13 pin adapter from the car to caravan as the wiring loom will only be wired up to 7 pins solely for this purpose. If you need a live feed to operate the fridge and charge the leisure battery whilst in transit there are only two ways you can do it. Either have a 12S grey socket fitted and wired into the vehicle's charging circuit or exchange the existing black socket for a 13 pin one.
I have been using this type of adapter for a few years now without any problems, if you have black and grey 7 pin leads this is an ideal solutionhttp://amazon.co.ukreevla 13pin euro to 7 pin adapter
Thanks for the input - I basically just have a standard 7 pin socket on the back of the car and was wondering if one of these pin adapters would charge the battery, run the fridge etc as well as power the brake lights etc, or if they just run the towing lights.
The reason why there are two different plugs is because the cable is thicker on the 12S as it takes a lot more current to supply a charge from the vehicle's alternator as well as running the fridge on 12 volt power than it does just to light a bulb filament which the fuses will also be different ratings. Therefore it is self explanatory as to why you can't function the secondary devices from a basic lighting cable as it would be a fire hazard to say the least.
I hope this explains more in detail and understand why it's not possible to operate the fridge and charger from a basic lighting circuit.
As well as what Tango55 says, the wiring for charging, fridge, etc simply isn't there on a car equipped with only a 12N socket. The 12S socket provided these facilities. To save having two plugs and sockets, and two cables, the 13 pin socket was introduced.
If you connect a caravan with a 13 pin plug to a car with only a 7 pin socket, (via an adapter) only the 7 wires for the road lights are used. The remaining wires from the caravan for charging & fridge, are terminated inside the adapter. Nothing from the car will be connected to them.
Personally, I have never found the need for running the fridge or charging the battery while on the move, but if you do I would suggest you have your car wired with the additional circuitry and 13 pin socket.
To run the fridge and charge the battery a relay or two are fitted in the supply to the second grey socket. These would be connected into the relevant cables on a 13 pin socket.
The fridge and battery charge take quite a bit of current so the relays ensure that they only get a supply when the car engine is running.
A towbar fitter would be able to supply and fit the kit.
Modern cars use a canbus( databus) system so may have plugs included for the additional wiring.
Extra wiring has to be correct to prevent expensive problems!
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Quote: Originally posted by Isobell Reid on 23/7/2024
Hi . Ihave 7 pin on car and 2 7 pins on caravan ..I cant find a 7 to 7 pin twin adapter anywhere . Please help
Thank you
There is no such thing. If you have just a 7 pin socket on the car you just plug the black lead into it to work the road lights. If you want to run the other bits and pieces you need to have a grey socket wired into the car or convert the whole lot to 13 pin.
As said, you can't 'add' the functional features of the 2nd 7 pin plug (known as a 12S plug/socket, and grey or white coloured) with an adaptor (which is why they don't exist!)
This is likely to be a pre Sept 2008 caravan if it has two 7 pin plugs, if it's October 1979 to 31 August 1998, the wiring/functionality differs from post August 1998 manufacture slightly, just to complicate things further! Post Sept 2008, the current 13 pin plugs/sockets were used. If it's pre August 1998, it would only have one black (12N) plug.
That ALL assumes it hasn't been modified since manufacture! - many older vans do get modified, and they can be a bit of a guessing game as to what's been done!
If it's a August 1998 - pre Sept 2008 UK built caravan, then the functionality is as follows.
The 12N (black coloured plug/socket) covers BASIC road lights:
L H Indicator
R H Indicator
R H Tail Light*
L H Tail Light & Number Plate*
Stop Lights
Fog Light(s)
* the front, side and high level running lights will be included in that.
The 12S (White or Grey plug/socket) covers mostly internal caravan items, but also the (technically, legally required!) reversing lights:
Interior Lights and Caravan Battery Charge (Permanent Supply)
Fridge (Ignition-Controlled Supply)
Reversing Light(s)
You'd be very unfortunate indeed if anyone checked your outfit for legal road use, so the reversing lights not working (assuming you continue with your single socket on car), are not likely to have repercussions beyond the inconvenience of you not being able to see behind caravan in the dark, and (IMHO a valuable feature!) warning others you are reversing!
That said, on technicalities, your outfit 'may' be deemed not roadworthy because caravan reversing lights not functional (when they are legally required to be fitted!), BUT it's a grey area as functionality depends upon tow vehicle, and no legal obligation for tow vehicle to provide that function! (I've seen the argument ramble on without conclusion for some while now!) - the law being a classic ass and conflicting with itself! There are quite rare stop and inspect roadside spot checks carried out by Police/VOSA, mostly aimed at commercial trailers, but occasionally they include a few caravans, for roadworthiness and loading limits - chances probably up there with Lottery wins!
If you want the extra functions then an upgrade to the car tow-bar wiring is needed, and TBH going to a current 13 pin socket is a good option (your caravan will need either a 13pin to 2x7pin adaptor or rewiring to a 13pin plug - which is the better option), as the 13pin plugs/sockets are more waterproof and generally less troublesome.
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Topic: Tow pin converters
via mobile 23/7/2024 at 9:10am
