Just arrived on site to discover that the lead from the towcar to my caravan has been dragging on the road, I think that the electrics, indicators and lights etc. are still working, the plastic has been damaged, would members advise me to replace the lead or if the electrics are still working would insulation tape do the job?
If the insulation is damaged then there is a chance the cores of the wire could short against one another and cause strange behaviour of the lights. Personally I'd cut the end off the wire and splice a length onto it with a new plug and place a water proof connection box under the A frame somewhere.
That's why the cable is long in order to enable it to pass over the TOP of the hitch and not underneath and drag on the floor. That happenned recently to someone who had just bough a brand spanking new caravan only to find that they had no cable left at all. You could wrap insulation tape around the damaged area depending on the severity of the damage but it would be best to replace it just in case it short circuits in the future and blows a fuse.
When you've replaced it, and are ready to hitch up. Take the Socket and holding it firmly turn it round and round 4-6 times. you'll put a gentile pig tail twist into the cable. This will help hod it clear of the floor, and still allow free moment.
Dave
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Quote: Originally posted by Davep on 25/8/2012
When you've replaced it, and are ready to hitch up. Take the Socket and holding it firmly turn it round and round 4-6 times. you'll put a gentile pig tail twist into the cable. This will help hod it clear of the floor, and still allow free moment.
Dave
seems like the best way to pull the wires out of the socket....
When you've replaced it, and are ready to hitch up. Take the Socket and holding it firmly turn it round and round 4-6 times. you'll put a gentile pig tail twist into the cable. This will help hod it clear of the floor, and still allow free moment.
Dave
That idea works when you have twin 12N & 12S cables that you rope them together but if it's a single 13 pin plug cable connecting to a 13 pin socket then how do you turn it round 4-6 times?
I use a bunji looped around the jockey wheel to keep the wires off the floor. I also wrapped both wires in cable tidies beforehand, the stuff used in offices to hold wires together and tidy.
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You don't turn it 4-6 times necessarily, you turn it enough times for the cable to be well clear of the road, often just a couple of times, depends on cable length. Its a good idea that works with any type/amount/thickness of cable(s), try it & you will see.
yes that happened to us with our brand new caravan on the jubilee weekend...we did a repair job onsite using connector blocks and tape and once home, took it in and had the repair fixed correctly. it wasn't an expensive repair thankfully.........but a lesson learned the HARD WAY!
Twisting 13 pin cable is not a good idea and will create more problems than it solves. As stated if it is only the outer skin and you cannot see bare wires, simply use insulation tape. We wrap ours over the hitch and this seems to reduce the length. Alternatively around the jockey wheel handle.
why is everyone poo pooing the idea of twisting the cables when even the caravan club recommend you do it
Not an issue with 12 pin connection, only with the 13 pin as the plug tends to turn in the housing and you cannot connect it to the car as it is out of alignment!
If its only the outer casing thats damaged then you can buy stuff called 'self amalgamating tape' its thicked than insulating tape and the overlapping layers fuse together chemically to be watertight too.
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Topic: Dragging electrics lead
