Hi Dan me & the wife have been looking at buying a caravan for about 18 months finally found the layout we think will suit us. We pick up middle of April. This will be our first caravan. So Dan Sue & Me just want to thank you & your family for all the videos you make we have watched them all some of them more than once. Lol Keep up the good work Michael and Sue Ashby
Thanks very much for taking the time to do this. I have to replace mine as the old one broke. When I say broke, you probably know what I mean - the red face version of 'broke'...:) :)
I've had a "spare" breakaway cable in my tool box for a year that I've had all great intentions too fit instead of the old one on Cara. I'm now going tomorrow too fit it. Just too feel safe. Xx thank you xx
Just had to do the same today, my problem was the van attachment holes had bent at some time which meant messing around to get them lined up. Really appreciate your videos by the way.
Greetings from New Zealand. Really appreciated this Dan - very practical tips as always. I had replaced my cable some months ago but had omitted to put it through the front retainer. So that's now rectified.
I have just replaced mine but have to say that the 'crushing' of the cable end was MUCH more difficult than anticipated. My monkey wrench made nary a dent in it, and in the end a neighbour lent me a longer wrench that did some of the job, but try as I might I couldn't get it as tight as yours! Next time I'll buy the version with the screw end. Does make me wonder why Alko don't just use a double ended version; if it's good enough for the towbar, why couldn't you just have an identical end on the base of the handbrake? Good tip on carrying a spare. Thanks.
Excellent video Dan. Just a quick tip about the keyring type. With normal sized keyrings you can use a staple remover tool to open the spring to help get the keys on. Whether a staple remover would be strong enough with the heavier guage ring I do not know, but might be worth a try.
Always carry a spare in my "just in case" box. I found that if I snapped the mole grips on at the 9 & 3 o-clock position it's possible to twist the thing open. Although I do carry a junior hacksaw, as Mike below.
Replaced mine last year Dan. Thought it would be a 10 minute job but the old one proved surprisingly difficult to remove (using a hacksaw) so took well over an hour. Would have been a lot quicker if I'd had a Dremel.
I have always carried a spare cable, just as well I have done the schoolboy error of moving the car after set up and forgot to take off cable. One cable you did not mention is one with a u shaped bracket rod and split pin. Easier to fit with minimal tools required.
Going to be replacing the breakaway cable in my new caravan (it's new to me) Any suggestions for swearing one could use whilst changing the cable 😅 thanks 👍
Hi Dan con you or do you know why the ncc and caravan club say that the spring clip type should not be connected directly to a mounting point on the tow bar but should be connected by looping it around a part of the tow bar and then connecting it back on its self as i have on my tow bar a hole that i think is a adjustment fixing hole for the swan neck ball and i use that for clipping the break away cable to and i have a older style spring clip cable is it due to a chance of the spring clip part disforming and a chance of the break away cable coming detached even thou watching the caravan guard and caravan and camping video's i will change my break away cable in the near future to the carabiner style that can be connected to a mounting point as i don't like the idea of just looping it around the tow ball as if the caravan should come unattached the break away cable has a chance of just coming off and not doing it's job
Good call to carry a spare, I'll be ordering one today, probably the carabiner type, plus add a junior hacksaw to the toolkit, that, theoretically, should be the only tools I'd actually need to pop the new one on. One question though, which part is designed to fail on the Al-Ko type once deployed?
Can I bring it to your attention that I was unfortunate enough to have my caravan come away from my tow car. The breakaway cable was a genuine Alko product and the same design as yours and fitted correctly. The cable failed to apply the handbrake it simply pulled through the hole. I now have a bill for £ 4000.00 in repairs I will never use this style again my upgrade was a genuine Williams trailers replacement Stephen
Ha, trust me when i say this, i tried. but the angle that I was at, the camera in the way and the angle of the breakaway cable, it was far easier to hold the cable under some tension - not ideal i appreciate that but I got there in the end.
Hi Kieran, its not designed to hold a caravan, its designed to pull tight, that will then activate the hand brake then snap away, hence why its called a break away cable, have a look on Caravan Guard RUclips channel for an explanation on how breakaway cables work.
the whole point of using vise grips is so that you can clamp them on quite loosely and then with a wrench twist the screw at the bottom to close the clamps more, if you are just going to use brute force you might as well just have used some flat nose pliers or something, your video even cuts out at the point where you should have shown how to use the vise grips properly
Hi Dan, another great video and very simple to understand. You mentioned it was a legal requirement, however the law does not state it needs to be a 'breakaway cable', but simply a device that applies the brakes in the event of an inadvertent decoupling the trailer, under 3500 Kg, from the towing vehicle. The breakaway cable has been the 'dafacto' method since Adam was a lad. Also Since 2018 all breakaway cables should be of the carabiner type. (See Tim Booth ruclips.net/video/e2IcPIihreI/видео.html). I have been researching this as my detachable towing hitch has no cable attachment point on the bar it's self and the one provided is so awkward to get to, I wanted to know if I can use a shackle to put in the hole provided, and use that to attach the cable to. I have not found anything that forbids me to do that. Also, in my opinion, that for Detachable Towing Balls, it is preferable to find an alternative to the swan neck of the ball. i.e. if the ball comes off so does the Breakaway Cable. Hope you find this helpful and for new caravanners to take not of.
Hi Chris, Yes the law stipulates a secondary coupling, which by definition is the breakaway cable, and you are right about the Carabiner, i actually created that video with Tim a couple of years ago.. lol.
@@TheTrudgians I always enjoy your videos and they have been my inspiration to take up caravanning again. You provide lots of great tips and information on your 'How To's and gave me the confidence to tackle a blind issue I was having. See www.youtube.com/watch? as I went about mending it.
I hope the couple just leaving watch this lol Good deed for the day … Car & caravan leaving @SomersWoodCP …just outside gate as I was passing both detached..breakaway went on …it wasn’t hitched right and also broke the electric cable …hope he doesn’t try to get back to Liverpool before fixing !!
Hi Dan me & the wife have been looking at buying a caravan for about 18 months finally found the layout we think will suit us. We pick up middle of April. This will be our first caravan. So Dan Sue & Me just want to thank you & your family for all the videos you make we have watched them all some of them more than once. Lol
Keep up the good work
Michael and Sue Ashby
Thanks very much for taking the time to do this. I have to replace mine as the old one broke. When I say broke, you probably know what I mean - the red face version of 'broke'...:) :)
Just replaced ours ,used molegrips ,thanks for the tip.
Glad it helped
I've had a "spare" breakaway cable in my tool box for a year that I've had all great intentions too fit instead of the old one on Cara. I'm now going tomorrow too fit it. Just too feel safe. Xx thank you xx
Good stuff!
Hope you and the family have a good weekend
Just had to do the same today, my problem was the van attachment holes had bent at some time which meant messing around to get them lined up. Really appreciate your videos by the way.
Great shout Dan, a welcome reminder of what spares we should carry. Thanks for showing the different brands and the removal
eplacement procesa
Greetings from New Zealand. Really appreciated this Dan - very practical tips as always. I had replaced my cable some months ago but had omitted to put it through the front retainer. So that's now rectified.
Great video....thanks heaps!
Cheers Dan, thanks for the video, and the tip of keeping a Spare cable in the caravan,👍👍.
I have just replaced mine but have to say that the 'crushing' of the cable end was MUCH more difficult than anticipated. My monkey wrench made nary a dent in it, and in the end a neighbour lent me a longer wrench that did some of the job, but try as I might I couldn't get it as tight as yours! Next time I'll buy the version with the screw end. Does make me wonder why Alko don't just use a double ended version; if it's good enough for the towbar, why couldn't you just have an identical end on the base of the handbrake? Good tip on carrying a spare. Thanks.
Thank you for posting 'great video'
Will have a look at ours at the weekend. Thank you for the great video as usual
Would be interest in a video of the other “spares” people carry. I will certainly buy a breakaway now, never thought about it before
Hi Dan congratulations on reaching 48,800 subscribers and you will soon be at 50,000 subscribers and well done for all your hard work as always
Thank you so much this will help me
Happy to help
Excellent video Dan. Just a quick tip about the keyring type. With normal sized keyrings you can use a staple remover tool to open the spring to help get the keys on. Whether a staple remover would be strong enough with the heavier guage ring I do not know, but might be worth a try.
Thanks for the info! thats a great tip.
Always carry a spare in my "just in case" box. I found that if I snapped the mole grips on at the 9 & 3 o-clock position it's possible to twist the thing open. Although I do carry a junior hacksaw, as Mike below.
Very good but have a Drimmer drill at hand with little cutting disk found useful and good in caravan.
Replaced mine last year Dan. Thought it would be a 10 minute job but the old one proved surprisingly difficult to remove (using a hacksaw) so took well over an hour.
Would have been a lot quicker if I'd had a Dremel.
Another brilliant video again as always
I have always carried a spare cable, just as well I have done the schoolboy error of moving the car after set up and forgot to take off cable. One cable you did not mention is one with a u shaped bracket rod and split pin. Easier to fit with minimal tools required.
Really interesting video Dan
Brillant thank you
Clip the cable back onto itself under the A panel and it never gets damaged as you showed on yours.
Going to be replacing the breakaway cable in my new caravan (it's new to me)
Any suggestions for swearing one could use whilst changing the cable 😅 thanks 👍
I have to get a new one fitted after l unhitched and drove off with the cable still attached.
Hi Dan con you or do you know why the ncc and caravan club say that the spring clip type should not be connected directly to a mounting point on the tow bar but should be connected by looping it around a part of the tow bar and then connecting it back on its self as i have on my tow bar a hole that i think is a adjustment fixing hole for the swan neck ball and i use that for clipping the break away cable to and i have a older style spring clip cable is it due to a chance of the spring clip part disforming and a chance of the break away cable coming detached even thou watching the caravan guard and caravan and camping video's i will change my break away cable in the near future to the carabiner style that can be connected to a mounting point as i don't like the idea of just looping it around the tow ball as if the caravan should come unattached the break away cable has a chance of just coming off and not doing it's job
Good call to carry a spare, I'll be ordering one today, probably the carabiner type, plus add a junior hacksaw to the toolkit, that, theoretically, should be the only tools I'd actually need to pop the new one on. One question though, which part is designed to fail on the Al-Ko type once deployed?
In my experience the connection to the the car will be where the cable parts company
In my experience the brakeaway cable will rip the attachment point on the caravan
I did it when I was novice!
The brake handle had be replaced
Another great tutorial Dan. BTW what was the winning Dry Sparkle comment you chose for the prize recently?
Can I bring it to your attention that I was unfortunate enough to have my caravan come away from my tow car. The breakaway cable was a genuine Alko product and the same design as yours and fitted correctly.
The cable failed to apply the handbrake it simply pulled through the hole. I now have a bill for
£ 4000.00 in repairs I will never use this style again my upgrade was a genuine Williams trailers replacement
Stephen
You should have used the mole grips to hold the ring while you were sawing.
Ha, trust me when i say this, i tried. but the angle that I was at, the camera in the way and the angle of the breakaway cable, it was far easier to hold the cable under some tension - not ideal i appreciate that but I got there in the end.
Nice vid. Going to replace my tatty one and keep it as spare
What,Dan Trudgian swearing 🤬 , never 😳😂
Btw
Very informative. I need to change mine so cheers Dan.
I think this was a great clip ( excuse the pun ) .
Should have got the cable with the quick clips on both ends much easier to put on dan
Hope you enjoyed your well earned slap up meal!
I remember when it was illegal to wrap the brake away cable around your tow ball.
A cordless angle grinder or reciprocating saw would be a lot easier.
me i dont see how that cable can hold a one ton caravan if the ball fails ???
Hi Kieran, its not designed to hold a caravan, its designed to pull tight, that will then activate the hand brake then snap away, hence why its called a break away cable, have a look on Caravan Guard RUclips channel for an explanation on how breakaway cables work.
@@TheTrudgians thank god for that then and i will have a look on how breakaway cables work
the whole point of using vise grips is so that you can clamp them on quite loosely and then with a wrench twist the screw at the bottom to close the clamps more, if you are just going to use brute force you might as well just have used some flat nose pliers or something, your video even cuts out at the point where you should have shown how to use the vise grips properly
Hi Dan, another great video and very simple to understand. You mentioned it was a legal requirement, however the law does not state it needs to be a 'breakaway cable', but simply a device that applies the brakes in the event of an inadvertent decoupling the trailer, under 3500 Kg, from the towing vehicle. The breakaway cable has been the 'dafacto' method since Adam was a lad.
Also Since 2018 all breakaway cables should be of the carabiner type. (See Tim Booth ruclips.net/video/e2IcPIihreI/видео.html). I have been researching this as my detachable towing hitch has no cable attachment point on the bar it's self and the one provided is so awkward to get to, I wanted to know if I can use a shackle to put in the hole provided, and use that to attach the cable to. I have not found anything that forbids me to do that.
Also, in my opinion, that for Detachable Towing Balls, it is preferable to find an alternative to the swan neck of the ball. i.e. if the ball comes off so does the Breakaway Cable.
Hope you find this helpful and for new caravanners to take not of.
Hi Chris, Yes the law stipulates a secondary coupling, which by definition is the breakaway cable, and you are right about the Carabiner, i actually created that video with Tim a couple of years ago.. lol.
@@TheTrudgians I always enjoy your videos and they have been my inspiration to take up caravanning again. You provide lots of great tips and information on your 'How To's and gave me the confidence to tackle a blind issue I was having. See www.youtube.com/watch? as I went about mending it.
I hope the couple just leaving watch this lol
Good deed for the day …
Car & caravan leaving @SomersWoodCP …just outside gate as I was passing both detached..breakaway went on …it wasn’t hitched right and also broke the electric cable …hope he doesn’t try to get back to Liverpool before fixing !!