Thank you for this. I did a towing course before towing our caravan and this was explained, but there are nuances you've covered, which is useful. I once broke my breakaway cable, it's because I forgot to remove it after putting on the caravan brake, detaching from the towball and driving off. What a numpty - I only did it once - it proved that the breakaway cable does actually break :) :). The other thing I found out recently is to be cautious when moving a caravan using motor movers, especially on sloping ground, as a dealer recently told me they had seen the movers pop off, allowing the caravan to move freely. So I now stand close to the handbrake when using my motor movers. I have checked mine and I suspect they only 'pop off' if they haven't been installed correctly. Mine were installed by a dealer, but they weren't at the requisite distance from the tyre, making it very hard to engage and disengage.
This is absolutely correct so if you see some videos that state that the breakaway cable is used as a secondary attachment to keep the trailer inline and still attached to the tow vehicle should it brakeaway occur -this is not the case the cable will only apply the caravan brakes then snap the cable.
I am new to towing so this is brilliant advice as seem to find different opinions on the issue when browsing generally, which is very confusing. One very important question I really need help with. The advice is for the cable not to bee too taut or too slack. Slack is easy as if to close to the ground then it is no good, but how do I know if the cable has just enough to allow full movement of the caravan without pulling the break? I just do not know what the test for this is without actually driving it and taking the risk of it pulling.
Thanks for your feedback Michael and pleased you found the video useful. Tim says: "If there is an amount of ‘slack’ cable between the hitch head and the towbar coupling, and that slack leaves the cable more than 50mm or so from the road surface, then there should be no issues." Hope this is helpful? Liz
@@caravanguard Thanks for you response Liz. The problem is the opposite. Rather than having too much slack, how do I know if I have the cable is long enough to allow full movement without becoming taut and pulling the break?
@@michaelspanswick1743 you do need an amount of slack. The breakaway cable should be long enough that it does not attempt to apply the brakes whilst in motion, particularly around corners, but not so long that it can contact the road or become wrapped around some part of the front of the caravan when in use. Make sure that the cable is not or cannot be entangled with the electrical cable and/or any external stabiliser in place. There's more information in this towing guide: www.thencc.org.uk/downloads/caravan_towing_guide_amended.pdf
Hi, There are a number of suppliers of breakaway cables and they offer different lengths with different fixings . If the length of cable is as a result of having to ‘wraparound’ and return to the cable for fixing, then it might be worth considering the fitting of a designated mounting point accessory, then a carabiner style breakaway cable could be used. One of the biggest problems with very long cables is that they can get tangled and damaged. Hope this helps, Liz @ Caravan Guard
@@caravanguard thankyou, it’s a case of my A frame has been extended but the brake lever is still back at the tub, it’s about a 2m cable that I need. I do have a solid mounting point which helps. Can you recommend or suggest a supplier that make custom cables? Thanks
I have been listening to a lot of debates regarding the differences between using a breakaway cable or a safety chain. I note most new caravans come standard with the breakaway cable and no chain. Has there been a change in safety regulations regarding the use of safety chains in other words has there been extensive research done on establishing which method is safer. Could you please clarify which of the two methods is the better one and why and if there is any such research where can i find this information please. Look forward to your reply Regards Jo
Hi Jo, The use of a ‘safety chain’ - more often in legislation described as a ‘secondary coupling device’ - is only relevant to a trailer which is less than 750kgs - so what used to be referred to as ‘an unbraked trailer’. Whilst some do refer to the ‘breakaway cable’ as a secondary coupling device - which of course it is, the requirement for what type of such device is required is governed by the weight of the trailer that it is fitted to. Where a trailer has a manufactured weight in excess of 750kgs then a braking system must be fitted and those brakes can then be operated by the breakaway cable in the event of a detachment. In recent years some manufacturers have started to fit braking systems to trailers although their design weight is less than 750kgs. Any ‘safety chain’ / secondary coupling must be designed sothat in the event of a detachment from the tow ball the trailer is ‘held / restrained’ above the road surface. Hope this help? Liz
The spring clip is designed to work in conjunction with the cable to tighten up and pull the brake on - the engineering of the clip does not allow for it to take the strain of a ‘pull’, the clip just straightens out - without applying the brake The carabiner has the engineering capability to take that strain, so can be clipped direct to the designated mounting point on the towbar Hope that clarifies?
I have a detachable tow ball and the clip connection NOT the carabena. I always wrapped the cable around the tow-ball until I saw a video stating that the cable had to be clipped on to the tow ball frame NOT wrapped around the tow ball because it could bounce off, I wished the advice was consistent..
At 6.50 you say not to use the hole on the light socket. I have seen that some tow bar makes have this as the tested reg 55 compliant place to clip. Did you mean to say with the old clip do not connect here but its OK with the new style?
Hi Oliver, on most installations where there is a hole under the electrics the metal plate that carries the electric socket is not rated as a designated mounting point.
If the tow bar maker has rated that point for connection then yes you should. If they have not then no you should not. So its a case of read the manual.
At around 3.20 you mention that all braked trailers MUST use a brakeaway cable. How does this marry up with trailer IVA regs that allow a trailer with brakes up to 1500kg MLPM to have a secondary coupling?
You’re right that up to 1500kgs MGW, a secondary coupling can be used. The whole point of that is that it STOPS the trailer going walkabout. In this sçenario a breakaway cable is not required and serves no purpose.
So at 6:24 you say not to hook to the bracket, I have contacted Tow Trust had they have advised that their bracket and hole is to connect the breakaway cable, your video tells users not to.
Hi, If you have a bolted tow ball which has a mounting point then you can hook a carabiner style breakaway cable to this. Some detachable tow bars have what looks like a mounting point below the electrics bracket but this is not sufficiently strong enough to secure to - unless it’s an integral part of the tow bar structure as this will have been tested within the Certification Process. Thanks Liz
Hi, we have asked Tim and he says that the Type Approval Certificate is the basis of the test and if that is included on their test certificate then it would be permissible.
Breakaway cable is fine ... attachment understood. BUT ... nowhere do you explain about the trailer end other than the cable guide. The question is this : With a breakaway cable attached to the bottom end of the handbrake lever - it is obvious that if the hitch fails - the cable will pull on the brakes. But as soon as the cable breaks - the pull is then released and the handbrake lever will return to brakes off. I accept that I have not towed a caravan since late 90's - but it was usual for the locking pawl of the handbrake to be flipped over away from the locking notches to prevent it being locked on by the over-run brake ... which is actually the same mechanism used by breakaway cable. Even with my last van with a push button hand brake release - and the reversing brake drums ... the cable did not lock the brakes on ...
Auto-reverse couplings have an energy store attached to the handbrake which keep it pushed on. If the trailer tried rolling backwards (downhill for instsnce) the handbrake is forced on even further. Many couplings do not use a ratchet and pawl at all, just an over-centre action is sufficient. Once the breakaway cable has pulled the handbrake on, it’s done it’s job!
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you for this. I did a towing course before towing our caravan and this was explained, but there are nuances you've covered, which is useful. I once broke my breakaway cable, it's because I forgot to remove it after putting on the caravan brake, detaching from the towball and driving off. What a numpty - I only did it once - it proved that the breakaway cable does actually break :) :). The other thing I found out recently is to be cautious when moving a caravan using motor movers, especially on sloping ground, as a dealer recently told me they had seen the movers pop off, allowing the caravan to move freely. So I now stand close to the handbrake when using my motor movers. I have checked mine and I suspect they only 'pop off' if they haven't been installed correctly. Mine were installed by a dealer, but they weren't at the requisite distance from the tyre, making it very hard to engage and disengage.
Learned something new today, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video, really need it I now know what cable to buy and how to use it. 👍👍👍👍👍
This is absolutely correct so if you see some videos that state that the breakaway cable is used as a secondary attachment to keep the trailer inline and still attached to the tow vehicle should it brakeaway occur -this is not the case the cable will only apply the caravan brakes then snap the cable.
I am new to towing so this is brilliant advice as seem to find different opinions on the issue when browsing generally, which is very confusing. One very important question I really need help with. The advice is for the cable not to bee too taut or too slack. Slack is easy as if to close to the ground then it is no good, but how do I know if the cable has just enough to allow full movement of the caravan without pulling the break? I just do not know what the test for this is without actually driving it and taking the risk of it pulling.
Thanks for your feedback Michael and pleased you found the video useful. Tim says: "If there is an amount of ‘slack’ cable between the hitch head and the towbar coupling, and that slack leaves the cable more than 50mm or so from the road surface, then there should be no issues."
Hope this is helpful?
Liz
@@caravanguard Thanks for you response Liz. The problem is the opposite. Rather than having too much slack, how do I know if I have the cable is long enough to allow full movement without becoming taut and pulling the break?
@@michaelspanswick1743 you do need an amount of slack. The breakaway cable should be long enough that it does not attempt to apply the brakes whilst in motion, particularly around corners, but not so long that it can contact the road or become wrapped around some part of the front of the caravan when in use. Make sure that the cable is not or cannot be entangled with the electrical cable and/or any external stabiliser in place. There's more information in this towing guide: www.thencc.org.uk/downloads/caravan_towing_guide_amended.pdf
I have a trailer that requires a longer cable, can I connect 2 cables together as I cant find any longer cable ?
Hi, There are a number of suppliers of breakaway cables and they offer different lengths with different fixings
.
If the length of cable is as a result of having to ‘wraparound’ and return to the cable for fixing, then it might be worth considering the fitting of a designated mounting point accessory, then a carabiner style breakaway cable could be used. One of the biggest problems with very long cables is that they can get tangled and damaged.
Hope this helps, Liz @ Caravan Guard
@@caravanguard thankyou, it’s a case of my A frame has been extended but the brake lever is still back at the tub, it’s about a 2m cable that I need. I do have a solid mounting point which helps. Can you recommend or suggest a supplier that make custom cables?
Thanks
@@PCInstallations You could try BPW - they are a major supplier of compliant cables: www.bpw.co.uk/contact
I have been listening to a lot of debates regarding the differences between using a breakaway cable or a safety chain.
I note most new caravans come standard with the breakaway cable and no chain.
Has there been a change in safety regulations regarding the use of safety chains in other words has there been extensive research done on establishing which method is safer.
Could you please clarify which of the two methods is the better one and why and if there is any such research where can i find this information please.
Look forward to your reply Regards
Jo
Hi Jo,
The use of a ‘safety chain’ - more often in legislation described as a ‘secondary coupling device’ - is only relevant to a trailer which is less than 750kgs - so what used to be referred to as ‘an unbraked trailer’.
Whilst some do refer to the ‘breakaway cable’ as a secondary coupling device - which of course it is, the requirement for what type of such device is required is governed by the weight of the trailer that it is fitted to.
Where a trailer has a manufactured weight in excess of 750kgs then a braking system must be fitted and those brakes can then be operated by the breakaway cable in the event of a detachment.
In recent years some manufacturers have started to fit braking systems to trailers although their design weight is less than 750kgs.
Any ‘safety chain’ / secondary coupling must be designed sothat in the event of a detachment from the tow ball the trailer is ‘held / restrained’ above the road surface.
Hope this help?
Liz
Can you please explain why the spring clip cannot be attached to the tow bar frame hole & has to be clipped to itself
The spring clip is designed to work in conjunction with the cable to tighten up and pull the brake on - the engineering of the clip does not allow for it to take the strain of a ‘pull’, the clip just straightens out - without applying the brake
The carabiner has the engineering capability to take that strain, so can be clipped direct to the designated mounting point on the towbar
Hope that clarifies?
I have a detachable tow ball and the clip connection NOT the carabena. I always wrapped the cable around the tow-ball until I saw a video stating that the cable had to be clipped on to the tow ball frame NOT wrapped around the tow ball because it could bounce off, I wished the advice was consistent..
At 6.50 you say not to use the hole on the light socket. I have seen that some tow bar makes have this as the tested reg 55 compliant place to clip. Did you mean to say with the old clip do not connect here but its OK with the new style?
If it is a part of the tow bar assembly then it can be. Users need to check as many are just a thin metal plate which carries the electric socket.
Just to check. I have the first Detachable device and have a carabiner style clip so can I clip onto the hole under the electrics? Cheers Oliver
Hi Oliver, on most installations where there is a hole under the electrics the metal plate that carries the electric socket is not rated as a designated mounting point.
If the tow bar maker has rated that point for connection then yes you should. If they have not then no you should not. So its a case of read the manual.
At around 3.20 you mention that all braked trailers MUST use a brakeaway cable. How does this marry up with trailer IVA regs that allow a trailer with brakes up to 1500kg MLPM to have a secondary coupling?
You’re right that up to 1500kgs MGW, a secondary coupling can be used. The whole point of that is that it STOPS the trailer going walkabout. In this sçenario a breakaway cable is not required and serves no purpose.
It's the vehicle regulation that specifically states the information about breakaway point's
So at 6:24 you say not to hook to the bracket, I have contacted Tow Trust had they have advised that their bracket and hole is to connect the breakaway cable, your video tells users not to.
Hi, If you have a bolted tow ball which has a mounting point then you can hook a carabiner style breakaway cable to this. Some detachable tow bars have what looks like a mounting point below the electrics bracket but this is not sufficiently strong enough to secure to - unless it’s an integral part of the tow bar structure as this will have been tested within the Certification Process. Thanks Liz
@@caravanguard not according to Tow Trust and their removable towbars, the 13 pin socket you show and say not to use is what Tow Trust state to use.
Quote 'Good Morning, In this case you would use the eyelet on the socket plate as shown below'
Hi, we have asked Tim and he says that the Type Approval Certificate is the basis of the test and if that is included on their test certificate then it would be permissible.
What should be in the other end of a replacement brake away cable (opposite end to the carabiner)
There is a hook on the opposite end Ian: www.al-ko.com/shop/uk_vt/breakaway-cable-for-looped-attachment.html
Breakaway cable is fine ... attachment understood. BUT ... nowhere do you explain about the trailer end other than the cable guide.
The question is this : With a breakaway cable attached to the bottom end of the handbrake lever - it is obvious that if the hitch fails - the cable will pull on the brakes. But as soon as the cable breaks - the pull is then released and the handbrake lever will return to brakes off. I accept that I have not towed a caravan since late 90's - but it was usual for the locking pawl of the handbrake to be flipped over away from the locking notches to prevent it being locked on by the over-run brake ... which is actually the same mechanism used by breakaway cable.
Even with my last van with a push button hand brake release - and the reversing brake drums ... the cable did not lock the brakes on ...
Auto-reverse couplings have an energy store attached to the handbrake which keep it pushed on. If the trailer tried rolling backwards (downhill for instsnce) the handbrake is forced on even further. Many couplings do not use a ratchet and pawl at all, just an over-centre action is sufficient.
Once the breakaway cable has pulled the handbrake on, it’s done it’s job!
This information isn't fully accurate