Atc question on 7 pin socket

[kevemo]

Hi all , i am picking a new to me Stirling Eccles caravan up on saturday morning and my question is that my car towbar electrics are a 7 pin plug and i cant get it changed to a 13 pin plug in time , i am going to use a 7 pin to 13 pin adaptor just to tow it to storage and have been told it wont opperate the atc , wil, this affect me being able to tow the caravan in any way ?

 

[Mr Plodd]

Assuming you meant to say will this affect me being able to tow the answer is no, you won't have any problem at all.

 

[kevemo]

Assuming you meant to say will this affect me being able to tow the answer is no, you won't have any problem at all.

I did yes 😁forgot to put the word tow in

 

[Dustydog]

Hi all , i am picking a new to me Stirling Eccles caravan up on saturday morning and my question is that my car towbar electrics are a 7 pin plug and i cant get it changed to a 13 pin plug in time , i am going to use a 7 pin to 13 pin adaptor just to tow it to storage and have been told it wont opperate the atc , wil, this affect me being able to tow the caravan in any way ?

No. Your lights will be street legal no issue. Once yo7 have the new 13 pin on the car you will be amazed how easy it is to use. Don’t push! Locate , twist gently and it engages. Easy

 

[JTQ]

I towed from 2008 to well into 2016 with a car fitted with dual 7 pin sockets, and the ATC worked faultlessly, so they certainly can work with 7 pin setups.

It might require you uprate the car's fuse feeding the maintained supply positive pin; the addition of the ATC's draw, under certain circumstances, "can" take out the 15Amp fuse typically used in installations.
Mine I changed to a 20Amp fuse* and have never had that blow.
* I sought and received the car makers approval to uprate to 20 Amps but only for specifically use in this case.

When coupling up the plug to the car you might well hear the ATC operate, going through its checking procedure; ensure if this happens that the ATC's LED [if featured] does not "Flash" Red. If it is not then the ATC is either not functioning or otherwise leaving the van in a safe state to tow.
[Flashing red basically means the ATC actuator is not safely in the "home" position, inferring it might be partially or fully applying the level of brake application it can. In that state you can't tow without further intervention]

 

[Hutch]

Just to tow it back to storage , it will be ok , just the ATC will not work, although as JTQ has stated he had no problems using a splitter receptacle.

 

[Dustydog]

I towed from 2008 to well into 2016 with a car fitted with dual 7 pin sockets, and the ATC worked faultlessly, so they certainly can work with 7 pin setups.

It might require you uprate the car's fuse feeding the maintained supply positive pin; the addition of the ATC's draw, under certain circumstances, "can" take out the 15Amp fuse typically used in installations.
Mine I changed to a 20Amp fuse* and have never had that blow.
* I sought and received the car makers approval to uprate to 20 Amps but only for specifically use in this case.

When coupling up the plug to the car you might well hear the ATC operate, going through its checking procedure; ensure if this happens that the ATC's LED [if featured] does not "Flash" Red. If it is not then the ATC is either not functioning or otherwise leaving the van in a safe state to tow.
[Flashing red basically means the ATC actuator is not safely in the "home" position, inferring it might be partially or fully applying the level of brake application it can. In that state you can't tow without further intervention]

Ah. I misunderstood. I thought he only had one 7 pin plug ie 12n.

 

[JTQ]

Ah. I misunderstood. I thought he only had one 7 pin plug ie 12n.

Yes, indeed he may have, so would not have a maintained supply.

 

[Woodentop]

Hi all , i am picking a new to me Stirling Eccles caravan up on saturday morning and my question is that my car towbar electrics are a 7 pin plug and i cant get it changed to a 13 pin plug in time , i am going to use a 7 pin to 13 pin adaptor just to tow it to storage and have been told it wont opperate the atc , wil, this affect me being able to tow the caravan in any way ?

Is your car 7N and 7S, or just 7N? If it is 7N only you use a 7/13 adapter you will have permanently lit rear foglights. If it is 7N and 7S then the adapter will work fully and the ATC will work - not that it matters as Andy says.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Kevmo,
The ATC is a system which should only intervene if the the ATC's sensor detects excessive movement. What this means is, if you have a correctly set up caravan and tow vehicle and you drive correctly the ATC should not make any interventions, so you will notice no difference if its turned on or off. And that is the way it should always be.

You should consider the ATC to be like the seat belts, where they only do a job if you make a silly mistake.

If you find you need ATC to be active to tow your caravan, then something is seriously wrong, and you must review your loading of car and caravan to remove the outfits dependance on the ATC.

 

[Beachball]

Just tow it to storage it should be okay but your ATC will not work

 

[Mandarin]

I know its too late as the op was moving it yesterday, but for others bear in mind the insurance aspect, we have a large discount with ATC. If the ATC is not working I suspect our insurers would take a dim view if we had an accident.

So maybe just worth a call to let them know you're moving the van for one trip with inactive atc.

Otherwise full agreeing towing it shouldn't be a problem, thousands of vans out there tow without it.