Attaching breakaway cable

[otherclive]

My detachable towball by thule has a small bracket to attach the breakaway cable by using the cables spring clip. However I prefer to have a looped cable as the spring clips are notoriously weak. But I don't fancy looping the cable around the towball either. So my solution was to visit the local outdoor climbing shop and bought a certified and load proofed D-ring carabineer made by Maillon. It cost less than £7 and is marine grade stainless rated at 5500kg load on the long axis and 1000kg load on the cross axis. It is small but large enough to allow the breakaway cables spring clip to be looped through the carabineer. A small outlay for peace of mind.

 

[Lutz]

You write that the spring clips are "notoriously weak", but does anyone know for sure whether or not they are strong enough to apply the handbrake in case of towball connection failure? After all, the purpose of the breakaway cable is not to prevent the car and caravan from separating (which it wouldn't do even if the clip were infinitely strong - the cable would just snap or part company elsewhere). The breakaway cable is only there to apply the handbrake.
This is not meant to be a criticism of your post, Clive. I was just wondering whether there would be any benefit in a stronger clip if it only means that the next weakest point in the cable connection will fail (which is probably at the other end where it attaches to the handbrake lever).

 

[MichaelE]

Good idea to loop the cable as there are 2 types of breakaway cable for the Alko,if you plan to clip the cable you will need the carabineer type cable, the spring clip type is designed to loop back on itself ie around the towball or through the bracket then clipped back on itself.
The spring clip type might fail before the handbrake is applied.
I have always looped around the towball

 

[chrisbee1]

I sit in the opposite camp and never loop around the tow ball. My thinking is that if the tow hitch jumps off the tow ball what’s to stop the cable doing the same thing? I always change to a karabiner type cable and direct attachment to a dedicated fixing point.

 

[Lutz]

The spring clip type might fail before the handbrake is applied.

That's my question. Is there any evidence that this is the case?

 

[602]

The spring clip type might fail before the handbrake is applied. Is there any evidence that this is the case?
Hi,
Over the years, I have met several clips that were capable of falling off.

My brain still hurts when thinking about this. Surely a two wheeled trailer needs a secondary coupling which is capable of preventing the draw-bar from hitting the road. (Visions of the draw-bar hitting a pot-hole at 40mph, and the caravan somersaulting

) Or is that just unbraked trailers? A secondary coupling is not intended to snap. Four wheel trailers should have a break-away cable that will apply the brakes before snapping.

Seeing as my new two wheeled caravan has a break-away cable, I must be wrong. Doh!

602

 

[Lutz]

There is no requirement for a safety chain on two wheeled-trailers and, to my knowledge, not for unbraked trailers, either. All trailers over 750kg must be braked, regardless of whether two or four wheeled, and have a break-away cable that applies the brakes before snapping.

 

[Steve L]

Just to clarify a couple of points.
There is a distinct difference between safety chains and break away cables.
Safety chains are required by uk law to be fitted to trailers that are not fitted with brakes. The concept being that, the chain will restrain the trailer sufficiently for the vehicle to be brought to a halt should the trailer hitch come undone. This applies to trailers with a design max weight of up to 750Kgs.

Break away cables are required by uk law to be fitted to trailers that have a self activating parking brake that can be actioned by the break away cable in the event of an accidental uncoupling. What that means is that the cable should operate the handbrake of the trailer which then operates the trailer brakes. After that the cable is intended to snap at it's weakest point to allow the trailer to stop away from the vehicle. It is also recommended that the cable be fitted to a secure point on the car's towbar and not looped around the tow ball, as the risk of it slipping off is significant. You can get simple tag plates that bolt to the towbar using the bolt on tow ball securing bolts, or alternatively you can get a clamp type version for swan neck tow balls.

 

[Lutz]

Safety chains are required by uk law to be fitted to trailers that are not fitted with brakes. The concept being that, the chain will restrain the trailer sufficiently for the vehicle to be brought to a halt should the trailer hitch come undone. This applies to trailers with a design max weight of up to 750Kgs.

Steve, can you point me to the law that requires these safety chains as I can find no reference to them in the Construction & Use Regulations 1986 Reg. 87 which refers to unbraked trailers?

 

[Steve L]

Hi Lutz.
Apparently this is the stance of VOSA and they are prosecuting people if they don't have a safety chain on a trailer of under 750Kgs.
Have a look at the link below and you'll see just how "clear as mud" the law on trailers is!
Just be aware that a police officer can use the "in his opinnion the trailer is dangerous" comment and doesn't have to back it up as such.
Then if you choose to challenge it in court, it's your word against the police, and we know who wins even if they are wrong.
http://www.ukpoliceonline.co.uk/index.php?/topic/44856-trailers/

 

[Lutz]

But even the police have to respect the law and if the law doesn't say you need safety chains then it's up to the police to prove that it is "in their opinion dangerous" if you don't fit them.
Why a trailer under 750kg is considered more of a hazard in the event of separation from the towing vehicle than one over 750kg which definitely does not need chains, is a mystery to me. After all, even if the breakaway cable applies the handbrake before snapping, the trailer won't stop instantly and can still do a lot of damage (probably more than a light trailer) before it does come to a standstill.

 

[forestgump]

the latest from vosa is that the clip not carabina type must be chocked around the tow bar its self not tow ball as this can jump of if van comes of and the tow ball can come off at joint (not likley ?) this was on tv with high way police and vosa showing the right way to attatch.

 

[Lutz]

All very well if you can attach the cable to the towbar, but on my car with a detachable neck, the towbar itself is hidden behind the bumper so there is nothing there which can be used as an alternative anchorage point.

 

[otherclive]

On TV does not make it law, and I can find nothing on the VOSA site to support this approach. Why should VOSA not accept a carabineer clip which is proof stamped with the SWL and MWL and is used for climbing and overhead work where safety is important. It shows VOSA's lack of understanding vehicle construction as like Lutz I cannot access my towbar and the OEM breakaway cable would need to be at least twice as long.

 

[otherclive]

This came out of the VOSA/DOT Quick Guide to Towing Small Trailers. An inspector would be hard pressed to dispute the fixing arrangements providing they are secure. However the guidance does not say which manufacturer....van or towball!!!! Typical imprecise approach eh? Now how about a motorhome towing a small car for a new thread.....

'a breakaway cable or secondary coupling is used.
Make sure this is undamaged and correctly
connected (refer to manufacturer's advice)'

 

[forestgump]

it did not say carabina are not able it states the clip type to be cliped back on its self.carabina can go to a dedecated piont

 

[otherclive]

Sorry FG but your post above seemed to read as if carabineer type is not suitable.

 

[Steve L]

All you need for a detatchable swan neck is a clamp on attatchment simlar to that used for blade type stabilisers

 

[MichaelE]

I have always looped around the towball as i too have a detachable towball.It does state if you have no fixed point then loop around the towball.

 

[Gafferbill]

.....here is the relevant UK legislation for Lutz and anyone else interested.

Secondary Couplings and Break-away cables
The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (SI 1986 No. 1078) and amending Regulations.
Secondary Trailer Couplings

Trailers manufactured from 1 October 1982 must not be used on the road if they are not fitted with a device that stops them automatically if the main coupling between the towing vehicle and trailer breaks unless a secondary coupling is fitted which, if the main coupling breaks, the secondary coupling prevents the drawbar from touching the ground and some steering remains on the trailer.
This requirement also applies to trailers manufactured from 1 January 1997 having a maximum total design weight not exceeding 750 kg (Regulation 15).

BSAU 267: 1998
Scope
This Code of Practice provides recommendations for break-away cables and secondary couplings, and their attachment points, for light trailers or caravans up to a mass of 3,500 kg. It applies to trailers which do not have brakes or have overrun or inertia type braking systems only.
DefinitionsBreak-away Cable ("BC") A break-away cable is a cable between the towing vehicle and the trailer including its fitments which, in the event of separation of the main coupling, activates the braking mechanism of the trailer. Secondary Coupling ("SC")A secondary coupling is a coupling device between the trailer and towing vehicle which, upon separation of the main coupling, ensures that the two vehicles remain connected, prevents the drawbar touching the ground and provides residual steering for the trailer. Secondary Couplings used for the retention of trailers in the event of main coupling separation should be designed to have an ultimate tensile strength of equivalent to at least twice the maximum permissable mass of the trailer. Application Trailers with a mass of up to 1,500 kg should be fitted with either a BC or SC. Trailers without brakes should have a maximum mass of 750 kg and should be fitted with a SC. It is recommended that all trailers with brakes should be fitted with a BC. It is required that trailers with a mass of between 1,500 kg and 3,500 kg be fitted with a BC. Attachment The preferred method is by direct attachment. The sprung hook or clip on the end of the BC or SC should be attached directly to, or through, an attachment point on the towing vehicle. When the towing device fitted to the towing vehicle is removable without the use of special tools, then the SC or BC should be attached directly to an attachment point which should not be on, or part of, the detachable componant(s). General The BC should pass though a lug, guide or similar fitting on the trailer to ensure that, regardless of the relative angles of the trailer and the towing vehicle at the time of separation of the main coupling, there is a direct in line pull applied to the brake linkage of the trailer.

 

[Lutz]

Thanks, Gafferbill. I'm just a bit puzzled because the above text doesn't tie in with the one when I read the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 on the relevant legislation.gov.uk web, which one would assume to be an authoritative source. I can also find no reference to BS AU 267:1998 in the Regulations. I wonder why the two don't match or have I missed something?

 

[Gafferbill]

Lutz……my post shows a Statuary Instrument amendment to C&U 1986 (SI 1986 No. 1078).

Your quoted source website does not carry these amendments as explained here……
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/contributors - westlaw

 

[Lutz]

Sorry to bother you again, but later amendments can also be found on the same website (refer to: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/all?text=%22construction%20and%20use%22). I spent a while delving through them, too, but there are so many that I may have overlooked something. Can you give me details of which amendment your source is referring to?

 

[Gafferbill]

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/3033/contents/made?text=%22construction%20and%20use%22%20Secondary%20Trailer%20Couplings#match-1

.......easier to understand if you read explanatory note highlighted in yellow

 

[Steve L]

Thanks for trawling through the regs Gaffer.

It's a ****** finding the relevant regs at times.

I towed a trailer behind a VW LT35 which had a tacho fitted (after finding out the hard way) but didn't need an operators license because the trailer weighed less than 1000 Kgs unladen. I used to get stopped at least twice a month and given a ticket for no O license. Until I got a letter from West midlands traffic authority clarifying the point. I kept a copy in the cab and then got the snipe of "smart arse" when the fuzz pulled me over.