Feb 15, 2007
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I have just watched the free dvd which came with Junes Practical Caravan and watched the gentleman from the caravan club hitch up the caravan "safely". What i don`t understand is that he places the breakaway cable around the towball, is this the correct thing to do, i thought that you are supposed to attach the cable to another independant bracket just in case the towball broke because if this happened having a cable around the ball would be completely useless as it would simply come off and not apply the brake. Am i right??
 
Mar 26, 2008
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My recent tow bars have had a seperate ring for the cable to clip to and I've never used the tow ball loop method as the cable could just come away if the tow ball neck was to break away.

I think they stop and fine you in Holland if you do not attach the breakaway cable to a seperate fixing point.
 
Jul 15, 2005
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Hi Anthony,

There's been loads of discussion about brake-away cables recently - and a quick search of the forum will display the threads. And I think Lutz posted the fact sheet from the NTTA.

But in brief, yes you are right - The best place to attach a brake-away cable is to a fixed point on the tow-bar frame, for exactly the reasons you state - but if a fixed point isn't available then in most of Europe it's still perfectly legal to loop the cable around the tow-ball.

So - not the best procedure, but still OK.

Robert
 
Aug 13, 2007
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Sadie,

The advise is not to clip the cable to any object as the clip will straighten before the brakes are applied.

The best way is to pass the clip through the ring & then attach the clip back onto the cable
 
Mar 13, 2007
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hi all

in the old days a breakaway chain was just that a seamless chain attached to the brakes at one end with a loop at the other that you put over the ball.

in the event of the hitch comming off the ball the chain would apply the brakes and then break apart once its job was done, being a chain its loose links around the ball stem made sure it did not come adrift in use.

the modern cable type is much stiffer so it does not "hang" around the ball but sort of lasso's it with a big loop so yes in theory it could jump off also the attachments are really too weak to work having a key ring on the brake end and a dog clip on the other also the cable is about 12in too long and cannot be shortend,

last year I unhitched the van but forgot to unhook the cable and drove off result was the cable parted at the keyring end before the brakes applied fully so it actually wasn,t up to the job (and this was the one fitted by the manufacturer) not a cheapo replacement.

so the answer to the original question is, it probably does not matter how you attach the cable, chances are it won't work anyway.

and before anyone askes: yes I now have a 500kg breaking strain steel chain on mine attached with small D links and looped over the ball it is not standard issue but a darn site stronger.

colin
 
Aug 6, 2008
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hi all

in the old days a breakaway chain was just that a seamless chain attached to the brakes at one end with a loop at the other that you put over the ball.

in the event of the hitch comming off the ball the chain would apply the brakes and then break apart once its job was done, being a chain its loose links around the ball stem made sure it did not come adrift in use.

the modern cable type is much stiffer so it does not "hang" around the ball but sort of lasso's it with a big loop so yes in theory it could jump off also the attachments are really too weak to work having a key ring on the brake end and a dog clip on the other also the cable is about 12in too long and cannot be shortend,

last year I unhitched the van but forgot to unhook the cable and drove off result was the cable parted at the keyring end before the brakes applied fully so it actually wasn,t up to the job (and this was the one fitted by the manufacturer) not a cheapo replacement.

so the answer to the original question is, it probably does not matter how you attach the cable, chances are it won't work anyway.

and before anyone askes: yes I now have a 500kg breaking strain steel chain on mine attached with small D links and looped over the ball it is not standard issue but a darn site stronger.

colin
Hi

When I collected my new caravan I was told by the salesman not to loop the cable around the tow ball but to put it around the tow bracket, the company now say that the reason the cable broke is because it was not fitted properly, they also say that it is a secondary system and will apply the brakes under cirtain circumstances, however they say it is not a failsafe system! They also say that the salesman cannot specifically remember giving this advice, even though it was him that connected the caravan to car before we drove it away. I will bring a small claims action if they do not admit liability and will post the outcome.
 

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