Hazard Flashers when uncoupled from tow vehicle

[TheCoachman]

As the subject says, On my last caravan 16 years ago I wired up a spare car socket via a flasher unit so when it was clipped onto the battery both rear flashers would operate on the van.
The reason for this was in the event of a breakdown or puncture where I would have to leave the van on its own to get help. Fortunately I never had to use it.

On my recently purchased Coachman which has Powrmovers fitted I found it a bit scary when entering or leaving my driveway using the powermover as the approaching traffic seemed oblivious to the caravan moving at slow pace. One car narrowly missed the A frame thus I have now made up another but modified unit.

My latest is fitted to a sandwich box (for it's light weight) with the spare car socket mounted central and two switches, one either side and a fused supply lead back to the caravan battery.
Inside the box is a standard flasher unit and all the neccesary wiring. I used to fit towbars and have several standard flasher units (new) lying spare where heavy duty flasher units were required.

I can now not only switch on the hazard flashers but also the side/tail lights and have added an additional flasher lamp to the sandwich box so that when it is attached to the Alko stabiliser handle with a bungee rope, a suitable warning shows the extremity of the caravan.

In addition to this I have a simple cyclists flashing red LED light attached to the stabiliser handle via some velcro tape. Using this I can have the flashing red light pointing in any direction giving a further warning to approaching traffic. Total weight is less than a tin of beans.

 

[emmerson]

Well done coachman! Visibility is all!!.I have an amber rotary beacon in my kit, which I would fit to the caravan in the event of having to leave it,but like you, so far I've not needed it.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

After a similar thread I placed my rotary beacon on the front window shelf before last using the mover to park in the drive

I have a 12N black socket that I used some years ago with all the +pins wired together using fencing staples so that I could check all lights !
It sounds like a nice project for these winter days making a box with flasher unit from bits in the spares dept

I might even fit a flasher unit into my tester board

 

[Surfer]

Not 100% sure on this, but I think by law if you break down with something like a caravan you have to display a red triangle some distance behind your vehicle. There was a court case a few years ago where the driver did nto put it far enough back and had a van run into the caravan. The person with the broken down caravan lost in court.
Not sure about the hazard lights etc if the caravan is detached from the towing vehicle.

 

[RogerL]

In the UK - there's no requirement to use or even carry a warning triangle - although it's obviously a good safe practice - many European countries do require the warning triangle to be carried. There may well have been other factors involved in the case you quote.
There's no illegality about using hazard flashers on an unhitched caravan - you could put them on a pram if you wanted.

 

[Sproket]

Towsure used to do a Hazard warning system to fit onto caravans

 

[TheCoachman]

Thanks for your comments guys, but bear in mind my main reason for my flasher unit is when hitching up and parking my van at home. The street I live in is on a curve leading into the village and the road is quite busy at times and of course speed limits are ignored.

I had considered making up something along the lines of the one in the photo posted so that I can test all the lights independently. Maybe a project for the winter months.

 

[Dustydog]

An excellent post JYJ.
I'm now wondering why manufacturers don't fit something like yours as standard?

I'll follow up Sprokets link or do a diy over the winter.

 

[Surfer]

Highway Code mentions warning triangle althoug it is not compulsory to carry one. We have one in our car at all times.

 

[TheCoachman]

Sorry Sproket I've just looked at your link on the "Towsure UB11" It looks very good and it was nice to see a Rover 75 on a twin axle van. I've been on the "Towsure" website but they don't seem to have this product any more. I wonder why as I think it's a great idea.

I've only used my design in earnest twice now and the only snags I have is having to couple and un-couple it everytime, so already I am thinking along the lines of making it a more permanent fitting using a rotary switch which will allow me to use it as a lighting tester as well. I can easily fit the extra car 7 pin socket neatly onto the A frame cover with the switch and flasher unit into the front locker.
Definitely a winter project, will keep you posted

 

[philspot1]

Sorry Sproket I've just looked at your link on the "Towsure UB11" It looks very good and it was nice to see a Rover 75 on a twin axle van. I've been on the "Towsure" website but they don't seem to have this product any more. I wonder why as I think it's a great idea.

I've only used my design in earnest twice now and the only snags I have is having to couple and un-couple it everytime, so already I am thinking along the lines of making it a more permanent fitting using a rotary switch which will allow me to use it as a lighting tester as well. I can easily fit the extra car 7 pin socket neatly onto the A frame cover with the switch and flasher unit into the front locker.
Definitely a winter project, will keep you posted

You may prefer to put the switch and flasher unit under a front bed, as there could be a problem if the "front locker" you were referring to is the Gas locker!! I used an electricians' "Adaptable box" from Screwfix - just big enough for flasher unit, with switches on the long side, and good IP rating.

 

[Gafferbill]

Coachman........ I would take care here
as for me you are venturing into a very complicated area.

From your post you are manoeuvring a
caravan on the public highway with electric power movers and on a
dangerous bend at that.

You have identified that there could be
a collision and that the situation is dangerous and you have fitted
lighting and enabled the hazard flashers to operate independently of
the towing vehicle.

Say there was a collision with a third
party whilst you were manoeuvring in such a way and they made a claim
against you.

Would any insurance you have cover you
for any loss?

Would you be prosecuted under the law
for taking inadequate precautions?

I do not know the answers.... but I
do know that most tow vehicle insurances would not cover that
scenario as the caravan would not be attached.

Would your caravan insurances provide
cover....... a definite question I would ask my provider.

Regarding prosecution by the
police......well I can tell you after 30 years of operating heavy
goods vehicles, I have heard of cases where a driver has been
prosecuted for manoeuvring on the public highway without taking
adequate precautions.

This is nearly always been because of
failure to get help from a second or even a third person when the
driver has inadequate vision of possible danger and has failed to warn other road users
of his intentions.

Don't get me wrong...... I admire your
DIY work....... I just suggest caution.
I personally would get help to warn and maybe even stop oncoming traffic when getting your caravan onto your drive.
Any helper would be wearing a flourescent yellow jacket.

 

[TheCoachman]

On the contrary I think I have taken more precautions than most others would do, even the flourescent jacket, so pity help anyone who does collide with me bearing in mind I am in a village street and not on a main highway. As for insurance companies well all I will say is that I am covered for both car and caravan, even when uncoupled.

In the meantime I now have the pucker job all ready to wire into my caravan permanently and it's a fully insulated box so no safety issues regarding the gas. I was showing it to a friend the other day and he thought I had purchased it as a complete unit. When fitted I will be able to test all my light circuits as well.
I will upload some photos soon.

 

[Damian]

Quote " and it's a fully insulated box so no safety issues regarding the gas"

Yes there is, you cannot put anything like that in the gas locker, despite you thinking it is a fully insulated box etc.
Any elv cables can only pass through the gas locker if enclosed in conduit.

You will have to think again about location

 

[TheCoachman]

No cabling etc will pass through the gas locker, As I said it will be fully insulated.

 

[ProfAlGoogle]

Quote " and it's a fully insulated box so no safety issues regarding the gas"

Yes there is, you cannot put anything like that in the gas locker, despite you thinking it is a fully insulated box etc.
Any elv cables can only pass through the gas locker if enclosed in conduit.

You will have to think again about location

BIaley must have got it wrong with my van then, as the cables for both front marker lamps run through the front locker.

 

[Gybe]

Flashing lights or hazard indicators are a good idea but if you're moving a caravan on a dangerous bend on a public highway I believe you should pre warn motorists with cones or warning triangles before they get to you and your hazard if you've not got anyone to help you and stop the traffic.
If a motorists hits the caravan with flashing lights and there is reason to believe that they didn't have good enough pre warning of the hazard the caravan owner will get the blame.

 

[TheCoachman]

Hey! steady on here guys, where did all this "dangerous bend" and "you cannot" do this.

Just how many caravanners move their caravans out of of their own driveways to couple them onto their cars in the street, Quite a lot I reckon and do they all stop the traffic from passing and place cones out whilst doing so.
I don't think so, but obviously like me they will take the neccesary precautions on safety.

As for cars colliding with a caravan, well if they cannot see a rather large white object and as in my case with hazard flashers on then quite simply they should not be driving on the road. What if it were a child crossing the street.

It's all down to some common sense which sadly seems to be lacking these days especially with some motorists speeding through villages and in the instance of the speeding vehicle which narrowly missed my A frame just simply could not wait for a few seconds.

As for what I can and cannot do to my own property only time will tell.
But for the more enthusiastic members I give my thanks.

 

[Gybe]

Coachman I think you're very wise with your lighting warnings. Bend or dangerous bend, big white caravan or even a big dayglo orange caravan if you've judged that there could be a collision and have gone to the lengths of adding flashing warning lights don't assume that if someody hits your caravan they will be the loser and have blame attributed to them.
We have 4 fold flat warning cones on all our work trailers despite having rotating amber warning lights. The companies insurers and health and safety advisers recommend that if our trailers could be a hazard to other vehicles or pedestrians on or off the road we have to deploy triangles to pre warn motorists and others so a buffer zone is created if we have no one to stop the traffic or assist with safety,

 

[TheCoachman]

I've finally managed to get my hazard flasher / light test unit fitted and I'm delighted with the result.
The power to the polycarbonate insulated box is via a 15amp fuse at source and taken from the master switch for the power mover so therefore only powered up when the motor mover is in use. I have a flashing LED light on top of the box to indicate when power is on and note no cabling is passed through the inside of the locker but goes under the floor.
Here is a photo of some of the basic components i.e. the plycarbonate insulated box, multi position rotary switch with knob and standard flasher unit. I have also used a new additional 7 pin pre wired socket of which the 7 core cable is shortened back to suit.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii129/JimJamieson/DSCF6409_zpsd2f913fa.jpg

I made up the labelling for the box on the PC then printed it onto some nice pearlescent card, laminated it then trimmed to suit. I first made this up with the switch operating as clockwise from the off position as most switches do, but then found my switch operated in an anti clockwise from off position so I had to re make the label. Additional labelling for power and to the extra 7 pin socket was made with a Brother labelling machine and is waterproof. Below is the fitted unit inside the front locker.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii129/JimJamieson/DSCF6480_zpsc4923c83.jpg

Finally this is a photo showing the front panel with the extra 7 pin socket and the open locker with the control unit. I had to place the socket farther forward on the panel than I would have preferred, to allow the front locker door to open when the caravan plug was connected to the new socket.
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii129/JimJamieson/DSCF6481_zpsa889d2ca.jpg

So now I can also check all my caravan lights myself especially the brake lights without being connected to the car. I can have the hazard flashers on with or without the side & tail lights using the rotary switch with the additional positions for all other light circuits.
The overall cost was quite surprising at almost £46 and that did not include the flasher unit or the LED which I already had in my workshop.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Very impressive and well presented
I made up this unit over a decade ago and use it frequently for checking the lights
It belongs more to a mechanical rather than an electronic age compared to yours
A flasher unit would be a good addition