Towing

[Wullrobbo]

I have just bought an older caravan and need to get a towbar fitted. I know that you can only now get 7 or 13 pin sockets on the car. Not sure if the caravan is an old 3 pin plug. Can you get an adaptor to convert from the 13 pin to old style 3 pin plugs.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Blimey! How old is this van?
I've been around vans for many years and never come across one!

 

[GaryB]

Never heard of a 3 pin either. I have an old American car which had a 4 pin trailer socket but 3 pins just doesn’t sound enough!

 

[Wullrobbo]

Sorry guys me being stupid up tok early this morning i am thinking of the 3 pin electric cable. Thinking its the same as the car socket. 🤔

 

[otherclive]

Yes you can get 7 pin to 13 pin converters. Some come as short converter cables others as solid interfaces.

Maypole MP601 13 to 7-Pin Vehicle to Trailer Adaptor 12V - Screwfix

 

[Beardy]

I have just bought an older caravan and need to get a towbar fitted. I know that you can only now get 7 or 13 pin sockets on the car. Not sure if the caravan is an old 3 pin plug. Can you get an adaptor to convert from the 13 pin to old style 3 pin plugs.

They're readily available, halfords, eurocarparts, amazon, ebay........ Just Google 'tow socket converter'.

 

[Hutch]

Welcome Wullrobbo,early morning mistakes happen, 😂. As others have said, you can get convertors for the 13 and 7 pin electric plug.
I would go for the 13 pin electric cable for your car.

 

[Raywood]

Do you have a 13 pin socket on your car in which case you do need a converter. They are either a short length of cable or a simple plug that fits the seven pin plug on the trailer and has a 13 pin socket on the other end.
If you are having a towbar and electrics fitted to the car you can get the twin seven pin plugs fitted so they match the caravan. Possibly which way you go depends on how long you want to keep the car and caravan.

 

[otherclive]

For the car I would go 13 pin every time as they are more reliable. Then use a converter for connecting car to caravan. That way if you buy a later van it may well have 13 pin fitted to it so you can dispense with convertors. But it’s not expensive to convert van to 13 pin too.

 

[Dustydog]

For the car I would go 13 pin every time as they are more reliable. Then use a converter for connecting car to caravan. That way if you buy a later van it may well have 13 pin fitted to it so you can dispense with convertors. But it’s not expensive to convert van to 13 pin too.

I’d go a stage further, whilst having your towbar fitted and 13 pin electrics as suggested get the chap to fit the caravan with a 13 pin plug. As Clive said not expensive and not difficult to fit

 

[audiorob]

If you google ‘7 to 23 pin adapter’ you will find Maypole (and others) sell them for under a fiver. I have two - left permanently in situ - one on a cycle carrier and one on an old trailer that carries stuff to the top now and then. The twist fit of the 13 pin is much more secure than the old 7 pin black plug.
If however you have twin 7 pin plugs (grey and black) you need to google ‘13 pin to twin 7 pin) for a short cable with appropriate plugs which are around 16 pound