Towing, towbars and caravans

[jimmy156]

So after seeing top gear the other day, I want a mink camper

I believe I can tow it on my license as it only has a gross weight of 750kg.

But my tow bar only has 7pin electronics (thought I would only be using it for the bike carrier when I fitted it) is there any way this can be easily upgraded or is there an adapter that would work and safely allow a caravan to be towed?

[Jarcy]

Yes, google 7 to 13 pin adapter. Cheap.
Make sure you get it the right way around - male to female (or vice versa).

You can also get your 7 pin socket on your car converted to 13 pin.

If you only have 7 pin on your current car, then certain pins on the 13 pin will not function.
Don't worry, all road worthy functions such as lights will work.

You won't be able to charge the caravan fridge (whilst on the move) or use the caravan reverse lights on just 7 pin.
The chances are that the Mink doesn't have those anyway.

Why do you want a Mink? Seems an overpriced waste of money on a whim, that'll get used twice until you realise that it's too small for practical camping. More comfortable in a tent. If it rains, all that you can do is lie down, or go to the pub.
People buy VW campers for the nostalgic charm, but when they actually take them camping, they end up bringing a tent as well.

[Easternlight]

You can get an adaptor.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adapter-Converter-Trailer...

But it won't work the accessories if there are any.

[jimmy156]

So if I want all the functions to work, I might be best off changing the plug on the car to a 13 pin type, and then buying. 13 to 7 pin adapter to use the bike rack?

I see what you mean about the mink, I just think they are cool. I realise you couldn’t stand up / cook in there etc and they might be a bit form over function. They seem perfect for little trips / weekends away on a whim. We are 2 adults and 3 year old, so it would be snug but there is space (just).

You can hire them somewhere in Scotland, so might go for a trial run before I doing anything I regret 😂

[SkodaIan]

Its unlikely that it will be as simple as changing the plug on the car to 13 pin. There will only be 7 wires running to the existing socket so putting a 13 pin socket on there won't achieve anything other than possibly make the car fail the MOT because the reversing lights don't work on the trailer socket.

You'd need to get (and install) a new 13 pin electrics kit and replace the 7 pin kit back to wherever it is connected into the car electrics to get the extra functions.

[Jarcy]

jimmy156 said:

So if I want all the functions to work, I might be best off changing the plug on the car to a 13 pin type, and then buying. 13 to 7 pin adapter to use the bike rack?

I see what you mean about the mink, I just think they are cool. I realise you couldn’t stand up / cook in there etc and they might be a bit form over function. They seem perfect for little trips / weekends away on a whim. We are 2 adults and 3 year old, so it would be snug but there is space (just).

You can hire them somewhere in Scotland, so might go for a trial run before I doing anything I regret ??

To be fair, they'll be far more comfortable than a 2 man tent. For summer use, they're probably great (so long as they have good ventilation).
They do look snug. Not sure where you store your clothes and stuff - maybe just in the car.
For my money, I'd get Chris's inflatable trailer tent.

In the old days of caravaning, the electrics had 2 x 7 pin plugs. Basically the black one was for all the trailer functionality (that's what you have) and the grey one was for the on board stuff like chilling the fridge (on the move), charging leisure battery (on the move), and operating the internal lights off the car battery (if necessary). The single 13 pin is the better European replacement solution as all is serviced from one plug/socket.

If you get the 7 pin replaced by 13 pin on the car, you'll want to make sure that you insist that all the auxiliary pins are correctly wired. This involves some pins having a permanent +12v feed, and some having an ignition feed +12v feed, so that they only run when the engine is on. You can just wire the 7 pin wires onto a replacement 13 pin socket, but there's no point as you may as well just use an adapter.

[jimmy156]

Thanks all, I had assumed it would mean having the wiring kit replaced rather then just changing the socket. We had a vehicle specific wiring kit fitted, rather then the universal one. Excuse my ignorance, but would this make swapping them simpler? In my head it’s a case of unplugging the 7 pin one, and plugging in the 13 pin one I imagine there is more to it than that!

[Fastdruid]

SkodaIan said:

Its unlikely that it will be as simple as changing the plug on the car to 13 pin. There will only be 7 wires running to the existing socket so putting a 13 pin socket on there won't achieve anything other than possibly make the car fail the MOT because the reversing lights don't work on the trailer socket.

Mine has a 13 pin but I've got a 13 to 7 adapter because both the bike rack and trailer have a 7 pin. If it was the other way round I certainly wouldn't bother swapping the actual socket when an adapter is all of £10 or less. eg https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112716995695 (first one I found, I'm sure there are cheaper out there too)

That said I'm fairly certain the socket has never ever been tested as part of the MOT on mine.

Now this *might* be because it's a removable tow bar and I've just happened to leave it off every time but the socket is still fairly obvious from underneath even if it does pivot up.

[Phunk]

jimmy156 said:

I believe I can tow it on my license as it only has a gross weight of 750kg.

The law has changed recently so the 750kg limit no longer applys. You now have the same ability as someone who has done their trailer test.

[paintman]

For things to work in a caravan fitted with the Euro 13 pin connector you would need both 7 pin sockets - 7N & 7S - fitted on the car and then the adapter to connect them to the caravan.
Or just correctly wire a 13 pin socket to the car.

It was proposed to change the law to allow post '97 licence holders to tow heavier vans.
This did not happen & is still currently pending causing a lot of confusion.

You might want to check ROG's thread in S,P & L as it's a common misconception that post '97 licence holders can only tow a trailer of under 750kg regardless of their car.

Edited by paintman on Friday 26th November 20:58

[bluezedd]

Phunk said:

The law has changed recently so the 750kg limit no longer applys. You now have the same ability as someone who has done their trailer test.

Be careful because this hasn't changed yet.

[Chrisgr31]

Be aware that the 13pin socket works in a different way to the 7 pin one, and when you plug the caravan in you twist the plug so it stays in. If you don't it may come out, and not necessarily on your first trip!

[Bill]

£15k??

[leyorkie]

OP. Have you seen the Tab range of caravans ok for a weekend and available used

[slopes]

You can buy an adaptor, screwfix do them because when we changed our 508 to a Kia Sportage and asked them to fit a towbar and specifically stated it was for a caravan, the local Kia dealers fitted a naffin 7 pin plug.

Utter incompetents.

Anyway, we bought one from screwfix and it does the job just fine, runs all the lights and should i need it to, i can run the fridge too. Think it was about £13 from screwfix

[loggo]

slopes said:

You can buy an adaptor, screwfix do them because when we changed our 508 to a Kia Sportage and asked them to fit a towbar and specifically stated it was for a caravan, the local Kia dealers fitted a naffin 7 pin plug.

Utter incompetents.

Anyway, we bought one from screwfix and it does the job just fine, runs all the lights and should i need it to, i can run the fridge too. Think it was about £13 from screwfix

Puzzled


I thought the 7 wires in a 7 pin plug were 2x indicators, 2x sidelights and 2x brake lights plus a common return.

How would a fridge work ??

[littlebasher]

loggo said:

Puzzled


I thought the 7 wires in a 7 pin plug were 2x indicators, 2x sidelights and 2x brake lights plus a common return.

How would a fridge work ??

Or ATC

Adding the two 12v feeds makes it massively more complicated, so guess they went down the easiest and cheapest route

No reason to stick a crappy 7pin socket on a car these days

[bristolracer]

The adapters are rubbish, change the plug or socket.

If you can wire a standard household plug then changing the plug or socket is really not difficult.

The 13 pin system uses a locking boyonet plug, so it stays engaged rather than the cheap adaptors that fall out and drag down the road.

Now I live in Devon, I dont worry about it anymore,I believe the only requirement is to have at least one wheel per side on the trailer,lights are optional


https://www.pfjones.co.uk/advice-centre/tow-bar-ad...

[Captain Answer]

bristolracer said:

The adapters are rubbish, change the plug or socket.

If you can wire a standard household plug then changing the plug or socket is really not difficult.

The 13 pin system uses a locking boyonet plug, so it stays engaged rather than the cheap adaptors that fall out and drag down the road.

Now I live in Devon, I dont worry about it anymore,I believe the only requirement is to have at least one wheel per side on the trailer,lights are optional


https://www.pfjones.co.uk/advice-centre/tow-bar-ad...

Lights are some one elses problem, I can't see the back of it when I'm towing it

The 13 pin ones can and do fall out tho, I had one do it on my trailer board