Recaro

Bought a towbar of egay.

What else is needed to connect to a car?

The cable had been cut off just behind the socket on the towbar.

This is a picture of it



Its for a 2003 golf tdi

Scooby-Doo

A caravan

OllyK

Buy new electrics, it'll only cost you a few quid from Halfords and it will be long enough to reach etc. You need to bolts to fasten it and that's about it, instructions may be handy.

Recaro

got insstructions (found on the net)

so just electrics, is that just a cable or is there an adaptor aswell?

PS - Got a trailer with a kart on top, no caravan I'm afraid

OllyK

The electrics should be the socket you plug the trailer in to with the cable

Franx2

true, but the lights won't work if you plug the trailer into that plug in the picture, as it ain't connected to anything.

It's a wiring kit you need, which contains relays & cables which you need to connect into the car's electrics. This joins into the back of the socket, and then you plug the trailer into there.

Recaro

Aha. where can i get one of these from? any ideas of price?

mart360

halfords

bout £15-20


Mart

bobsabuilder

Or your local car spares shop for under a fiver!

Shark Man

Yup you need the box-o-tricks...as it'll have to have a "warning" device to alert you that the indicators a work - be it a buzzer or a flashing light.

Any caravan/trailer shop/motor factors.

You'll need to get out your soldering iron. Unless you use scotchlocks (don't...they are crap - do it properly or at least use crimp connectors).

Recaro

Ok spoke to VW.


This was there response:

13 pin electric kit £77.55 inc vat
7 Pin electric kit £56.40 inc vat

12S Supplementary Electrics - To be used in conjunction with 7-Pin (12N)
electrics £50 inc vat

Which one do I want? Is it the 12S supplementary Electrics?

bobsabuilder

If you're only towing a trailer you need 7pin electris (7N) but if you plan to tow a caravan (7S) electrics are used as well for providing auxillary power etc to the 'van.
I believe the 13pin kit (euro connector) is a newer/modern connector fitted on newer caravans.

The prices the dealer is quoting is somewhat high just for a simple plug in type. It depends how handy you are?

But I'd rather pay a fiver (tenner at most) for a stndard pre-wired 7N connector and mounting plate and join into the cars wiring myself.
Infact I did just this a few weeks ago when I fitted a tow bar to the wifes Honda. It had the factory towing wiring adapter on the loom inside the rear of the car, but instead of paying £50 for the factory/dealer wiring to plug into this, I wired it up myself very easily.

So you want the 7N wiring for your trailer.

Bob

Recaro

I will be using it for a trailer, and a trailer only. Definately no caravans!!!

i was told it was a really pig of a job to do and better to pay the VW price.

How many cables is it to connect?

OllyK

If you don't fancy doing it yourself - try a little independant they'll be cheaper I'm sure.

bobsabuilder

7 wires to connect using the 7 core cable from a 7 pin trailer socket.

Pin1 - Yellow - L/H Indicator
Pin2 - Blue - Rear Fog Light
Pin3 - White - Earth/chassis
Pin4 - Green - R/H Indicator
Pin5 - Brown - R/H Tail Lamp
Pin6 - Red - Brake Lights
Pin7 - Black - L//H Tail Lamp

Its not hard to do, but if you don't fancy trying, use a smaller independant guy.

Bob

Recaro

Oh, thought it was more then that, thought I had to do a buzzer and other things to pass the legal requirements.

bobsabuilder

Officially you have to have either audible or visible warning that the trailer lights are functioning. With audible, the buzzer beeps when you indicate or with visible a light illuminates. If it doesn't whilst towing its a sign the indicators on the trailer aren't working.
In practice the buzzer is a PITA so is often left off.

Lets face it, who is going to check you have it fitted? Just make sure your lights all work before using the trailer.

In over 20yrs of towing trailers I've NEVER fitted a buzzer and NEVER been stopped to check if I have one.
If I was to be stopped and asked if I had one fitted and could I demo it working I'd say "Yes officer I have a buzzer fitted but it stopped working 5 mins ago, I was on my way to drop the trailer off when you've just stopped me"

Worst case scenario is they give you a bit of verbal.

If you do want to fit a buzzer, they are very simple to fit. They come with easy to follow instructions but basically the indicator wires pass through the buzzer unit first.

One more point about fitting towbars is that on todays more modern cars the metal work that you have to drill to mount the towbar is pre marked with dimples so you know where to drill. Was harder in the good old days.

Bob