Trailer break away switch

Radar · Guru

Trailer break away switch

OwenK · Senior Member

Hi Radar,

I've been told the cable should be attached to the vehicle and not the tow bar. Reason being, if van snaps tow bar off breakaway wouldn't work. You can also replace cable with a "coiled plastic coated thing" much better.

Cheers Owen

Radar · Guru

OwenK wrote:
Hi Radar,
I've been told the cable should be attached to the vehicle and not the tow bar. Reason being, if van snaps tow bar off breakaway wouldn't work. You can also replace cable with a "coiled plastic coated thing" much better.
Cheers Owen

Hi Owen

Yes, already have plastic coated coiled wire from the switch.

Yes, I agree the attachment point should be to the tow vehicle not the tow bar,

I may attach an extra fixed plastic coated wired of similar dia to the chassis of the ute with a loop at the end for attaching the coiled wire to when we have the trailer on.

Delta18 · Guru

I attach mine to the rear plastic bumper. Sounds simplistic but....it takes very little force to pull the plug and the bumper is totally separate from the towbar so no issue there. Cheers Neil

macka17 · Guru

I fitted a plate with small eye on it to rear of ute to through bolt on rear spring hanger.

Crimped Stainless cable from there to tow bar. then crimped another eye there.
S/S cable from sw with small shackle mounts to that.

Van comes off ball. brake works. Towbar comes of ute. Brake works.
Covers both scenarios.

Basically just find a mount point on chassis rails or suspension
forward of towbar.

mjt57 · Senior Member

I gotta ask - how often have towbars separated from the vehicles? And why?

You'd have to reckon that a towbar fittment would be as solid as anything else, including suspension mounting points, wouldn't you?

macka17 · Guru

Older veh's mainly.
Lotsa beach work.= Rusted chassis
Heavier van and a bit of negligence.
Whoops. No van.

Old again. Neglect. bolts unwind themselves over time.
=No caravan.

Home mad drawbar. Bad welds. = No Caravan.

Just a couple I've seen over the yrs.

Some.
BIG caravan. home made or LIGHT drawbar.
Whoops. No van.

Towbars are built and sold at different weight ratings.
Check the one on your veh if it came second hand.
I was caught once, decades ago.

Drawbar mounting IS one of your PRIMARY veh checks when towing.

BEFORE you start trip mainly.
They only Bolted on. they can come loose.
I always put locking tabs on at least 2 of my nuts
just to be sure. and a squeeze of Locktite on all.

OwenK · Senior Member

Have watched the "Gall Boys " (Kedron Caravans) dvds, they lost tow bar on a Prado (I think on Fraser Island), maybe because they had the WDH on vehicle in off road conditions. It is not recommended to use WDH on rough roads, so you can lose your tow bar although it would be rare.

Cheers Owen

PeterD · Guru

mjt57 wrote:
I gotta ask - how often have towbars separated from the vehicles? And why?

It used to be common with the early model OEM tow bar on the R51 Pathfinder.

mjt57 · Senior Member

Thanks guys. Mine is a Jeep supplied towbar rated to the max towing capability of the vehicle (3.5t). I had a look underneath today. It seems to be solidly mounted.

Radar · Guru

Thank you All

Will drill another hole in the chrome bumper and put in a eye bolt.

Added to the to do list.

mjt57 · Senior Member

Hopefully, neither your bumper nor the eye bolt will come loose and fall off...

Radar · Guru

Todays done it.

If I loose the bumper (decorative bit at the back) bar it really will be embarrassing moment.

The attachment point is now with trailer, anderson plug electricals and air points for the air bags, now if only I could get those annoying chains up high so I can see what I am doing instead of kneeling to fasten them to the to tow bar.

Thank you vor tips.