On my Ocy Scout I have a removable towbar hitch and I normally fix the breakaway cable for the caravan around the removable arm/ball as there is noware else, I would like to fix it to a solid part of the chassis so has anybody found a 'modified' fixing point, the caravan is braked so its not too bad but I believe unbraked trailers req a solid fixing point. cheers - Stuart

I tow a caravan that is braked and just hook the cable around the tow ball as you do .I think it could be risky anywhere else ?

Edited 11 July, 201114 yr by john1280

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BREAKAWAY-CABLE-BRACKET-TOWING-CARAVAN-TOW-BAR-TRAILER-/320717263442?pt=UK_Campervan_Caravan_Accessories&hash=item4aac3d1252

or

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BREAKAWAY-CABLE-BRACKET-TOWING-CARAVAN-TOW-BAR-TRAILER-/320717245864?pt=UK_Campervan_Caravan_Accessories&hash=item4aac3ccda8

The cable is designed to snap once it has applied the brakes on the caravan/trailer, so there is no risk to the car being pulled appart.

I would fit one of the above plates rather than looping it round the towball.

May be of help -

http://www.nationalcaravan.co.uk/downloads/resources/breakawaycable.pdf

On my Ocy Scout I have a removable towbar hitch and I normally fix the breakaway cable for the caravan around the removable arm/ball as there is noware else, I would like to fix it to a solid part of the chassis so has anybody found a 'modified' fixing point, the caravan is braked so its not too bad but I believe unbraked trailers req a solid fixing point. cheers - Stuart

Trouble is attaching your cable to that part, what happens if the removable part which you attach the cable to parts company with the fixed part? No cable is going to do you any good if it is bowling down the road with part of your towbar. There has been great debate about this in the Yeti section. Basically I think the conclusion was that if you have a fixed or swan neck towbar, looping the cable around that would be fine. If you have a detachable towbar then the best thing to do would be to seek out an alternative attachment point. There is one listed in the Skoda accesories I think which bolts to the cross member of the towbar, the part that is bolted to the car chassis, for the Yeti, whether it will fit the Octavia with a little modification I'm not sure but might be worth investigating.

Ian

http://www.accessories.skoda.co.uk/productsList.aspx?type=a&id=18&main=Transport%20and%20Towing⊂=Towing%20Accessories

There you go! Same one for hatchback and estate.

Edited 11 July, 201114 yr by countryboy

My Westfalia detachable has a metal loop welded to the bar to attach the breakaway cable. Once I fitted it it is very hard to see as it is hidden by the bumper. Your towbar may actually have an attachment if you look carefully?

Mine is a factory fitted towbar which is Westfalia as far as I know, which side of the detachable ball/arm is it nearside or offside ?

My Westfalia detachable has a metal loop welded to the bar to attach the breakaway cable. Once I fitted it it is very hard to see as it is hidden by the bumper. Your towbar may actually have an attachment if you look carefully?

Just fitted a Westfalia detachable to my VRS and the problem is the loop is hidden up in the bumper, and while it can be reached it is hard to loop the cable through (never directly clip the breakaway cable on, always pass cable through the loop and connect it to itself) and once you manage it it rubs on the bumper.

OK Thanks for that lads, I will have a butchers tonight and if its there, I could make a small loop to hang down to fix the cable on. cheers - Stuart

Well theres NO brakeaway cable fixing point on my towbar behind the bumper, all I can think of doing is putting some form of loop of cable around the bar crossmember and leaving a bit hanging down to attach to. :wonder: cheers - Stuart

Do what everyone else does, loop round the hitch (ball).

Do what everyone else does, loop round the hitch (ball).

That's fine Normcall if you have a fixed or swan neck bar, trouble is the OP has a removable bar and the problem arises if he hasn't locked the bar to the part fixed to the chassis and looped the breakaway cable around the bar. It then goes careering off with the rest of the removable bit of the bar not applying the brakes of the trailer which it is supposed to do as it will never be pulled in that situation.

Ian

That's fine Normcall if you have a fixed or swan neck bar, trouble is the OP has a removable bar and the problem arises if he hasn't locked the bar to the part fixed to the chassis and looped the breakaway cable around the bar. It then goes careering off with the rest of the removable bit of the bar not applying the brakes of the trailer which it is supposed to do as it will never be pulled in that situation.

Ian

I looked into this as well as I have a detachable towball as well but every bit of advice I was given was to loop the cable around the neck which I didn't think was very good advice. Eventually I bought some D shackles and fitted one to the bracket - there's a suitable hole drilled in it -and I use that to connect the breakaway cable by looping through it. It looks substantial enough to do the job - and I hope I never have to put it to the test!

Here's what I mean.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/standard-d-shackles-3-8-m10-pack-of-10/64531

Edited 20 July, 201114 yr by dekka48

Have a look at this thread on the Yeti forum:

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/199332-towing-again/

Someone with a Yeti questioned the lagality of the Westfalia towbar for this very reason - no fixed point to attach the breakaway cable to. And low and behold all of a sudden Škoda designed something which you can now fit to your car:

Allams in Epsom fitted mine for free since they did the original towbar fitting and did not fit this at that time.

And here is a picture of my trailer and breakaway cable attached to the Yeti: