I agree with Rockhopper, go with 13pin, so much better design and reliable. The replacement of the socket is a fairly easy DIY job as RH comments.

 

Fred

Sounds like he doesn't know what is involved.

 

 

Yes, that is all easy enough but involves a lot of labour.  So I'm sticking with it as is for now.  

Yes, that is all easy enough but involves a lot of labour. So I'm sticking with it as is for now.

I recon 1/2 hour. 1hour tops if you don't know what you are doing. Well worth the time and effort as 12N is cr@p.

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I recon 1/2 hour. 1hour tops if you don't know what you are doing. Well worth the time and effort as 12N is cr@p.

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Can't argue with that. Come on Johann, get your hands dirty.

 

Fred

Regardless of how easy it might be to do, my caravan does not have one 13 pin plug so it has two 7 pin ones. When I collected it yesterday from the service place the very friendly man saw my 7 to 13 pin connector and said "ah your car is already a 13 pin so why not get one of these?"

 

Voila!

 

 

A twin socket that splits into a 13 pin!     So I now do have split charging and everything can still be neatly folded away and taken off.  I'm very happy.  It's like this one:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pin-Plug-12N-Sockets-SPLIT/dp/B007R4D9G4

 

I was very lucky in finding a secondhand Winterhoff stabiliser hitch that fits my caravan's chassis at a caravan shop near his workshop.  So he fitted that for me too:

 

 

The difference was amazing I have to say.  I towed the van from London to Canterbury for the service with the old hitch. When I was on my own on a stretch of motorway I wiggled the steering wheel and the van clearly waggled its tail and then also waggling the Yeti. I did the same coming back with the Winterhoff and the difference was like night and day. Same when I overtook trucks: fine and straight as you approach and then just as you passed the van's tall caught the wind and was blown out but you did not feel it in the car - I only saw the van move in the mirrors.  This was a £100 very well spent I have to say - thank you to everyone that insisted I get this (in the other thread). The pads are not worn out but they do make quite a racket so he suggested I replace them at some point if the creaking irritates me enough.  

 

Oh and of course in order to use the above hitch I had to degrease and de-paint the Westfalia towbar:

 

 

 

The van is now tip top too. New battery charger, three new tyres, new mixer tap in the kitchen, new gas pipe (old one was out of date), a new water pump switch, new toilet door lock, radio fixed and everything checked and made to work. There is less of a snap when the brakes activate when you brake and the whole thing just felt so much better. £700 well spent and I now know the old girl is ready for many years of camping without trying to kill me whilst towing or whilst I'm asleep inside.

Well done, that seems to be an elegant solution.

 

Fred

Did you check that your caravan fridge was on when the car was attached and the engine running. Unless you have had the split charge stuff added since you had the towbar fitted, then you don't have split charge.....

I also have the 12N & 12S to 13pin adaptor, because the caravan I use isn't mine.

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Did you check that your caravan fridge was on when the car was attached and the engine running. Unless you have had the split charge stuff added since you had the towbar fitted, then you don't have split charge.....

I also have the 12N & 12S to 13pin adaptor, because the caravan I use isn't mine

.

 

 

No not had time to do that yet - I towed it back as pictured without plugging in the second socket since I'm not going on holiday and just brought it back to London. And the £75 quote I got was to add split charge to the car.

......ready for many years of camping without trying to kill me whilst towing or whilst I'm asleep inside.

 Ha ha .... I bet you have a new van within a year!

 

Glad the Winterhoff worked well.

Glad the Winterhoff hitch worked well Johann, good idea cleaning off the towball but if you have used the Winterhoff hitch with it still painted/ greasy then you will have contaminated the friction pads, as a temporary cure a liberal dose of brake cleaner used with emery paper should help quieten it down.

Ian

It should creak and groan!

Only usually noticeable at low speed as you go round corners or over speed humps - it's the friction pads grabbing the ball!

If it isn't making any noise, then the friction pads are probably lubricated and frictionless .........

Edited 1 November, 201312 yr by Billcbf1000

Glad the Winterhoff hitch worked well Johann, good idea cleaning off the towball but if you have used the Winterhoff hitch with it still painted/ greasy then you will have contaminated the friction pads, as a temporary cure a liberal dose of brake cleaner used with emery paper should help quieten it down.

Ian

 

Thankfully I knew NOT to use it with a greased towball hence having cleaned it.

 

It should creak and groan!

Only usually noticeable at low speed as you go round corners or over speed humps - it's the friction pads grabbing the ball!

If it isn't making any noise, then the friction pads are probably lubricated and frictionless .........

 

Indeed it just creaks at low speed.  So guess I will just have to live with it!