Euro 13 pin plug fault

On December 18th I went to collect My Lunar Clubman Caravan from a storage yard near my home in Exeter to get it ready for a Christmas Break at Baltic Wharf in Bristol. The last thing I had to do before moving the van was to connect the 13 pin plug to the car and then check the lights etc.

It was then II found that I could not Engauge the plug into the socket on the my car, on close examination I could see that the centre of the plug had turned and it was stuck in the engaged position. Armed with  a good selection of tools I failed to rotate the centre of the plug back to the engage position I also failed to open it.(I could not understand how the plug had somehow become misaligned it had operated satisfactorily when I used the van three weeks earlier) I could not now legally move the van thinking I would have to cancel or delay my planed trip to Bristol I decided to seek help. Having used them before I asked the proprietor of Britannia Towing if he could help. He agreed his premises on Marsh Barton Estate is only one mile from my storage yard. So the next day he met me at the yard he spent a minute or two looking at the plug he then decided as the plug was completely seized and could not be opened. the only course of action was to cut the plug of the cable and fit a new plug.

He the proceeded to fit a new plug, a job that required great care ensuring that the 12 separate wires in the connecting cable were connected to the correct terminals ( not a task I would have relished and I am a retired motor mechanic)   Once the wiring of the new plug was completed and found to operating correctly we had a good look at the old plug. With it off the cable and on a bench it was opened fairly easily we found that the internals was contaminated with very rusty gritty water. This was surprising as when stored or parked up a water proof hitch  cover has always been fitted and the plug appeared to be well sealed.

I was very lucky that this fault came to light very near to my home and I was able to get it rectified very quickly with no inconvenience and at a very modest price.

In an attempt not to be caught out again I will on a regular basis be sliding back the seal on the plug and spraying the internals with WD40 a fluid that drives out moisture this something other caravaners should consider doing it could save one a great deal of inconvenience