Breakaway cable length

Hi Jenny.  I think I'm going to have to move this to the Towing section now.  This section is just for archived discussions and therefore you won't get an 'official' response now as the 'expert' is no longer on line.  Hope this will help.

Best wishes 

David 

Hi Jenny I to perched a new cable and as you say it drags on the floor the only way I found to rectify to put a loose loop into the cable before attaching I don't know if this is correct or not.

Hi Kenny, we looped ours under the A frame too, in a wide loop held with insulating tape because we are afraid that if it kinks or knots when operated in an emergency, it might fail to function properly. The current situation seems unsatisfactory to us. I'd hoped for an expert view from the CC but I've been moved to a mainstream thread - where's the CC when I need them

Hi Kenny, we looped ours under the A frame too, in a wide loop held with insulating tape because we are afraid that if it kinks or knots when operated in an emergency, it might fail to function properly. The current situation seems unsatisfactory to us. I'd hoped for an expert view from the CC but I've been moved to a mainstream thread - where's the CC when I need them

Write your comments here..www.westerntowing.co.uk/acatalog/Breakaway-Cables.html , hope this helps , I cannot find any information regarding a standard cable length , of all cables available they all appear to be of various sizes.

Thanks Compass. We don't have a problem sourcing a cable, we've already bought a replacement Alko one which is designed for direct coupling. It seems that using a third party cable might be less than ideal because their carabiner strength is an unknown value, whereas the Alko one is designed for the job. So regardless of third party length we need Alko to supply one which is fit for the job. Too long isn't fit for purpose.

..... Too long isn't fit for purpose.

I'd have thought that too long would be better than too short ..... you don't want the caravan handbrake being applied when turning.

Too long, which is the current situation risks it hanging down and wearing through on the road. I don't want a cable which is too long or too short, I want one the right length.

Too long, which is the current situation risks it hanging down and wearing through on the road. I don't want a cable which is too long or too short, I want one the right length.

Some things in life need to be all things to all men  If ALKO shortened it for you, then someone else would complain that it's too short .... can please some people all of the time etc etc. Perhaps, cable tie a loop in it  or cable tie it to the 13pin/12N/12S cable

Too long, which is the current situation risks it hanging down and wearing through on the road. I don't want a cable which is too long or too short, I want one the right length.

Some things in life need to be all things to all men  If ALKO shortened it for you, then someone else would complain that it's too short .... can please some people all of the time etc etc. Perhaps, cable tie a loop in it  or cable tie it to the 13pin/12N/12S cable

Write your comments here...

Actually that's not true. Alko make the cable for their chassis and hitch, so that will be the same for everyone, then we learn that the regulation for the attachment point is within 10cm of the ball, which is the same for everyone. So there's no question of too long for some, too short for another.

On my Lunar (which is an Alko chassis/hitch) there is a hole in the end of the chassis rails (where the hitch head attaches) through which the cable passed.This keeps the cable off the floor.

The cable is fairly rigid and with van attached, both the original and replacement cable appears a little too long for my set-up (Witter fixed towbar with connection hole immediately behind the tow ball)

I have not done anything with this cable but on the previous van I made a small loop in the cable close to the hand-brake attachment and held it in place with a couple of very light weight cable ties. Engineer never commented on it when servicing the van.