Trailers & 'BWSOW's

[Richard A Thackeray]

Question

Has anyone changed an Al-Ko breakaway cable on their ‘BWSOW’?
I want to move to the carabiner style, rather than the (present) ‘dog-lead’ clip
I’m referring to the ‘closed loop’ type, not the ‘giant keyring’
This is what l want to fit (this is the official handbrake end)



How did you close the ‘eye’ onto the handbrake?

I have one of these laying about, but l don’t think the ‘keyring’ will fit through the handbrake



I was thinking about getting one of the clevis-pin style, as it might be an easier retro-fit?

 

[figbat]

Question

Has anyone changed an Al-Ko breakaway cable on their ‘BWSOW’?
I want to move to the carabiner style, rather than the (present) ‘dog-lead’ clip
I’m referring to the ‘closed loop’ type, not the ‘giant keyring’
This is what l want to fit (this is the official handbrake end)

View attachment 674749

How did you close the ‘eye’ onto the handbrake?

I have one of these laying about, but l don’t think the ‘keyring’ will fit through the handbrake

View attachment 674750

I was thinking about getting one of the clevis-pin style, as it might be an easier retro-fit?

View attachment 674751

I have one as a spare. IIRC there’s no need to close the loop, it just stays in place (well the one on mine now does).

There’s also a thing about how you use these different leads. IIRC the carabiner type can be used to loop around the towball (and clip back to the cable) but the clip type can’t and should be clipped to a dedicated mounting hole - or something.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I have one as a spare. IIRC there’s no need to close the loop, it just stays in place (well the one on mine now does).

There’s also a thing about how you use these different leads. IIRC the carabiner type can be used to loop around the towball (and clip back to the cable) but the clip type can’t and should be clipped to a dedicated mounting hole - or something.

I understand it to be the opposite
Carabiners are clipped into appropriate brackets/holes

‘Dog-leads’ are doubled back onto themselves, like a (dog) choke-chain
If they’re clipped onto a bracket they can (rarely, but possibly…..) settle into a position where the ‘spring’ section is in contact & would break loose in the event of a separation

 

[figbat]

You’re right, I had it the wrong way round. But they are supposed to break on separation. The clip ones open up under strong tension. The carabiner ones pull free from the cord. In fact only carabiner types are now supposed to be used.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Wednesday 18th

Spotted close to the ‘Midland Hotel’
Morecambe
Lancashire

It was a Fiat Coupe

One of these

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Question

Has anyone changed an Al-Ko breakaway cable on their ‘BWSOW’?
I want to move to the carabiner style, rather than the (present) ‘dog-lead’ clip
I’m referring to the ‘closed loop’ type, not the ‘giant keyring’
This is what l want to fit (this is the official handbrake end)

View attachment 674749

How did you close the ‘eye’ onto the handbrake?

I have one of these laying about, but l don’t think the ‘keyring’ will fit through the handbrake

View attachment 674750

I was thinking about getting one of the clevis-pin style, as it might be an easier retro-fit?

View attachment 674751

I've got hold of one of the bottom style, with the clevis-pin, & split-pin
I'm on a few days-off, from Monday, so will nip over & put it on

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Whilst looking for something on Instant Street-View, I saw this 90
https://www.instantstreetview.com/@53.860751,-1.099146,28.05h,-5.78p,2.6z,rBydGeNsvJXnM1Rhwrm7gw

I'll presume it's not a 'showmans licence', although I think(?) multiple trailers (2?) are allowed for certain agricultural uses?

 

[Jameshow]

Whilst looking for something on Instant Street-View, I saw this 90
https://www.instantstreetview.com/@53.860751,-1.099146,28.05h,-5.78p,2.6z,rBydGeNsvJXnM1Rhwrm7gw

I'll presume it's not a 'showmans licence', although I think(?) multiple trailers (2?) are allowed for certain agricultural uses?

Guilty as charged!!

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I presume that my Kodiaq would cope just as well as the Tiguan
I'm not sure that SWMBO would let me use our BWSOW


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl15Z3tPhu0

 

[DRM]

I presume that my Kodiaq would cope just as well as the Tiguan
I'm not sure that SWMBO would let me use out BWSOW


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl15Z3tPhu0

Nothing new in the Top Gear video, the Caravan Club used to run the British Caravan Road Rally, with fast cars, new caravans, after each stage the teams had to pitch the caravan, cook a meal and sleep in it

View: https://youtu.be/MG0i7xQxLoQ

plus a concourse competition too

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Nothing new in the Top Gear video, the Caravan Club used to run the British Caravan Road Rally, with fast cars, new caravans, after each stage the teams had to pitch the caravan, cook a meal and sleep in it

View: https://youtu.be/MG0i7xQxLoQ

plus a concourse competition too

I couldn't find the full TG clip, as they drag them all the way through the woods................
Not in entirety though, sections get unattached

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Question

Has anyone changed an Al-Ko breakaway cable on their ‘BWSOW’?
I want to move to the carabiner style, rather than the (present) ‘dog-lead’ clip
I’m referring to the ‘closed loop’ type, not the ‘giant keyring’
This is what l want to fit (this is the official handbrake end)

View attachment 674749

How did you close the ‘eye’ onto the handbrake?

I have one of these laying about, but l don’t think the ‘keyring’ will fit through the handbrake

View attachment 674750

I was thinking about getting one of the clevis-pin style, as it might be an easier retro-fit?

View attachment 674751

Wednesday 1st

I went over this morning to put the battery back on, after its winter holiday here, on a solar panel trickle-charger
It also came off the blocks, for SWMBOs trip this coming Sunday, I'm delivering it/collecting it, as she's decided she's taking Lottie - a dumb-ass Cockerpoo
Old piece of Lino to lay on, whilst pulling them out



Thus; towing/unfamiliar roads (or part of the route anyway), & a Dog in the car, is too much of a combination for her
It's only a site at Stillingfleet, but she's not familiar with the roads north-east of Cawood


I also fitted another breakaway cable
I initially tried to grip the 'closed eye' with Mole-Grips, & prise it with a big screwdriver, but it was too awkward
Plan B worked
Keep it in the Mole-Grips, but cut through it with a junior hacksaw
(note the cut section in the Mole-Grips)

Then, the new cable had to have the clevis-pin removed so it could be jiggled through the cable-guide, but it all went well




I did still consider using the cable that was on the trailer that I bought, but it'll keep as a spare

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Wednesday 1st

I went over this morning to put the battery back on, after its winter holiday here, on a solar panel trickle-charger
It also came off the blocks, for SWMBOs trip this coming Sunday, I'm delivering it/collecting it, as she's decided she's taking Lottie - a dumb-ass Cockerpoo

Thus; towing/unfamiliar roads (or part of the route anyway), & a Dog in the car, is too much of a combination for her
It's only a site at Stillingfleet, but she's not familiar with the roads north-east of Cawood

This is the booked site; https://www.oldpasturepark.co.uk/
Go on Sunday, back home Wednesday

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

They do, but results vary in terms of how well various cars deal with them. And remember there's a legal requirement for you to have a trailer bulb failure system in the car - using LEDs and resistors would defeat this.

I always understood that just to be for indicators, hence the 'tell-tales' (be it sound, or light)

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Saturday 4th

Nipped over this morning, to look for something inside it
I also checked the tyre-pressures, they were about 10PSI down (since November)

That ‘compressor’ is very slow indeed!!
Thankfully, l got an extension cable a while ago, or l couldn’t have done it without moving the ‘van