7 pin to 13 pin

[DaveFromBarrow]

Hi,

our MH has a 7 pin socket with the tow bar and the new Thule tow bar bike rack is 13 pin euro. Should I put a new 13 pin socket on the MH or just buy an adapter?

any views on the best solution?

cheers

d

 

[Linda and Steph]

Just get an adapter, loads on Amazon. Amazon product ASIN B08HYMRKS8

 

[glenn2926]

Just buy an adapter. That way you can tow trailers with 7 pin or 13 pin plugs.

 

[Two on Tour]

Another vote for an adapter, ours lives in the drivers door pocket.

 

[DaveFromBarrow]

Thanks everyone. I’d looked them up, the adapters, then wondered if I should change the socket. Adapter it is!

D

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[peterc10]

I think I may have an adaptor from my caravanning days. I will look in the garage tomorrow if you are interested

 

[DaveFromBarrow]

Thanks Peter. I’ve ordered one from Amazon.

d

 

[the1andonly]

I believe that a 13 pin socket would bring it and the tow bar into the realms of the MOT.

 

[dash300]

Just buy an adapter. That way you can tow trailers with 7 pin or 13 pin plugs.

And worth getting one of these plug aligners only a a few quid from Towsure
but makes life so much easier to align pins on the 13 plug and acts as a plug cover to keep it clean as well.

 

[Ian Bosman]

I believe that a 13 pin socket would bring it and the tow bar into the realms of the MOT.

Any towbar fitted with electrics, 7 pin (12N -black in colour) or 13 pin must be shown to be working. The 12S (white in colour) does not count. there is a Sealey product which tests the sockets which qualifies for the MOT test and comes with the 12N adapter

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[Lenny HB]

I would fit a 13 pin socket they tend to be better quality than the 7 pin connectors.
Also adding an adaptor inline is adding more connections to go wrong.

 

[cmcardle75]

Whilst an adapter will do the business, I generally change all my vehicles (and trailers) to be the 13 pin adapter. It is more reliable, particularly with regard to rusting of the terminals. You also get additional functionality (such as reverse lights and optional power feeds) that otherwise require a separate 12S socket.

However, if you're paying someone to do the conversion, it probably isn't worth it. DIY it'll cost £20 for a new pre-wired socket, but not everyone can do this sort of work.

I've never bothered with pin aligners. Just wiggle left and right and it will soon be aligned.

 

[dunnah01]

Whilst an adapter will do the business, I generally change all my vehicles (and trailers) to be the 13 pin adapter. It is more reliable, particularly with regard to rusting of the terminals. You also get additional functionality (such as reverse lights and optional power feeds) that otherwise require a separate 12S socket.

However, if you're paying someone to do the conversion, it probably isn't worth it. DIY it'll cost £20 for a new pre-wired socket, but not everyone can do this sort of work.

I've never bothered with pin aligners. Just wiggle left and right and it will soon be aligned.

Probably quite bit more than £20 for the new cabling to the 12S socket. Really needs a new feed from separate fused permanent and switched +ve and good earth cables aswell as reversing light wiring and relays.

 

[cmcardle75]

Probably quite bit more than £20 for the new cabling to the 12S socket. Really needs a new feed from separate fused permanent and switched +ve and good earth cables aswell as reversing light wiring and relays.

Those bits are optional. I use 13 pin even for non-auxilliary power installations. In fact, I installed one today so we could use an old Polo to take trailers to the tip. At 1000kg max towing limit, it is never going to tow a caravan or run a fridge, so an 8 wire 13 pin installation gives everything a 12N installation does, with greater reliability and a reversing light.

 

[dunnah01]

Those bits are optional. I use 13 pin even for non-auxilliary power installations. In fact, I installed one today so we could use an old Polo to take trailers to the tip. At 1000kg max towing limit, it is never going to tow a caravan or run a fridge, so an 8 wire 13 pin installation gives everything a 12N installation does, with greater reliability and a reversing light.

Still a lot of faff to get a reversing light on a tip trailer tbh

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[cmcardle75]

Still a lot of faff to get a reversing light on a tip trailer tbh

It's only fractionally more work than wiring up a 1960s 12N, it's just one extra wire. It was a new towbar. If the car was new enough to have dedicated electrics, it would have been no extra work at all.

In reality it is less faff, as the trailer is a 13 pin and I can't remember where my "new trailer -> old car" adapter is.