Towing Electrics Socket

[chadler]

After several years of debating the pros and cons of towing arrangements without compromising departure angle, I've now got my ideal set up. NATO hitch bolted directly onto the crossmember (yes, with a large spreader plate) and a Southdown rear guard / detatchable drop plate with a combined dixon-bate ball and pin. The problem i have is that there is nowhere apparently suitable for the electrics socket, which I want to keep above the level of the crossmember so as for it not to be vulnerable, but if i mount it too high then I'll run into issues with electrics cables on trailers being too short. I tow quite a selection of trailers and some of them have very stingy wire lenghts. To me the best option seems to be to panel mount the socket onto the flat panel on the drivers side (where the number plate mounts on the other side) and to wire the socket directly throught that panel into the lighting circiuts inside the rear tub. does this sound sensible? I suppose i could always make up an extension cable and keep it i the car if needs be for trailers that don't have enough wire length. Could those of you with sorted towing arrangements maybe post up a few pics of how you've done it? Thanks in advance.

[jjojjas]

Mines the standard arrangement beside the adjustable tow plate. Departure angle etc.. isn't an issue for me (although I have filled it with earth once or twice...) I have seen one where its actually fitted into the lower rear back panel near the lights. As you point out, one of the trailers I use doesnt have sufficient cable for this and an extension may be the only way to go. I'm sure if your determined you could put it into the crossmember??

Jas

[FridgeFreezer]

My setup isn't even on a LR but it works - have the socket mounted inside the vehicle and use a short extension cable run through the back door (the door rubber will accomodate this without crushing it)

That way the socket doesn't corrode and isn't vulnerable to damage.

The extension cables are pennies at Towsure etc.

[Divster]

My setup isn't even on a LR but it works - have the socket mounted inside the vehicle and use a short extension cable run through the back door (the door rubber will accomodate this without crushing it)

That way the socket doesn't corrode and isn't vulnerable to damage.

The extension cables are pennies at Towsure etc.

Mine's here too. Mounted to the rear light cover panel on the O/S

[madmatt]

After several years of debating the pros and cons of towing arrangements without compromising departure angle, I've now got my ideal set up. NATO hitch bolted directly onto the crossmember (yes, with a large spreader plate) and a Southdown rear guard / detatchable drop plate with a combined dixon-bate ball and pin. The problem i have is that there is nowhere apparently suitable for the electrics socket, which I want to keep above the level of the crossmember so as for it not to be vulnerable, but if i mount it too high then I'll run into issues with electrics cables on trailers being too short. I tow quite a selection of trailers and some of them have very stingy wire lenghts. To me the best option seems to be to panel mount the socket onto the flat panel on the drivers side (where the number plate mounts on the other side) and to wire the socket directly throught that panel into the lighting circiuts inside the rear tub. does this sound sensible? I suppose i could always make up an extension cable and keep it i the car if needs be for trailers that don't have enough wire length. Could those of you with sorted towing arrangements maybe post up a few pics of how you've done it? Thanks in advance.

Mine is roughly there but I have a hicap so its slightly different, like you though i two all manner of trailers with very stingey cables some times so i have made an extension of about 18" long and keep it in the tool box. cost less than a fiver for the bits.

[western]

Mine's bolted to one of the body tabs just above the rear x-member, cable runs in the gap into the right rear corner of the seat box, I used the LR mounting plate for both 12n & 12s sockets.

[darthdicky]

I tow very very rarely, so connecting up the extension and running it out of the door/window isn't a problem.

Richard

[chadler]

Right, am beginning to get a feel now for the perfect solution, I think the interior socket idea has a lot of merit to it. The plan will now be to mount the socket to the removable southdown drop plate on a mounting plate that sandwiches under the tow ball, the cable will then route through the door gap and plug into a "bulkhead fitting" mounted in the interior rear light cover (VWP do such a fitting). This way I get the best of both worlds - the socket being placed next to the tow point when needed, but removed with the drop plate, leaving the electrical termination inside the vehicle out of the crud.

I'll post some pictures of it when i'm done, and also of some of the other electrical work I've done recently if it's of interest? fitted a second 12 way fuse box for powering ancilliaries independently of the vehical fusebox, and also 12v electrical outputs in the rear of the vehicle.

Thanks all for your input

[BogMonster]

The MOD Defenders here (civilian spec ones not Wolfs) have the NATO towing electrics mounted in the hole in the rear crossmember, mine doesn't have the electrics but this is where I mean

sorry about the poor photo, best one I have and it's enlarged a bit as it was mostly a photo of the view!

[mattD110td5x]

Most of the Australian D110's have the electrics as per Bogmonster.

here's one I prepared earlier;

Until quite recently in Oz there was no standardisation on trailer plugs,

- we can get 5, 7 and 7 pin in the utilux plug, in the picture, which I think came from the mighty USofA,

and

- 7 pin "international" sometimes called ISO (now called old EU) same as the UK

and

- Australian Standard in-line (8 pins?)

- I haven't seen any new EU plugs yet

So I also have three adaptors

ttfn

Matthew

[JST]

Mines here:

and here:

i use a 24" extension i made up for this one and keep it in the truck. Southdown detachable setup used for the towball now and no NATO.

[chadler]

Got the electrics fitted now, I decided against having the socket inside as I just didn't like the cable going through the door gap and risking getting damaged when shutting. I've now fitted it ouside, on the drivers side, just below and to the left of the quarter window. Here it is high enough to not get filled with crud, and is protected by the spare wheel. Here's a general pic taken this morning, showing the NATO and southdown drop-plate, I'll try and get a close up soon. Also for those of you who remember it from a long time ago, the result of the project to fit a high pressure petrol engine spray capability to the bowser trailer for fire fighting. Highly impressive, it generates about 2500psi.

[landrover598]

Bit late i know, but here's mine, just inside the rear door.

[western]

Nice tool cabinet Dave