My towing electrics on the van are 13 pin but have been converted to 12n&s but not with an adaptor but a different tail, it looks like a 13 pin plug but it’s smaller in diameter and has smaller pins I want to replace the 12 n&s end with a 13 pin one but can’t find one to match, took the end to my local caravan store and the salesman said he’d never seen one before and it didn’t match up to anything he had in the shop.
You are probably looking in the wrong place at a caravan spares stockist. That connector looks more like something off a piece of old military radio equipment. I would try Radiospares or some other such electronics suppliers. Definitely not normal caravan equipment.
Not a connector type that I've ever come across. You certainly won't find a ready made converter.
You'll need to disconnect the twin cables from the plug part and replace them with a short length of 12/13 core cable running to a standard 13-pin trailer plug.
Quote: Originally posted by Colin21 on 08/4/2018
I thought that, but looking again at that picture I think that a new cable may be needed too, as the one in the picture doesn't look long enough.
They are an industrial locking fitting, RS would help but I'd suggest you don't bother and just fit the new 13pin. Ideally want to reduce the amount of joints you have anyway, to reduce chance of connection failure. If the existing cable isn't long enough, I'd either replace the whole length or use a weatherproof junction box beneath the front of the van and terminate a new length to the existing wiring in there. Run new cable to hitch and fit your 13pin plug. Advantage also, if the new cable ever gets damaged accidentally, its an easier fix again due to the junction box.
That's a 15 pin connector, so never a standard fitting. I would agree with reducing the number of connections, and replace with modern 13 wire cable and 13 pin plug. That will make future troubleshooting easier for you and anyone else who works on the van.
I did look under the van with the intention of replacing the whole lot but it’s not connected as I expected and if I cut the connector off the vans box the wires are not long enough for me to do anything with.
I have been looking for a 12/13 pin junction box tho but haven’t been able to find any that big, my aim is to run the 13 core that is already there into a new box just before the a frame then run new 13 core upto the coupling, can anyone link me to a junction box with 12 terminals?
You will probably be best with a general purpose adaptable box like this, with suitable glands at the entry points.
Ideally, crimp connect the two cables, but a good quality 'chocolate block' connector could be used at a push.
However you do it it's still an extra cable joint in the chain so personally I'd be inclined to retain the connector that's there as the neatest solution. While we can't identify its type or intended application it looks to be of decent quality.
Does the existing cable not terminate somewhere inside the van? I had to replace one of the 7 core cables on my last van as it had got damaged, and I found where it came into the van under one of the seats at the front. It was connected with scotchlock connectors (probably not original) so I replaced them with a "chocolate block" connector and ran the new cable from that.
I do wonder about the rated current carrying capacity of that 15 pin connector. Those pins don't look very heavy when compared to a proper caravan socket. On the other hand, presumably it has worked up to now.
For years I've always called them 'choc blocks' ... never realising that it was an abbreviation for 'chocolate block' ... obvious derivative ... just never sussed ..
The existing cable had a box under the van but it’s connected with some type of molex connector that would be even harder to source, and if I cut that connector off there isn’t enough of the wiring to go into a new connector, I think I’ll cut the existing cable close to the old box and solder onto new cable in the junction box, I prefer soldered joints to anything else
Soldered joints are indeed probably better than anything else electrically, but they can be a problem in as much as they turn a flexible multi-strand cable into a solid one which can fail under vibration. However, if the cable is well supported either side of the joint it shouldn't be a problem.