New caravan due for delivery early next year which will have the single 13 pin plug rather than the older two 12N 12S version.

Wanting to avoid using an adaptor so going to swap out the two sockets on tow bar bracket for a single 13 pin. Current electrics are the full LR kit fitted by dealer with the towbar at the time the vehicle was purchased new.

Any issues I may come across? - the info I have found suggests straight forward wire by wire swop (battery disconnected) which shouldn't require re programming of vehicle?

Also to clarify is it the Trailer ECU on sensing a trailer or caravan has been connected, that prompts changes via the CAN bus to the vehicles dynamics (engine revs/auto change up, rear fogs disable, parking sensors disable etc)?

Appreciate any of your input. Thanks[b] [/b]

Simple enough job, as long as you have the wiring code for the 13 pin, get a decent 13 pin socket, if you can get a Jaeger, lots of cheap and nasty ones about, you get what you pay for, filling the back of the socket with silicon sealant will stop any water ingress problem in the future.

as mine suffered so many electrical gremlins and faults trying to be-traced by dealer whilst under warranty I had the dealer swap from a 12n 12s sockets to the 13 pin.
Used genuine landrover parts and it wasn't expensive but worth having the 13 pin socket fitted.

I hate those 13pin converters, as its trailing all extra cable.

13 pin connector & Alko coupling makes hitching up a doddle

It is a straight forward swap between the 'N' & 'S' to the 13 pin and no re-programming needed.

As for sensing what has been plugged in, it won't know if its a caravan or a bicycle lighting board so reversing sensors, rear fog etc are disabled and dash trailer light enabled.
It only knows 'something' has been plugged in, and when driving the engine sensors (load, throttle opening etc) will sense that it is not driving solo. With an auto it will then re-map the box to suit and after disconnection will take a few miles to re-adjust for solo driving again.

I'd agree that the 13 pin socket fitting is the dog's danglies. If you decided to fit your own socket, they are available with a double entry rear grommet, so fitting is a doddle. But has been suggested, a good squirt with your tube is a good idea....

Agreed the 13 pin is the way to go. But if S electrics are not required then use a 13-to-12N adapter on the Freelander. I have one for my old trailer - which works a treat.

Many thanks for all your responses - I note the comment made by Si. re the dual entry rear grommet but as yet I haven't been able to identify a suitable version on lline.

Having checked the wiring to the existing 12N & 12S sockets on my Freelander, the cable form used is just a tape wrap version, rather than as I have noted in the past on a previously owned FL1's, a fully PVC insulated cable for each connector. Therefore getting wiring through one grommet hole might not be a problem?

I have also noted that the wiring passing into the rear of each socket has little protection, each individual wire being easily visible. Not a particularly good example of quality considering the initial cost but equally I have never had a problem as a result of water ingress etc - just lucky perhaps. The only quality issue is the fact that the socket mounting plate has rusted slightly. I did raise this before end of 3 year warranty but dealer suggested LR would ignore any claim on the basis it was inevitable that parts like this develop rust etc. Pity the manufacturers of such parts don't zinc plate or similar before applying powder paint coating.

I might have got the wrong end of the stick but ....

Are you suggesting that the wiring loom to the sockets is poorely sealed?
Mine is a genuine LR kit, the cables enter the rear gland and are fully "potted" with a silicone sealant from the dealer. As was the last one, that was originally factory fitted. In fact the only reason I replaced the first one was the lid had been damaged in a rear end collision, was no longer water proof (some people like wading), and I couldn't just replace the socket without unpotting the cable.

It would suggest that the dealer is fitting sub standard (Witter?) parts.

Before someone gets all shirty, Witter would be fine for a Mondeo towing a van, but the sockets don't seem adequately protected for a Land Rover going deep wading. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

To confirm the point made by Andy - The towbar and associated electrics are both original LR equipment which means as far as know that they are of Brink manufacture. I have placed a couple of images into my gallery to best show/explain the issue of the cables etc. The sockets are backed by what appears to be a neophrene/rubber gasket - whether the terminals area of the sockets are also filled with silicone sealant or similar I won't know until I dismantle.

Re Witter Tow brackets/electrics - my experience of having these on two previous FL1's is that they are of superior quality to Brink. The most recent Witter bracket I removed from the vehicle prior to its sale, and suprisingly it had little or no real corrosion or rust issues - something I cannot say for the current Brink one, with de-rusting and re painting required prior to fitting the 13pin socket.

wow i Dont know who's fitted those sockets but they haven't fitted the proper water proof boots that has quite a long snout for the cable without exposing the wires !

Some bogger has fitted those sockets and then realised afterwards that the boots have been left off and been to lazy to fit

here you can see the water proof boots that are a very tight fit over the cable.
http://www.towbarandtrailercentre.com/ekmp...9852-p.jpg

Note the comments made by Oldgeezer - the photo basically illustrates the type of wiring kit supplied as part of a Witter kit for example, that connects into the wiring loom via Scotchlok connectors and not plugs etc into a Trailer ECU as on the LR kit. This kit was as fitted to both my FL1's
As far as I am aware the pucker LR kit for the Freelander comes pre made with plug connectors on one end a the 12N 12S sockets on the other so any gasket or boot for the sockets would have to be in place already.

I may be wrong but I would like, and I guess many other forum members would as well, to know how other LR original wiring kits are wired and protected against water & moisture ingress. So on your knees for a quick look and response please.

Thanks

Bought my car second hand from Williams of Bristol and part of the deal was a towbar and fitting as I use a cycle rack rather than mess around with the seats and cleaning up mud. As you'll see in my gallery, it doesn't look very sealed to me. It's been submerged a good few times and still works as it did when fitted, but I'll have to have a look inside just to satisfy my curiosity.

Apologies for the thread resurrection, but I would like to know what the Landrover part number is for a 13 pin kit to fit a 2013MY that already has the factory fit 12N/12S connectors.

Have seen these parts available in the Landrover catalogue.
VPLFT0077 GTDI, (what does this denote?)
VPLFT0106 Non GTDI