Wiring Up Towbar Electrics

[Blandford Classics]

Hi everyone, 
Having sorted my problematic BSI issue I want to wire up the towbar electrics on my MK1 Berlingo 1.9d van.

I have read elsewhere that I need to buy a kit That includes a relay etc..? 

Can anyone advise me on the correct route to go and wether I can sort this out myself or do I have to buy a specialist kit..? 

Regards 

Paul

[Carl.1]

No idea, but i have a M49 Berlingo fisrt that has a tow bar. Happy to have a look at the wiring amd i. The fuse boxes to see if it differs in any way from yours to see if there is another relay in there?

[evdama]

You can easily get a relay separately so don't let that restrict your available choice

My M59 was just fine without one as it had fairly chunky wires and it was brand new at the time
An aged car would probably benefit from the assistance and you don't want to upset the bsi again.

Fitting one is very straightforward and worth the small amount of extra effort

The relay takes power from the battery or a switched live to power the trailer lights and then just uses the cars rear lights to trigger them rather than placing the load directly on the wiring loom.
 It will have the "trailer presence" indicator bleeper ready integrated.

I have put them on both the B9s I have owned
as these cars  have flimsy ribbon cables that would not cope with direct wiring.


M49/59  is a very easy vehicle to fit a towbar to btw.
You can use the rearmost roof member to run the foglamp wire through then drop the 7/13 core cable out of the base of the nearside door pillar out to the socket.
Beside that most of the access you need is behind the nearside rear lamp.
I chose a single 13pin socket as I can then have reversing lights without the need for twin 7n and 7s sockets.

[Romahomepete]

The towbar is easy, the electrics not quite so. You will need a bypass relay to prevent long term damage. You will also need a permanent live.

In the boot area remove the left hand side trim panel and look for a thick white wire. The other end of that is in the lower fuse box under the bonnet. (the lower fuse box is hidden under the main fuse box which you have to unclip and lift up slightly, it doesnt come off completely). The fuse holder where it terminates is empt. You need to fit a maxi fuse in that slot. This is your permanet live in the back

Peter