RV Essentials Australia Caravan Breakaway Cable | Red 6 ft Coiled Trailer Breakaway Switch Lanyard

You are hooked up, the chains are on, and then you notice the breakaway cable. The plastic coating has split, the wire has started to fray, or the lanyard has gone missing from the drawbar altogether. It is a small part, but nothing else on the van does its job, and most people would rather not pull out of the driveway without it. This is a replacement breakaway cable and lanyard for a trailer or caravan that already has a breakaway switch fitted. It gives you a fresh, clean connection between your tow vehicle and the pin on your existing switch, without replacing the whole breakaway unit. What a breakaway lanyard actually does A breakaway system is the last line of defence if a trailer ever comes off the tow ball while you are moving. The switch sits on the drawbar and is held in the off position by a small pin. That pin is tethered to the tow vehicle by a lanyard, and this cable is that tether. When the lanyard is connected correctly, a separation pulls the pin out of the switch. Removing the pin closes the circuit and allows the trailer's own breakaway system to apply its brakes using the trailer's own battery. The cable does not apply the brakes itself and it does not hold the trailer. It only pulls the pin. Everything after that is the job of the breakaway switch, wiring, battery and brakes already on your van. What you get, and what you do not You receive one red coiled breakaway cable with a silver spring clip at the tow vehicle end and a split ring at the switch end. That is the complete item. It is not a breakaway switch It does not include the breakaway pin It does not include a battery, wiring or a brake controller It is not a complete breakaway kit It is not a safety chain and does not replace one If your switch body is cracked, corroded or no longer triggering, you need a switch, not a lanyard. This part is for the very common situation where the switch is fine and only the cable has worn out. Extends up to 6 ft, roughly 1.83 m The coil stretches out to around 1.83 metres, which is a genuinely useful length when the hitch sits well forward of the drawbar. Plenty of people run into trouble with short lanyards on weight distribution hitches, extended tow bars or long A-frames, where a metre simply does not reach comfortably without pulling tight on every turn. Why the coil is better than a loose straight cable A straight cable has to go somewhere. Most people end up wrapping it around the drawbar or the chain, which chafes the coating, or they leave it hanging and it drags on the bitumen until it wears through. A high-rebound memory coil takes up its own slack. It pulls out when you need the reach, then springs back and sits neatly off the road surface when you are hitched. There is nothing to wrap, nothing to tuck away, and nothing swinging near your tyres. Materials and connection hardware The core is woven steel wire, described by our supplier as stainless steel, wrapped in a red UV-resistant PU coating. The coating does two things worth caring about in Australian conditions. It keeps sun and moisture off the wire, and it stops sharp broken strands from catching your fingers when you are hitching up in the dark. The bright red colour is deliberate. It is easy to spot on a quick walk-around, so a lanyard that has come adrift is obvious before you drive off. The spring clip at the tow vehicle end clips onto a suitable anchor point on your tow bar or hitch, and the split ring at the other end threads onto your existing breakaway pin. Compatibility, honestly This cable is designed to suit many pin-style breakaway switches, which covers a large share of caravans, camper trailers, boat trailers and utility trailers running electric brakes in Australia. It is not universal, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. Before you order, have a look at your own setup. Check that your switch uses a removable pin with a ring or loop attachment, not a proprietary plug, bungee or clevis fitting. Some brands use their own pin shapes and will only accept their own cable. If your trailer uses a mechanical override coupling with a cable that bolts to a clevis rather than an electric switch with a pull pin, this is not the right part. If you are unsure, compare your existing lanyard against the photos or send us a picture and we will tell you straight. Quick check before you tow Follow the instructions supplied by your trailer, tow vehicle and breakaway system manufacturers Inspect the cable for splits, kinks or exposed wire, and check the clip and split ring are closed and undamaged Confirm the pin is seated properly in the switch and the lanyard is clipped to a solid anchor point, not to a safety chain or a removable part Check that there is enough slack for full turning without the pin being pulled on a sharp corner Test your breakaway system the way its manufacturer recommends, and keep the trailer battery charged Check the towing rules that apply in your state or territory, as requirements differ Remember this lanyard is separate from your safety chains and does not replace correctly rated chains Order from RV Essentials Australia We stock practical caravan accessories for people who actually tow, and we ship Australia-wide. This breakaway cable is covered by our standard 12-month warranty. It is a cheap part to carry a spare of, and worth throwing in the boot box alongside your other setup gear. While you are here, it is worth looking at the rest of your drawbar setup. Our Outback electric trailer jack with built-in clamp takes the effort out of hitching, and a set of caravan wheel chocks keeps the van where you left it once you unhitch. You will find plenty more in our caravan exterior accessories range. Add the breakaway cable to your cart and get it sorted before your next trip.