Hi
.
At present I have a 2012 Swift caravan with 3 LED lights down each side and it all works fine.

When the bar was fitted PF Jones could not guarantee that LED`s would work with witter 13 pin electrics.

Has anyone out there any experience of LED lights on a Swift 2017 Caravan with LED rear lights etc, I am running with a genuine LR 13 pin socket on the car but I have read some where that the caravan lights need an upgrade in order to work.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Regards
Richard

Richard
I have a Sterling Emerald Elite which is made by Swift and have the 13pin connector fitted when my tow bar was fitted by Land Rover to match the plug fitted to the van. I have had no problems at all with the connection, all my lights work properly. Freelander 2 TD4 GS 2011 Manual Satorini Black (Current)
Freelander TD4 S 2004 Silver Manual (Gone)
Landrover Series 3 Manual Long Wheel Base Safari (Gone)
Landrover series 2A Manual Short Wheel Base (Gone)
Numerous different vehicles inbetween

Hi,

I have a 2016 Swift Conqueror with the LED back lights towed by a 2013 Freelander with Land Rover 13 pin socket. Before I purchased the caravan I got the caravan dealer to plug in their test board to see if the caravan electrics where ok. All Swift dealers should have a purpose built test board for this purpose. The caravan lights worked correctly but the repeater light for the indicators on the dashboard did not work. Also the cars reversing lights, reversing sensors and rear fog lights still operated instead of being switched off. The test rig allows different versions of a plugin module to be tested to determine the confection version for the car.

Upon receipt of the caravan a plugin module was fitted by the dealer inside the caravan (under) near side front seat. I have now travelled over 8000 miles with this arrangement with no problems.

See https://sargentltd.co.uk/shop/product/led-...l-unit/240 for further details.
Hope this helps
Dave

Just bought a Swift caravan - collection in about ten days time but while I was at the dealer’s, I plugged the test board in and:

1. Indicators (and hazard) worked but no dash trailer repeater
2. Open / close driver’s door - indicators flashed once every time
3. No stop lights at all
4. Only one tail light
5. No fog light
6. Forgot to check reversing light

I haven't had a caravan for many years.
But I have to ask why have caravan manufacturers now produced caravans that dont work with cars' electrics. Seems like a nightmare for future caravan owners with older cars. Or is it newer cars that are the problem ? Jules

I suspect it is newer cars with new-fangled electronics measuring every last millivolt where older cars with coal fired electrical systems don’t care what is at end of each wire.

In days of old, power was supplied from a fuse, through a switch and then onto the filament and on to earth.
Short circuit and the fuse blew. Blown filament and the light wouldn't work. Dodgy earth and all sorts of fun, for example press the brake pedal and both rear indicators would come on dimly.
Simple.

Then users wanted more information for safety's sake obviously, so everything goes through the main circuit board, power to the board then through transistors and onto the lamp. Initially send a pulse to check the circuit, if the current is too high then cut the power and signal a fault, if the power is too low again cut the power and signal a fault. Maybe try several times, but in the end if there is a fault kill the power.

Obviously the older system didn't give a fig what was connected, LED or filament. The newer systems have to measure the current in an attempt to protect the transistors carrying the power - a sudden overload will kill a transistor long before a fuse has heated up enough to blow. So newer systems are sensitive to load, if it is designed for filament then LEDs may flash briefly before the system sulks, if it's designed for LEDs the system will shut down immediately and probably not restart until the ignition is cycled.

It's not difficult to arrange a box of tricks the would simulate the power drawn by filament lamps on a LED trailer or another to power filament lamps on a LED system, but would have to be specified at build time to suit the particular car / caravan combination - or bought as an aftermarket add-on. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

In the process of rebuilding a trailer and had planned led lights but given the potential issues I may just stick to conventional bulbed lights, seems to be a more straightforward option. Unless anyone can say for certain which lights will or won't work reliably with 2014 Freelander 2? I like to have the indicators tell tale light on the dash when towing and the reverse sensors not turning off would drive me to distraction when backing a trailer. Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

I was trying to locate the source of a fault on my trailer lights with it plugged into my FL2 (2014). They're all filament bulbs and its quite easy to short the bulb terminals as you remove the bulb from the chinese cheapo bulb holders. I couldnt work out what was going on until I realised the FL2 was shutting down the circuit every time I transiently shorted it. In the old days it wouldn't have mattered.
So it was out with a 12V battery and connect it to each trailer circuit in turn. Jules

ReggiePerrin wrote:

Just bought a Swift caravan - collection in about ten days time but while I was at the dealer’s, I plugged the test board in and:

1. Indicators (and hazard) worked but no dash trailer repeater
2. Open / close driver’s door - indicators flashed once every time
3. No stop lights at all
4. Only one tail light
5. No fog light
6. Forgot to check reversing light

2013 HSE Lux with LR 13 pin electrics that work flawlessly on the outgoing Bailey Unicorn with filament lighting.

I guess I'll need to buy a Sargent widget thing to fix it but…. from Sargent or from dealership? Easy and quick to DIY fit on collection day or is it a workshop job? Any pointers will be welcome.

Thanks for the info….

The test board at Lowdham's (Nottingham) hangs on a fence in the car park - reverse up, engine off & plug in to get one red bar. Start engine and 2nd red bar illuminates and then the normal lights/indicators etc on/off generated the erratic behaviour described above. There didn't appear to be any user selectable settings on the test board and it appeared to be an entirely user diy facility.

I will speak with them when our sales chap is back from his hols and see what needs to be done. Clearly, it is not fit for towing as is

+ one from me on the mod fit. I tow a 2018 swift conqueror 565. Purchased from Salop leisure Shrewsbury. When i picked up the technician asked what i would be towing it with on the pre delivery check. Told him mine was 2012 fl2 and he fitted the mod as a precaution. No problems encountered and al lights a ok. Happy towing, i love pulling the swift with the my fl2 auto. Incidently my tow bar and electrics were fitted by an independant fitter and not LR.

A quick Update and long story short…

Collected caravan today - connected tow bar electrics and contrary to their LED lighting test rig, all lights worked as they should. All except the dashboard trailer indicator that is.

A Sargent VLM6 box of tricks was fitted F.O.C and all works perfectly.

You have convinced me. Incandescent bulbed lights it will be! Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

all later swifts come with led lights as standard. you don,t get an option. probably the same on all late model caravans.