Dedicated wiring looms, sometimes known as 'vehicle specific wiring' or 'plug in kits', are becoming ever more popular for towbar lighting wiring (12N) installation. To put it simply this is the way the job should be done because each kit is designed specifically for the vehicle that it is fitted to, and rather than soldering or using 'Scotch Locks' to connect the towbar wiring these kits interface with the vehicle systems in the same way as the manufacturer intended.

Some manufacturers and insurance companies are now insisting that these wiring looms are always fitted. Ford in particular has become very strict with warranty claims on it's latest generation vehicles.

On some vehicles such as the BMW X5 and Landrover Discovery 3 it is actually unsafe to fit universal wiring due to the way the vehicles stability control works.

Due to the complex nature of dedicated wiring it is inevitable that is more expensive than universal wiring. This cost is anywhere between £25 and £240 more depending on the vehicle.

The extra cost is justified because the wiring is installed as the vehicle manufacturer intended it to be fitted, it means that your warranty won't be affected, which of course could save you alot of money in the long run.



Because the wiring is designed to work with the vehices onboard systems, certain functions on the vehicle are activated that would otherwise not work with universal electrics. Some of these features are vital saftey features such as Trailer Stability Control, and other convenience features such as the cut off of your fog light and parking aids while towing.

Some vehicles need to be 'coded' or programmed to activate the extra functions provided by the wiring loom, especially in the case of T-Esp (Trailer Stability Control) on VW Audi group vehicles.