The correct way to disconect the <span class="highlight">wiring</span> plug from tow vehicle.

I was taught to disconnect the wiring plug from the tow vehicle by grabbing the plug and pulling back on that, sometimes a little wiggle up/down or from side to side and it will come out. A lot of people just grab a handful of wire and pull and pull until it comes out.

The reason I bring this up is, This morning I get up at 5.30 am to get the horse float out of the shed to loan to a neighbour so she can go get her kids a pony.
I reverse the cruiser up, hitch it, connect the wiring and drive out.
I can smell something burning. within a second or two there is a small flickering light near my knee at the fuse box. I turn the engine off and jump out and there is a small plastic fire. I blow it out on further inspection one fuse it completely melted, the rest are blackened. It is the dash fan & over head fuel tank gauge fuse that is knacked. It also is the fuse for the electric Brake controller.
I remove the plug from the back of the cruiser and pull it apart. there are two wires that are not in their correct positions and are shorting on each other.
They have been pulled out of their terminals. Red & Blue wires.
This caused the short. You could see were the wires had been stripped from pulling them through the clamp inside the plug.

I'm thinking how lucky I was to of been able to stop and get out and have a look.
Now we haven't used the float ourselves for a long time, but have loaned it to a few different people over the past 12 months. I always been very care not to pull the pug out by it's wires, this includes the Camper and my work trailer. How many people do pull the plug out by the wires?
I do like the 'T' handle that the Anderson plug has, makes life easy. Maybe all wiring plugs/connectors should have them.
Looks like I'm up for another fuse holder, I guess it could of been worse.
Anyway, have a good one.