5
ADVICE
Top-5 hitching tips
It all looks so easy but there are traps when hooking your van upBeware of angles
The good old 50mm ball coupling does a great job of hanging onto your vehicle’s towball but it doesn’t like engaging if you’re trying to hitch up on an angle.
Not a side angle, but in plan view, if your vehicle and van are both pointing uphill or downhill at the same time, the locking pin can’t engage on the neck of the towball.
Likewise when disengaging the coupling, if you’re not on the level (or close to it) you’ll find that the pin is jammed on the towball neck and you won’t be able to lift the coupling handle to release the pin.
Reversing cameras aren’t foolproof
A reversing camera will turn you into a pro when hitching up your van, especially if you’re doing it solo. The trick is to still use your side mirrors to set yourself up so that you’re approaching the van roughly centred. Then as you get closer you just need to keep backing slowly and watch the screen to line up the towball under the coupling.
Even though some vehicles have a centre line to help you line up a coupling, most of them are not very accurate. Like any time you’re using a reversing camera, don’t be tempted to keep your eyes glued to the screen.
Pay attention to your surroundings because there’s nothing more embarrassing or expensive as piling on a lot of steering lock as you reverse and crunching into a solid object to the side.
Secure your vehicle plug
Caravan manufacturers tend to be very generous with van-to-vehicle wiring cables these days, especially when it’s a 12-pin plug set-up.
If you have a seven-pin flat plug, thread it under the handbrake and through the coupling release handle. If you have a cable with a 12-pin plug, you’re going to have to be a bit more inventive. One option is once you’re hitched up and have removed the jockey wheel, loop the cable through the jockey wheel clamp (making sure not to pinch the cable then tightening the clamp) but the best way is to use cable ties to secure the excess cable to prevent any damage when driving.
Disconnect chains last
A safety measure you should get into the habit of when unhitching is to leave the safety chain(s) attached to the vehicle until after you’ve disengaged the coupling from the vehicle and applied the caravan’s park brake.
A caravan’s cable-operated park brake isn't as strong as a vehicle park brake – even when adjusted properly, you might risk your van rolling away.
When parked on inclines, it’s also a good idea to chock the van’s wheels. Better safe than sorry – you’ll have no chance of stopping a caravan from rolling away on your own, especially once it has a bit of momentum.
Stop the rattling
If your 50mm ball coupling is rattling, it could just need adjustment.
There’s a threaded stud with a locking nut attached on the top of the coupling for this very purpose. You’ll need to remove the towball and lock it into the coupling by releasing the locking pin handle (as you would when hitching up normally).
Then loosen the locking nut and turn in the threaded stud with a screwdriver until you can’t move the towball. Then back off the tension on the threaded stud until the towball can move freely.
Note the word ‘freely’ though, because if there’s too much tension you might not be able to get the towball back out of the coupling because there won’t be enough space for the locking pin to clear the ball head.
Don’t forget to tighten the locking nut before releasing the towball and fitting it back onto the towbar.
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Written byPhilip Lord
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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