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Forums / 8. Towing Advice / Unhitching
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08 Nov 2017 @ 20:14:05 pm
We are constantly having trouble with unhitching. Will greasing the tow ball make it easier or is that dangerous?
08 Nov 2017 @ 20:35:41 pm
You need to explain more fully please.
One needs to identify what the problem is.
I would guess that your tow hitch mechanism needs servicing.
Probably the release mechanism is sticky with old grease and not fully retracting.
Try loosening oil and work it and see if things ease.
08 Nov 2017 @ 20:41:04 pm
Thanks for the reply the caravan just came back from a service but we will try the oil and are if it will make a difference!
08 Nov 2017 @ 20:58:07 pm
What is t,he condition of the tow ball?
They do wear over time and could be misshaped, however I still believe that it is the release mechanism that is sticky.
08 Nov 2017 @ 21:01:09 pm
Thanks makes sense will check that! Thanks for advice!
08 Nov 2017 @ 21:15:39 pm
Not knowing what kind of trouble to unhitch I wonder if the wear on a ball can cause trouble in unhitching. Misformed could make it easier to unhitch I would guess and this is where the danger lies.
I would not bank on the fact that if the caravan has been serviced that enough effort is put in to check the locking mechanism operation.
08 Nov 2017 @ 22:03:17 pm
Sometimes just moving the car an inch forward if your last movement was in reverse or an inch back if your last movement was forward, will release the tension on the hitch mechanism.
08 Nov 2017 @ 22:28:27 pm
Hitch your caravan to your car ( preferably on level ground ), then immediately unhitch the van without moving the car or van - if it unhitches OK then your mechanism has no problem. ( a light smearing of grease is recommended on the tow ball )
After towing, and before unhitching, make sure that the caravan draw-shaft is not fully compressed or fully pulled out - this will allow some "give" in the shaft as you unlock and lift the socket off the tow ball.
08 Nov 2017 @ 23:08:01 pm
Another way if unhitching if on level ground and it is a manual car is to leave it in say 3rd gear with the hand brake off. The car could now by rocked forward (against the bumper with a knee) or backwards(more difficult). Apply the hand brake on the caravan. Feel it it is easy to move the hitch on the carvan sideways. If it moves easy then there is no pulling or pushing force on the ball and it should be easy. Pushing the hitch to any side should also make releasing easier.
As the Carvette 6 is not a too heavy caravan if everything is in good order it should not be difficult to unhitch.
09 Nov 2017 @ 07:37:06 am
Just my 2cent on this: grease + dust = grinding paste. This is how I have been taught all the years of towing caravans and trailers on towballs.
While revamping my van over the last couple of months - I have also dis-asembled the coupling mechanism (My van is fitted with the AL-KO head). There is a small pin and spring under the "Safety Catch Assembly" that gets stuck over years of use because of dust and rust, and grease that gets forced in by the ball by applying grease periodically to the ball and inside of coupling. There is also a spring-loaded "Plunger" that may get stuck caused by rust, and grease and grime build-up.
But in the end: my best advise is to maybe contact AL-KO Trailco in Vereeniging - I suspect that Jam's Caravette 6B will also have the AL-KO head coupling.
09 Nov 2017 @ 08:08:47 am
grease accumulates dust and thus extra friction. i suspect this is what you need to do.
first undo the locking mechanism and hold it open then lift the van with the jockey wheel. do not try lift the van first then try uncouple.
09 Nov 2017 @ 09:28:26 am
Ek sien jys eintlik afrikaans, so ek antwoord in afrikaans. 😣 dit kom maklik oor.
Die tow ball en die karavaan haak moet absoluut sonder ghries wees. Was dit skoon met parafien of petrol. Dis soos die manne se hierbo. Ghries plus stof is grinding paste en maak bewegende dele stram as dit vol stof word.
Die karavaan haak se sluit meganisme moet met Q20/wynflon of dun lubricant behandel word, GEREELD. Toets dat alles glad werk voordat jy aanhaak. m.a.w. werk die meganisme moet goed los wees.. Jy kan ook ketting-spray-on-ghries gebruik. Stof kontammmineer nie maklik met dit nie.
Die inlooprem gedeelte, waar die pyp gly in die omhulsel-haak, moet slegs met n gladde ghries gesmeer word. Taai ghries is nie reg nie, (hulle is meer bedoel vir bearings.)
Moderne voertuie se wiel bearings moet met die nuutste ghries behandel word. (Sien die draad oor dit.)
Tow ball. Meet of laat meet die deursnee van die bal. Mag glad nie minder as 49mm wees nie, anders kan dit gebeur dat dit in n erge stop of wegtrek situasie kan ontkoppel. ONTHOU dat die caravaanhaak se holte vir die towball ook slyt maar dis duur om te vervang. Sorg dus dat die towball altyd reg is.
As hy kraak en skree van die droogheid, span n stuk plastiek oor die bal en haak dan aan (inkopie sak)
As said first pull the meganisme out before jacking the van with the jocky wheel.
Hoop dit gaan jou help. Dis my twee sent.
09 Nov 2017 @ 14:50:03 pm
Try releasing the brake mechanism on your caravan. I often find that the "cup" does not come off the "ball" if the brake is on - tends to want to lift the tow vehicle as you raise the caravan off the tow hook.
Releasing the brake sorts this out
09 Nov 2017 @ 15:52:48 pm
Danki danki ek waardeer die raad nou weet ek waarna om te kyk en het goeie idee wat aangaan! Baie danki! Sal bietjie laat weet wat gebeur!
09 Nov 2017 @ 19:28:28 pm
For safety sake never release the caravan handbrake while unhitching without first putting stoppers of some sort an inch or so in front of and behind the caravan wheels. The last thing you need is for the caravan to run away when unhitching.
10 Nov 2017 @ 06:53:58 am
Elize, Dis goeie raad wat hierbo gegee is en wat jy gerus kan volg. Ek gebruik nog al die jare 'n stukkie plastiek tussen die bal en die haak se koppie- van die dik soort soos van die groot kunsmissakke. Maar let op: dit moet dik plastiek wees- gewone inkopiesakke werk nie vir die doel nie. Ek sny 'n hele hoop in klein vierkante, seker so 10cmX10cm en hou dit byderhand. Dit keer slytasie van die twee komponente. Na 'n rit van honderde kilometer is die plastiek nie eers deurgeskaaf nie en daar was dus nie kontak tussen die twee metaaldele nie so hulle kon nie slyt nie. Enige olie op die bol is ook 'n gemors. Behalwe vir die "grinding paste " effek, vorm die olie of ghries 'n vierlike swart stof wat altyd aan jou klere kom en nie uitwas nie.
10 Nov 2017 @ 06:58:02 am
Interesting Fred! I'm going to try that next time.
I sometimes battle to unhitch especially when the tow car is at a slightly different angle to the van.
10 Nov 2017 @ 09:14:56 am
Steamer, My suggestion obviously is not to make unhiching easier, only to reduce, even eliminate wear and tear. The only reason I see that makes unhitching difficult, is when the hitch is under stress because the unit is on unlevel ground or because the caravan moved forward because of the last braking. My previous older caravan especially was susceptable- it had an older type of hitch wich CI used. You had to move the car back or forward with the tow vehicle while the caravan's hand brake was engaged to reduce the strees on the hitch before the two parts would come apart. The present one, with an Alko hitch, is much less temperamental.
10 Nov 2017 @ 14:06:44 pm
Two things I do when un hitching.
1) I allways leave the safety chain on till all other connections between van and vehicle have been removed.
2) I allways engage the release clip/lever before I try and lift the hitch off of the towball.
What also helps, is to rotate the hitch from left to right a few times before trying to unhitch.
11 Nov 2017 @ 10:23:15 am
HULP ??. Skree so hard as moontlik.. HELP !!!! Jy sal sien hoe storm al wat kamper is nader.. sien mos oppie forum hoe help-gierig is die manne.
11 Nov 2017 @ 11:13:03 am
Baie goeie raad Johan- natuurlik mits dit Elize is wat skree.
11 Nov 2017 @ 16:48:32 pm
Sal onthou dankie Oom Jeep!
11 Nov 2017 @ 18:02:40 pm
Om bogenoemde se belangrike oorsake van sukkel op te som:
1. Laat sak die jockey wiel maar moenie die slinger begin draai alvorens jy nie die onsluit meganiek op die hak gelig het nie.
2. Die feit dat die inloop rem ten volle ingedruk of uit getrek is kan ook die afhaak bemoeilik maar een manier om dit maklik te oorkom is deur die haak oor te druk na link en regs dit laat hom dan makliker ontkoppel.
Laastens tov ghries op die bal jy kan dit maar op sit as jy wil want dit verminder direkte slytasie tussen die staal bal en die staal haak van die karavaan. My pa en al sy vriende het hulle hele lewe lank so hul karavane gesleep ek myself ook totdat ek die Sensation gekoop het. My pa het ook sy lewe lank een sleepstang op sy V8 SS Chev gehad, nooit nodig gehad om sleep bal te wissel nie. Daar is eintlik net een nadeel van ghries. As jy nie 'n "cover" oor die haak sit nie sit jy amper elke keer met 'n vuil langbroek of ghries merk teen die been. As jy by die agterkant van jou voertuig was. Ek het ook nog nooit die ghries van die bal moes afhaal weens teveel stof daarop nie, dit was slegs gedoen tydens normale dienste van my karavaan eenkeer elke twee jaar.
My Sensation het 'n sleephaak wat ook 'n stabiliseerder is en dit noodsaak dat die sleep bal heeltemal droog is anders sou hy ook ghries op gehad het.
Nou die is verskillende menings jy moet maar besluit wat jy gaan gebruik.