Hitching a caravan to a car
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
- David Weaver demonstrates how to hitch a caravan to a cars tow bar.
See which caravans you can tow with our FREE Towmatch service here: caravan.ma/TowM...
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Please watch: "D-Day Tour with a Caravelair Antares 480"
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Just to point out. Shouldn't put the breakaway cable around the neck of a detachable towbar. It needs to attach to the dedicated breakaway connection on the towbar itself. the reason for this is if the detachable part of the bar fails, for any reason, then the breakaway cable will still be connectoed between the caravan and the vehicle.
LOL
for first time caravan towers like me this was very clear thanks
In some european countries, it is not legal to just loop the security wire round the towbar, they isist that the cable is clipped to a fixed ring / hole in the towbar assembly. No doubt, that will become law in GB sooner rather than later.
Very clear, perhaps might have shown checking that the caravan indicators worked following coupling.
Just bought my first touring van and i found this very helpful, thankyou!!
Exellent demo sir
This is just so much easier than hooking my camper up to my truck... Im canadian so we have to lift stabilizer jacks from all 4 corners, Back the truck up almost perfectly under a ball. Kinda the same as that but bigger. Then lower the front leg attach 2 larger chains, Then put power cord in. And not all have this but mine does... Stabilizer/sway bars.
* Safety Tip *
# Do not stand between reversing vehicle and caravan/trailer. #.
Stand at the side - preferably drivers side, and give good clear agreed hand signals and clear audible verbal command -instructions when necessary.
Sometimes you may be hitching /reversing in dark hours, be visible and safe.
never ever loop the brakeaway cable around the tow hook, it's purpose is to activate the brake should the tow hook break, if the cable is looped around it, it will slide off without doing anything
S
I tend to agree with you but this is not Alko's advice (see www.al-ko.co.uk/edit/files/how-to/how-to-attach-your-breakaway-cable-rev2.pdf). They actually recommend looping the cable around their long neck towball. I have a flanged towbar with 4 holes so there are two options for towball height. I am inclined to fit a "D shackle" to one of the spare holes and loop the cable through that. I note that my type of clasp (apparently there are two types) should not be attached (clipped) directly to the towbar. The clip needs to be the heavier duty version.
Looping breakaway cable round tow hook. You only need to do that if you don't have somewhere else designed to hook it onto with the carabiner style clip. The breakaway cable only has to pull the caravan handbrake on. It's strong enough for that. If it then breaks (as it probably will) it doesn't matter- you're well and truly screwed. At least the caravan is. I don't think that the breakaway cable would pull 1000kg+ very far. The brakes are now fully on. Trouble is, the hitch then falls onto the road (taking the towing electrics with it) and presumably the van can veer off and go just about anywhere. If you want a system which keeps the caravan connected to the towing vehicle then you need two chains crossing over each other under the towing hitch and connected to two points on the towing vehicle as in Canada and, I believe, US. The hitch then falls onto the crossed over chains and doesn't fall onto the road, and stays with the tow. Different provinces and states have their own regulations for towing, so this may vary. Moral: Make sure you're hitched up properly and check it each time you stop for a break. I've never heard of a trailer coming off the tow ball, but I have no doubt that it does happen. CZcams videos show caravans snaking and crashing but mainly they seem to stay connected even when the towing vehicle turns over.
If I'm talking through my hat, please feel free to correct me.
the way it was shown is actually how it is practiced and taught everywhere I ve been, however in some countries there are other requirements
A good clear video. I agree with MegaBrassneck that "not a good idea to just loop the brakeaway cable round the towball" because it can jump off in the event of an unhitch and miss its purpose! I have read that the breakaway cable clips are not strong enough to clip directly onto a towhitch so a "U" shackle is best, with the cable clipped upon itself. With respect to helpers' verbal directions, I find these a pain to others on a caravan site and quite unnecessary in daylight as agreed visual signals should be adquate.
Having reversed the car to connect up, FIRST thing to do is lower the van onto the tow ball. Nothing comes before this. On that tow bar, the break-away cable MUST not go round the tow bar ! It must go on the hook provided for the purpose.
And the jockey wheel looks low after being lifted !
Thanks for your comment.
This is the wrong way for breakaway...to conect ...this can slip over the knot and if are emergency...its do nothing....
How do you unhitch a caravan?
Breakcable on the towbar is NOT legal in Europe.
Yes it is. If the car doesn't have a loop to connect to its "acceptable" but not recommended to do so. Thats the UK anyway.
Merci beaucoup.
Nice work
The police in Denmark will give you a fine off 120£, If you loop the breakaway cable around the hook.
And in the Netherlands
Just saved my life thanks Dave!!
ok now I'm definitely buying a motorhome..lol
Good
Good instuctional video,but not a good idea to just loop the brakeaway cable round the towball.
Not sure it was a good instructional video ! You've spotted one of the mistakes.
For the armchair engineers advising not to clip the breakaway cable to the to the neck, I think they are getting confused with a non braked trailer where the breakaway chain/cable has a different job to do.
If the trailer detaches due to a mistake when coupling (not failure) then it would be next to impossible for the choked cable to come over the ball before snatching on the brakes just before the breakaway snaps as intended.
If your're worried about the ball itself coming off at the bolts then surely the bolts holding the whole tow-bar to the chassis would need to be considered.
As for the ball itself breaking off the swan-neck then we have another issue and maybe run into product liability and unforeseen circumstances. A quick release type coming disconnected, now that's another story.
Hui 9697
The "armchair engineers" know what they are talking about.
The danish board off transportation states on their homepage: Translation from danish. "If the trailer has a safety chain or cable, you must put it firmly in the safety eye by the tow. It is important that it is not just hanging around the neck off the tow, so there is a risk that the cable comes off, if the trailer jumps of the tow and thereby lose its safety. Remember, if you connect a trailer with brakes, it always has to be secured with a safety wire in a so-called "eye" on the towing bracket. It may cost a fine of 1000 kr. if you fail in installing the safety wire correctly."
Hui 9697 nb
Breakaway cable should not be clipped around tow ball. Very bad advice, don't do it...
This is
Lol
wife
Controversial I know but my advise is don't even bother to hitch a caravan to any sort of vehicle - keep them off the road! -Unless they are only a year or so old they're often more a liability than an asset. Never tested, often perished tyres and rusting chassis. Frequently driven at reckless speed and in Devon and other counties with narrow lanes by those without a clue as to how wide they are or how to reverse and often oblivious to what's behind!
But, nothing personal - I,m sure there are competent caravanners out there as well.
There are plenty of competent carvanners out there. But, you make a good point. It's quite easy to buy a caravan and take it on the road with no training or experience. Given how much towing a caravan can change how your towcar behaves, people should get some training from a reputable club and also ensure their caravan is roadworthy (not always easy when you have bought one privately).
How could this video be praised? I mean, if you 'really' need to be told this without finding it common-sense, I seriosly wonder how you ever remember to breathe. Lest we ever mention the break-away...
laur
Get rid of the stupid music. People just want to know how to hitch a caravan to a car. There is no need for glitzy music to keep people interested