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quoteWhen setting off on a caravan holiday, there’s a lot to think about, lots of items to check and jobs to do. But before embarking on your caravan adventures, there’s one crucial safety check that could save you thousands of pounds and potentially prevent a detachment – making sure your caravan is correctly hitched up.
Each year, we deal with a number of caravan insurance claims where caravans have become detached from their tow vehicles. These incidents aren’t just costly – they can be dangerous, potentially causing collisions with other vehicles or pedestrians. The good news? Most of these accidents are preventable with a simple, thorough hitching up process. It’s important to complete this quick test each and every time you hitch up.
Your essential caravan connection checklist
Hitching up preparation
- Apply the caravan’s handbrake
- Remove the wheel clamp or axle wheel lock, then remove the hitch lock
- Raise all the corner steadies
Positioning
- Raise the height of the hitch by winding the jockey wheel so the tow ball of the towing vehicle can fit underneath the hitch of the caravan.
- Then reverse the car so the tow ball is underneath the caravan’s hitch head. Top tip: If you have an ALKO hitch, use the black dot on the side of the hitch as an alignment guide. If you’re on your own and have a motor mover, use that instead
- Apply the car’s handbrake
Connecting the caravan
- Connect the breakaway cable to the tow bar fixing point
- Release the caravan’s handbrake to allow any alignment fine-tuning
- Raise the hitch handle and lower the hitch of the caravan until the hitch engages and the indicator pops up.
The vital connection test
- Make sure the stabiliser handle is raised, the caravan handbrake is applied and lower the jockey wheel onto the ground
- Wind down the jockey wheel down so it lifts the front of the caravan. This will pull the back of the tow car upwards
- Keep winding until you feel resistance on the jockey wheel
This test proves that your caravan is securely connected and correctly hitched up. Do make sure you feel genuine resistance when winding the jockey wheel.
Once this check is complete, wind the jockey wheel back up and stow it away correctly.
Then attach the towing electrics and apply the stabiliser handle as normal before releasing the caravan handbrake. If you have AL-KO ATC the light should turn green when the electrics are connected.
Don’t trust the indicator!
- Friction pads engaged on the tow ball can provide a false result
- Hitch indicators can stick or become dirty, showing a false indication
- Always perform the manual connection test but don’t just raise the rear of the car a little. Wind the jockey wheel until you feel resistance and until it pulls the rear of the tow car upwards
Final safety checks
Before setting off :
- Perform a lights check
- Attach and set up your towing mirrors
- Checking all lockers, flaps, windows and doors are closed and locked
Not hitching up correctly can have costly and dangerous consequences. A few extra minutes of careful checking can prevent a caravan detachment, thousands of pounds in damage and, more importantly, keep you and other road users safe.
Stay safe, stay connected, and enjoy your caravanning adventures!
Good information plus it’s one of the easiest mistakes for beginners not being hitched properly. I always do this test when hitched up to make sure it’s on properly.
Very useful information specially about winding jockey wheel down
Very useful information. I will make sure I do it this way as I have had my ‘van detach. Stopped in a straight line, No other vehicles involved. Luckily only a little way from home
Have always carried out these simple connection checks and after years of towing,I am pleased to say no major issues experienced.Very informative….
If you use the Motor Mover to position the caravan tow hitch you must also remember to disengage it before setting off as well as all the other checks.
Article is very good..If only people would use the jockey wheel to raise the too make sre it is properly hitched
13 pin socket loose ? It appears to move when the plug is turned to lock.
What it does not show is that the breakaway cable is fixed differently on many tow bars. Mine does not have an eyelet so my understanding is that it is wound round the towball and clipped onto the cable. Personally that has never felt right !
That’s correct Andrew. See our video on breakaway cables: https://www.caravanguard.co.uk/news/video-caravan-breakaway-cables-15969/
On your Vital Connection Test you said wind the jockey wheel down, once this check is completed wind your jockey wheel down and stow it away. Surely this should read wind your jockey wheel up and stow it away?
Well spotted Kevin. That has been amended. Thanks for letting us know. Liz
Very good and informative