assisted hitch-up
Hi, I am new to caravaning in fact have not used it yet as getting everything together ready for first short trip in September. As my wife is disabled after brain injury, I have to do everything and was thinking about hitching up without her help. yes there is a motor mover fitted but engaging/isalating switch all just to line up towbar. Well i have a new jeep cherokee which has a reversing camera but this does not pick up the ball as the camera does not look down as you would expect but backward to see whats in the way. I solved this with a maypole car mirror. i removed the fixings and attached to a flat piece of bar bent just enough to sit in front of the camera and so look down at the tow ball as pictures show view before and after fitting. i hope this may help somebody in the same situation as i am as my wife cannot even talk. Sorry just tried to download pics but antiquated website will not allow anything more than 500kb.
Comments
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Sorry to here of your Wife's condition. I don't understand though why you can't position the coupling over the tow ball with your motor mover it takes no time at all.
All I do is place the car near enough then use the motor mover and lower the coupling over the ball by lowing the jockey wheel.
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I can't see why it should not work OK as long as you take it very slowly. As now I assume it only looks down not back as well. The one on my XTrail is fairly wide angle and looks back and down, but is slightly offset from the tow bar. However after a bit of practice I can normally place it precisely so as I can just lower the van straight on. However a visual check and then adjust is sometimes required, as the angle of the ground etc can throw the image out. I tend to use the power mover for hitching up if I need to engage it anyway. However, if I can tow straight out use the camera.
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It is only practice that is needed to learn to reverse solo up to a trailer so that you place the ball under the coupling.
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I'd use the mover. Most are quick enough to flick the switch and engage the rollers. Still, it's your choice, LL1.
Good luck with your Vanning.
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Agree with above re using the mover, We do that every time. If your mover has a slow mode like ours, then you literally can get pin point accuracy.
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I too have an X-trail and find no difficulty if I leave the ball cover (white) on until in position - remove it and then drop the hitch. Sometimes a sideways nudge of the hitch, with the knee, is required to adjust perhaps a 1" mis-alignment.
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As I put above, I certainly use it if it is on for other reasons. However, if not, it is a lot quicker to line up using the camera. Rather than inserting the isolator, powering the mover on, hitching up, powering the mover off, checking it has fully disengaged and removing the isolator. Just personal preference I guess.
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My Outlander has a mirror that takes in the hitch which has saved me quite a bit of jumping in and out of the car unless the sun if very bright! The mover is great too the OP must have different switches to mine - but each to his own - his mirror sounds great for anyone preferring that method. Sorry about your wife - I hope the caravanning helps you both relax.
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You'll find no shortage of macho men on this site, who are anxious to tell us all how clever they are at pinpoint backing and hitching with no more help than their spatial awareness. But you have the convenience of a motor mover and you are new to the game. There's no need for a Royal Tournament show of speed in your case and no shame in making good use of the technology at your disposal. One aid which I have heard of people using, is to carry a guide such as a broom handle which is temporarily erected to indicate where your towball is. You may find that as a supplement to your camera it helps with rough positioning. Most of us are able to enjoy the help of our partners when hitching and I think that you deserve our admiration for supporting your wife so independently. She's a lucky lady.
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Don't know about the macho bit ..... for what ever reason, my Powertouch mover seems to require being turned on immediately prior to use, & as the red on/off switch is inside a front locker (there's a ciggy lighter type power point & aerial plugs under the EHU plug in my battery box) I prefer not to traipse in & out of the 'van unnecessarily. If I reverse up to the caravan with the car's tailgate open, I'm not usually that far out.
I seem to remember years ago, that someone here suggested using a pair of telescopic handled magnets Clicky one on the top of the towball & t'other on the hitch head.
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"If I reverse up to the caravan with the car's tailgate open, I'm not usually that far out."
But exactly how do you manage those final few centimeters/millimeters? Presumably you have no difficulty manhandling your 'van on your own??.(yes, I know that was the only way to do it before motor-movers existed).
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I've never come across an isolator switch located inside the van, in such an awkward position, MM. Can you not move it to somewhere more convenient?
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The only trouble with backing up (solo) to hitch on without using the motor mover on site, is that someone inevitably thinks you need help and comes to wave their arms around. Every time this happens the distance is further from the ball than it would be if I was doing it by getting in and out of the van. They then manhandle the van onto the hitch or say "why don't you use the motormover". That was more trouble than backing up, which I found easy on my own.
When I had a caravan I always thanked the person for their help, although it would have been easier to hitch on my own. If someone offers help and it is refused it could be that they would not offer again to someone who actually needed help! To all you helpful people out there -ask if help is needed before taking over.
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Excellent post L1, not only have you solved your own problem but you've been good enough to share your success. I wish you both trouble free camping & hitching
. Thanks for the post.1 -
Caravans are not the only trailers, but I've never seen a motor mover fitted to any other type. Those who use these other trailers seem to manage to learn fairly quickly how to reverse and couple.
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I usually use the motor mover when getting the caravan out of storeage - it is quite tight and I've no intention of prang in my van, or for that matter anyone else's. I reckon I hitch up without the mover when leaving a site about 40% of the time, but I have to rely on my wife to be the eyes at the hitch. Fortunately, she is quite good at it and can even allow for the 'hand brake settle' which we get on the Discovery.
David
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OH only ever uses the mover to put the van on our drive as it goes in hitch first. He will always reverse car up to caravan to hitch, doesnt even need me to watch him back, don't know how he does it! He says it's practice that makes perfect!
Me I'd have to use mover all the time!
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One ploy I have used is the rubber brush thingy I use in the caravan - Stand it up on the hitch so you can really see what you are doing - then I use it to jam the brake pedal on so I can check the brake lights are working.
My isolator switch is in the battery locker and I leave it permanently on for the mover. It was put in because apparently it wasn't compatible with the alarm but the alarm is now supposed to be permanently off after many false alarms including one on a French Autoroute! I am hoping that the mover is no drain to the battery if left like this?
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Alko at one time did an "A" frame mounted bolted on winch device with a webbing strap, I believe you then used your winding handle to pull the van to the ball.
It had the uncomfortable requirement IMO that the van's brakes had to be off whilst using it , a system without the inherent braking a mover provides.
I expect the widespread adoption of movers took the market for that away as I have not seen one about in shops for some years.
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I daresay you are right. The OP was good enough to make a post explaining how he overcame a problem, with the intention of helping others.
I wish him and his OH all the best for his new ventures in the caravan.
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thanks very much for all your replies. I can see by them all that you have many years of caravanning behind you. I will be using movers when needed but to be honest the storage ground has very loose shingle and the jockey wheel just digs in when moving and there is nobody about to assist the hitch up. anything to make life easier and if that means adapting things that are there already then why not. I have altered thing around the house to assist the wife so why not adapt thing to assist me and maybe somebody else. thanks again.
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