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help! having difficulty unhitching the caravan

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juttley72,
two green stars
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Hi, my wife and I are new to caravaning.  We have an Eldis 626 twin axle van (2009) and a LR Discovery 4 tow vehicle.  We never seem to have problems hitching up, but have had 5 sitations now where we could not unhitch.  The hitch is deployed all the way up, we have put down the jockey wheel and lifted the van, but the hitch and tow ball seem almost glued together.  We managed to get it off the last time by raising the cars suspension as high as it will go, placing a large tall stone under the tow hitch and then dropping the suspension again.  eventually it came off.  the wife described it as stuck on one second and then it wrenched free.  

the caravan is 3 years old, but we have only had it for 4 months.  We bought it from Glossop caravans who said it had been serviced.  

I have noticed that each time it happens the car has either been at a slight angle to the caravan or the ground has meant that the car and carvan are not straight.

Any ideas - it is really putting us off, stressing that we wont be able to unhitch at the destination.

thanks in advance

John 

 
the md, From Staffordshire
three green stars
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hi there,

im sorry to here you are having problams, but please dont let it put you off.

i suggest you purchase a secondary towball or borrow one, there not very expensive really, then insert it into the hitch of the caravan by hand (ie not bolted on your car) and see if it sticks then. if not remove the one from your car and try it the same way (by hand) if it sticks then its your towball.

if its all o.k buy hand check the height of your towball on your vehicle ? you mention its a 4x4 it may be set to high.

also when you winde the hitch off make sure you lift the catch and handle the correct angle and distance, is the hitch a WINTERHOFF 3000?.

i hope i have coverd areas here you have not thought of and this info is of help to you.

forgot to say also check or have checked the quality of your pads in the hitch (if it is a stabalizer hitch).

regards

the md

 
Tomorrow, Caravanner
four green stars
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John,

Does this happen when you've reversed onto the pitch? If so the coupling will be compressed and there can be pressue on the ball and socket. Go forwards six inches and try again. I assume you have the detachable towball on your D4? Our's is the LR detachable on our D3 and it comes apart really easily.

 
BarneyChallenger, Caravanner
three green stars
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We sometimes experience this problem when unhitching our Alko hitch. Apply caravan handbrake. Then make sure the hitch is not compressed. If it is drive slightly forward until it is extended. Then make sure the red stabiliser handle is fully raised plus the hitch handle. Gently wind the jockey wheel until you see the rear of the towcar rising. Finally rock the hitch handle from side to side to release the sticking hitch. Hope this helps.

 
tristar, Caravanner
five green stars
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As the others have said if you have reversed on to the pitch or even just by stopping, your hitch is going to be under compression. Just apply handbrake and move slowly forward to extend the hitch.

Raymond

 
paul56, Caravanner
one red star
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Ditto regards pulling forward slightly etc but I still find that just occassionally I have to apply some gluteus maximus muscle onto the boot sill of my Mondeo to encourage seperation...and it is a fully serviced 2009 Bailey Pageant.

 
Gadgets, Caravanner
five green stars
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I presume its the blue Winterhoff?  They tend to do this if under load or unlevel ground. I reverse or forward vice versa to take the load off then as I lower the jockey lift the blue handle up, dont lower jockey then try to unlock as it will be under load again.  You will get used to it.

 
PJC,
one green star
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Had a similar problem with a Citroen C5.  I worked out the 'clever' suspension was following the towball up and the angle produced didn't allow the ball hitch to detatch.  I solved it by setting the suspension to its lowest setting - the hitch came off first time.  This leads me to wonder whether your  towball is in fact too high.