Hi, I've got a major problem facing me today when I go out this morning.
Bought a caravan yesterday and when I got it home about 1am in morning I tried to unhitch the caravan but the round knob on top of the jockey wheel in a plastic case snapped off.
I cannot unhitch my car from the van now and need my car for work later.
Any ideas how I can release it?
it just won't turn with what is left of the handle, its to sharp and stiff?
I have an Alko hitch, will it be expensive to buy a new partnership for it?
Also one of the rear leg winders has a pin or nut missing so when I towed it home on a 150 mile journey it had to be held up by a piece of wire to stop it scrapping on the floor. Is this a big job?
Where the long screwing bar starts at back of van it's not that end that's loose its the opposite end that's dangling?
Put a trolley jack under the hitch and lift it like that, if you cant lift it by hand. Can't you just wrap a cloth around the jockey wheel winder knob?
Do you know how to unhitch? Pull up the handle on hitch first then you should be able to turn jockey wheel handle even with broken knob to wind hitch upwards & off ball. Before you unhitch caravan handbrake needs to be on. You might need to release car handbrake to allow weight off back of hitch then apply car handbrake again before unhitching.
If jockey wheel will not wind down at all it is probably bent, you will need to buy a complete new one, 48mm shaft diameter to fit into clamp. As pointed out you can lift caravan off hitch but careful with your back, its about a 70kg lift.
Corner steadies, are about £30odd upwards from caravan shop. They are fixed with 2 bolts, usually 13mm spanner to undo. You should be able to undo nuts without bolts turning in floor, you hope.
Cheers all, managed to take off the whole Jockey Wheel and arm and Sat outside a local caravan breakers yard waiting for them to open at 10am.
Seems like the whole thing is seized up inside, it won't turn any more in any direction. Any ideas how much I could be looking to pay for one?
Would a 2nd hand one be ok to use or should I just buy a new one?
As long as secondhand winds up & down ok it will be ok. What wrecks them is dropping onto ground while driving & they get bent, so ensure clamp is tight before moving off.
A good idea is to wind both parts right off to separate then spray thread will lithium grease spray. 48mm shaft diameter is standard on most caravans. If breakers wants more than a tenner though, I would go to caravan shop & buy a new one.
+1 for recycling, but I concur about the price, more than a tenner go somewhere else (they might do you a deal if its the kind of yard that lets you remove parts yourself.)
------------- Sent from a device with no real keyboard, I may make no sense.