After the disaster of hubby trapping his finger last weekend hitching caravan to the car and taking a good inch of his finger not sure if or when we will face going away again, the worrying thing is we both felt me hadn't done any thing different last weekend to the last 11 years since we started caravanning. He has had operation and doctors are hopping they have saved it if not will have to amputate ;(
Technique of hitching is to lift handle and set at correct height with jockey wheel then get assistant to help driver reverse so ball is right under hitch and wind down onto ball. Keep fingers clear until handle drops into place. Good luck to him anyway.
Ouch! Sorry to hear that, but don't let it put you off going away.
My hitch is a Winterhoff one, as you wind down the hitch onto the ball, the handle locks on and drops down. It could take your fingers off if you weren't aware of it and nearly did the first time I used it! It's very easily done with any hitch I would think.
When people have come over to help with the hitching, I've had to tell them to keep clear whilst I wind the hitch down, as kind as they are to try to help, I would rather do it myself! :)
I hope your husband is soon on the mend, and as others have said accidents happen at times, even when you have done the task a thousand times before - it's just that momentary lapse of conentration. I hope it doesn't put you off caravanning - remember all the good times!
Sue
OUCH!!! sounds like it was really painful, no doubt a few choice words were screamed.
As for not being sure about going caravanning again, like you said you've been doing it for 11 years, why let one bad accident put you of from doing it again? No doubt you can recall hundreds if not thousands of good times you've had using the van.
When lowering the hitch onto the tow ball, I raise the hitch until it locks in the open position, then wind the jockey wheel so that the van settles down onto the tow ball until it locks on, keeping the other hand well out of the way.
To unhitch, I hold the hitch open with one hand and use the other to wind the jockey wheel to raise the van off the tow ball. Whilst doing these operations, nobody else is allowed to help or have their hands anywhere near the tow hitch.
Hope he gets better very quickly.
Bertie.
I keep hands clear by, once I'm happy the hitch is over the towball, keeping on hand on the stabiliser handle (as opposed to the hitch handle) while the other winds down the jockey.
When the hitch locks it does so in a very firm and loud way - no place for body parts.
------------- Camping Gear expands so as to fill the space available for its transportation.
Quote: Originally posted by Johnnie Boy on 11/8/2015
Maybe you could explain how you managed to trap it, could help other folk avoid doing the same... !