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Subject Topic: Tow ball and socket . . .part company!
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Personpeterws
10/8/2017 at 1:30pm
 Location: Morecambe
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Not expected. leaving Braid's (Gretna) this morning. Pulled out over the grass, (a hedge was blocking my intended direct route) turned and proceeded back onto the track. A bit bumpy. Well, a lot bumpy; should've spotted that.
back on the track, I started to pull away when the unthinkable happened.
Suffice to say the cable attached to the car did it's job before snapping; the caravan parted company, stopped quickly (the brake was fully on now) and ended up on it's jockey wheel. No perceivable damage. We got very lucky!

But . . .how? Just supposing I'd connected up correctly; what would it take to cause something like this to happen? A lump pf ground or an object impinging on the jockey might, maybe whilst rolling along . . would that do it?

Anybody had this happen?
If you'd like to share your thoughts anyway . . . .(I have broad shoulders . . .)



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Personoxter
10/8/2017 at 1:50pm
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Almost certainly not correctly coupled. (I've done it myself, thankfully with same consequences. )

Now, I always lift the A frame to ensure coupling is solid.

But it's a lesson. If the socket is modern type, both warnings must show green.

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playing at tinkies


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Personbirdman101
10/8/2017 at 1:51pm
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If the hitch was on properly and clicked locking itself no way can it come off. In 45 years of caravanning I always get the hitch handle once it has clicked on and lift. If the rear end of the motor lifts with it you know it is securely on.


PersonRob and Tina
10/8/2017 at 2:36pm
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There was a thing quite a few years ago now, about caravans coming detached from cars when going over speed humps at low speed, because of the angle of the dangle so to speak, but haven't heard anything recently. I wonder if the same sort of thing has happened here.

Tina


PersonRatherbeinapplecros
10/8/2017 at 4:02pm
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I would also measure the tow ball as I have heard of them wearing sufficiently to allow this to happen. If unsure replace


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Personjake001
10/8/2017 at 4:45pm
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I had it happen once, many years ago, the breakaway cable worked! I now lower the hitch onto the ball until the indicator is green and then wind the jockey wheel back down until it starts to jack up the car. I haven't lost the 'van for 30 years but I still worry for the first mile or so!

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It'll do a trip


Personpeterws
10/8/2017 at 4:47pm
 Location: Morecambe
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Well. I gotta replace the cable which is easy. Speed bumps could impact the jockey if it's too low; tbh I have a high kerb and every time I take the 'van, that little wheel takes a hammering when the back o' the car goes down over it. You can feel it affected, but it never breaks free. Leaves rubber on the ground though.
I was starting to think the unthinkable; putting a long lock through the socket whilst travelling. . . .sounds iffy.

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PersonGrampian91
10/8/2017 at 5:02pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Ratherbeinapplecros on 10/8/2017
I would also measure the tow ball as I have heard of them wearing sufficiently to allow this to happen. If unsure replace


I agree, they do have minimum limits but in the old days they rarely wore enough to need changing, with stabiliser hitches though that could be a possibility.

One thing i never rush is the hitching up. We both go around the van several times.

Do you fully raise the shaft before driving off? Is the wheel too large?


Personthe black fox
10/8/2017 at 6:21pm
 Location: flint north wales
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the only thing that comes to mind is ,presuming you have a modern type alko hitch ,do you have a alko tow ball (long neck) fitted on your car .if you just have a standard 50mm lowball fitted this could possibly be the problem .

without knowing your caravan hitch type or your lowball type its hard to really go further


Person664DaveS
10/8/2017 at 8:06pm
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Watch your jockey wheel on car ferries ours got damaged. The wheel is plastic and cracked in the centre, had to buy a new one.
A French speed hump actually bent the yoke that holds the wheel on one, even going over it very slowly grr!

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DS-There's more to life than football!!!


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Personshaggy2000
11/8/2017 at 1:05pm
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When I did my towing course we were all told to wind the jockey back down once its latched onto the tow ball, purely to check its made a good connection, I'm guessing this is exactly why.

The good thing is that there was no major damage other than the breakaway cable.

Reminds me when I tried to pull away from the caravan after unhitching it, problem was I had forgotten to remove the breakaway cable. The van didn't move much as I quickly realised what was happening, but I still had to replace the cable as the coiled steel rod part was mostly uncoiled and didn't really work anymore.


Personpeterws
11/8/2017 at 1:44pm
 Location: Morecambe
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I did that with a boat trailer years ago. You could hear the salt water fizzling . . . off the car battery!

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Peripheral people don`t have as much excitement but they sure live longer


PersonTidburyboy
11/8/2017 at 6:14pm
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Quote: Originally posted by the black fox on 10/8/2017
the only thing that comes to mind is ,presuming you have a modern type alko hitch ,do you have a alko tow ball (long neck) fitted on your car .if you just have a standard 50mm lowball fitted this could possibly be the problem .

without knowing your caravan hitch type or your lowball type its hard to really go further


I was thinking the same. As a newbie, I've done a load of reading around this and have read that standard tow balls can, in specific circumstances, come off an Alko hitch.

Glad you're OK and sounds as though minimal damage was done....phew!


Personpeterws
11/8/2017 at 6:35pm
 Location: Morecambe
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I have the black towball which I think, is Alko; a new one. The hitch is not stabiliser fitted but is fitted to a '91 van . . .ABI Daystar which has an Alco chassis. It's shiny, so it won't be too old. Allegedly . . .but your confidence gets knocked when this happens.
Might be time to lock the ball to the hitch with a long padlock. But that might cause other problems . .   

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PersonTidburyboy
11/8/2017 at 7:11pm
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Quote: Originally posted by peterws on 11/8/2017
I have the black towball which I think, is Alko; a new one. The hitch is not stabiliser fitted but is fitted to a '91 van . . .ABI Daystar which has an Alco chassis. It's shiny, so it won't be too old. Allegedly . . .but your confidence gets knocked when this happens.
Might be time to lock the ball to the hitch with a long padlock. But that might cause other problems . .   


AFAIK an Alko ball is OK with either a standard or an Alko hitch. But an Alko ball should only be with an Alko hitch. Given your 'van is a '91, unless the hitch has been replaced, it's most likely that it's a standard fitting.

Someone with better knowledge will confirm this (or otherwise) But my understanding is that the standard flange type ball is simply too close to the vehicle and on very sharp bends (or bumping about?) an Alko type hitch can foul and pop off. My assumption is that if this happens, there'd be damage to the vehicle bumper.


PersonMITIE1
11/8/2017 at 7:19pm
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hi ive got a alco hitch and some times when you use the brake alot ive notice the hand brake comes up and hits the alco handle so i put a kink in the caravan hand brake and it dont do it anymore cheers .tom



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