Hitching up A trailer Correctly
Hitching Up a trailer correctly
Lifting a trailer onto a tow ball can be quite difficult depending on the weight of the trailer. If you using the heaver variety raise the coupling to above tow ball height by winding the jockey wheel down first.
Get an assistant to wait by the trailer, you can then reverse back so your towing vehicle stops just below the hitch without making contact.
Attach the breakaway cable to the two ball before doing anything else so the trailer is now linked to the vehicle.
Manouver the trailer and accurately align the two componets and engage and lock by raising the jockey wheel back up.
Once the coupling is locked its wise to wind the jockey wheel down again to lift the rear of the car up a little to check for 100% engagement.
Now wind the jockey wheel fully up and reclamp the unit as far up as possible. Make sure this is as secure as the jockey wheel can become loose and work its way back down. Securely attach the breakaway chain or cable to the tow bracket or to the hook (if fitted), You can legally attach the breakaway chain to the two ball but many people prefer attachment to the tow bracket/hook in case of complete hitch failure.
If the coupling is of the old type with a hand-operated reversing catch, make sure this is not engaged before you drive off.
Join together the electrics and get an assitant to check the lights are all working properly with the vehicle. Make sure there are no cables loose and all trailer breaks are released.
On Uk Roads its a legal requirement to have the trailers number plate the same as the towing vehicle. Ideally this should be of the type used on any other legal vehicle securely attached to the rear of the frame.
Have a walk around the vehicle to check for any potential issues before setting off.
Most accidents with the hitch are due to failure to complete some part of the above instructions correctly. The rule is to check, check again, and triple check before driving on public roads. Try and avoid distractions.
