Adjusting jockey wheel on sloping sites

Sam Vimes

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Just occasionally we'll pick a pitch that has quite a slope on it to the extent that we can't raise or lower the jockey wheel enough without unclamping it.

Usually after my morning bowl of porridge I can hold the hitch up while my wife unclamps the jockey wheel and raises or lowers it before I pass out. After which we can do the usual adjusting

I've got a couple of ideas to make life easier but does anyone have any tips other than steroids 😉
 
Oct 17, 2010
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As Hutch and OC steadies down to take the weight , to help with higher lift I put a couple corner steady blocks under the wheel. Lifting the best part of 90kg is not to be recommended.
 
Mar 17, 2020
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Exactly the same process if hitch is too low or too high at ball.
Take weight on one or both corner steadies then either raise or lower the whole jockey assembly, clamping it and winding to contact the ground. When supporting the van raise front steady.
 

Sam Vimes

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Thanks for the replies. Seems front legs down is the favourite.

I was thinking more on the lines of a 40cm or so piece of 50mm or 70mm square timber to put under the hitch.

If I go for the legs down method then the idea of a drill winder seems more appealing but it's something I've been trying to avoid.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Thanks for the replies. Seems front legs down is the favourite.

I was thinking more on the lines of a 40cm or so piece of 50mm or 70mm square timber to put under the hitch.

If I go for the legs down method then the idea of a drill winder seems more appealing but it's something I've been trying to avoid.
Sam
its not that onerous to just use a hand winder, I ditched the drill after a couple of trips.
 

Sam Vimes

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Your right it's not that big a deal so I've never bothered with a drill bit. I was just thinking this method might involve a bit more up and down on the legs.

Best to try it first without, I think
 
Jun 16, 2020
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Sam
its not that onerous to just use a hand winder, I ditched the drill after a couple of trips.
Your right it's not that big a deal so I've never bothered with a drill bit. I was just thinking this method might involve a bit more up and down on the legs.

Best to try it first without, I think

Lucky people, I have vascular and back problems. drill every time for me. Useful as I also have screw in pegs.

John
 
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You wind down your steadies to adjust the jockey wheel. Ultimately you are going to wind the steadies down anyway. Obviously some times you need extra blocks under the steadies6E6044A9-07A9-4AD6-A178-89D5D2F3160E.jpeg
 
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On a CL near highly.. I could not even access the rear steadies even though the caravan was a single axle! The jockey wheel was at maximum and on a brick!

Caravan new.jpg
 

Sam Vimes

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Yesterday we left our sloping pitch. On arrival it was the 'lift and grunt' method to get level. The 'grunt' is important because the co-pilot, despite earlier instructions, couldn't remember which way to undo the jockey wheel clamp.

This time I decided to use the 'legs down' approach as outlined by most of you. This was to ensure that I could get the hitch low enough to put onto the towbar, so a question of raising the jockey wheel post.

I wound up the rear legs fully, then wound the front legs about half way up - judging this to be enough to get hitch low enough. Then wound up the jockey wheel until the front legs grounded and then moved the post up in the clamp.

I then tried to raise the front legs but this was a little difficult. The more astute of you may realise the problem and fortunately my highly tuned analytical skills and powers of observation quickly ascertained that winding the front legs up when the jockey wheel isn't grounded is not a good idea.

I'm sure I heard some sniggering from adjacent caravans - it wasn't one of you lot was it? :)

Anyway I learnt a lesson and will apply this method - correctly - from now on.
 
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I have the opposite problem: the hitch is almost on the ground with the rear stays on blocks. Looks like it’s going to be brute strength to get the nose up high enough to hitch up on Sunday. We are on a fully serviced pitch in Devon but every one is on a slope. The pitches on the west of the paths slope up to the drains so the occupants have to use their wastemasters anyway.
 
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I have the opposite problem: the hitch is almost on the ground with the rear stays on blocks. Looks like it’s going to be brute strength to get the nose up high enough to hitch up on Sunday. We are on a fully serviced pitch in Devon but every one is on a slope. The pitches on the west of the paths slope up to the drains so the occupants have to use their wastemasters anyway.
Just wind the jockey up to it's maximum, then drop the front steadies and reposition the jockey to allow hitch-up.
 
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I have a wooden ramp which, when placed vertically under the hitch to act as a front end support, allows the jockey wheel to hang in free air so that it can be raised or lowered further. Saves having to wind the steadies.
 
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Sam Vimes

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I have a wooden ramp which, when placed vertically under the hitch to act as a front end support, allows the jockey wheel to hang in free air so that it can be raised or lowered further. Saves having to wind the steadies.

Sounds like my bit of wood idea. Just something else to carry around though and as someone pointed out the steadies have to be raised or lowered anyway.
 

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