Brake problem or normal?

[pcant28]

Hi All, I'm fairly new to towing and wondered if the following is normal or indicates a problem.

When I pull away from a complete stop you can feel a slight bump, as if the draw bar is being pulled out before the caravan starts to move. There is no bump or feeling of the caravan pushing the car when breaking, its very hard to push the hitch in by hand (have to use all my weight) but does not return to original position. It is however smooth to pull back out. I have greased the draw bar etc. Could this be a sign of the breaks not being correctly adjusted or is it completely normal, and I just need to get use to it.

 

[Damian]

If the hitch damper is working correctly it should, as you have found, be very hard to push in, but once released it should slowly return to its normal resting position.
If it does not, as you have indicated, then the damper is faulty and needs replacing.

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi pcant28,
as Damian replied if the hitch does not return on it's own to the rest position after it has been pushed in. that is a clear sign the damper is faulty, but as the van does not push the car on braking or try to skew to the side the brakes are probably ok.
one has to remember though that depending on the angle the unit sit at after stopping. there may be a slight pull on the car when setting off as the brakes on the van will have operated and be in the on position with the hitch pushed in, setting off pull out the damper faster than it can return on it's own, giving the feeling of a slight shunt. but it should not clunck as such, definitely sounds like a duff damper to me.