hitching up alone

[paul.bower]

Hi All

Every time we have been away (4 times since owning our van last year) i have always had help from my wife to hitch the car to the van but this friday i am going on my own first and my wife & daughter following on after work & school, our van is in storage and on a little gradient so i cannot pull the van to the car on my own so your tips would be greatly appriciated to get the tow ball as close to the van as poss and hitch up alone

Cheers

 

[Parksy]

Hitch up with the help of your wife and then stick something such as one of those yellow post it notes in the middle of your rear screen to show the position of the towball and another inside the caravan front window to show the position of the hitch.

Position them so that when you are in the drivers seat looking back with the caravan hitched they line up exactly.

Unhitch but leave the post it notes, stickers or whatever you use on the screens and you should be able to line them up when you try it without a co pilot.

 

[Guest]

There are a few 'gizmos' that have been used successfully. Some people tie a steel rod to the hitch with a flag on the top so they can see this clearly in the rear view window, and use it to guide back to the van. A stick on mirror on the rear window may also help if you have a 4x4 type vehicle.

The other best, but expensive answer is to buy a motor mover and push a button.

 

[Thorpedo]

Often do this on my own when like you I get the van out of storeage.

You don't say what type of car you have, but with my hatchback (people carrier) I flip down the 3rd row seats, open the hatch and get a great view to align centrally which I usually get plumb centre.

I can't quite see the tow ball, so I tape a 12 inch stick to the towball with Duck tape, as soon as the stick moves I know I'm within an inch or so.

Always worth taking somthing to pad the bumper 'just in case you get it wrong'. The wifes new coat or a cussion from the best new sofa perhaps

 

[DelTrotter]

Reverse to about 3 or 4 feet from the caravan, once you have got hitchlock etc off, and wound up corner steadies, stand with your leg next to your towball, hold your hand on your leg level with the top of the towball( usually about knee height) then if you walk over to the hitch on the van you will know how high to wind the jockey wheel, so when you reverse the ball will pass just under the hitch and not hit it.

Then I do much the same as Thorpedo, open tailgate, fold down rear seat, latch for boot is dead centre so gives me an aiming point.

When you're getting close just stop and walk round and have a look, if neccesary go back 6 inches then stop and get out again, better to check and adjust 3 or 4 times than crack your bumper.

I always use an old towel to protect bumper in case I get it wrong, hadn't thought of the wifes coat, might give that a try.

 

[paul.bower]

thanks for all the info cheers

 

[ScouseIan]

I often have to do this task on my own. I can't see out the back because its a boot. I make at least 10 journeys between the drivers seat and the towball. Estimating the height and distance. Get back in the car with 'about 6 inches' in my mind. With the car door open it is then easyish to estimate 6 inches on the floor while reversing. Repeat until done.

With an auto you can also leave the handbrake off whilst in P which gives a little bit of flexibility fore and aft.

PS, Good tip Thorpedo, lend us your wifes coat.

 

[RogerP]

I'd suggest that once your in a possition to hook up , before you do , spend some time placing some marking strips on the rear window and caravan as guides.

My uncle did this on his motohome so that he could guage where the white lines are , whilst driving in France , in relation to the (UK) nearside.His set up was such that he could fairly accurately tell how far from the white lines the side of the van was.

He used electricians tape in strips about 2inch long and about 5-10mm wide , very effective but not obstructive. Took him a bit of time to get the positioning right but it saved the side of the MH getting scrapped many a time.

 

[smiley]

I've hitched up without hubby. I just centre the car to van when about 4" away I just get out and have a look.

 

[MandM1]

Whilst sticks and flags provide low budget solution to your dilemma. A slightly pricier option to consider - Get a Honda CRV - they have a reversing camera embedded above the rear number plate and the sat nav screen turns into the TV screen you can watch it all the way on to the ball in glorious technicolour providing the camera is clean.

Its actually the wifes car and I ribbed her a bit about getting the flash model but I have to say its proved invaluable for the purpose your describing.

Mat

 

[RayS]

Maplin are currently offering a reversing camera for around

 

[jo_374385568]

I have hitched up without any help from hubby for the last fewyears only time he's done it was when I wasn't to do any lifting or the like after a major op in 2000 I usually get the middle of the car lined up centrally with the van 9 out of 10 times I manage first time

 

[Glenn_5132962]

I get it somewhere near then get out and mentally measure the gap. Then i get back in the car & with my right foot hanging out the door I estimate the same distance from my foot to a stone, twig or other item on the ground. I use the clutch & handbrake to move the car the req'd distance. Throttle is not req'd. Sounds crazy but done it countless times & never hit my bumper on the hitch.

 

[jerry4]

I too use the "jump in and out of the car, look and see" method, it has worked well for me over the last 10 years or so but I really like Thorpedo's idea of opening the tailgate and removing the back seat. I always take the middle back seat out when towing to create more room in the car so I'll try it next time.

I always make sure I have a bumper protector. It has saved me a broken bumper on a few occassions.

 

[catherine2]

Before we got our motor mover, someone gave me a useful tip: Fill a plastic bottle with sand or water (to stop it falling over) and put a tallish cane in the bottle, level with the front of the hitch - making sure the height of the hitch is just above that of your towball.

When the reverse of your car touches the stick STOP.

 

[bengibbons]

Measure the hight of the tow ball and then bring the center of the tow hitch to the same hight, this ensure that no damage is done to the car. I look in both side mirrors of the car and get the same width of the van in each mirror. Start from the end of each side of the caravan and work to the inside of the mirror. start reversing and i alsways get a bang when the tow ball meets the towing hitch. Saves money on gadgets and there is neaver any damage.

 

[xtrailman]

Fit a motor mover, you can get one for