Back in civilisation for a week. Had a great time in east Gippsland
although it's been damned hot - that will start to cool soon.

Please share with me your secrets for hitching car and caravan when
travelling alone.

My current process is to reverse the car in the general direction of
the caravan then get out and check how distant and in what direction
the towball and hitch are. I repeat this process 2,983 times, or
thereabouts, and finally get the two to mate. There must be a better
way?

NB. I do not wish to marry again! :)

PS. I'll get the typos sorted eventually!

-- Edited by Mike Harding on Wednesday 6th of February 2019 03:48:49 PM

It can often be quicker your way than having someone direct. 

A rear camera helps.

Joe.

I've often thought about this Mike, not because I'm single but due to my lovely wife indicating the wrong way or in a position where I cant see her (oops off topic)

I have used miniature cameras in the past one from 4K an English brand that was good. It was cable free so you could mount it on your drawbar.

Tony

Before I bought the Ranger with its rear view camera I used what is knick-named 'marriage saver.'

It is a 'V' that drops into slots fixed under the tow ball. All you have to do is reverse slowly in the general direction and the 'V' guides the coupling onto the tow ball. Then lower the coupling onto the tow ball and remove the 'V' before towing.

Someone else might know the actual name of it, but even that description should be enough to find one.

Murray

 Well, as several later postings point out, the 'marriage saver' is actually called a 'Couple Mate.' It served me well for 35 trips over the years.

travelinglew wrote:

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Use your mirrors rather than looking over your shoulder. You should have a good idea of what the van looks like in your mirrors from when you tow. After a few hitch-ups the only thing you should need to check to any great degree is the distance you need to reverse. Take a spot on the ground and line it up with something on the door and do a rough measure of distance as you reverse. If hitching frequently, you should be able to get to within hitching distance with only one or two looks at the back of the car.

Lew

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Gday...

I do something similar to what Lew has suggested.

When the vehicle and van are hitched together, and aligned straight, I note what feature on the front of the van is aligned in both my driver's and passenger's side VEHICLE mirror. For me, it is the outside edges of the front boot lid of the van.

If something like that is not obvious, then use a bit of tape on the van that you can use as a 'guide', that will align the vehicle's tow ball with the socket on the a-frame.

Then all you need to do is determine the distance between the vehicle's towball and the a-frame - let's say 1 metre - then while taking a reference on the ground next to the driver's door slowly reverse the vehicle for about 1 metre - then get out and see how close. The distance left to go can then be judged.

Having the tow ball and socket on a-frame aligned is 99% of the solution. Judging the reversing distance is much simpler if they are aligned.

A little trick, as a solo, when checking the lights - tail, indicator and brake. Tail and indicator are easy as they can be activated and then you can walk to the rear of the vehicle to check. However, it is a bit hard to keep the brake pedal pressed AND walk to the back to check they are operating. 

I use a telescopic brolly - IE one that has a button to push so that it grows longer before it opens for use.

I then put one end on the brake pedal and the other wedged against the driver's seat and push the button so that it tries to extend - putting pressure on the pedal and against the seat so it will stay there - I also put the hazard flashers and tail lights on and then walk around the van and check that all the lights are working.

OH, and I can hear the electric brakes operating on the wheels as I go past them as well. Works for me.

cheers - John

Hendo wrote:

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Mike


The only way to go is a rear camera, worth its weight in gold.

---

Over the years I have developed a process with many of the elements described by Rocky/John.

1. I first raise my van coupling to the correct height.  In my case that's knee level.

2. Then I attach the "V" shaped couple mate thingo to the hitch to stop me reversing past the ball.

3. I start my reverse approach from as far away from the van as reasonably possible ensuring that the approach is in a straight line onto the coupling.  I use the rearvision mirrors to get it roughly right/even both sides.

4. I have an aiming point, that is a strip of dymo tape on the Tug's rear window that is aligned, using the rear view mirror, with a similar strip on the Van's raised front boot lid.   If you prefer to look over your shoulder then you will need a different aiming point.

5. I stop about 2 or 3 m from the van to check the rough alignment & then make adjustments to the remaining reversing path.

6. Repeat (5) with the tug & van about 1 m apart, but this time I gauge how far apart they are & any fine adjustments to direction that are needed.  At this stage I verify that the heights of the ball & coupling are correct.

7. I now leave the door ajar so that I can gauge the rearward distance remaining by stones/marks on the ground relative to the edge of the door.

8. Steady steady backwards  .. soft CLUNK ..  I'm there.  A slight forward or back for superfine adjustment or a knee against the trail to allow the coupling to drop over the ball.

If I ever stuff up, I withdraw, mentally reset and start again.

A reversing camera would be easier.  I love the one on my Mazda 3.

Edit

ps.  If I must come in at an angle, I put a broom handle or similar marker on the ball to poke up as an aiming point. ( I actually have a spare CB aerial that is fitted to a nut that in turn sits over the ball adjusting nut).

Mike,I line my van up using a broom handle and two pieces of insulating tape.

With your van hooked up and in line,put a piece of tape in centre of van

hold the end of broom handle with vice grips on gas bottle frame.

Then put a piece of tape on the back window so they all line up.

That will make you directly inline,just got to get the distance to go back.

Howdy Mike,

I'm solo and the way I do it and I might say proudly first time is,

I painted the area around the tow ball safety green/yellow. I attach a thing called 'Couple Mate' also painted the safety colour. I then raise the aluminium tent so it is slightly higher than the tow ball. With the aid of my reverse camera I reverse into the 'Couple Mate'. This is also an easy process without the camera. I then just lower the van down onto the ball and hook everything else up including removing the 'Couple Mate'. The process takes about 10mins in total. Next step is to, head off to the next great spot in the playground.

The 'Couple Mate' is not expensive at all and worth every cent.

Edit. .. Changed to correct name thanks to Jade46

I have a cheap action camera that I can clip to a bracket so the camera looks straight down on the coupling. I have a DO35 and the camera looks straight down through the coupling hole so I see the pin when it is all lined up. The camera image is Bluetoothed to my iPad or phone sitting on the dash while I position the vehicle ready to hook up. Sometimes takes me more than one go but never have to leave the seat until perfectly lined up.

My camera is night vision capable so I often set it up so I can see the tug while sitting in bed at night. Great for peace of mind being able to check on what is going on outside in the middle of the night.

Iza

I think this is what was talked about previously

The tape and broom handle is a great idea.

woolman wrote:

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My solution is a mirror on back of car and reversing camera. Get it first time every time. Much easier and safer , than being directed by wife Neil

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 I would not consider anything other than a camera to get precise and verifiable reversing instructions!

I paid $40 for the 'couple-mate' and it's worth every cent, never fails. My car has a built-in camera but due to it's slightly convex lens the perspective is a little distorted making it hard to judge exactly when the ball is directly under the coupling. Add the couple-mate and it's easy! I can use it successfully even if I ignore the camera, so the best single device IMO is definitely the couple-mate as you can be a good 100mm off centre and still connect.

This will cost very little. Made it up in 30 minutes.

You get a short section of 50mm pvc tube, a couple of 1000mm lengths of dowel or fiberglass rod, a bracket, a nut for your towball adjustment bolt and you're done

.  Line up the poles as you reverse.

Tony

HandyWalter wrote:

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I know this will cost a lot but here goes. With a landrover you can get tow assist. You put a sticker on the van and the camera lines up with the sticker, take your hands off the wheel and brakes and let the car reverse itself back and perfectly line up your car. This is with the landrovers with (now) electric steering not the old power assisted (ie Range Rover and D5). I have a D4 which has the same system but have to manually line it up. But when it is 100% lined up the car just beeps so loudly you know its all in line. Then I just raise the car via the air suspension and it clicks into place on the tow pin. People in Caravan Parks are just amazed at how it all works. No need for any help at all. Expensive to get all this wonderful technology but the bonus is you get the most comfortable and economical car for towing bar none.

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 Cost a lot?   

What's $64 - $114 K between friends? 

Especially to get such a great tug & fix the Hitching up problem as a bonus!

LOL LOL

In Europe most caravans have remote control manoeuvring due to the tightly packed caravan parks. My brother in law put a kit on their caravan also because of hip replacements & didn't want to do any further damage. I have seen it work & it is brilliant, but it will add more weight.

Re checking the indicators on the van, you can do if from in the tug. 

If one indicator on the van isn't working properly or at all, you won't get the usual tick tock sound in the tug. You will only get the proper tick tock sound if every thing is working.

Joe.