Brand new tow bar preparation before towing
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ค. 2024
- This video shows some of the steps of preparing a brand new tow bar ready for towing. In this video I use :
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Hi Dan. Thank you for this - I know you posted it a few years ago, but it just became very useful to me, as have so many of your other videos.
Thank you for taking the time to make them all.
Hi Dan. Your videos are very helpful. I imported a Swift caravan into New Zealand brand new and got squeak from towing. Changed friction pads as suggested and this was fine until my second trip and on the way home started squeaking again. I will try this and clean the ball and hope it works.
Your video have basically taught me the knack of caravans. Thank you.
Very good job. I have to say you’re much more thorough than I’ve ever been. It has always surprised me the number of people I’ve met that don’t realise this needs to be done when using a stabiliser hitch.
Brilliant video. I'm new to caravanning and after reading some comments in the forums about how difficult and how long it was taking to remove the paint, I was really not looking forward to this job. But I watched your tutorial, went and bought the stuff from Halfords and it was all done in half an hour. I've now got a smooth, shiny tow ball! Thank you 😊
Nice to see a thorough ball rub down! Excellent work Dan! 👌🏻
Excellent and informative video. I never realised the tow ball required so much attention. Will be digging this video out again when I get my new tow ball fitted. Can it believe that the manufacturer of your tow ball has made such a basic error and not accommodating current hitch setups. Look forward to the follow up.
A very clear explanation on the preparation needed, thank you. We are new to the caravan family and searching through different you-tube videos to gain as much information needed before we venture off on hopefully many adventures.
Glad it was helpful!
I had no idea. We pick up our first caravan in a couple of weeks - c/w Alko hitch, and our car dealer fitted the tow bar this week. No one has mentioned this needs doing! Thank you!
Thanks Dan, helpful video, and joy that there was no background music that us hearing impaired people find distracting. My tow Bar has a bracket next to the electric point that I was told to use to connect my breakaway cable to.
Hello! Thank you for your videos. One thig I want to add: IMHO a chemical paint remover (a liquid) is better and faster
Really helpful video on this topic. I followed the advice and the Caravan suppliers asked me if I had had the towbar cleaned professionally. I was a newbie then and I used masking tape on the stem! I clean the towball about twice a year (it is covered when not used). I went to 800 grit.
Just had our brand new detachable fitted. We had no idea the paint needed to be removed. Great advice, thanks.
Trailer secondary / breakaway cable fixing bracket, for the breakaway cable but don't forget to use set the torque on the socket wrench when fixing. we have just changed our car so a new tow bar has been fitted with one of these ordered off Amazon. Great video i will do our tow ball this weekend
Thanks for the video, great point. My tow ball is the opposite of new so it has surface rust from being exposed all year. I suppose I should rub all the rust off in a similar way to this, for exactly the same reasons.
I should have remembered to do this on my new detachable tow-bar made an awful noise and wore the alko pads out will be doing this this weekend cheers Oliver
Great video. I suppose I'll have rub down my ball when I pick the tow car. Thanks great info. Phil
Great Post andd like others new to caravaning, I only found out now that I should remove the paint. This is exactly what I needed and thank you
Great vid, thanks Dan, I do exactly the same. been towing caravans for 18 years, done this to the last 6 tow bars ive had( long story), never had an issue, although i don't do the P1200 stage i just use P800 and degreaser when away.
I want to see more about the breakaway cable fit point i suffered same issue so I had a link welded on in the end.
Hi why not paint stripper . I'm a novice , just asking .
Hi dan, nice video has always, some comments on rubbing away the surface of the towball. Utter nonsense I think, a tiny fraction of a millimetre wont do any harm. Had a similar issue with my own towball not having a breakaway cable point, went to our local widnes caravan shop, purchased a oblong shaped metal breakaway shackle. It bolts straight on the back between the towing hitch and the metal plate. You can pick either of the two securing bolts so either left or right. Only cost a few quid, while there I treated the caravan to a new breakaway cable, again just a few pounds. All good now. Thanks, vinny.
Why do they paint it ??
Some what puzzled why not Make use with care of some paint stripper or Cellulose thinners would do the job in a fraction of the time without scratching
You are a hero! Thank you for posting this. About to go for our first caravan and had no idea I had to prepare the two ball! All done now thanks to following your great instructions 😀👍
Same here! Brand new tow ball and wouldn't have done this!
Thanks for the info, now done!
Good job Mr T.
Merci Dan ☺
Hi Dan i've just had a new tow bar fitted so watched this a few times to make sure mine looks as good. Did you ever produce the follow up video regarding your breakaway cable asI can't seem to find it. Have a good season
In need of some advise, have just bought a caravan with a 13 pin socket and added an adaptor for my 7 pin socket on my towbar, what do I need to get so the leisure battery will charge and the fridge work when I am towing my caravan
Just dip the ball in Nitromores paint remover first. Lot quicker and no scratching
Hi dan very good content video keep up the good work dan all the best kev
Hi Dan. Just wondered if you have any experience of going between trailers with none Alkoa hitches and caravan dry types? I guess it’s just a matter of cleaning the grease off before hitching up the caravan but any tips would be appreciated.
We forgot to put the cover on our tow ball, it picked up some surface rust so I have just been out there and used some 800 grit paper on the ball to clean the rust off, then some Isopropyl Alcohol to degrease it, because I didn't have a specific degreaser and I guess that the main ingredient in the degreaser is IPA anyway. Also cleaned the stabiliser friction pads to make sure we hadn't contaminated them. I didn't notice any French music playing in the background though when I cleaned the tow ball !!! :D
Morning I didn’t do this as we are new to caravanning and when I picked up my van just placed on new tow ball then about 10 miles from home there was a grinding noise!! Do you have a video to clean pads?
Hi Dan, Did you get the issue with your breakaway cable location sorted, I was thinking after looking at your tow bracket if there is enough room to get a eye bolt with nut on the inside so that the clip could attach to that. Just thinking outside the box
what made you swap cars i am going to buy a x5 shortly,great vid
Hi im very new to all this and had my tow bar fitted today !
I didnt know to take the paint off, so i hitched up my 4 berth swift and drove round the block and the noise panicked me luckily im suscribed to your channel and found this video. After unhitching iv noticed that the paibt has scratched off on one side of the tow ball head im now going to take off the rest of the paint as advised but will i need to somehow clean out the hitch head now or should it be fine now x ? Regards nicola x
Thanks. I hade no idea to remove the paint. This should also apply when the rust comes, and it often comes very quickly. An "unclean" tow ball I assume causes sounds like squeaking among other things?
Dan... fab video, finally finally going to be joining this amazing club and have just had the towbar fitted. They've removed the paint off the ball but its not as smooth as yours ends up, do you think its worth going that extra mile and using the wet n dry to remove all scratches? Thanks. Just going through your back catalogue to remind myself :-)
Brill vid got the same car myself will do this to mine once it’s fitted next week
Good video
Good job nothing more to say
Wow overkill x2
Hi Dan. We are new caravaners and try as I might I cannot get to the caravans recommended nose weight of 65 kg. Small caravan, Grand Vitara and not much gear. Even empty its way over. Haven't met a single person yet who bothers with nose weights at all!
Hi Namasthe!
If the caravan is swinging without balance and it's becoming dangerous to the balance of the piloting car attached to it, is there a way to ditach it from car without getting out?
Hi, I have not purchased a caravan yet, but I have been watching your videos for for all the things I need to know before I do. I think if you had got your wife to do this video, I would imagine the comments would be a lot different lol 😮 thank you for making theses videos they are a big help to us newbies. 👍🏻
Hi Dan, instead of using the ‘elbow grease’ method, would you recommend using a brass cup brush and a drill? Noticed a couple of these videos which don’t damage the tow ball and looks more efficient than the sand paper method
Dan, there's a lot of speculation regarding break away cables and connecting them. It's perfectly acceptable to attach the beak away cable around the neck of the ball. People state there is a possibility the cable will jump off if the van becomes detached. I'm sure there is, but if the risk was high, (as skidding on a bald tyre is) I'm sure they would make connecting it that way illegal.
I know for a fact that mounting a breakaway cable round the neck of the towball is very illegal in the Netherlands and I suspect in the rest of Europe. Surprised it’s not illegal in the UK. THIS SO UNSAFE!
Q: Are you sure this is paint and not powder coating which would adhere better, anyway?
Do i still need to do this if i dont have a stabiliser? New towball, have towed three times, paint is coming off.... Its a very small caravan (750kg).
Exellent
Can I ask how I am supposed to stop rust forming on the towball after I have removed all the protection from it? It rusts again within days, regardless of whether the protective golfball cover is on or not.
Wahayy, that looks a bit like something I’ve seen on the internet somewhere else! Lol!!
A Shropshire Lad Comedy gold. Speeded up section just needs the Benny Hill theme.
How do you stop the ball from oxidation and rust when it's bare metal?
Hi Dan, I don't have a van as I am petrified of it becoming detatched. Do you or any one else know how often this happens and why? Thanks for all of your very informative videos and great sense of humour.
Karen Vincent Hi. It is quite rare for the caravan to become unhitched. After lowering the van on the tow ball the hitch clunks into place. Try raising the van with the jockey wheel. If the rear of the car raises as well then the van will not come off. Steve
Thanks Steve, used to have a caravan years ago and loved it just got in the car one day to come home with van and panicked the whole way home and couldn't do it again! Might go to local dealer and ask if they can take me out with van in tow and see how I am as don't know any one with a van now.
Hi Dan, nice video. I didn’t realise you had to do this so I have towed my caravan with all the paint on my new tow bar. Now the hitch is creaking during towing. Have I wrecked the friction pads in the hitch? Cheers, Andy
HI Andy, not likely you've wrecked them, but they will need cleaning. Search on my videos for friction pad removal, and see how to clean them up. It may also be required that you clean inside the hitch, so use some degreaser and wet&dry and get inside the hitch to remove any paint.
Hope that helps
Dan
That's great - thanks for the quick reply Dan!
Told you before about using scotch brite , won't harm the tow ball
We are having a fixed tow bar fitted next week in readiness for collecting our tourer. Not owning a tow bar before, I assume a ball cover is needed when not in use?
Hi Neil, yes indeed - it wont stop the ball from gaining surface corrosion nor will it stop dirt getting on the ball, so always clean and wipe down before each tow.
Very interesting never knew how those worked (haven't used on either). Usually give the ball a dab of grease a couple times a year (towing 3500kg ifor Williams ramp trailer). Is this a terrible idea?
Yes
@@hhorst7904 care to elaborate?
@@7eis if you have a friction stabiliser
Hi should the caravan and the car be level my caravan is slightly bearing down on the tow ball .... if that makes sense
Sure, they should be level ish, depending on the car. If in doubt have a tow bar fitter visit you and confirm the tow ball is the correct height off the floor.
@@TheTrudgians Thanks for getting back to me its only slightly out of level so I think its good to go
comments on this video are amusing. some people have very odd opinions.
This video was a great help for me prepping my new detachable towbar, but I seem to have a couple of black paint dots that just won’t budge! Any tips on how I can get rid of them as I don’t want to create any flat spots and I’ve been over them many times.
Thanks in advance
Hi Dan,
I’ve recently removed the paint from my new tow ball, it looked smashing almost like a mirror!! However a couple of weeks or so later it’s all rusty!! How can this be avoided please?
Paula
Use a cover that fits onto the towball, you usually get one in the kit?
76Sulaco Hi, I do use the cap it came with but it still goes rusty underneath it.
@@moominfishing th-cam.com/video/6ZlbeX90jDo/w-d-xo.html Hope this helps?
@@76Sulaco I use brake and clutch cleaner with a paper towel - keep it in my tool kit.
No way i thought you had to grease the ball up.
Great video thanks as ever Dan.
This is something that we didn't even consider since we had the new towbar fitted last week.
I'm sure in years gone by (in the late 60s) Dad's tow-hook was permanently lathered up in grease?
I vaguely recall getting covered in it when he forgot to stick the tennis ball cap back on it.
As soon as it's light outside I'll go and have a look at the new tow hook...
Why not just use a stainless steel hitch ball ?
Use screwfix instead of Halfords they expensive for the materials u used screwfix cheaper
Great point
where is the follow up video?
Hi Dan are you able to put a breakaway tab on your tow bar as in the link? goo.gl/images/3ghBdY if not what about using a thick/wide cable tie to grip the breakaway cable around the swan neck park so it's tight if that makes sense
GINGERDAVID90 hi ya that is what I do put cable round tow next then put plastic tie round cable and through eye clip pull it tight enough so cable doesn't come undon if hitch was to come off
OMG. I can’t believe one would go to this extreme. Just drop the trailer on and go. The hitch will wear the paint off at its contact points. Put a little grease on the ball to reduce friction and stop the rust.
A dry hitch, needs the paint removed AND NO grease. They rely on Friction to make the stabiliser work correctly. Paint on the Friction pads would contaminate them and render them useless. You certainly do not want to reduce friction, you need to encourage it for the hitch and tow ball to work correctly.
Older styles of "wet" hitches that need greasing would be fine to leave the paint on - not these types.
Hope that helps.
John Maloney you must remove the powder coating or else it contaminates and the friction pads of your stabiliser and prevents them gripping and giving the correct damping effect. No need to do this for a simple non-stabilised tow hitch.
Blimey, a tad OTT ........all I did was sandpaper the ball once, wipe with a clean rag and 15 years of towing all over France and UK, all is still fine.
Is this not a "Fit for purpose" issue?
Hi Chaz, not an issue, the paint is there to protect the ball steel, removing it is required for stabiliser hitches. Some fitters do remove the paint as a part of the service, many however don't.
Hope this helps.
Dan
Actually it was the lack of a break away attachment i was referring to,it seems to be a bit of a design oversight to me.
We paid the tow bar fitters to take the paint off. They use a special machine. It is perfect . They charged an extra £20 and in light of all the comments below, I think it was money well spent. We used to tow a trailer when we had a motorhome. No stabiliser hitch, therefore no need to take paint off. Hence it seems fair to pay for the paint stripping done professionally. Hope this helps.
Should have done all that work before it was fitted. It would have made life easier.
What a waste of time just run it with Emery cloth don't need anything else
Paint stripper to get the paint off then degreaser and a clean cloth before every use. Grit paper is too aggressive.
Trevor C Paint stripper doesn’t work, this is powder coast NOT paint!