Hi folks,

I need to reverse my Eriba up a very steep driveway to store it in a barn for the winter. Each time I try to do this, the weight of the caravan pushes into the towing vehicle and the towing 'element' designed to activate the brakes in a crash .... activates. This is by design I guess.

However, it locks the brakes on causing it to be difficult to push. I neither want to damage the caravan nor the clutch on my towing vehicle. It's not a 'straightbackward' reverse either.

Does anybody know if I can lock the 'element' off whilst I do the reverse? I can't see anything obvious.

If not, I'll have to store it outside for the cold winter we have here in the alps. I have a cover for it but would prefer for it to be inside if possible.

Thanks in advance for any tips. Robin

Yes. If you make a U-shaped spacer (from sheet aluminium or steel) you can slip it over the rubber boot (while fully extended) and wedge it against the bolt heads at each end of the spacer. That stops the brake mechanism compressing. (I don't have a photo of mine to hand, but you are looking for something about this shape: https://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_thund...395030/image/0/)

Thanks tinkerbelle for the info and image. Very helpful. Thanks Rando also for your more low tech option. I might have to see what I can do with a piece of timber.

It's about 10 metres long I guess.... very steep.

Your brakes may need adjusting correctly, you should be able to reverse it up any gradient your car can cope with and not have to brakes come on. The part that pulls the brakes on in an accident is the breakaway cable that you clip to the towbar an your car, this only comes into play when the van becomes detached and cant be actuated by the van being pushed closer to the towing vehicle.
How old is your Eriba? Pre 89 auto reverse brakes werent mandatory but even if the early vans werent fitted with them then there should be a mechanism on the hitch that locks the the drawtube and prevents the brakes coming on.

Watling towbars manufacture front mounted towbars for some vehicles and are simple enough to retrofit, we've fitted a few in the past.

Hi folks,

Thanks so much for all the advice. We got it up the steep drive late yesterday. I was lucky enough to find a friend who cut up a short piece of metal about 10 cm long or so. We used cable ties to hold this in place next to the rubber boot preventing the element from closing whilst we reversed it.

A nice low tech solution thanks to earlier comments.

As you've pointed out above though, we may have a problem with the braking mechanism as it shouldn't activating....

I'll look into it at the start of the summer when coming out of storage.

Thanks again for your help all! Much appreciated.

I thought the caravan brakes have an auto reverse feature built in

http://www.al-ko.co.uk/edit/files/handbo...em-handbook.pdf

http://www.al-ko.co.uk/edit/files/handbo...ndbookwhite.pdf

But when you do reverse on a slope with the brakes on they are supposed to "snap" release when the wheels turn backwards. At least they are failing in a safe way but I prefer my brakes to be working perfectly. I'll be testing mine on a slope before next season