Welcome!
You may also like to know that recommended practice is to chock the wheels and leave the handbrake off when leaving the van in storage, that is, except when parking on a site, to avoid the brake shoes sticking to the drums due to rust, This also means that a cover fits better over the drawbar. I have a 2003 Triton, and have not had the problem you mention, but as said, it can be quite stiff to release.
NickR
2003 Triton 420 and 2.0 TDl Yeti