Ifor Williams HB505 HELP!

Happy Hacker 01

Happy Hacker 01

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Jul 8, 2009
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Hi all

I was wondering if anyone might be able to help with a problem I have with my trailer. :confused:

I recently bought an Ifor Williams HB505 which is in great condition and was being used regularly right up until I bought it.

I've used it a couple of times, and all has been fine, until today when I went to hitch it up to my 4x4.

Basically the jockey wheel will lower the trailer right down, and then raise it to a certain point, but it won't go any higher, and no where near high enough to be above the tow bar in order to lower it on. It just makes a clicking sound and stops raising.

Does anyone know what might be the problem? I tried a few times, but gave up and was also worried that I might be making what ever the problem was worse. It's as if it's reached its max raising point, but there's no way that it's high enough to hitch up.

I'm going to call the 'trailer men' tomorrow, but I was just wondering if anyone may have any ideas in the mean time! It's my first trailer so I may just be being a complete numpty! :redface:

Any help greatly appreciated!
 
I think I know what's happened...... Now got to try and explain.....

It's not a major problem. The jockey wheel is in two parts, which have a thread that joins them. You have used all of the thread with the trailer in a low position. You will need to get a couple of strong people to lift the trailer on to the car tow bar, then you can play with the jockey wheel position and the winding handle to free up more thread, so that you can raise the trailer off the car.

It's really hard to explain, but easily done.
 
Mr Ed said:
I think I know what's happened...... Now got to try and explain.....

It's not a major problem. The jockey wheel is in two parts, which have a thread that joins them. You have used all of the thread with the trailer in a low position. You will need to get a couple of strong people to lift the trailer on to the car tow bar, then you can play with the jockey wheel position and the winding handle to free up more thread, so that you can raise the trailer off the car.

It's really hard to explain, but easily done.
Click to expand...

This exactly. Very simple problem to fix, but very hard to explain! You've run out of thread that twists it up/down.

You don't need the 'trailer people' or anything...just someone strong. :)
 
Been bugging me how to write this - would take 3 seconds to demonstrate!

The jockey-wheel is clamped to the trailer. When you're not using the trailer, chock it under the front, NOT under the hitch itself, but under the metal framework. Or do this when the strong men you borrow have lifted it onto your tow-hitch. ;)

Wind the jockey wheel all the way in, so as short as it goes. THEN loosen the clamp, and lower the position of the whole thing using the clamp - the assembly slides up and down. Lower it and re-tighten the clamp.

THEN you can wind the wheel down again. Because you've moved the whole assembly down, there will be plenty of 'thread' inside to 'unscrew' and the trailer hitch will go up.

I hope this makes sense. It's all to do with the position/height your whole jockey wheel assembly is set at, not to do with twisting the screwing up and down part.

Sorry for the bad spelling etc, I'm half asleep and frustrated at myself for not finding the words to explain something quite straightforward! :(

Kx
 
Thanks guys, I know exactly what you mean and will get on the case tomorrow. Thinking about it, it's fairly obvious what has happened!

Thank god I didn't call the 'trailer people' whoever they might be (not 100% sure who exactly I would have called tbh!) But could have been rather embarrasing over such a simple thing!! :redface:

Thanks again, crisis resolved! :smile:
 
Well dove KV, I just couldn't think how to explain it!

HH hope you get it sorted.
 
I know I did the same the first time I used a trailer - then someone else did the same when they borrowed my Pegasus and there was so much force on the extended jockey wheel that it bent! I was not amused! So yes, always remember to drop the clamped bit first when parking it, and lift it last when hitching it, never wind the foot out the whole way without ensuring the whole thing is up or down as appropriate :smile:
 
Well trailer is sorted, but now the battery in my 4X4 has packed up!!! :banghead:

I can't win!!! :cry:

I suppose these things are sent to try us!
 
Ifor 505

Brilliant advice here, and we had exactly the same problem on my last older trailer until we replaced the jockey wheel with a new one. I now own exactly the same model as you, and the lady I bought it from had the same problem herself and put a new jockey wheel on prior to the sale, so we are OK for now!

I keep a simple one handed jack in the back of my 4 x 4 now as a result, you can jack UNDER the tow bar to get the trailer off if it "sinks" and you cannot re thread the jockey wheel, only you still need to find a strong person to "lift" it back to where it is parked when you have got it off! You can't win.

Personally although I have only owned the HB505 for a few months, I can say that with a new jockey wheel this doesn't seem to be happening!

Incidentally KV has given you excellent advice for ALL trailers, the only way I found out what to do with my old one was by a google search and link to caravan website, where they had the same problems with older jockey wheels. Brilliant New Rider members know it all between them!
 
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