Not quite an 'oops' moment but this one caused me a couple of hours' sweating and cursing and just a smidgeon of unnecessary anxiety.
It was the morning of our departure for France, a warm Saturday in July. I'd had the Friday off work, intending to do at least a test fit of the always-fiddly Witter detachable towbar on to which clamps our mighty Atera four-bike carrier, but it had poured all day and I'd wimped out. It's fiddly because (a) it contains some very strong springs, (b) it slots into a holder that I can't actually see while trying to poke the bar into it, and (c) because we do most of our cycling from home and so load up the bikes only once or twice a year for a long trip like this one.
Anyway, I got it lined up and it clicked into place, but the knob didn't pop out to reveal the little green indicator that shows all is engaged. Took it out, tried again, same thing: no indicator and I couldn't turn the key to lock it.
The knob felt as if it was sticking a bit, so I gave it a shot of the PTFE lock lubricant my dealer used to leave in the Volvo after a service. Shot a bit up the socket too, just in case. Put the bar in again: CLUNK! Still no indicator, couldn't turn the key and now...
...I couldn't turn the knob either. This is where the sweating and swearing began. Is it locked? Seems to be. Will it come off when I want it to? No. Will it come off when I don't want it to? Well I don't think so, but is that good enough for a 600-mile high-speed journey?
|
|
That was an 'oops' moment; pressed Post too soon. Anyway, to be continued.
|
Much hunting online, on enough caravanning sites to leave me feeling in need of a fleece and some crocs. Many references to mechanisms sensitive to grit and corrosion, and the importance of keeping the inside clean. But what if you can't get to the inside? No help at all. Were we going to have to go without the bikes?
So we decided to try loading it up. Carrier first, then 60-ish kilos of Beestling Major (about the combined weight of the bikes). Seems solid, moves the whole car when he jiggles it. Then 100kg of me (more than the max nose weight but that's for a dynamic load); still holds, still can't turn the knob. Decide to go for it, pack a couple of extra tools just in case and load up the bikes.
And of course it was fine. I checked even more thoroughly than usual at all our stops en route; still solid. And when we arrived and unloaded, the first thing I saw was the little green indicator beaming at me as if nothing had happened. Off came the bar, in went lots more lubricant and a toothbrush to scrub out the socket. And on went the end cap, whose importance I now understand.
At the end of the trip, despite more incessant rain on loading day, it all went back on correctly, and came off when we got home. And we had some fantastic cycling country to enjoy while we were away. But I'll be checking everything well in advance next year.
|
The tow bar on the Berlingo is also detachable but Bosal rather than Witter.
We had much the same issue when attempting to use it for first time this year back in March. It would click partly into place but definitely not showing the green 'safe' flag. This in spite of the blanking plate having been in place ever since the bar came off after last trip of 2014 in early November.
Brushing out crud and then applying a dose of GT85 sorted it and it's been OK since. Next time I'll clean out thee socket and apply a little grease before overwintering.
|
As far as I can tell, the major towbar makers use very similar attachment mechanisms. Certainly the Witter we have now works in much the same way as the Toyota-branded Brink we had on the Verso.
I can't help feeling the knob isn't ideal as a control. Given the strength of the spring(s) inside, something more lever-shaped might be easier to grip and would offer more, well, leverage. More conspicuous, I suppose, but once there's something fixed to the bar, you're not going to keep it a secret for long.
|
Things we should check more often - WillDeBeest
