Caravan Jockey Wheel Guide: Choosing the Right Setup for Your Caravan

A caravan jockey wheel might not be the most exciting piece of equipment on your A-frame, but it is one you will use every time you hitch or unhitch your caravan. For most caravans, the tried-and-tested setup is a simple clamp-style jockey wheel with an 8-inch wheel – and for the vast majority of caravanners, it does the job extremely well.

Our Supreme, Leader, and Goldstream caravans at Adelaide RV generally come standard with an 8-inch clamp-style jockey wheel from manufacturers such as AL-KO or Manutec. They’re simple, reliable, easy to use, and easy to remove and store when you’re ready to hit the road.

But like most things in caravanning, there are alternatives. Depending on the weight of your van, your physical needs, where you store it, and the surfaces you travel on, a different style of caravan jockey wheel or lifting system might make life a little easier.

What Does a Caravan Jockey Wheel Do?

The primary job of a caravan jockey wheel is to support the front of your caravan when it is disconnected from the tow vehicle. By winding the jockey wheel up or down, you can raise or lower the coupling to the correct height for hitching and unhitching.

The standard clamp-style jockey wheel is popular for good reason. It is mechanically simple, doesn’t require any electrical power, can be removed completely for travel and gives you a wheel that allows for a small amount of movement when positioning the coupling over the tow vehicle.

When replacing a jockey wheel, however, it’s important not to simply grab any unit that fits the clamp. Load capacity is one of the first things you should consider. Your caravan’s ball weight gives you an indication of the load the jockey wheel will need to support, so always check the specifications and intended application of the individual product.

There can be a substantial difference between products. AL-KO and Manutec both offer a range of standard and heavy-duty jockey wheels designed for different applications, which is why matching the jockey wheel to the caravan is important.

The Standard 8-Inch Jockey Wheel

For most caravanners, there may be absolutely no reason to move away from the traditional 8-inch jockey wheel.

It’s a straightforward design that has been used successfully on Australian caravans for years. The jockey wheel shaft is secured into a clamp on the A-frame, the handle allows you to raise or lower the caravan, and the wheel gives you enough movement to make those final small adjustments when hitching.

There are some advantages to keeping things simple. There are no electrical connections to worry about, very little maintenance is required, and the entire jockey wheel can be removed and stored safely once you’re hitched.

The important thing is using a jockey wheel that is appropriately rated for your caravan and ensuring it is correctly secured in the clamp before putting weight onto it.

For many owners the standard setup is the right setup. The other options become worth considering when there is a particular part of hitching, unhitching, or manoeuvring the caravan that you’d like to make easier.

Wheel or Flat Foot?

While the 8-inch wheel is our standard setup, some jockey units and electric jacks replace the wheel with a flat foot or base plate.

A wheel provides some manoeuvrability, which can be particularly useful when you’re trying to make a small adjustment to line the coupling up with the tow ball. Wider and more specialised wheels are also available for applications where additional load capacity or a larger footprint is required.

A flat foot takes a different approach. You lose the ability to roll the front of the caravan around, but gain a broad and stable contact point. This is commonly seen on powered jacks where the primary purpose is simply to raise and lower the A-frame.

Whichever style you’re using, consider the surface underneath it. On sand, mud or soft grass, even a good jockey wheel can sink into the ground. A suitable jockey wheel receiver or supporting pad can provide a broader footprint and a much more secure base.

Different Ways to Wind a Jockey Wheel

Another variation is where – or how – you actually wind the jockey wheel.

Traditional jockey wheels can use top-wind or side-wind handles. Neither is inherently better; it largely comes down to the available space around your caravan’s A-frame.

A top-wind jockey wheel is simple and familiar, but a large toolbox, gas bottles, or other accessories can sometimes restrict access to the handle. In those situations, a side-wind configuration can provide better clearance.

This is also where some owners might begin looking at alternatives to manually winding the jockey wheel altogether.

Making Your Caravan Jockey Wheel Easier to Operate

Manually winding a conventional jockey wheel isn’t normally a problem, but the heavier the caravan – or the more frequently you’re hitching and unhitching – the more noticeable that effort can become.

For owners who would like a little assistance without moving to a fully electric system, BOS jockey units offer an interesting middle ground. Their design can be operated with a cordless drill, allowing the drill to do much of the repetitive winding while retaining the simplicity of a mechanical system and a manual backup.

The next step is a powered jack such as the Australian-made Black Jack. Rather than manually winding the caravan up and down, these systems use 12-volt power to do the lifting for you.

For heavier caravans, or for owners who find repeated winding physically difficult, this can make hitching and unhitching considerably easier. The trade-off is additional installation, a 12-volt power requirement and, depending on the setup, the loss of the wheel found on a traditional jockey wheel.

It’s not necessarily a “better” solution, it’s simply another option depending on how you use your caravan.

What About Moving the Caravan?

The wheel on a traditional caravan jockey wheel also gives you some ability to manually reposition the front of the caravan. This can be handy for very small movements, particularly when lining up the coupling.

However, manually moving a caravan needs to be approached carefully. Ideally, you want firm, level ground, good control of the caravan and another person (or two) there to assist. For anything more substantial, using the tow vehicle is generally preferable.

If manoeuvring your caravan without the tow vehicle is something you need to do regularly, there are purpose-built solutions.

Powered jockey-wheel-style movers can provide additional assistance, while systems such as the AL-KO Power Mover use a ratchet-drive mechanism to help position compatible caravans and trailers.

At the more specialised end, powered movers such as the Optitec Optimover use an electric drive and remote control to manoeuvre the caravan. There are also systems such as Purple Line’s Quattro range, which use powered rollers acting directly on the caravan’s tyres. These can be particularly useful when regularly putting a caravan into a tight driveway, shed or storage area where positioning with the tow vehicle is difficult.

Caravan Jockey Wheel Safety

Regardless of whether you’re using a standard 8-inch jockey wheel or a powered alternative, remember that the equipment is supporting a significant amount of weight.

Before hitching or unhitching:

• Chock the caravan wheels and ensure the handbrake is correctly applied.
• Make sure the jockey wheel is correctly seated and firmly secured in its clamp.
• Keep your feet clear of the A-frame and coupling while raising or lowering the caravan.
• Never exceed the manufacturer’s rated capacity or intended application.

One of the biggest risks isn’t the type of jockey wheel you’re using, it’s incorrect use. A clamp that hasn’t been properly tightened, a jockey wheel incorrectly positioned in the bracket or a unit left down after hitching can quickly cause damage or injury.

Once you’re hitched and ready to travel, a removable jockey wheel should be taken off and stored securely in the caravan, toolbox or tow vehicle.

Do You Need to Upgrade Your Caravan Jockey Wheel?

For most caravanners, the answer may simply be no.

A quality 8-inch clamp-style jockey wheel from a manufacturer such as AL-KO or Manutec is a simple, reliable solution, which is exactly why it’s the standard setup across so many caravans.

But knowing what else is available can help if your circumstances change.

You might want a heavier-duty jockey wheel for a particular application, a different winding arrangement because of your A-frame setup, drill assistance to reduce manual effort, an electric jack to make raising a heavier caravan easier, or a powered mover because you regularly need to manoeuvre your caravan into a difficult storage space.

If you’re not sure what suits your caravan, have a chat with the Adelaide RV Service team. We can take a look at your current setup, your caravan and how you use it, then help you work out whether the jockey wheel you’ve already got is exactly what you need – or whether one of the alternatives could make life on the road that little bit easier.