Twice when I unhitched our 16ft Deluxe Scamp the trailer jumped off the hitch. One time about 8 inches to the left and once a couple of inches forward. The trailer was level left to right before unhitching. I suspected it may have something to do with different levels of the car vs trailer, but when we unhitched it in our driveway which has a definite slope so the trailer was higher than the car, it came off the hitch perfectly - no movement at all.
Any suggestions on why this happens and what to do to prevent it?
Ken & Ellen Peterson
2016 16 ft Deluxe "Take A Chance"
2010 Ford Escape
The problem seems to be that your Scamp wheels are moving forward and/or backward when you unhitch because of uneven ground at the campsite. Your driveway is level from side to side so the front/back pressure on the Scamp's wheels is equal on both sides and you don't experience the same issue as you do at the campsite.
Before you unhitch, you need to make sure both of your wheels are chocked, both forward and backward. This keeps the trailer stable while you unhitch the tow vehicle.
Additionally, you can get in the tow vehicle and place it in neutral to release the forward and/or backward pressure on the hitch, just be certain to place the tow vehicle back into Park!!!
This should stabilize the Scamp and prevent this from happening in the future.
As Always,
Happy Scamping !!!
The wheels had been chocked but maybe not as solid as required. I gave them a few whacks with my rubber mallet and now have successfully unhitched twice with not so much as a twitch. Thanks for the advice.
Ken & Ellen Peterson
2016 16 ft Deluxe "Take A Chance"
2017 Toyota Tacoma