Parking the Van/Trailer at Home - Handbrake On or Off?

Vic41 · Senior Member

Parking the Van/Trailer at Home - Handbrake On or Off?

Mike47 · Senior Member

My advice is: leave the handbrake off and chock the wheels. If you leave the handbrake on, you can stretch the cable to the point where you will no longer be able to adjust it.

Incidentally, if you're leaving the van parked for any length of time, don't forget to rotate the tyres every couple of weeks or so, otherwise you can distort and weaken the sidewall.

Vic41 · Senior Member

Good points Mike. Unfortunately I have a sloped yard with a sudden drop to the front of the house and if the van gets away it will end up in the lounge, so leave my brake on as an extra precaution as well.

Rotating I get a bit slack with, use the van at least once per month, however if I park it for any length of time put it on stands.

Vic

Wombat 280 · Guru

Mate has the same parking problem sloping block so we put a tie down point into the parking bay and a short chain to the rear bumper bar just it case it decides to join him in his lounge room. I leave mine off to avoid the shoes growing to thew drums. I hope never to have the van parked long enough to worry about tyre walls getting out of shape but a good point to remember must move mine in the morning

Cruising Granny · Guru

I thought this was a trick question. After some perusal I see you are serious.
I always use my brake and chocks. I don't want my home running off with me, while it's not hitched to my vehicle.
Safety and security first.
Are you sure you're not joking? Chris

Vic41 · Senior Member

No joke Chris, read the links I posted, some of the posters there in the caravan repair industry among others. Varied opinions though.

Like the chain idea Wombat, lol!

Vic

Basil Faulty · Guru

Handbrake off, chock the wheels. BECAUSE if you leave the handbrake fully on it can distort the drums by applying pressure to only portion of the drum.

Helena · Guru

Thanks everyone for the info as we have never had a van before didn`t know of this. Always had a Hi Ace before so the problem of it sitting never arose. Helena.