A jockey roller, also commonly known as a jockey wheel, is a vital component used on trailers and caravans.
Based on the provided reference, a jockey roller is defined as:
a (frequently) retractable, smaller, height-adjustable wheel located on the front of a trailer or caravan for the low-speed manoeuvring or manual steering of said trailer-based unit when decoupled from the powered vehicle to which it was attached.
Essentially, it's a robust, adjustable wheel located near the coupling hitch that helps you move the trailer around manually when it's not connected to a car or other tow vehicle.
Key Features of a Jockey Roller
Jockey rollers are designed with specific characteristics to fulfill their function:
- Location: Positioned at the front of the trailer or caravan, close to where it connects to the tow vehicle.
- Retractable: Many designs allow the wheel and its support leg to be raised and secured out of the way when the trailer is being towed, preventing drag and potential damage.
- Height-Adjustable: A crucial feature enabling the user to raise or lower the trailer hitch. This is necessary for coupling/uncoupling and finding the right height for manual maneuvering.
- Smaller Wheel: Typically smaller than the trailer's main wheels, yet sturdy enough to bear significant weight.
Purpose and Function
The primary purpose of a jockey roller is to facilitate the manual handling of a trailer or caravan when it is detached from the towing vehicle.
Here's how it's used:
- Decoupling & Coupling: The height adjustment allows you to raise the hitch high enough to clear the tow ball when unhitching and lower it precisely onto the tow ball when hitching up.
- Low-Speed Maneuvering: Once decoupled, the jockey wheel supports the front weight of the trailer, allowing you to push, pull, and steer the trailer by hand at low speeds into parking spots, storage areas, or around obstacles where using a vehicle might be difficult or impossible.
- Stabilisation: It also provides a third point of contact (along with the trailer's main wheels) when the trailer is stationary and detached, offering some degree of stability.
Without a jockey roller, moving a detached trailer manually would be extremely difficult or require lifting the front of the trailer, which is impractical and potentially dangerous.
