Jockey Wheel Upgrade

The jockey wheel is what you wind to raise and lower the front of the van and lift the coupler on and off the tow ball. It's also what you push on to shuffle the van around by hand when it's unhitched. The wheel that comes standard on a lot of vans digs into soft ground, gravel and grass, making the van a bit of a struggle to move and position on anything but a smooth driveway.

Swapping in a proper off-road jockey wheel with a larger-diameter wheel, a wider tread and a smoother, higher-geared winder makes a big difference: it rolls over gravel and grass instead of ploughing into it, winds up and down with less effort, and makes nudging the van into a tight campsite or back into the driveway far easier on your back.

Fitting it

Assuming the old wheel is clamped rather than welded (see the caution above), swapping a jockey wheel is a straightforward job. It clamps to the drawbar with a single bolt-up bracket. With the van's weight taken on the coupler or a stand, slacken the existing jockey-wheel clamp, slide the old wheel out, fit the new one at the right height and do the clamp back up firmly. Check it winds and that the wheel swings up clear of the ground for towing.

Addendum: a small security bonus

As a bonus, the ARK XO series has a removable handle. Pull the handle off and lock it inside and a thief can't easily wind the van off its stands and onto their tow ball. It won't stop a determined, well-equipped thief, but like a steering lock on a car it makes the van a less attractive target. It's a deterrent, not a guarantee, so treat the removable handle as one cheap layer alongside a hidden AirTag, a coupler / hitch lock and a wheel clamp - the more small obstacles, the better.