99 Elddis Typhoon gt

[AnthonyNornIreland]

My father has just paid the deposit on the above van, and the salesman has tried to sell him a new stabiliser , as the van only has a basic pressed steel type fitted.(tight wad oap trying to save money has declined)

Does anyone know did these vans not have stabilisers fitted as standard, and if not, would you be happy to tow without a stabilise

I have always towed with stabilisers, and would be interested to know if towing without is that big a difference.

thanks in advance, anthony (ni)

 

[sarahandher6dachshunds.]

hello we owned a 98 jetstreem,did not have a stabilizer when brought,added a blade type which did improve towing stability,noticed a big improvement.now have a avondale dart with a alko hitch head stabilizer and i would not be without it.the improvement was very noticeable.they are defiantly worth it,maybe others have other ideas.sarah.

 

[RayS]

You do not say if your father is a first time caravanner, or what the tow car is.

While it is unlikely that a stabiliser will do any harm, whether they are 'necessary' depends on the overall outfit and to some extent the experience and skill of the driver.

If the car/outfit ratio is at or below the suggested 85% figure (see many other postings for discussion, or the Beginners section of the PVC website) and the noseweight of the van is around 6% of the MTPML (loaded weight) of the 'van then he should be able to tow happily without a stabiliser. Many of us have and do, although most new 'vans now come with hitch stabilsers included.

On balance, it is probably worth getting one fitted for peace of mind but remember that the outfit ratio and noseweights still need to be somewhere near the guideline figures - the stabiliser will not cure a big miss match, but may only get you into trouble at a higher speed.