Alko extended towball

[jo3]

We have a Shogun and have towed our van with the towball which was on the car when we bought it.
We had a puncture on site recently and had to call out a caravan service company to change the tyre. The service guy pointed out that we had the wrong towball and that it was wearing down the underside of the town hitch. He said we should change the towball immediately for an Alko extended ball to avoid damaging it further.
Nobody has ever mentioned this in all the time we've owned the van and I don't want to change it if its not necessary. Why are there different types of towball, it makes no sense to me?
jo

 

[otherclive]

The Alko type ball with the extended neck allows the Alko stabiliser hitch to articulate fully as the van and car move relative to each other. If you have an Alko stabiliser you need an extended towball as there is a risk of the hitch coming adrift or damage to the hitch.
. They are not expensive as you can buy genuine Alko or pattern.

 

[otherclive]

You can get Alko pattern towballs for £13 via Ebay and Amazon, and there is a geniune Alko one with new bolts at under £19 inc p&p on Ebay.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Alko-Long-Reach-Neck-Towball-Al-ko-Tow-Ball-for-AKS-Caravan-Stabiliser-/171001564734?pt=UK_Campervan_Caravan_Accessories&hash=item27d07cce3e

 

[Lutz]

It's not so much the extended neck that at issue here but more a lack of an undercut immediately under towball to provide adequate articulation in pitching movement. Although this undercut is specified in the standards, it appears that a number of towball manufacturers leave it off, probably to save manufacturing costs. If the undercut is not present, you do need an appropriate towball which does have it. At least with the original AlKo part, you can be sure that it will be alright.

 

[Damian]

Quote " I don't want to change it if its not necessary."

The maths are very simple.
Replace the towball with an Al-Ko extended neck version for around £20.00

Do not replace the towball and permanently damage the hitch requiring a new hitch for around £400.

 

[jo3]

Thanks for all the replies. I have now ordered a genuine alko extended towball from eBay, although I won't pretend I understand why all towballs aren't the same, or why they sell towballs which could cause damage to the hitch.
It sounds a bit like selling 3 pin plugs that make your telly blow up, or steering wheels that come off if you turn a corner.
Even so, thanks again.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

Thanks for all the replies. I have now ordered a genuine alko extended towball from eBay, although I won't pretend I understand why all towballs aren't the same, or why they sell towballs which could cause damage to the hitch.
It sounds a bit like selling 3 pin plugs that make your telly blow up, or steering wheels that come off if you turn a corner.
Even so, thanks again.

hi jo,
it is not all that difficult to understand the difference between a ALKO ball and a ordinary one untill you see them side by side, but you will understand when your new one arrives and you compere them, dont forget to remove all the paint from the ball surface before use.as they come with a black coating that has to be removed.

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Jo
I'm glad you are buying a genuine Al-ko unit.
Just remember the fixing bolts and nuts must be torqued up to 210 NMs and then rechecked 600 miles later.

 

[otherclive]

Jo
the best way to remove the black paint on the towball is fine wet and dry emery paper and soapy water. The fastening torque for the two bolts is high, and even undoin the old ones can be quite a job without the right tools, so if you have any doubts use a local towbar fitter, or garage. With the right kit its a 5-10 minute job, so not expensive.

 

[philspot1]

Thanks for all the replies. I have now ordered a genuine alko extended towball from eBay, although I won't pretend I understand why all towballs aren't the same, or why they sell towballs which could cause damage to the hitch.
It sounds a bit like selling 3 pin plugs that make your telly blow up, or steering wheels that come off if you turn a corner.
Even so, thanks again.

Don't blame Alko. All 50mm towballs fit all 50mm towhitches, but Alko developed a special hitch which includes a built-in stabiliser, but found that it needs a slightly different stem to the towball to avoid unwanted metal-to-metal contact with extreme car to caravan angles (as perhaps when moving onto or off a steep ferry ramp). So they specified the towball to suit the special hitch. (this towball is perfectly fine for all other, non-stabiliser hitches, too). Your caravan handbook should make this clear.

 

[Raywood]

We had our last car for five years with a standard tow ball and had no problem and it was only whenthe caravan went in for a service after about four years anything was said. The suggestion we had was that a standard tow ball could crack and this was confirmed by the ALKO website but there was no evidence of this. Having changed the car I have had the correct tow ball fitted for £15 extra just to be safe but have not heard of anyone actually having a problem.