Alko Jack for Twin Axles

[Dustydog]

Just put the new Wyoming into our secure storage down the road.

It is an insurance special policy condition that when left unattended the hitchlock, tracker, alarm and two Alko wheel locks are in place.

Yesterday I used my trolley jack to lift the van thus enabling me to align the Alko locks. Today I used the Alko supplied scissor jack.

What an absolute load of rubbish. Now I am pretty strong and fit but believe me I was knackered using this fop for a jack. It is so stiff to turn the "T" shaped handle. You can just about manage half a turn a go using both hands and Superman's biceps.Well it's going in the loft and I'll get a smaller hydraulic jack of some kind for future use.

If anyone from Alko reads this post please feel free to tell me why this jack is so bl---y hard to use!

Has anyone else encountered this difficulty?

Cheers

Alan

 

[spj]

Hi Allan,

My 2007 Fleetwood twin axle came with an Alko jack, it is a standard car type jack (not the scissor type) and is quite easy to use with little effort, it locates in a reciever in the chassis. Maybe Alko have changed suppliers this year but one like mine may still be available.

spj.

 

[steve_374323051]

Hi Alan

I have just had the same problem, I found the handle very

un-user friendly. I simply got my trolly jack out and did the job in half the time, with a great deal less hassle.

Apart from that minor problem - I love the van.

All the best

Steve

 

[RichardS1]

Picked up our Abbey Spectum yesterday and used the Alko jack to fit both the locks. Jack worked fine and was the same design as the one we had previous on the Senator.

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Richard

Is yours a side lift or scissors type jack?

Bailey are looking into this problem as thay have had other complaints. Mine is a scissors type and totally unusable. I have a hydraulic jack which makes lifting a piece of cake but that isn't the point of course.

Enjoy your Spectrum.

Cheers

Alan

 

[RichardS1]

Hi Alan

Its the side lift jack, when using it no more effort was needed to lift the new van than was needed with the previous Oklahoma.

Richard

 

[Dustydog]

Thanks Richard,

I'll get back to Bailey and Al-Ko. The new scissor jack supplied is totally unusable.

I'll let you know what happens.

Cheers

Alan

 

[Joyce_5063910]

We have heard of several people who have had the same problem and so we suggest that you look at a Trail-A-Mate which will solve the problems of lifting and jacking your twin axle caravans and also can be used as the Jockey wheel and a levelling device.

If you contact them, they are on special offer still from Christmas.

 

[Dustydog]

I'm still waiting for a detailed reply from Bailey about the rubbish jack supplied with the Wyoming.

 

[Ogre]

I always give the same advice on jacks.

Buy a small but good trolley jack. You'll never be worried about changing a wheel on the car or caravan again.

Breakdown services almost always use a trolley jack, and with good reason. They are quick to use, reliable, strong and do the job.

The jacks supplied with caravans (if you're lucky) are invariably useless when it comes to the crunch despite all the claims by the makers. Most of them are worse than useless.

 

[JasonR_374341560]

We use an Airbag Jack.

Lightweight easy to use and runs off the car exhaust.

Mines a Draper and you can't beat it, it will even lift the van or car if they sink to the axle or lower.

 

[Dustydog]

UPDATE.

I have e-mailed Bailey 3 times now about the jack. No response! Pretty poor . Yes I am using my trolley but that isn't the point. Why do manufacturers provide something that just doesn't work!

Cheers

Alan

 

[WatsonJohnG]

This looks good value

http://www.aldi.co.uk:80/uk/html/offers/58_4783.htm

 

[dougdotcom]

Im getting me one of them at that price. Nice one John.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Im getting me one of them at that price. Nice one John.

I'm not I've already got one!!

 

[Dustydog]

Hi John G

Brilliant. I've just bought one! Not really out until tomorow but store manager was ok letting me have one today. Smaller and lighter than my old jack.

Just given the Wyoming a lift. So so so easy and transportable.

Why can't the manufacturers like BAILEY supply one of these in the first place? I am sure they could buy them in bulk for less than a fiver.

NB these jacks are made in Hamburg Germany so must be good.

Cheers

Alan

 

[Joyce_5063910]

Hi Alan

The reason Bailey and others do not provide a jack is that there is no law in Europe that states that a jack has to be provided in fact no jack needs to be provided for cars either.

So they do not wish to take the responsibility if something goes wrong.

AL-KO provide their own jack to go with their chassis on some models, the fact it does not always work is because not enough people challenge it and demand one that does.

If this new jack only costs them a fiver I wonder how much it actually cost to make it. You are trusting a device on your average

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Hi Alan

The reason Bailey and others do not provide a jack is that there is no law in Europe that states that a jack has to be provided in fact no jack needs to be provided for cars either.

So they do not wish to take the responsibility if something goes wrong.

AL-KO provide their own jack to go with their chassis on some models, the fact it does not always work is because not enough people challenge it and demand one that does.

If this new jack only costs them a fiver I wonder how much it actually cost to make it. You are trusting a device on your average

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Alan I got mine when they were on offer at Lidl

I have modified it to fit the existing Alko points

See link

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p84/johng_016/jack2.jpg

 

[Dustydog]

HiJohn

great pic and mod.

I'll have a look at mine tomorrow if it's not raining. I assume any mod I make will be much the same as yours.

Are you able to let me know the dimensions ie length breadth height?

Cheers

Alan

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Hi alan

I will measure up later

The piece of metal I used came off a loudspeaker originally and was among some souvenirs of my dad who has been dead 22 years!!!

I made another adapter for my friend using 1/8in thick steel and a vice to bend it

He subsequently bought the Kojak but still needed the bit I made as he couldn't use the Kojak on the same side as the Alko wheel carrier

The artical in this months C & CC mag seemed to have missed the point that its not hetting the spare out when using the Kojack but using the Kojak for levelling with the Alko carrier in place(that's what we both found on the Pageant Bordeaux 5)

Basically its got an upstand that fits into the Alko bracket and the U section is just wide enough to span the chassis to avoid slipping

I fitted a big washer uderneath the bracket and inside the existing jack cup to give some sideways stability and countersunk the centre bolt which fixes with an R clip so it can be removed for using the jack on a car etc

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Hi alan

I will measure up later

The piece of metal I used came off a loudspeaker originally and was among some souvenirs of my dad who has been dead 22 years!!!

I made another adapter for my friend using 1/8in thick steel and a vice to bend it

He subsequently bought the Kojak but still needed the bit I made as he couldn't use the Kojak on the same side as the Alko wheel carrier

The artical in this months C & CC mag seemed to have missed the point that its not hetting the spare out when using the Kojack but using the Kojak for levelling with the Alko carrier in place(that's what we both found on the Pageant Bordeaux 5)

Basically its got an upstand that fits into the Alko bracket and the U section is just wide enough to span the chassis to avoid slipping

I fitted a big washer uderneath the bracket and inside the existing jack cup to give some sideways stability and countersunk the centre bolt which fixes with an R clip so it can be removed for using the jack on a car etc

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p84/johng_016/jackparts.jpg

 

[Clive-Cardiff]

I was supplied with an AL-KO jack with my new Heritage TA. I cant fit mine because I have had the all wheel drive Powrwheel fitted which gets in the way of the mounting holes for the jack brackets.

AL-KO say that I will invalidate my waranty if I drill an extra set of holes so thats no good.

I intend trying to raise the van using my leveling wedge placed in front of one wheel then driving up to see if I have enough height to change the other wheel if required. If it works the only time I will need a jack is for levelling on a very tight pitch.

Anyone want to buy a new AL-KO jack??????

 

[Dustydog]

Hi alan

I will measure up later

The piece of metal I used came off a loudspeaker originally and was among some souvenirs of my dad who has been dead 22 years!!!

I made another adapter for my friend using 1/8in thick steel and a vice to bend it

He subsequently bought the Kojak but still needed the bit I made as he couldn't use the Kojak on the same side as the Alko wheel carrier

The artical in this months C & CC mag seemed to have missed the point that its not hetting the spare out when using the Kojack but using the Kojak for levelling with the Alko carrier in place(that's what we both found on the Pageant Bordeaux 5)

Basically its got an upstand that fits into the Alko bracket and the U section is just wide enough to span the chassis to avoid slipping

I fitted a big washer uderneath the bracket and inside the existing jack cup to give some sideways stability and countersunk the centre bolt which fixes with an R clip so it can be removed for using the jack on a car etc

Thanks John , I get the picture and will knock something up next week.

Cheers

Alan

 

[Dustydog]

Clive , Throw it away, It couldn't lift a bicycle.

Interesting idea. Do you think 3 inches height of the stansdard levellers will be enough and also safe?

This whole business with jacks for twin axles has p'ssed me off particularly, at the moment Alko and Bailey have been quite unhelpful. I was so mad I even copied one of my e-mails to Nigel Donnelly at PC. You never know he might do an article on the subject in a future edition.

I only have the Powrwheel on the front axle so I can jack up and remove the spare wheel. Did you ask Powrwheel for their thoughts?

Cheers

Alan

Cheers

Alan