alko runing gear

[jinty0_0]

has anyone had any problems with their alko breaks or draw bar. when towing caravan caravan snaked at 56 mph. on our third outing when arriving at site the brake drums were hot with brakes binding, the hand brake was off but the dealer is saying that caravan has been run with brake on, now they want draw bar off caravan to be sent to alko to be checked.

any feedback would be great.

 

[Bri-C]

HI Jane.

It is a little disturbing that your vehicle becomes unstable at 56 MPH and I thing that this is a seperate issue to the brakes dragging as dragging brakes should in theory at least help to reduce the snaking effect unless of course only one side of your caravan is being braked.

The reason that the dealer wants the drawbar returned to AL-KO is most likely to check that it is straight and greased. If it is bent then upon first breaking it will be pushed into the housing operating the brakes and provinding your subsiquent accelleration it not too servere it may not come out again hence the brakes remain on all be it not fully but enough the drag and get hot.

A few years ago I had issues with a new caravan on an AL-KO chassis,the brakes were not correctly adjusted. so that after first breaking the heat generated was sufficient to expand the components within the brakes just enough to cause them to bind and as they dragged they got hotter and expanded more etc. etc. etc.

The dealer said that they had checked them at the first service and that they had found no faults. They continue to drag so I started from scratch and adjusted them myself and have had no problems since ( Don't try this at home )

Regards Brian.....

 

[WatsonJohnG]

At my first service on the Oklahoma the dealer reported that the brakes were tight on one side and slack on the other yet it is only at the second service after 2 years that removal of brake drums is recommended by Alko !!

 

[jinty0_0]

my caravan was bought brand new in March and has only been used for 3 weekend breaks close to home. now my dealer is not sure wether al-ko want my axle or draw bar. he then said i am not saying you have not put your hand brake off but your brakes could have been binding and this is the outcome of your problem.

surley if the brakes have not released then this is a problem for my dealer or al-ko to deal with and not me.