Just got a new van with a new Alko stabilser,been out for weekend no problem until trying to unhitch The stabiliser appeared stuck on When it eventually released it came off with quite a bang.Am I doing something wrong pulled up the large handle fully then pulled up smaller handle then wound down jockey wheel the thing was stuck on so tight it was pulling the rear of the car up before releasing any tips for use Thanks
Alko stabiliser
- Thread starter rambler1
- Start date
Hi John,
A possible reason could be that (assuming all is well with the stabiliser hitch) you have reversed immediately before trying to unhitch and the hitch is fully compressed and forcing itself against the towball. It has happened to me a couple of times, on one occasion it was so difficult to unhitch I engaged the motor mover and took the caravan back ever so slightly then it unhitched without problem. Perhaps try to pull forward a touch before unhitching.
Robert
A possible reason could be that (assuming all is well with the stabiliser hitch) you have reversed immediately before trying to unhitch and the hitch is fully compressed and forcing itself against the towball. It has happened to me a couple of times, on one occasion it was so difficult to unhitch I engaged the motor mover and took the caravan back ever so slightly then it unhitched without problem. Perhaps try to pull forward a touch before unhitching.
Robert
John - well understand your problem. Probably due to the hitch being slightly compressed on way or the other when you were trying to unhitch. The usual problem is after reversing the van onto the pitch.
When you first couple up, look at the hitch area of the outfit and try to memorise how the convoluted rubber gaiter looks.
Before trying to unhitch, look at this again, and if it is either more stretched out or (more likely) more compressed than yo remember, put on the handbrake of the caravan and then more the car very gently to either stretch or compress the gaiter to the sort of position you remember. Hopefully, you will thien find the coupling will lift straight off (so long as you remember to lift the hitch handle - not the big red stabiliser handle which should have been lifteD upright before.
In extremeis, wind down the jockey wheel so there is a little upward load on the jockey wheel, get someone to hold the hitch handle up and then move the car very gently back and forth. Have the van handbrake on and be careful. In the worst case if the hitch is compressed, when it releases it may extend forwards and damage the back of the car.
Best try this out a few times on your home ground to get used to the positions. Being on a slope further complicates matters,
Hope this is of some help.
When you first couple up, look at the hitch area of the outfit and try to memorise how the convoluted rubber gaiter looks.
Before trying to unhitch, look at this again, and if it is either more stretched out or (more likely) more compressed than yo remember, put on the handbrake of the caravan and then more the car very gently to either stretch or compress the gaiter to the sort of position you remember. Hopefully, you will thien find the coupling will lift straight off (so long as you remember to lift the hitch handle - not the big red stabiliser handle which should have been lifteD upright before.
In extremeis, wind down the jockey wheel so there is a little upward load on the jockey wheel, get someone to hold the hitch handle up and then move the car very gently back and forth. Have the van handbrake on and be careful. In the worst case if the hitch is compressed, when it releases it may extend forwards and damage the back of the car.
Best try this out a few times on your home ground to get used to the positions. Being on a slope further complicates matters,
Hope this is of some help.
Make sure there is no big load between the car and van as this can make them "stick". ie the rubber bellows needs to be relaxed neither unduly extended of compressed. Certainly backing the van back onto a sloping pitch can really cause issues; in this case just pull on the vans hand brake and ease the car forward an inch. Somebody looking at the bellows can be helpful so as not to over do it and end up putting a pulling tension on.
If the car and van are not positioned "straight" in-line can similarly cause it to jam.
If the car and van are not positioned "straight" in-line can similarly cause it to jam.
Hi John Having the car and caravan on a angle can in some cicumstances cause problems, unhitching, make sure they are in a straight line if possible.
Do you have a high car? ie. 4x4, etc?
We had to bounce the rear of our Freelander to get it to unhitch even after fulling winding it up. Now we've moved to a lower car (Mondeo) it pops of easily.
We had to bounce the rear of our Freelander to get it to unhitch even after fulling winding it up. Now we've moved to a lower car (Mondeo) it pops of easily.
Hi John,
Up until recently I towed with Citroens, the last being a C5. I always found tha Al-ko hitch reluctant to let go of the towball. Have changed to a Passat and have no problems now.
It may be your towcat not the caravan hitch - just a thought.
Regards,
Ron
Up until recently I towed with Citroens, the last being a C5. I always found tha Al-ko hitch reluctant to let go of the towball. Have changed to a Passat and have no problems now.
It may be your towcat not the caravan hitch - just a thought.
Regards,
Ron
- Mar 14, 2005
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That you had a problem with Citroens but not with the Passat can only be sheer coincidence. There can be no explanation why it should happen with one car but not another. If anything it could have something to do with the surface roughness of the towball preventing the coupling from unhitching if under tension or compression.
Thanks for all your replies and advice,it was all very helpful.I had ib fact just reversed the van onto a storage pitch and no doubt the hitch would have been fully compressed.Will have to sort it as I need to reverse it and align the wheel to put on the alko wheel lock.think it may be best to reverse then pull forward to align before unhitching.Probabley my age but it just seems to get harder,bring back the good old days!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks again
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