Alko Stabilisers - Again

[JohnM20]

I have put this question to Alko direct some weeks ago but they have not responded, perhaps someone out there may have some bright ideas.

Like many other caravanners my Alko stabiliser is noisy. It is more of a squeak than the typical groan but it occurs after only about 10 miles from being cleaned.

I clean both the ball and the pads using a piece of industrial 'Scotchbrite' abrasive pad as it seems more conformable than emery cloth. I also use brake cleaner spray and wipe the ball and pads carefully using a clean cloth or paper towel until there is no black residue showing on the cloth / paper.

The caravan (Abbey Vogue 460)is only just over a year old and has done about 4,700 miles in total so, if the Alko literature is to be believed, the pads should be good for at least another 25,000 miles. A new Alko ball was fitted at the time I got the caravan.

I guess I have no call on the caravan warranty although someone at Swift may care to comment on this.

Has anyone any ideas, besides turning the radio up, before the incessant noise drives me insane.

Regards to all

John M

 

[rob_jax]

John,

A couple of fellow Eriba owners got so fed up with the squeaks from their AL-KO 1300 stabilising tow-couplings that they reverted to a simpler AL-KO with a greased tow-ball...

However, the other 1000+ people on the Eriba Forum seem happy, so it should be possible and I do have a few ideas:

1. The friction pads in the stabiliser head will make some noise in operation - just like car brakes can, so...

2. Make sure all bolts on the caravan tow-coupling and the car tow-bar are correctly torqued / tightened. A loose bolt can allow vibration and magnify noise.

Particularly the mounting points in the car boot - some of these will have rubber bushes to isolate the tow-bar from the car - make sure everything looks OK.

3. Remove the tow-ball and check the mounting surfaces - clean and flat? - no possibility of movement? - then refit, possibly with a smear of bathroom sealant or mastic to fill any spaces between the flange plate and the back of the AL-KO ball.

I've heard it reported that the flange plate tow-balls are more prone to this noise problem that swan-necks or detachable balls - maybe because of the steel used, or the surface finish on the tow-balls, or the way they are mounted...

4. Make sure the AL-KO friction pads have a clean surface - this means taking the pads out (easy job). Examine the pads for wear and both clean and roughen the surface with emery paper

5. If you refit or replace the pads - take special note of the "pins" on the back of the pads - they can benefit from a smear of CopperSlip on the pins to help them slide smoothly in the coupling head. But take care not to get any lubricant on the friction surface.

6. With advancing age, the high frequency part of our hearing goes first - and this just might solve the problem anyway

Robert