Alko wheel lock ... driving with it on!!

Aug 15, 2017
72
0
4,580
Visit site
OK, yes, you did read that right!! I'd add on soft grass.

Short of time from the start for one reason or another, and angry at the time wasted on someone else's mistake and poor admin around the matter from the site owner, I had to move our caravan at the storage depot today from a temporary spot tight against a tree after someone mistakenly or selfishy, who knows, 'pinched' our bay yesterday and in my tired angry haste - also requring me to reverse if you ever did through a busy storage site on my own - I stupidly forgot to undo the Alko wheel lock!!

The car was struggling a bit but I thought it was just because I was reversing + over rough grass and I just wasn't thinking straight!

Anyhow, in the event, all it appears to have done is dug a slight trough over about 100' of muddy grass. The wheel lock came off very easily once I realised my mistake, so nothing obviously distorted and jammed on that score, but anyone know how robustly these things ... and the 'van axle, are mounted?

Do I drive it and see how it goes, or jack it and inspect something or other myself, take it somewhere (almost self-defeating, as if get there, then self-evidently little or no damage done), or what ...?

Maybe others do it all the time and laugh it off ?!?!
 
Jun 1, 2019
43
0
1,530
Visit site
Oh no!

It should be ok, especially as you've only dragged it across grass. I'd have a good look, under and around, the wheel. Just to be safe. Compare it to the other side if you're unsure.
 
Nov 16, 2015
10,396
2,788
40,935
Visit site
Bailey Niggles,( BN) It takes a good person to own up to a hiccup like yours. Why not join a Woosie fest and be Knighted for that.

, As long as you have had the correct and very tight AlKo , lozenge as the lock are caĺled, then I doubt very much that you have done much damage.
But it would be best to jack up the caravan, and see if you have any visible damage. The locking point is very sturdy, and will take a fair it of abuse.

If you are not mechanically minded then, for piece of mind, get a mobile engineer in to check the wheel hub out.
 
Oct 8, 2006
1,765
538
19,935
Visit site
Been there, done that, etc etc....!

Then the one I did today. Tried to move the van on the drive and failed to notice the jockey was not sufficiently out of its tube for the wheel bracket to be out of the tube slots. Didn't half make a noise when the movers managed to get it to move in a different direction to the line of the wheel - it moved in little sideways jumps! Mind you we have a U4 Seville which is only about 50Kg on the nose so there was realistically not much load for the movers to shift!
 
Feb 23, 2018
889
66
10,935
Visit site
If you can jack it safely and easily, go for it - give it a visual inspection for peace of mind. With a low nose I can poke my head under the caravan and see behind the wheel, useful as I cannot easily hitch to the car for jacking where it is stored.
 
May 24, 2014
3,687
763
20,935
Visit site
Sounds as if you have managed to get away without damaging the Alko Receiver, however, I would check the threads closely, both male and female. A bigger worry for me would be cracks in the alloy wheel and I would inspect that very carefully indeed, both inside and out.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts