Just had call from a friend towing her van on M62, started to snake really badly, is not overloaded/unbalaced, she managed to regain control and stopped at service station, the ALKO stabiliser lever had come up whilst towing! She was absolultely certain it was down properly when she set off, she is an experienced tower/caravanner of 15 years plus has anyone heard of this before? She was very shaken and frightened as she has her elderly Mum in the car and her young son.
Help Help Urgent advice needed!
- Thread starter Joann
- Start date
Joann
I cannot explain why the stabiliser handle would come up on its own
However when I was in Germany last year I left the site after hooking up went through the usual procedures and away we went after about three miles felt the caravan was more unstable than usual I stopped and found the stabaliser handle was in the raised position.
I presumed I must have forgot it placed it into the down position and went on the towing back to normal. Touch wood it has not happened again.
I can only assume she forgot to put it down and it is easily done from past experiance
John
I cannot explain why the stabiliser handle would come up on its own
However when I was in Germany last year I left the site after hooking up went through the usual procedures and away we went after about three miles felt the caravan was more unstable than usual I stopped and found the stabaliser handle was in the raised position.
I presumed I must have forgot it placed it into the down position and went on the towing back to normal. Touch wood it has not happened again.
I can only assume she forgot to put it down and it is easily done from past experiance
John
However, just because the stabiliser wasn't on properly would not account for the instability.
There must have been some other factor, such as vehicle mis-match, loading, driving style, speed, tyre pressures etc, etc. Properly loaded caravans with a good towcar are amazingly stable. A stabiliser is purely belt and braces.
There must have been some other factor, such as vehicle mis-match, loading, driving style, speed, tyre pressures etc, etc. Properly loaded caravans with a good towcar are amazingly stable. A stabiliser is purely belt and braces.
The caravan is well below 85% match MTPLM is only 1300kg and the towcar is a Passat estate. I have just heard from her again and the handle had popped up again when she reached her destination. Heavy items like awning poles are all in the car, and she has towed thousands of miles over the years - she is a teacher and goes caravanning all for all the holidays every year plus weekends so it is not driving style or inexperience. The ALKO stabiliser is newly fitted to the van and that is why we are thinking it might be faulty. She has towed other vans with the same stabilser so is familiar with them.
The caravan is well below 85% match MTPLM is only 1300kg and the towcar is a Passat estate. I have just heard from her again and the handle had popped up again when she reached her destination. Heavy items like awning poles are all in the car, and she has towed thousands of miles over the years - she is a teacher and goes caravanning all for all the holidays every year plus weekends so it is not driving style or inexperience. The ALKO stabiliser is newly fitted to the van and that is why we are thinking it might be faulty. She has towed other vans with the same stabilser so is familiar with them.
The normal reason for the handle coming up, assuming it has been pushed down properly in the first place, is that the pads are not sitting tightly against the towball. This could be that the pads need adjusting or that the ball is worn. The AL-KO website has instructions for adjusting pads.
Or maybe the pads were sitting so tightly that one couldn't push the lever far enough down to self lock?
Damian
Moderator
A problem was identified with certain caravans that the handbrake lever under braking conditions was hitting the hitch and pushing the stabiliser handle up.
The remedy was to bend the handbrake lever a couple of mm away from the hitch, ie towards the edge of the A frame
The remedy was to bend the handbrake lever a couple of mm away from the hitch, ie towards the edge of the A frame
Has she got the correct Alko towball - with a longer neck? If the Alko hitch is newly fitted, and she has an old towball then it may be greasy from the previous towhitch and of the wrong type. There is a previous post showing the types of towballs:
Alko towball:
Normal towball
Not being 'girly', but no always in these colours - but the Alko has a longer extended neck.
Alko towball:
Normal towball
Not being 'girly', but no always in these colours - but the Alko has a longer extended neck.
That has happened to me.When the lever was up the pads werent returning to the off position and the lever would not press fully down..A little lubrication soon sorted it outLutz said:
Having the wrong type of towball, even if it were greasy, should not cause the lever to lift while towing. The wrong towball can cause physical damage and grease would prevent the stabiliser from working properly, but neither can directly exert any force to raise the lever.Val A. said:
None of this explains the instability experienced though. Just because the stabiliser isn't engaged doesn't mean that the hitch isn't connected properly. I would certainly have the stabiliser checked, but more worrying is the instability. With a well matched outfit a stabilser is really "belt and braces".
Do you know how and when the "snake" started?
Do you know how and when the "snake" started?
The hand brake clobbering the aalco lever is a possability.
If the correct towball has been fitted, has the paint been lightly sanded off the ball.
As a temporay measure you could thread an elastic strap through the handle and round the hitch at the front end of the rubber gator. This might encourage the handle to stay engaged until you can get the outfit to the dealer who fitted the stabiliser. There must be some sort of manufacturing failure to of caused this.
As the person is a seasoned tower, I guess they have inflated tyres on van and car to the loaded pressure.
If the correct towball has been fitted, has the paint been lightly sanded off the ball.
As a temporay measure you could thread an elastic strap through the handle and round the hitch at the front end of the rubber gator. This might encourage the handle to stay engaged until you can get the outfit to the dealer who fitted the stabiliser. There must be some sort of manufacturing failure to of caused this.
As the person is a seasoned tower, I guess they have inflated tyres on van and car to the loaded pressure.
Hi i see no mention of what model Alko is being mentioned.
I see the magic figure of 1300 kg , well Alko have a model AKS 1300, which is completly different to the more common 3004 model.
It is in two parts I down locking lever and a knurled wheel.
With the AKS1300 when the alko is locked onto the towball , you have to turn the knurled wheel untill you feel a resistance,which has pushed the pads onto the towball,you then lower the locking handel down which takes a bit of pushing into its final position.
Failure to turn the Knurled wheel prior to lowering the locking handel means that you have not engaged the stabilser, the handel justs drops down showing no resistance.
Royston
I see the magic figure of 1300 kg , well Alko have a model AKS 1300, which is completly different to the more common 3004 model.
It is in two parts I down locking lever and a knurled wheel.
With the AKS1300 when the alko is locked onto the towball , you have to turn the knurled wheel untill you feel a resistance,which has pushed the pads onto the towball,you then lower the locking handel down which takes a bit of pushing into its final position.
Failure to turn the Knurled wheel prior to lowering the locking handel means that you have not engaged the stabilser, the handel justs drops down showing no resistance.
Royston
Thanks to all who helped and gave advice and suggestions
Was ALko 3004 newly fitted triple pack with correct ball, and paint sanded by the way, turned out to handbrake lever hitting hitch and making it pop up, now sorted. Also she failed to mention her elderly Mum had brought a massive suitcase with enough clothes for a world tour, this was for 4 days in the peak district!!!!!! hang head in shame.
Was ALko 3004 newly fitted triple pack with correct ball, and paint sanded by the way, turned out to handbrake lever hitting hitch and making it pop up, now sorted. Also she failed to mention her elderly Mum had brought a massive suitcase with enough clothes for a world tour, this was for 4 days in the peak district!!!!!! hang head in shame.
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