how to attach

[Danny_374561559]

hi all

uncle give us a Bulldog 200Q Stabiliser when we bought the caravan off him however we may not see him before we go away now so how do you attach it? the bracket is on the van for it but where does the other end attach to?

 

[John_miller]

You need another bracket which is attached to the car's towbar, specifically it fits between the towball and the backing plate and probably requires longer bolts than you have now. See http://www.bulldogsecure.com/category/55/1/car-brackets for some pictures of the different types available. The original bracket may still be on your uncle's car! Most caravan accessory shops still sell the brackets separately.

John M

 

[MikeA]

Hi Danny,

The stabiliser really isn't necessary provided your car and caravan are a good match and that you have loaded the van well to give a good noseweight. In particular, I can't think of anywhere on the run from Glastonbury to Brean that you would benefit from it provided you take it steady.

What I am saying is that I don't think you need to dash out and buy a bracket for this first trip. You will have time when you get back to ask your uncle if he still has the bracket for the car.

Cheers

Mike A

 

[Danny_374561559]

ah i get you, thanks for that. it will still be on his car as hes always had the same audi to pull his vans. can you fit the brackets yourself then or is it going to be more cost to pay someone to do it?lol. costing

 

[BigTim]

Hi Danny

I'd suggest you ask the towbar fitter to fit the bracket when he fits your new towbar. The only extra cost should be the longer bolts to accommodate the bracket. You should be able to get the bracket off your uncle's car although the towbar bolts do tend to get a bit siezed up over time. If you can't budge them most caravan shops stock spare brackets as John said, above. Make sure you get the large securing bolt too. It has a large cross shaped head covered in red plastic. There should, also, be a bent wire clip to hold the blade of the stabiliser in the bracket on the caravan. Again all these items can be purchased from caravan accessory shops.

I have a straightliner stabliser which uses similar brackets to the Bulldog andI have purchased spare ones of both the above items.

I WOULD recommend using the stabiliser. Of course you should load your 'van correctly but a stabiliser is a valuable safety addition.

Regards

Tim

 

[Danny_374561559]

hi tim. thanks for that. well as im not at my uncles until next weekend were getting the towbar fitted at work on tuesday so i wont have the bracket by then. i think the bent wire u spoke about is in the front locker. so on the car where do you fit the bracket as i cant find any info online? would ask my uncle but someone did it for him

 

[BigTim]

Hi Danny

The car bracket fits behind the towball and is held in place by the two bolts which hold the tow ball onto the towbar. Those bolts have to be longer to allow for the extra thickness of the stabiliser bracket. It might, also, be worth having a bumper shield fitted at the same time - that's just a piece metal shaped to stop the caravan hitch running into and damaging the bumper. The protector is held on by the same 2 screws and only costs a few pounds. I have a stainless steel one which looks good too on my silver towcar and a LOT cheaper than a replacement bumper!!!

As I mentioned before the car bracket needs a large cross-headed bolt to hold the stabiliser blade in place. That screws into the threaded hole on the right hand side of the bracket. The bracket probably has one/tow holes drilled through it vertically - those are so that you can put a padlock through the corresponding hole in the stabiliser blade thus securing it onto the car so that no one can pinch it!!

When you have got the bracket fitted to the car the hitching up procedure is this. Push the car end of the stabliser into the car bracket and secure with large red-headed bolt, and a padlock if you're using one. Then, after releasing the blade tension if it has that fitting, lift the blade into the shoe bracket on the 'van towbar and secure it by pushing the bent wire clip through the hole above it. The sprung blade can take a bit of force to get it into place and the 'van and caravan neeed to be as level as possible. There may be a hollow bar handle to which takes the tension on/off the blade I'm not sure about your model of Bulldog.

Another tip I remove my stailiser when doing tight maneouvres, forward or reverse, on/off pitches and places where the blade might "ground", eg, ferry loading ramps.

After writing this I found these fitting instructions from Bulldog

http://www.bulldogsecure.com/product/9/200q-stabiliser
and a picture of the car bracke, complete with red-headed bolt from the Towsure catalogue - so that you know what you're buying.

http://www.towsure.com/search.
Enjoy your caravan.

Tim

 

[Danny_374561559]

h tim, thanks for the great explanation, i think it may be the one in the diagram

so since it fits where you said would i be able to undo the bolts and fit it myself then since the holes are already there? i may give the towbar place a quick call and ask them to use longer bolts so i can just undo them and fit it next week

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Regarding the fitting of a bumper protection plate - I have a 2007 Vectra which has a low number plate. A permanently fitted bumper protection plate obscures the number plate when not towing and is therefore illegal. To overcome this I bought a removable protection plate, manufactured by Witter towbars and sold by Western Towing. I have found the device invaluable after reversing onto a pitch and the hitch expanding forward after uncoupling (before I pulled the car forward).

Here's a link:

http://www.western-towing.co.uk/acatalog/Bumper_Protectors.html
Just found this link from another supplier:

http://www.towbarsdirect.co.uk/bpp.htm

 

[Danny_374561559]

oh yes,forgot to mention, its a witter towbar thats being fitted

 

[Danny_374561559]

phew, just spoke to LNB towbars and what there goin to do is give me longer screws and also leave the towball off so when i go to the van next week i can just take the bracket off my uncles and put it on the car and attach the towball myself with a socket wrench woop, just what i wanted to hear

 

[MikeA]

Hi Danny,

There's some very good advice here for you. I do still advise that the stabiliser will be of no real use on this first trip you are planning. Typically a stabiliser will be of benefit when you are cruising down a dual carriageway and the van is subjected to a sideways force (perhaps by a gust of wind; the bow wave from a coach, lorry or van; or even some adverse camber from the road surface).

On your first planned outing from Street to Brean it is a total of 25 miles of less than straight road using the A39 and A38. OK you could take the short section of the M5 between J23 and J22 but it is barely worth it. I am just saying that you have time to wait and have the bracket from your uncle's car after the trip if you are looking to save wasted expenditure.

Cheers

Mike A

 

[BigTim]

Hi Danny

Yes you should be able to remove the bolts to fit the stabiliser bracket. Especially as they won't have had to "corrode" in!!! You could even ask the towbar fitter not to do the bolts up too tight so that you can remover them more easily, as long as you're not towing before you tighten them up of course!!!!

On the other hand if you can get the bracket to the towbar fitter when he fits it it would save you having to bother further. They do, understably, torque up the bolts very tight!!! Regarding the extra length of the bolts I've just popped out and measured the thickness of my stabiliser bracket, although mine's NOT Bulldog, I'm sure it would be similar, and mine is 1cm thick. The thickness of the protector is neglible, just sheet steel and then I,also, have a Witter towbar cycle carrier bracket which is 1 cm thick. My towbar fitter, my towbar is a Witter, used 10cm bolts and gives a LOT of thread to spare. If you are fitting the bracket later you need to make sure that the bolts the towbar fitter are not only long enough but not too long either which would prevent them from fitting between the ball and the front of the towbar itself, eg, if I took off cycle carrier and stabiliser brackets I would have to change to shorter bolts.

Incidentally, just to confuse you further!!! LOL, are you having 13 pin or twin electrics fitted to the towbar. I had 13 pin fitted on the car and changed my caravan twin sockets to a single 13 pin. That electrical system is MUCH more reliable as it locks into place and avoids problems like shorting from badly fitting pins and might be worth considering. If you do go for the 13 pin system on the car stress to the towbar fitter that you want the right thickness of cable used - some are too thin.

Regards

Tim

 

[Danny_374561559]

hi mike

some great advice been given. i was under the impression that it also helps with snaking and pitching while on the move?

with the fixing off the bracket i would be doing it anyway as either way the towbar is getting fitted at work this week and as we are at my uncles next sunday i will just put the bracket on then so its there and its one less job to do in the future as im sure when we go away i will think of more

i will tap the site into the satnav to see what route it takes us before then

 

[Danny_374561559]

hi tim

thanks again for this advice, may have to put you on speed dial.lol

well i called the towbar place and what there doing is fitting the towbar but leaving me the towball and longer bolts so i can fit them myself next week when i have the bracket. it would be easier to get the bracket before hand but a 60 mile round trip is too much for a brakcet.lol.

as for electrics i am having single electrics however did you say that you were able to turn you van twin electrics to one? also the thickness of the wire is it around 1.5cm?

 

[BigTim]

Hi Danny, again.

I agree the stabiliser does help prevent pitching and snaking problems. I'm a "belt and braces" person myself and I have fitted the Straightliner stabiliser on all 3 of our 'vans. It's very good in that its gas piston actually pushes the 'van back into line if it starts to snake. I have, also, had, Alko ATC retrofitted to the present 'van. I experienced snakes a couple of times, mainly when I was an inexperienced 'vanner, and it was VERY scary - so no thanks to that happening if I can do anything to lessen the chances.

With regards to using the Sat Nave be careful that it doesn't send you down any routes unsuitable for towing, eg, narrow, low bridges, etc. I love my Tom Tom and have used it all over Europe whilst towing but I, also, check my routes carefully on a road map.

Regards

Tim

 

[Danny_374561559]

i think i will use it as even though its only 25 miles with not really motorway driving etc im just cautious with the loading of the van etc so i think its better to be safe incase we did do the loading wrong, i know its heavy stuff over axle,awning etc but mistakes do happen

is a good stabiliser though from reading reviews and what my uncle has said so may aswell use it since it was frown it

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Danny

Have you also looked at the Caravan Club Website? They have some great leaflets - tips for newbies.

Lots of people have a check list to tick off things before they leave including food clothes and all the caravan stuff.

I suggest you take the stabiliser with you and I am sure there will be plenty of fellow caravanners who are familiar with your model. Don't be shy to ask, it may be one of us; LOL.

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[Danny_374561559]

tim- u mentioned about the electrics before, did you say you were able to turn your van twin electrics to a single?

dustydog, we should be able to get practical caravan stickers for our vans so on site we could spot it and a fun way of meeting the person behind the username

and i have found a great checklist, printed it off last night, even little tips for instance if you stop and put your back legs down make sure you put the drill/wrench thing in your drivers seat....

with regards to stuff to take the only thing we need is a microwave i will get next week,our clothes and us as my uncle left everything in there for us,kettle,pots and pans,melamime set,extinguisher,the lot.lol