Last weekend fitted stabilizer and Breakaway cable

Apr 10, 2016
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I have had a broken stabilizer since I bought the caravan and at first did not realize that it was such a common item and of such a standard construction to be largely universal amongst all caravans.
Getting the stabilizer off proved to be a pain using various approaches that never seemed to get the right result. As the caravan is up my mums it meant a number of trips with different group of tools. First socket set, then deep socket set, then deep socket set and spanners, then nut cutters and finally when you have had enough, faithful angle grinder. Always wear suitable eye protection when using power tools on metal

With the new stabilizer on I can notice how abused the other three corners are when winding from previous owner using them too level caravan.
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My other task of the day was to replace the perfectly usable breakaway cable but wife ordered it changed and the clip looked very rusty.
This meant hacksawing off the old cable, the amount of times my knuckles hit that stabilizer bracket, using my dads old hacksaw blade.
The new cable had a large sprung keyring type of clip. Probably will rust in three years. It was cold that day, wintery weather seemed to have hit England again but after I sat with the wife in the caravan with a cup of tea and thought this is so relaxing and enjoyable.
 
May 7, 2012
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not sure what sort of stabiliser you have but most are reasonably easy to get off with instructions available on the web.
I am afraid if you are worried about the cosmetic appearance of the breakaway cable you will need to replace it every three or so years or so I have found. Again not clear how yours was fitted but ours did clip on both ends and are simple to replace.
 
Apr 10, 2016
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Raywood said:
not sure what sort of stabiliser you have but most are reasonably easy to get off with instructions available on the web.
I am afraid if you are worried about the cosmetic appearance of the breakaway cable you will need to replace it every three or so years or so I have found. Again not clear how yours was fitted but ours did clip on both ends and are simple to replace.

It is a standard AlKo long type held on by two M8 nuts on a coach bolt. The thing with coach bolts is you cant put a spanner on top, besides which the threads were destroyed as I also tried putting two nuts together to act as a lock, yet the nut was spinning like a bearing rather than a nut. The bits of thread falling away gave the clue.
I am not so sure removing anything that has been bolted for 20 years quite so easy.

I think the breakaway cable was the original, so it was in a rather sorry state.
 
Apr 10, 2016
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Dustydog said:
His stabiliser looks more like a corner steady to me. :unsure:

It is listed as a 'Stabilizer' and I am not sure of the nomenclature with caravan parts. I guessed a corner steady has arms perpendicular to the line of travel and stabilizers in line.
 
Apr 10, 2016
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EH52ARH said:
We know what you mean, don't worry, well done on the repair, all done and Happy.

I still have to fix the panelling in the bathroom this weekend that I had to dismantle to get to the top of the bolts.
 
Feb 3, 2008
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tenpole said:
Dustydog said:
His stabiliser looks more like a corner steady to me. :unsure:

It is listed as a 'Stabilizer' and I am not sure of the nomenclature with caravan parts. I guessed a corner steady has arms perpendicular to the line of travel and stabilizers in line.

In the caravanning world 'stabilisers' tend to mean something that helps to make the outfit more stable when towing eg hitch stabilisers, blade stabilisers, electronic stability control, etc. The term 'Steadies' generally refers to the legs that wind down from under the van when it is pitched up and not being towed in order to stop the van rocking on its suspension when people move about inside it (whatever that activity might be :blush: ).
 

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