New Bailey Senator

[ProfAlGoogle]

Senator Series 6 will be the first caravan to include the new Al-Ko ATC Trailer Control system as standard specification; which when combined with the existing Al-Ko AKS 3004 stabiliser will make Senator Series 6 the safest caravan on the road.

Sounds good, shame we have just bought a series 5!!!!

S*ds Law.

Allan & Gill.

 

[RichardS1]

You will be able to have the Alko ATC fitted to existing caravans.

 

[ProfAlGoogle]

Yes I know, more expense!!!!!!

I used to be a wealthy man, but caravaning soon sorted that out.

Allan & Gill.

 

[RichardS1]

I can relate to that comment as well Allan.

 

[GeorgeB]

Alan,

Yep, i've just (Nov last year) an Indiana, this ATC looks like s smart bit of kit, I've emailed Al-ko today as there is nothing on their web site about ATC.

Acording to the article in PC it should be about

 

[ProfAlGoogle]

And dont you just love the bull cr*p the salesman give you : No sir there is no model change for the forseeable future!!! and in 5 months we have a model change...............Talk about keeping me a poor man, and the caravan industry working to a different time scale to the rest of the world. Thats our choosen hoby for you.

ATC is certainly worth a thought, and not to expensive.

Allan & Gill (Even poorer)

 

[Surfer]

In perspective we should not have to fit stablisers etc to a caravan. It should be an optional fitment to improve or increase safety. You should be able to tow a well balanced caravan at 60mph with out stablisers or any fear, however the manufacturers do not balance the caravan from the outset. You have the fridge, battery and oven all on one side with no real weight on the other side. Before you even start off with an empty caravan you are on a loser as it is not balanced.

We picked up our Lunar CS new from the dealer with the gas bottles, battery etc and awning over the wheels and at 50mph you could feel it starting to twitch. I was towing with a Volvo S80 and well within the 85% guideline and with what I thought should be perfectly balanced outfit. It was only at a later stage with the caravan at almost maximum payload that it start to feel a bit more stable at 50 - 60mph. Anyway just to be on the safe side we had the Alko stabiliser fitted but at 55mph you could still feel the twitch.

 

[ProfAlGoogle]

Quite agree with you Ian, but we are getting there, albeit very slowly, most new caravans now come complete with an alko stabiliser, a product I have used from the onset and cannot praise them highly enough, and now that Bailey has started fitting the ATC system as standard on the senator range, I cant see it being much longer until other manufacturers follow suit. But as you quite rightly say they should not be an option but fitted as standard throughout the range of all caravan manufacturers.

Allan & Gill.

 

[RichardS1]

Evidently Lunar and Avondale will be fitting the ATC to caravans from September along with Bailey. I agree that technology which improves safety should be fitted to all vans but you can guarantee that manufacturers will only fit it to their top range vans.

 

[Oldfogey]

I begin to feel concerned that manufacturers are using stabilisers to overcome poor design - instead of taking a good caravan and adding a stabiliser to make it extra good, they are designing a poorly balanced van, and fitting a stabiliser to make it acceptable.

 

[SBS]

I begin to feel concerned that manufacturers are using stabilisers to overcome poor design - instead of taking a good caravan and adding a stabiliser to make it extra good, they are designing a poorly balanced van, and fitting a stabiliser to make it acceptable.

We towed our Eccles Onyx (100kg nose)up the A1 with a Disco (hire car) and I forgot to push down the AKS 2004 handle - it was a bit twitchy until I noticed at our fuel stop then it was OK. I didn't find it as nice to tow as our X-Trail (broke the rear diff, hence the Disco). Now got a CRV - nice. Just fitted some octogon dampers - much better, much less bouncy. Recommended!

 

[tomtom1]

Oldfogey Wrote:I begin to feel concerned that manufacturers are using stabilisers to overcome poor design - instead of taking a good caravan and adding a stabiliser to make it extra good, they are designing a poorly balanced van, and fitting a stabiliser to make it acceptable.........AND I HAVE TO AGREE WITH HIM, VANS TODAY ARE FAR TOO FRONT HEAVY WHEN EMPTY SOME BEING 75/80KG AT THE HITCH. WHAT CHANGE HAS ANYONE IN BALLANCING THAT SORT OF NOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT LOADING UP THE REAR OF THE VAN (WHICH IF YOU BELIEVE ALL THAT IS WRITTEN IS NOT THE DONE THING.I HAVE BEEN IN THE TOWING GAME FOR YEARS TOWING CARAVANS ,TRAILERS WITH RALLY CARS ON ETC AND HAVE FOUND THAT THE BEST NOSE WEIGHT FOR JUST ABOUT ANY TRAILER IS BETWEEN 50 AND 60GK ON THE BALL.I BOUGHT A CAR TRAILER ONCE FROM A WELL KNOWN MANUFACTURER AND WHEN LOADED WITH A CAR ON THE BACK(AND POSITIONED AS CLOSE TO CENTRE AS POSS)THE NOSE WEIGHT WAS OVER 130KG.TURNED THE CAR ROUND AND GOT IT DOWN TO A BIT BUT STILL TOO HIGH!...ANYWAY WE HAD TO GET ON THE ROAD SO OFF WE WENT AND IT TOWED LIKE A DRUNKEN PIG. WHEN WE RETURNED HOME I LEFT THE CAR ON THE TRAILER STILL CONNECTED TO THE TOW CAR , JACKED UP THE REAR OF THE TRAILER TILL THE WHEELS WERE CLEAR OF THE GROUND AND MOVED THE AXLE FORWARD IN STAGES, DISCONNECTING FROM TOW VEHICLE AND WEIGHING UNTILL I ATTAINED A NOSE WEIGHT OF 55KG......NOW TOWS LIKE A DREAM EVEN UP TO 80MPH!( THAT SPEED WAS ATTAINED ON MY FRIENDS PRIVATE AIRFIELD LOL!!)

SO CARAVAN MANUFACTURERS IF YOU ARE READING THIS GIVE ME A RING AND I'LL SOON SORT OUT THE NOSE WEIGHT PROBLEM!

 

[Moderator2_5083849]

Just a reminder, please do not post messages in Capital Letters.

Apart from being very hard to read, it is considered shouting on internet forums and is bad manners.

 

[GStockton]

Will bailey have redesigned the door? so if you accidently leave the key in the lock and the door swings back it does not put a dent in the side of the caravan!! same goes for the battery box lid.

been there done that now my van has 2 small dents

Gs

 

[ProfAlGoogle]

Snap!!!! Doing a balancing act with battery box door whilst threading hook up cable through, lost my hold on the door whilst the key was still in it, end result : small dent in van = 1 weeks spoilt holiday, why cant they just fit a stay to the door's??????

Allan & Gill.

 

[GStockton]

Alan I will have a further word from my mate at baileys about the key dent design fault in August when he will be camping next to me and wants a hook up at a car race meeting