Our new caravan has the Alko stabiliser in the hitch, question is, do I cover the towball when not towing, obviously need to keep the ball grease free but it is already showing signs of rust, what do the rest of you with hitch type stabilisers do when not towing.Do you cover your balls?
tow ball cover
- Thread starter woodsieboy
- Start date
Damian
Moderator
Keith, yes, keep your tow ball covered when not towing, to make sure it is not contaminated with oil or grease, even from exhaust fumes, such as are present in diesel exhausts.
As for the rust, rub the tow ball over with a medium emery paper just before hitching up, just to remove any rust deposits, and wipe with a cloth. Any contamination will adversely affect the life of the friction pads in the hitch.
As for the last comment,"do you cover your balls" the simple answer is yes, unless you want to be arrested for indecent exposure
As for the rust, rub the tow ball over with a medium emery paper just before hitching up, just to remove any rust deposits, and wipe with a cloth. Any contamination will adversely affect the life of the friction pads in the hitch.
As for the last comment,"do you cover your balls" the simple answer is yes, unless you want to be arrested for indecent exposure
A very suggestive question you're asking there, Keith! I hope I understand it the way you intended. A towball cover is theoretically not required with an integral stabiliser like the Alko but, if nothing else, it prevents one from getting one's legs dirty with rust when getting things in and out of the boot. Also, a build-up of rust can give rise to creaking noises in the system when the caravan is hitched up although that will go away again when the surface is polished again by constant relative movement. I use the original Alko cover which is soft and therefore has the added advantage of not hurting one's shins quite as much when running around the back of the car and inadvertently hitting the towbar.
While the ball should be kept grease free, it will obviously rust. Cleaning the rust with some fine abrasive paper will get it looking new again, BUT the rust will leave tiny pits in the metal, which in turn will wear away the friction pads on the stabiliser. I always put a bit of grease inside the towball cover and degrease the ball with an aerosol degreaser each time I use the caravan.
Keith .....Cover your ball by all means but dont expect it to stay covered. In July I had a tow bar fitted and it lasted 7 weeks before the cover was stolen! Now I use a plastic cap off an aerosol. Im now waiting for this one to be stolen.
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