twin axle wheel locks
- Thread starter valleyboy1
- Start date
We ended up using a small trolley jack which had the van up in seconds - The supplied Alko jack was worse than useless.
By the book use a jack.
Unofficially and cheating, line up the rear lock either with the tow car or mover. Securely fix the lock , then drag caravan carefully to line up the other wheel.If the mover is on the rear wheel do the front wheel first. This method works fine on gravel or grass; tarmac is a little more "brutal" but it works.
Now Al-Ko will give me a red card and send me to the kennels.
Cheers
Dustydog
Unofficially and cheating, line up the rear lock either with the tow car or mover. Securely fix the lock , then drag caravan carefully to line up the other wheel.If the mover is on the rear wheel do the front wheel first. This method works fine on gravel or grass; tarmac is a little more "brutal" but it works.
Now Al-Ko will give me a red card and send me to the kennels.
Cheers
Dustydog
Dustydog gave me this advice earlier this year - have used his method all summer - works great, remember you are probably only moving the wheel an inch (if that) just to line up the receiver.
If you do jack up its worth checking which wheel lifts first - on my van even jacking the front axle takes the rear wheel off the ground first, so if I do have to jack (my drive) I always line up and fit the front lock before jacking up to fit the rear one.
Good luck
Jon
If you do jack up its worth checking which wheel lifts first - on my van even jacking the front axle takes the rear wheel off the ground first, so if I do have to jack (my drive) I always line up and fit the front lock before jacking up to fit the rear one.
Good luck
Jon
We had a mover fitted, which is fine for one of the wheels, but the chances of having the second one line up at the same time was never going to happen.... required jacking up every time.
On a personal note, re the advice of fitting one lock and dragging the van to line the other one up. Don't be tempted, especially if you have alloys fitted.
Over any holiday period on a pitch that is anything but perfectly level, the van will settle slightly and this ended up marking my alloys, at the points where the foam pads on the Alko lozenges were crushed beyond being useful.
IMO dragging 1600+ kgs of twin axle against a locked wheel, can only result in more severe marking of the alloy wheel, along with untold stresses against the threaded securing bolt.
If your pitch was uneven "sideways" and either side of the van needed to be chocked up, this would cause further problems.
Each to their own, but I'd stick to jacking the van up.
On a personal note, re the advice of fitting one lock and dragging the van to line the other one up. Don't be tempted, especially if you have alloys fitted.
Over any holiday period on a pitch that is anything but perfectly level, the van will settle slightly and this ended up marking my alloys, at the points where the foam pads on the Alko lozenges were crushed beyond being useful.
IMO dragging 1600+ kgs of twin axle against a locked wheel, can only result in more severe marking of the alloy wheel, along with untold stresses against the threaded securing bolt.
If your pitch was uneven "sideways" and either side of the van needed to be chocked up, this would cause further problems.
Each to their own, but I'd stick to jacking the van up.
Hi All
Buy a trolley jack then it is easy. Bailey Senator Wyoming jack behind the rear wheel and both wheels come off the groud easily.
Just make sure you chock the wheels on the opposite side of caravan. If you have a 4 wheel drive mover leave one locked on while you put the lock on the other, then put other mover on and put lock on other wheel - no way the caravan can move. Alko supplied jack is useless wouldn't lift a pushbike off the floor!
David
Buy a trolley jack then it is easy. Bailey Senator Wyoming jack behind the rear wheel and both wheels come off the groud easily.
Just make sure you chock the wheels on the opposite side of caravan. If you have a 4 wheel drive mover leave one locked on while you put the lock on the other, then put other mover on and put lock on other wheel - no way the caravan can move. Alko supplied jack is useless wouldn't lift a pushbike off the floor!
David
Hi Ken
That's interesting what you say about the sponge. My two locks have a hard plastic insert that is a very snug fit over the lozenge, no sponge.
I do use the trolley jack where I ca but it annoys me having to carry more weight. Also on soft grass the jack sinks unless I get out my diy wooden levelling planks for suppport.
I have alloy wheels which show no sign of marking or damagage using the unapproved method. The bolt is one big mother and probably twice the diameter of a wheel stud.Fully tightened the stress load is actually taken by th efriction of the rear plate against the lozenge rear face , a bit like a clutch if you like.
When jacked up and fastened and then lowered the suspension tends to wind up on itself causing the very situation you describe when using the "cheat" method.
Personally I shall continue cheating on grass and gravel, but not on tarmac or concrete or any other surface where the wheel does not slip easily.
Technically I agree I am a cheat and must leave it to others to decide what method they use.
Cheers
Dustydog
That's interesting what you say about the sponge. My two locks have a hard plastic insert that is a very snug fit over the lozenge, no sponge.
I do use the trolley jack where I ca but it annoys me having to carry more weight. Also on soft grass the jack sinks unless I get out my diy wooden levelling planks for suppport.
I have alloy wheels which show no sign of marking or damagage using the unapproved method. The bolt is one big mother and probably twice the diameter of a wheel stud.Fully tightened the stress load is actually taken by th efriction of the rear plate against the lozenge rear face , a bit like a clutch if you like.
When jacked up and fastened and then lowered the suspension tends to wind up on itself causing the very situation you describe when using the "cheat" method.
Personally I shall continue cheating on grass and gravel, but not on tarmac or concrete or any other surface where the wheel does not slip easily.
Technically I agree I am a cheat and must leave it to others to decide what method they use.
Cheers
Dustydog
Dustydog,
It sounds as if the "lozenge" has improved since we got ours, as all there was supplied were a few thin self adhesive foam strips that we had to affix to the extremities to protect the wheels.
The fact that my wheels were marked speaks volumes about how well those strips did their job.
As far as cheating....... If it works for you, it's the right way, and if it keeps working for you, it's the best way !!
And on the subject of cheating, we recently chopped the van in for a motorhome. Last time we were away, we drove on to our pitch, plugged 240v supply in and within 5 minutes had the wine open.... That's proper cheating (Or so it felt after all those years of jacking my twin axle up)
Ken.
It sounds as if the "lozenge" has improved since we got ours, as all there was supplied were a few thin self adhesive foam strips that we had to affix to the extremities to protect the wheels.
The fact that my wheels were marked speaks volumes about how well those strips did their job.
As far as cheating....... If it works for you, it's the right way, and if it keeps working for you, it's the best way !!
And on the subject of cheating, we recently chopped the van in for a motorhome. Last time we were away, we drove on to our pitch, plugged 240v supply in and within 5 minutes had the wine open.... That's proper cheating (Or so it felt after all those years of jacking my twin axle up)
Ken.
I complained bitterly to Alko about the standard scissor jack which broke in the end and the need to carry a trolley jack to fit the wheel locks. In the end the kindly sent me a side lift jack.
The side lift is as easy as using a trolley jack so no lugging the extra weight around now.
I've also tried the Dusty drag method but I am also concerned about long term damage to the receiver and wheels.
The side lift is as easy as using a trolley jack so no lugging the extra weight around now.
I've also tried the Dusty drag method but I am also concerned about long term damage to the receiver and wheels.
Facebook
Twitter