I would expect a caravan engineer or dealer to recommend a stabiliser...He has a chance of selling you one.
A well balanced outfit should not snake if it hits a pot hole, with or without a stabiliser.
Maybe you should try towing without a stabiliser and move things around the van to alter the noseweight and see the difference it makes. I have and you would be amazed the difference a few kilos makes to the way it feels without a stabiliser. Covering this up with a stabiliser just demonstrates my point that it can cover up the warnings and lets be honest, a beginner needs these warnings.
I have certainly not suggested that people suddenly drive at 90 mph because they have a stabiliser, however the highway code states that you should choose your speed depending on the prevailing conditions. An outfit with a stabiliser fitted will feel safe at a higher speed than one without. Note the emphasis on the word feel as it won't actually be safer.
Both LegsDownKettleOn & Greendemon have made valid points, all of which I have to agree on.
Personally, I wouldn't consider a stabiliser to be of any benefit for the lightweight van the Op's mentioned however if they do feel the need to fit one I'd strongly urge them to tow some distance without the stabiliser fitted/engaged to check how the rig handles at each use. I cover at least 6-8 miles before fully engaging my Alko hitch type and am happy with towing performance.
It could be argued "why bother"; frankly while I appreciate the stabilisers benefit I'm also aware of it's limitations too.
Quote: Originally posted by LegsDownKettleOn on 01/1/2011
For what it's worth, I have an AlKo hitch stabiliser and really cannot tell the difference whether the lever is up or down.
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Topic: Stabiliser and Towing
