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HI

As you may seen from previous posts were looking at maybe purchasing a caravan, unsure what the difference is between all the stabalisers and are they really needed ?

Thanks

They are very useful but will not stop a badly matched or loaded outfit from being unstable.

Most newish vans have a stabiliser type hitch (Al-Ko or Winterhoff). These can be retrofitted as well. They have pads which clamp on to the towball (which must be grease free!). To operate, the van is connected to the towball as normal, then a large lever is pushed down, bringing the stabiliser on.

The other type are the blade type eg Bulldog.

A bracket is fitted to the towbar and another to the side of the van a-frame.

The blade has friction plates. It is slotted into the towbar holder then swung across and dropped into the bracket on the caravan. The friction plates help damp snaking. The blade itself is curved so tends to push down and counteract pitching.

I have used both types, currently have the al ko hitch both are very useful.

Remember that correct towcar match. noseweight and loading are paramount for safety.

My bulldog blade worked really well on my previous car which had a fixed towball but new car has removeable towball. There is a fitment available for it but it looks horribly clumsy and will prevent my removable towball going in the slot in the boot.

So until I decide to buy an alko hitch stabiliser it's towing at 50mph for me.

If the van has an alko (easily identified by the big red handle and hitch) remember that they need a different towball to avoid the oversize hitch touching the car.

I wouldn't tow a van comfortably without one, whether they make much difference is a big debate but it serves as peace of mind more than anything.