Quote: Originally posted by LegsDownKettleOn on 03/9/2009
The other thing is horse boxes are usually towed by something far more substantial than a saloon car.
So we have agreed that the suitability of stabilisers cannot be decided by comparing caravans with stabilisers to any other kind of trailer without.
About time we all managed to agree on something!
Yes well spotted LDKO !!! & also a few other points too - the OH & I shall be having some words.... hmph
In my 25 years in the police....15 plus in the Traffic ....I have been to dozens of caravan accidents.
The proportion of fitted / non-fitted stabiliser crashes is probably about 50% / 50%...give or take.
I currently tow at a 88% - 91% match with no stabiliser fitted. I always take care to load the caravan correctly.....even when about to leave a site...then adjust the load after a few miles if I think it needs it.......sort of fine tuning
Ever noticed how some people can pack up and go in a very short space of time at the end of a break.....they clamp on the ALKO....and away they go.....
Correct loading is the key......a stabiliser is an aid......nothing more....
In my 25 years in the police....15 plus in the Traffic ....I have been to dozens of caravan accidents.
The proportion of fitted / non-fitted stabiliser crashes is probably about 50% / 50%...give or take.
I currently tow at a 88% - 91% match with no stabiliser fitted. I always take care to load the caravan correctly.....even when about to leave a site...then adjust the load after a few miles if I think it needs it.......sort of fine tuning
Ever noticed how some people can pack up and go in a very short space of time at the end of a break.....they clamp on the ALKO....and away they go.....
Correct loading is the key......a stabiliser is an aid......nothing more....
----- David -----
Makes damn good sense to me Are you SURE you're a policeman ????
ive just driven from donny to skegness and back with no stabiliser, as we were advised on here to load it correctly and make sure tyre pressure is correct too, the first time i towed the van i had a bit of a problem with it swaying slightly (bloody scary) so now we have it all sorted ie loading, tyres, weight etc, i felt great towing this time even though i didnt go above 40-45mph, but i must admit i felt confident and in full control, got us there safe an sound and back home again, its only now that we know a bit more about loading etc that i would maybe buy a stabiliser as L.D.K.O says try without one first coz these things are not there to put right bad loading etc so thanks to all who advised us about loading weight and stabilisers as we are now hooked good an proper to the vanning scene and cant wait to get away again
Glad you enjoyed it Gaynor. As I say, I have nothing against stabilisers on a well loaded, well matched outfit. I just feel it is important to test your outfit without a stabiliser for stability rather than drop it straight onto an outfit which may be badly loaded due to inexperience as the stabiliser may remove the tell tale signs that the loading needs to be improved.
To be honest, I doubt you will really notice much difference with a stabiliser behind a Discovery anyway so in your case not really going to give you much for your money. If you were goign to consider buying one then I would consider saving the money towards ATC instead as there is no argument that this is a safety device.
You do see a lot of Discoveries involved with overturned caravans, but personally I don't think this is a fault in the Discovery. Quite the opposite, I think that because the Discovery is such a good towcar the "invincibility theory" cuts in where the driver can get a false sense of security and drive much too fast. I have seen 3 overturned vans and 2 have been towed by a Discovery. Ironically both had overtaken me shortly beforehand at a considerable speed. Even the best matched outfits have their limits, worth remembering when you think your stabiliser is going to save your life.
I still think that the air pressure thing causing that sucking/blasting thing when huge trucks pass at speed may be ruduced if you have a stabiliser fitted.
Have never once disputed that the crucial factor for stability is correct match of vehicle to van, correct loading etc (inc not driving like an idiot) but still think the stabiliser can be a safety AID in circumstances as in my 1st paragraph. Even with our Defender towing our teeny-weeny correctly loaded........
When OH gets ours fitted & we get away again, if this thread is still going on I shall report back with our own findings !
ps a bit confused why the bobby admits it is an aid but still doesn't use one hisself
The stabiliser will reduce the sucking / blasting thing when trucks pass. I have never denied that. But if they can remove these movements that are normal and nothing to worry about they will be removing the other small movements that are not normal and really are something to worry about.
My car has ABS. Not because i intend to drive it 'on the limit' and close to skidding, but as an aid to avoiding an accident in some unforseen circumstance. It also has loads of airbags and crumple zones, all of which i never intend to see working - but it is reassuring to know the safety equipment is there. So no real surprise then that my van is fitted with an AL-KO stabaliser. I would much prefer the ATC system but funds will not stretch to it at the moment . And i always carry a first aid kit, and i hope to never need to use that either. As an aid to your safety a stabaliser is IMHO no more likely to stop an accident than any other driving aid. But as an aid to controlling a snake, or a blown out tyre etc etc why not fit one? If it makes your unit (which will of course be a good car/van match and be sensibly loaded) 5% less likely to go beyond your control in some unforseen circumstance then it is worth the money. Just the same as ABS or whatever else. So do you need a stabaliser on your van? Probably not. But do you need ABS or stability control or laminated windscreens or airbags or seatbelts (etc etc etc)? I think the answer to these questions is the same - no driving aid will guarantee your safety but all of them are desirable - 'just in case'. Other people can risk your safety by their inconsiderate and unsafe driving. So why not fit a stabaliser 'just in case' the driver in front causes you to need to swerve or brake hard? Why not fit one to protect yourself from the buffeting of a speeding lorry/coach, or to reduce the swaying of your van caused by ruts in lane 1 of our motorways? Hopefully you will never ever need it and it will be seen as a waste of money. Just like your airbags and ABS. Enough said
------------- Why am i doing this instead of camping??!!
Quote: Originally posted by doit on 08/9/2009
But do you need ABS or stability control or laminated windscreens or airbags or seatbelts (etc etc etc)?
All of those are demonstrably safety aids. This is not true of caravan hitch stabilisers.
Unfortunately, stabilisers are a triumph of marketing over engineering. They can neither prevent a snake nor help you recover from one. Perhaps you might care to read the executive summary at the start of the Bath Uni study referred to earlier in the thread.
If you or anyone else wishes to fit or use a stabiliser, by all means do so - but please don't believe that it will help you avoid a snake. I have yet to see any evidence at all that stabilisers have a role in improving safety. If anyone else has, please post it here.
I'm a terrible person for not knowing when to give up, but i did manage to stop smoking (20/30 a day girl for yonks) , don't drink THAT much anymore (used to be a dreadful lush!) so I reckon I can give up chipping in again on this thread too - well maybe..think I'll err on the side of caution & remove the email notifications...
as a few might know, I wrote my knew Eldis Avanti 556 off two yrs ago on the A30. I was doing 45mph when a gust of wind hit me, A twin axle van nearly lost it in front of me further up the road towing with a 4x4,Yes i had a stab on it,it didnt do a thing, and the van was loaded as it should be,Thats another story, any way last easter i towed my van back from wales to cornwall wanted a change, I to totally forgot to put the arm down on the stab (having earache of the other half). I pulled on taunton deane m5 services, when i noticed the arm wasnt down, It just proved to me i didnt need to have the stab on, BUT i must admit it does help when the trucks pass you, and the grooves in the motorways throw you about, as the car has very wide tyres on, its picks them up without the van on the back. But I too agree, that a lot of poeple think that stabilsers are fitted to reasure them that they are safe. a stabiliser does not add any stability.it covers up the symptoms of instability,Like LDKO said, To think a few little pads in a hitch will stabilize 27 foot of a van weighing 1750.and gear inside as well. I dont think so.
right match of outfit, safe speed, no your limits. lost count now on that M5 the amount of vans ended up as flat packs, head lights up in the air,
------------- Roughing it in style at Calloose caravan and camping holiday park nr St Ives.(seasonal pitch)
Its not a hangover, its wine flu!
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Topic: Do we need Stabiliser?
Are you SURE you're a policeman ???? 
. And i always carry a first aid kit, and i hope to never need to use that either. As an aid to your safety a stabaliser is IMHO no more likely to stop an accident than any other driving aid. But as an aid to controlling a snake, or a blown out tyre etc etc why not fit one? If it makes your unit (which will of course be a good car/van match and be sensibly loaded) 5% less likely to go beyond your control in some unforseen circumstance then it is worth the money. Just the same as ABS or whatever else. So do you need a stabaliser on your van? Probably not. But do you need ABS or stability control or laminated windscreens or airbags or seatbelts (etc etc etc)? I think the answer to these questions is the same - no driving aid will guarantee your safety but all of them are desirable - 'just in case'. Other people can risk your safety by their inconsiderate and unsafe driving. So why not fit a stabaliser 'just in case' the driver in front causes you to need to swerve or brake hard? Why not fit one to protect yourself from the buffeting of a speeding lorry/coach, or to reduce the swaying of your van caused by ruts in lane 1 of our motorways? Hopefully you will never ever need it and it will be seen as a waste of money. Just like your airbags and ABS. Enough said 
. I pulled on taunton deane m5 services, when i noticed the arm wasnt down, It just proved to me i didnt need to have the stab on, BUT i must admit it does help when the trucks pass you, and the grooves in the motorways throw you about, as the car has very wide tyres on, its picks them up without the van on the back. But I too agree, that a lot of poeple think that stabilsers are fitted to reasure them that they are safe. a stabiliser does not add any stability.it covers up the symptoms of instability,Like LDKO said, To think a few little pads in a hitch will stabilize 27 foot of a van weighing 1750.and gear inside as well. I dont think so.
