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our caravan has come with a alko stablizler , can this be used with a standard tow bar ? someone in pub said it couldnt , been new to caravans i want to be sure , plus wen we picked the caravan up was a lot of groaning coming from towball/hitch  ..... is this normal ??

any advise gratefully received

kate

you need a alko towball, costs about £20 plus new bolts, clean off any paint and keep it totally grease free by spraying with brake cleaner

alan126 is right about replacing with an Alko towball. The reason is because the neck part is longer than a standard towball which allows the swivel movement of the Alko hitch. Regarding the creaking and groaning of the hitch, this is a common problem as there have been many threads on this subject. Some advise to use brake & clutch cleaner spray which you spray onto the friction pads inside the hitch. I have this problem and have recently bought some of this spray but haven't used it as yet but note that this is the important part. When you use a spray it only effectively sprays when you hold the can upright as you would do when generally cleaning brake pads & shoes but as the can needs to be held upside down to spray inside of the hitch then you may have problems. I have since found out that 'Holts' make this product in a can that can be effectively used upside down as it states in the link and also confirms this on the can also.

http://www.holtsauto.com/products/group/repair-and-maintenance/professional

thanks guys

kate