This may sound stupid but we had an accident this weekend, we have a hitch stabiliser on the caravan we seem to have a problem hitching the van to the car (freelander) we bought the van 2nd hand 2 weeks a go even the last owner was jumping on the caravan to attached it to the car. the hitch lock cluncked as he said it would, we checked the electrics everything worked, attached the breakaway cable set off and on the first corner the caravan came away from the car, went between 2 cars up the kerb and into someones hedge we were very very lucky or should I say everyone else was. it did damage to the trim on the caravan, but my main question is have others had problems hitching up and do you do some sort of double check OH has said he is going to put the jockey wheel back down and raise to see if the back end of the freeleander rises up. Don't want my stomach in knots everytime we go out with it.
Thats one of the best ways to test, reliable and used by many people. I'd have the hitch checked to ensure its not faulty though, there should be a 'telltale' to show its coupled correctly and it this shows ok and still comes off then it may need repairs or changing, Also make sure you have the right 'ball hitch' for the caravan hitch if it didn't fit on easily to start with, all simple things to check but very important.
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This is a sure sign that you have a standard towball fitted as the caravan will become detached if you have an Alko hitch with a standard towball. You need the Alko towball which the neck is not only longer from the flange but also has extra clearance directly under the towball itself to allow the hitch to articulate and be able the twist manouvre for uneven road surfaces.
Thanks all I will measure the tow ball tomorrow. The person we bought the caravan off actually replaced our tow ball with his, possibly he had the wrong size too but just been lucky. Would having the spare wheel on the back of the freelander stop us hitching correctly as we cannot get the red handle up fully 90 degrees.
The size of the ball will be the same as they all measure 50mm. diameter but it's the actual design that makes the difference to accommodate the Alko hitch. If you look at the picture in the link you will see that it's machined away under the ball to give more clearance and the distance from the centre of the ball to the bolt on flange is greater than a standard towball.
we have just bought a van with the AL-ko hitch and didn't realise we needed a specific ball, have just gone and ordered one! we had a strange 'creaking/juddering' sound when we came to a stop or on take off, would this have been why???
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a lot of people don't know or realise either that a alko hitch lock is dry ,no grease must be used at all ,where as normal hitch locks need loads of grease .
sappyc your spare wheel may well have interfered with coupling correctly ,i always fit a spacer plate between the hitch and the car as well ,(don't forget longer bolts though) .
I had a Dart 556 and had big problems with the Alko hitch. I never trusted it - I also have a 4x4 with spare at the back, drop plate and spacer & Alko towball. My checking of a sound hitch by winding the jockey wheel down caused several detachments - I took it to where I bought the van from and they said it was all working fine. I aslo had massive problems of detaching the van from the ball. In the end I spoke to Alko direct and they emailed me and then phoned me. They were a little perplexed but got one of their master technicians to talk to me he advised that there is a segment that can stick and must be greased lightly to stop it sticking. It worked but in the end I lost confidence. My latest hitch is a BPW and is brilliant. Be careful with your insurance I have a feeling if your van is detached from the car and causes damage to a third party your insurance wont pay up. Make sure you have van insurance.
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As 'the black fox' said about fitting a spacer between the towball flange and towbar, I do exactly the same and have just a half inch spacer just to give that extra clearance for the Alko hitch.
Quote: Originally posted by the black fox on 13/8/2012
a lot of people don't know or realise either that a alko hitch lock is dry ,no grease must be used at all ,where as normal hitch locks need loads of grease .
sappyc your spare wheel may well have interfered with coupling correctly ,i always fit a spacer plate between the hitch and the car as well ,(don't forget longer bolts though) .
You need to check this first with the towbar manufacturer. Adding anything like spacer plates and drop plates removes the type conformity and you could find your self uninsured if you have an accident.
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Topic: testing the van is hitched correct
