We will be collecting a new-to-us Bailey caravan in a couple of weeks time which has the Alko Trailer Control fitted.
We've watched the demo's on the Alko website and it looks like a great bit of kit for additional peace of mind, but I wondered if any users had an comments?
Hubby read somewhere about the read light flashing on the Alko meaning that the brakes were locked on and the car + caravan must not be driven, is this a rarity?
Do you feel it when the 'correction' kicks in?
Claire
Post last edited on 06/08/2011 20:47:15
------------- Claire x
Jan 2013 - Skiing, Kühtai, Austria
May - Swiss Farm
Fforest Ffields
Aug - Saumur, France
Oct - Somewhere...
Jan '14 - Skiing, Les Houches
The brakes on our new van locked on due to a faulty earth I think it was in the Grey socket where the ATC gets its power from. I had the electrics converted to the 13 pin connector and everything works fine now. I'd bought a 2 into 1 adaptor prior to collecting the van not realising there was a fault in the socket. It cost £60 to get the electrics sorted.
I hope we never do Jim. Hubby always drives at a max 55mph on the motorways, but it's the lorries passing us at speed with give me the heebie-jeebies and I was wondering if we would notice the caravan making adjustments.
------------- Claire x
Jan 2013 - Skiing, Kühtai, Austria
May - Swiss Farm
Fforest Ffields
Aug - Saumur, France
Oct - Somewhere...
Jan '14 - Skiing, Les Houches
We have it on our van and i have only felt it kick in once ( i am the passenger )
Never had the red light come on in 2 years.
Flashing green light means problem with car/van sometimes if you hook up van and not drive off for 5 mins, you just move forward about 20 feet this normally clears flashing.
Green light is ok to drive/tow
All the info on the different light combinations in the leaflet that comes with the ATC.
Flashing green is ok and will clear when you move the unit a little. Solid red means not engaged\working. Still ok to drive but no ATC (had this on mine because towbar socket not wired correctly.
Flashing red and you have an engagement fault and cannot drive off. If it doesn't clear you have to disengage manually as breaks on caravan could be stuck on.
Only time I'm aware of it coming into force is if I exit a roundabout too quickly!
An excellent bit of kit ... one that I wouldn't choose to be without again. Glad to see Swift are fitting as standard to all models (apart from Sprite) for next year, saves us having to spec it as an option if we change in 2012.
------------- 2020 Volvo XC60 B5 R Design Geartronic / 2018 Swift Elegance 580
I have towed with the ATC for a while now and never really noticed it working but of course that don't mean it isn't.
The Car and Caravan drives very stable, if this is because of the ATC then brilliant, if its not, well its still nice to know its there when you need it such as heavy braking in an emergency.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Alko Trailer Control
