After reading mixed veiws on stabalizers i thought i would try one out,
My main reason is that as soon as i get above 50mph i need 2 lanes due to snaking etc,between 2 freinds and myself weve tried everything to stop this.(with no joy) it was getting to a stage that the caravan was very close to being sold as i didnt need the added stress of worring about towing.Cutting along story short i won one on ebay £33. complete fitted and headed off to Clumber park for the weekend.and every thing was perfect,after around 30 mins i became more relaxed turned the music up and enjoyed the journey (i was even able to over take an hgv at very slightly above 60mph with no signs of snaking)
however i did notice that towards the end of journey poss 1hr n 20 mins into it when going around an island or sharpe bend the stabalizer was creaking and echoing though my van.. is this normal??
the journey homw was slightly differant as on leaving Clumber park I wasnt aware that the main gate was closed at 7pm so at 2mins past 7pm my reversing skills were put to the test.sun blinding and around 15 cars making the same mistake as me i was able to turn round.(proud moment for me.)
again a pleasant journey home but on arival home i noticed the stabalizer bar and come off of the slider and was sat underneath it!! so what did i do wrong??
i carnt be sure when and how it came off but how do i stop this happening again??
They tend to come off on very tight corners where the car and caravan are at different levels, and normally when making the turn whilst reversing. If it comes of at any other time it could well be that the bracket on the A frame of the caravan is located incorrectly, either hight or distance from the car or both. The creaking sound is probably dust on the friction pads of the stabiliser and if it is not too bad then leave it otherwise they have to be dismantled and possibly new friction pads fitted and then tightened up to achieve the required friction.
I would however be very concerned that you could not get the unit stable without one as that indicates you have an inherent instability and the stabiliser will simply dampen out the forces until they exceed the damping force and then serious problem time! As Tango said check wheel balance and also check tyre pressures and condition of tyres (cracking etc) especially if they are coming up to 5 years old as they will need replacing at about that age. The thought crossed my mind that are the tyres the same on each side?
------------- 'A sure cure for sea-sickness is to sit under a tree'
I too would humbly suggest that a stabiliser is not the answer to your problem of snaking - you need to re-check everything - weights, tyre pressures, suspension on the car, loading of the van, nose weight wheel balance.........
i will just say,, that a good and well laden van with good tyres thats at the correct pressures and balanced should not need a stabliser at all.i think you have just not loaded the van correctly and you are a danger to yourself and other road users.
------------- Maker Of Fine Handcrafted Writing Instruments
You say that when you got home , the stabiliser was detached , you did not notice any snaking ?
If that was the case , you must have loaded your `van differently or set up the tyre pressure`s and or nose weight differently . If you can remember what you did that was different , do it again and enjoy life with a well set up `van . If the stabiliser came away from the drop plate under the tow ball , has the fixing screw been left undone that secures the tongue in it`s slot ? If it is coming off at the A frame slipper , then the slipper is too low and needs raising on it`s bracket until you need to lift with a pressure of about 20kg to locate the sprung bar onto the slipper when the caravan is in a level plane with your car . Could you post what car and van combination you are using ? You may well be very mis matched .
A stabiliser is definitely not the answer. Whether or not you keep it, you still need to get to the root of the problem. It is clear that there is something wrong. As it is yet undiagnosed, it is very dangerous to mask it with a stabiliser.
Take it off until you have sorted the cause of your instability.
Can't agree with the other replies enough to be fair. There's clearly a problem somewhere with the loading of the van and/or tyres etc., and as has been said, these issues need addressing immediately and I'd encourage you not to be on the road until you've done so.
You need this rig stable before considering use of your 'stabiliser'.
It's ok, I've got a stabiliser fitted, turn up the music, foot down, yippee holidays here we come!
You did intend having a long holiday in the cemetary I take it?
I can't believe this is not a wind up after all the discussions that have gone on the subject. The last thing I recall is mixed views. The one thing that has always been unanimously agreed is that a stabiliser should NEVER be used to mask an unstable outfit. You will find very few members that will even consider them anything more than a comfort aid any more.
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Topic: finaly turned to a stabalizer
