(beerok) you do the right thing & fit an alko towball. & don't take any notice of them who says its not needed.
(Greendemon315) you said (I do think the main problem is the clearance to the bumper, and the thought that somehow the bumper might lever the stabiliser hitch off the ball)
This is not the big problem. The problem is that the alko Stabiliser head is very large & when hitched up to a none alko ball. The bottom of the alko stabiliser can catch the base of the neck & prise its self off when on the move. It needs 25° axial rotation movement in every direction. If it hasn't & it catches then something as to give. There must be a minimum of 60mm depth from the centre of the towball to the base of the neck. Some towballs have less then 45mm.
(dr bacardi) You must be one of a small % that do trust dealers
& over tightening of bolts can lead to a striped thread or a weakening bolt shaft that could shear off at any time.
well its kept people talking
and gazza12345
(dr bacardi) You must be one of a small % that do trust dealers
& over tightening of bolts can lead to a striped thread or a weakening bolt shaft that could shear off at any time.
you must be strong to over tighten a towball nut and bolt
on a serious note i am all for safety and if i thought it was unsafe i would def change it but i do like a good debate
If you are using a flange type towball that has an extended neck as shown in the picture above or a swan neck towball, these will be fine with the AL-KO Stabiliser. There are other manufacturers who produce extended neck towballs.
There needs to be a minimum distance of 60mm between the centre line of the towball and the plate to allow the stabiliser head to articulate upto 25 degrees as shown in the handbook document, I have attached a link here for all to see.
If the towball being used does not allow such articulation, this will cause damage to the stabiliser over time and in worst case scenarios, could cause the caravan to become detached from the towing vehicle.
We cannot recommend highly enough that you ensure you are using the correct extended neck towball.
I hope this helps.
Kind regards
------------- Paul Jones
Marketing Manager
AL-KO Kober Limited
Paul, many thanks for this clarification. It's good to have a definitive answer. If I had a flange type towbar, I would buy an Alko ball. There's absolutely no reason not to.
What is the situation regarding wear on the ball? I suggested earlier in this thread that, because the ball and hitch were not moving freely, protected by a film of grease, and the friction pads were in constant contact with the ball, every time a corner is turned, the ball might be "sanded down" by a very small amount.
I understand that this would be to a very small degree, if it happens at all. I would be happy to change the ball after a certain mileage, just to make sure the fit doesn't become sloppy. Is this necessary, and have there been any problems with this happening? I expect in reality, the pads are soft enough to take all the wear, and the ball will be OK for years. Or am I wrong?
Quote: Originally posted by AL-KO Kober Limited on 10/6/2009
If you are using a flange type towball that has an extended neck as shown in the picture above or a swan neck towball, these will be fine with the AL-KO Stabiliser. There are other manufacturers who produce extended neck towballs.
There needs to be a minimum distance of 60mm between the centre line of the towball and the plate to allow the stabiliser head to articulate upto 25 degrees as shown in the handbook document, I have attached a link here for all to see.
If the towball being used does not allow such articulation, this will cause damage to the stabiliser over time and in worst case scenarios, could cause the caravan to become detached from the towing vehicle.
We cannot recommend highly enough that you ensure you are using the correct extended neck towball.
I hope this helps.
Kind regards
thank you for your input ,much appreciated
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
Is this not just a wind up? I thought that most sensible caravanners new what was required when using an AL-KO Stabiliser Hitch, I have never had one but I knew what was required, I have two AL-Ko balls in my garage going spare if anyone wants one
The tow ball will wear over time, but it is likely that the friction pads will wear sooner. The pads, if kept in good condition i.e. cleaned before each journey to remove dirt build up, should last for around 20,000 miles.
If you are towing with a diesel this cleaning operation is a must, as the particles contained in the exhaust fumes, coat both the tow ball and friction pads and is the most common reason for hearing the creaking noise.
As for the tow ball, the indicator on the stabiliser will tell you when the ball is worn beyond a safe level.
Hope this helps.
Paul
------------- Paul Jones
Marketing Manager
AL-KO Kober Limited
Hi beerok we have just changed our folding camper for a new sprite major and the dealer gave us an alko towball and i asked if they could change it over,whilst the salesman showed us the van,which they did.Worth asking your dealer if he would do the same.Cheers John
After reading all this I have just been to Halfords in Blackpool and bought one of these Alko towballs, and had it fitted at Stuart Longton caravans for the price of a drink.
Am picking up a new van next week, and was not informed that my old towball was not suitable for an Alko stabiliser. Only that it had to be free of grease and paint.
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Topic: Al-ko Tow Ball
