As my car's a bit of a classic, I've been thinking about my tow ball. I'm fitting the tow bar this weekend & need to get a tow ball for it.
I really fancied one of those chrome flip-down tow ball covers, but at £30-£40 I just can't justify it this month (I've already got to pay out for a stabiliser (Bulldog type, probably 2nd hand) & an MOT.
Then I got to thinking about my last old 5 series, that had a shock absorbing tow ball on it.
It's new old stock & I reckon it would go quite nicely with the car. But, my dad (an ex-mechanic, & not a BMW fan) said "is that a good idea?" & also asked "why did they never catch on?"
So, does anyone here have any experience of these rubber bushed shock-absorbing tow balls?
Should I bother?
Or should I just save up my money & buy a nice shiny chrome flip-down cover, a fitting period accessory for an old executive saloon car.
Quote: Originally posted by Greendemon315 on 01/12/2011
I would save the cost of the stabiliser and the shock absorbing ball.
You can manage quite nicely without either.
Jim
Whilst fitting this 20 year old gadget ask yourself "Will this be compliant with EU standard 94/20/EC applicaable for all cars post "S" reg".
If you need an approved towbar you also require an appropriately approved towball.
If the answer is no and you use it anyway then your classic is not insured due to breaching the Construction and use Regs.
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
Quote: Originally posted by matty79 on 01/12/2011
A "no" to stabilisers?
Is this wise?
Wise? Well it is certainly not needed and its name is somewhat misleading, it in reality is only a motion "damper". It stabalises in the technical sense nothing but makes for a physically more relaxing ride in damping down low order movements.
Arguably it "hides" initial hints of instability, the things that can also give that "comfort". I would rather "feel" what is going on and act accordingly but that view might not be shared by my passengers. It depends if you drive with a sensibility to what is happening with your vehicle and caravan or drive oblivious to all the physical messages being given out by them.
From the 1960s to 2002 I followed my own advice, without mishap, only changing then because the "new" van came fitted with the Al-KO composite hitch/damper that was easier to leave as supplied.
My car's a B reg, & AFAIK the tow bar's not approved either, but it's a simple fit on these cars (not a simple job to fit though, unfortunately). I'm sure I can trust Witter to deliver the goods where towing stuff is concerned, & the rubber should be fine, as long as it's not been kept in direct sunlight.
However, I doubt I will buy it, as it will probably take too long to get here, & if I do buy my beloved chrome flip-down cover, it probably won't fit anyway.
I am, however, very interested to know what peoples thoughts are on the stabiliser? I still intend to buy one, the caravan already has the sliding foot bracket fitted to the "A" frame. My dad has towed caravans with & without stabilisers, & has informed me of his thoughts. He says anyone towing without one, in this day & age, is foolish (maybe his words were stronger). The guy who sold me the van said he's never needed one, it tows fine as it is.
I know it's only a small van, & mine is a big car, but apart from a couple of small trailers, this is my first real towing experience. The outfit comes within the class B license, so I don't need to take the trailer test, I'm just free to get on with it.
I class myself as a good driver, having covered well over a quarter-million miles in the 13 years I've been driving, with no major accidents & no points or endorsements on my license. I've driven many different vehicles & never had any problems (a bit of confidence also helps) & I constantly have to jump from auto to manual, sometimes even right to left hand drive. (my car is an auto, which should be fine for towing).
So, do I need a stabiliser? Perhaps I should word that better; Should I have a stabiliser? I do intend to do some motorway miles with the outfit.
Quote: Originally posted by matty79 on 01/12/2011A "no" to stabilisers?
Is this wise?
Wise? Well it is certainly not needed and its name is somewhat misleading, it in reality is only a motion "damper". It stabalises in the technical sense nothing but makes for a physically more relaxing ride in damping down low order movements.
Arguably it "hides" initial hints of instability, the things that can also give that "comfort". I would rather "feel" what is going on and act accordingly but that view might not be shared by my passengers. It depends if you drive with a sensibility to what is happening with your vehicle and caravan or drive oblivious to all the physical messages being given out by them.
From the 1960s to 2002 I followed my own advice, without mishap, only changing then because the "new" van came fitted with the Al-KO composite hitch/damper that was easier to leave as supplied.
If it had been an easy job, would you have removed it?
I trained as an engineer when I left school, & I'm a great believer in machines communicating with you. I used to "feel" as well as hear & see what a lathe or milling machine was doing in the workshop, & as my car is an older model, you get a good feedback from it. Most of these modern cars don't give back much information to the driver, everything is damped out these days, which is why people have so much trouble in snow I believe.
Quote: Originally posted by matty79 on 02/12/2011
the rubber should be fine, as long as it's not been kept in direct sunlight.
That's generally far from true, whilst UV in sunshine does great damage so does the ozone in the atmosphere. Even wrapped though not hermetically sealed we were putting a stored and in use "life" of five years on our drive belts.
If you know the "rubber" to be one of the higher spec synthetic products you might be okay for a lot longer.
I'm not going to get into the whole stabiliser thing again, it's been done to death on here. I don't like them because they mask the feedback you need, and then you get surprised - in a bad way. It takes out the little wriggles, but won't stop snaking.
Ten or fifteen years ago, people did think they helped, but in actual fact they will not save you in an emergency. If you want one, get one, but I would never buy one. My caravan has a stabiliser hitch, so it needs to stay on. I would be just as happy without it.
Think back to the days before stabilisers were invented. Were there more accidents?
Only recently on this forum, there was an incident where a caravan overturned. It was fitted with a stabiliser, but the basic rules hadn't been followed.
They do make for a slightly more comfortable ride, but they definitely are not safety devices. Caravans are not the only type of trailer, and most trailers on the road do not have any form of stabiliser.
I see your point. (I should have searched for posts on stabilisers, but that wasn't the original subject of this thread, I just kinda got carried away).
There's no substitute for following correct procedures with these things. Like having a good weight ratio (mine is pretty much spot on 85%, the car is actually slightly heavy, which is the best way to be I think) & loading the van correctly.
I never thought nose weight gauges were necessary, but have been given one recently & now I fully intend to use it.
I'm still going to get a stabiliser though, I think the damping effect will help with the suction effect of passing lorries on the motorway & avoid any possible over-reaction on my part. These are high sided trailers, & I am using it all year round in all weathers, so I think I would gain some peace of mind with one fitted. & a good 2nd hand one is only about £10-£20. I will have to leave it off once or twice though, just to see how it feels. maybe then I will leave it off altogether, but until I try I won't know.
So, back to my original post, regardless of it's age, does anyone have any real experience of the shock-absorbing tow ball? As I said, one was fitted to my last car, an identical model to this one (how I wish I had kept the tow bar).
I've just finished fitting the tow bar. It was bought 2nd hand for £30 from a bloke in Windsor.
It was only when I got there to pick it up he revealed he had actually made it himself! But a very good job he's made of it, he was a retired engineer & steel fabricator/welder, so I'm confident it's up to the job.
You probably would be better off fitting an ALKO stabiliser onto the caravan. That way you can comply with any insurance issues assuming you are insuring the caravan.
I do, but surely you realise that a stabiliser is no longer regarded as a safety device?
You may as well say the caravan has no microwave. If it isn't required, they can't complain if you don't have one.
We know stabilisers don't make towing any safer.
Jim
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Topic: Shock absorbing tow ball???
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