Got the new car and got the new tow bar in February, no problems so far. With this brilliant weather we are having decided to get the van ready for next weekend (30Th) early and take it out of storage and down to the house. Low an behold because of the Alko 1300 and the bike plate the tow ball did not fit It must have been 1/4 of an inch too tight. Called the guy who fitted it and he said no probs be there soon and he changed out the ball for an 'extended' one. Happy days, just glad I did not leave it until the day before we were departing.
P.S. already did all the after winter checks while in storage.
We had something similar the weekend before last. I had fitted a plate to mount the electric socket on which also protected the car from the towhotch. It worked fine with the horse trailer but when I came to hitch up the caravan for our first outing of the year, there wasn't enough clearance for the stabiliser. I had to take off the towball the plate and the electrical socket and then put it all back on. The plate works fine upside down.
It's actually a known fact that if you have an Alko hitch fitted on the caravan you have to have the accommodating Alko towball to suit if you have the flange type towbar fitted. If it's a detachable swan neck towball then there is no restriction of movement on the Alko hitch but it's wise that you checked it before hand though as these things can be taken for granted quite easily. In saying that, this also happened to me a few years back when I changed from a detachable to a flange type and I was unaware of it at the time. We do sometimes learn the hard way and that's why it's best to ask for advice on here first.
I don't think the problem he was talking about was down to the wrong type of towball but the fact that the exterior of the stabiliser was catching the plate. The switch to a different type of towball was to move the stabiliser back from the plate.
I forgot to rub off the coating on our new tow ball, it was only when we got to our site and un hitched that i saw all the black flakes drop out of the hitch. I'm glad to say there was no problems whilst towing so all was well.
atb Bill
------------- Bill n Kay
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Topic: DO NOT LEAVE CHECKS TO THE DAY BEFORE
It must have been 1/4 of an inch too tight. Called the guy who fitted it and he said no probs be there soon and he changed out the ball for an 'extended' one. Happy days, just glad I did not leave it until the day before we were departing. 
it was the correct towball but the bike plate just made it too tight
