We have just purchased our first touring caravan and need to get hitchlock and wheelclamp before we pick it up in a couple of weeks. Just wondered if anyone had any recommendations, mid range budget and it's a single axle Bailey. Thank you
Personally, I would suggest getting a wheel clamp and hitchlock that is easiest to fit - that is the only criteria I would say is most important.
In reality, neither of these devices will stop a determined thief getting your van and as you are the one taking the darn thing off and on every time, make it as easy as possible. Your insurance company may give you a discount for a specific brand but you'd need to work out if that is worth it - no good spending £150 on a wheel clamp which gets you £10 off your premium, IMO.
I've got a Bulldog Titan wheel clamp which weighs a ton and is a bit of a faff to put on but I got it for £45 off eBay.
The only one I suggest you avoid is the Alko wheel lock, which requires you to line your wheel up correctly before fitting - a real pain unless you have a motor mover.
If you have an Alko stabiliser, the Alko hitchlock is very good - easy to put on and solid looking (again, I got it secondhand off eBay for about £30).
Post last edited on 19/04/2012 13:49:06
------------- 'In later life, you will be more disappointed with the things you didn't do than with the things you did.' - Mark Twain
I use an AlKo hitch lock on my van and a Bulldog Euro clamp which just locks on the wheel to prevent the van being moved. In the past I had a Milenco wheel clamp which fits rather the same as the Bulldog Titan mentioned by Nelmo. However I had a problem with it when it go jammed and it was a devils own job to get off and it took hours. I would never make a caravan thief !!!!
We have that alko wheel lock lozenge thing, I agree with nelmo, it's a pain to put on unless you have a MM, also I've noticed it's scratched the alloys on the van .
Can recommend the alko hitch lock though or the bulldog, we've had both and very good.
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The road can be tough and rough,but what you put in you get back 10 x more.
does a hitlock work when the caravan is on the car ( ie. when your towing it) and does it work also when its on its own. (ie when its on site)
hope this make's sence ...thanks
You can use the Alko one while towing but it's not recommended only because the emergency services may have problems removing it in an accident. Not sure how much of a problem that really is but anyway...
To be fair, it would be a pretty good thief who would try nick the van while moving so why bother? I put it on when I stop at services as it is so easy to do.
------------- 'In later life, you will be more disappointed with the things you didn't do than with the things you did.' - Mark Twain
Quote: Originally posted by agde on 19/4/2012
thanks NELMO. that what i wanted to know..i was only thiking of useing it when i was parked anyway..thanks again
only takes seconds to fit at any time,as above do not use while towing.we do not leave the caravan or car unattended at any time on route.
Hi morgankaz77 It all depends how much you value your van, I have the Al-ko Secure and would fully RECOMMEND it. Yes its a bit Fiddly to fit BUT IT IS THE MOST SECURE thing on the market. You get what you pay for. A battery grinder would have most of the wheel clamps off in less than a min. There was a van stolen from the Secure compound where I store my van last year and all that was left was the hitch lock & the wheel clamp. And all that the CCTV picked up was two hooded men in a 4x4. & Last May I went to pick up my van and Some one had stolen all my cushions out off my van the lot And it took until Oct to sort it out, Van Insurer was as much use as a third sleeve in a jersey. We got one weekend away in the van in late OCT. The AL-KO secure bolts is like a alloy wheel locking stud it Needs its own spanner to tighten it, then there's a locking barrel even if they drill the lock they have to sill get the bolt out that is screwed into the van Chassis.
We've got alko hitchlock. Never had a problem fitting. Just need to line it up. Ours is a single axle though. I can imagine it being harder on a twin. Once lined up it is much quicker to fit and more secure than the other wheel locks I have used. They are expensive but got ours second hand from a dealer
Bulldog Titan on our last van didn't stand a chance against the thieves - it was levered off without a problem. The Alko Hitchlock may look sturdy, but that was levered off too and it broke the hitch (we got our stolen van back and the hitch was going to need replacing). Because the Alko hitchlock doesn't fully enclose the hitch, it only sits around 3 sides, it gives way to a crowbar.
Alko wheel lock - it's more lightweight than the Bulldog and probably less likely to chop your fingers off if you get it slightly wrong!!! But it is true that they can be tricky to fit - our new van came with one and we use it - but it really needs a motor mover to get it in the exact place. And if you need to level your van that makes it trickier more so - they're also very expensive. But there are some who like them and find them easy to fit as they have a built in jack to jack up the 'van and turn the wheel by hand. There have also been cases of caravan's pinched where these have been fitted. At the end of the day, if they want your van they'll probably get it.
So my suggestion would be to not spend too much money on a wheel or hitchlock, because they can be removed more easily than you may think - and quickly too. Get what you need to satisfy the requirements of the insurance policy.
We have the Alko Hitchlock and Alko Secure wheel lock. The hitch lock is great and easy to use and I would certainly get another one.
The Alko secure has its benefits but as has been said above its a pain to line up without a mover or the Alko wheel jack. We got one recently as it is much smaller and lighter than our old wheel clamp which makes it easier to put on (once lined up!) and carry. We got one 2nd hand on ebay for £99 and as we get £20 off our insurance it will pay for itself within 5 years. In terms of security its probably the best on the market, which is why most insurance companies will give you a discount. However if you have this discount remember it MUST be fitted when ever the van is not been towed. One other thing ......if you are buying one 2nd hand make sure it has the registration card with it so you can register it with Alko. If you can't do this then it will invalidate your insurance as they also state that the lock must be registered in your name!
One other thing ......if you are buying one 2nd hand make sure it has the registration card with it so you can register it with Alko. If you can't do this then it will invalidate your insurance as they also state that the lock must be registered in your name!
Is this entirely true?
Are yOu insured through the caravan club? They didn't ask about this when we told them we had one!
I will have to call them up to clarify this
Quote: Originally posted by stephenn280575 on 20/4/2012
One other thing ......if you are buying one 2nd hand make sure it has the registration card with it so you can register it with Alko. If you can't do this then it will invalidate your insurance as they also state that the lock must be registered in your name!
Is this entirely true? Are yOu insured through the caravan club? They didn't ask about this when we told them we had one! I will have to call them up to clarify this
Yes we are with the CC and yes this is part of their policy. I only found this out as we didn't originally have the discount and when I called them to add it because we had brought the lock they told me this on the phone. I then recieved an amended policy from them and with it was a letter highlighting that for the policy to be valid the lock must be registered to me.....plus the normal conditions about when it had to be fitted. We were lucky as has no idea about this and glad it was pointed out to us! Thankfully the one we brought had the paperwork with it to register it but its worth people been aware of this if buying 2nd hand!
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Topic: which hitchlocks and wheelclamps please?
so why bother? I put it on when I stop at services as it is so easy to do.
