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I used my caravan this weekend, having not used it for about 3 months the winterhoff stabiliser tow hich on the van was making one hell of a raquet!  I know you are not supposed to grease the ball but should anything be greased internally in the hitch?  When we pulled onto the site the noise attracted a lot of attention and made many tongues wag!

Any help greatly appreciated

Thanks

Gary

i had the same with my winterhoff i cleaned inside the hitch and it seems okay now[only happened after van had been in for repair]i wondered if the car used to move it about was contaminated? will have to wait and see

I also have a Winterhoff hitch-cum-stabiliser, and my tow ball is a removable one.   First, do not grease or oil the tow ball, or anywhere on the hitch that comes into contact with it.        Second, try to keep the tow ball free from rust.  It can be cleaned with fine emery cloth, but rust is metal and each clean results in a minute reduction in ball diameter.                                                                             When not in use, my towball is kept indoors and the ball is wrapped in clingfilm. Even with all this care, there is considerable creaking when turning.  This is caused by friction between the ball and the Ferodo pads of the hitch.   My investigations have shown that no mechanical fault is present, so I just ignore the occasional creaking.   Point of interest for Winterhoff users: I have seen the replacement pads at £66 + per pair!!! and have been quoted £100 to replace.  Last year, the RRP for these was approx. £28  BPW (UK) import them. I carry a spare set.  

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies,the creaking is when turning on the road and even when going straight on a camp site.  This is really loud and embarassing. The ball is very clean and i always make a point of giving it a wipe before use.

Didn't know if there was a simple solution to this

Thanx guys

Gary

I work as a mechanic and when cleaning dust and dirt  from dusty brakes we use brake cleaner leaves brake pads and shoe linings clean this stuff also evaporates  and is not greasy or oily these pads in your alko will be made from similar if not the same material you can buy brake cleaner in an aerosol from most spares and accessory shops about a £5 i would certainly give it ago