ALKO HITCH FITTING

by HELEN
(LEICESTER)

CAN I FIT AN ALKO HITCH ONTO A 1990 AVONDALE CHEVIOT CARAVAN.


It should not be a problem as the caravan has an ALKO chassis. Just double check with your local caravan dealer and they will be able to advise you on the most suitable ALKO hitch for your caravan.

Alko Type Long Neck Towball

by John
(Wirral)

I have just purchased a secondhand caravan with a Alko hitch fitted to the caravan. Can I use a standard towball just to get the caravan home (3 miles).I have bought a Alko type towball but still awaiting its delivery. Thanks.

The Alko hitch will not fit on a standard towball and you should really have the towball changed before you tow your caravan home.

Alko Towball.

by Alexander
(Lanark)

Fitting an alko towball, I have been advised to remove the paint from the ball before use, is this correct?


You have been advised correctly. Alko advise that all paint is removed from the ball before use. The ball should be kept clean at all times. The reason for this is so dirt does not contaminate the friction pads inside your stabiliser hitch.

Where should I have a tow hitch fitted

Hi, I'm new to caravanning. I have just bought a new car and will be buying a caravan in the next couple of months. Am I better getting my garage or a caravan dealer to fit the tow hitch?

Thanks, John Myers


Your best bet would be to look in the yellow pages for a Mobile Mechanic to come to your house and fit it for you. Just look under the Tow Bars section and you should find a list of mobile fitters. They are generally cheaper and the plus point is they come to your house.

Tow Ball

by Colin Schofield

Do I need a new tow ball to cope with a modern caravan with an ALKO hitch. My existing caravan has an old ALKO hitch and connects up perfectly with the existing tow ball. The old van is a twin axle Spectrum, the new van is a Coachman 520/4, uprated to a Wandahome lux 17/4.


The answer is yes. You need an extended neck towball. They are not expensive (about £10). If you go to your local dealer they should be able to supply you one. Alternatively, you could try somewhere like Towsure.

Noise From Tow Bar

by Brian
(Sussex)

On a 2007 and well serviced Sterling Europa I started this season hearing a lot of groaning coming from the tow bar when turning and even just moving foward at times. Any ideas?

The noise is more than likely coming from your Alko stabiliser hitch. What you need to do is change the friction pads in the stabiliser and throughly clean your towball on your car. The towball must always be kept clean and dry at all times.

Seize Overrun On Alko Hitch.

by Roy Bedford
(Hull)

I Recently bought a Compass Kensington 2000/4, year 2000 in very good condition from a reputable dealer and took it on a trip of over 1000 miles over the Easter break. After about 750 miles I noticed that the overrun was not working properly and the caravan was bumping back and forth under braking, specially when stopping at lights and so on.
On checking, I found that I could not move the slider overrun by hand even if I really pushed and pulled. I bought a grease gun and pumped as much as I could into the available nipples and it appears to have eased the problem, do you think I need to take any further action, your advice would be greatly appreciated.


You have done the right thing by pumping it with grease. However, I would take it back to the dealer that you bought it from and ask them to have a look at it. Explain to them what happened and tell them you are not happy. Ask them to replace it if necessary.

Car Suitable To Tow My Caravan?

I can't find out my car / caravan compatability, as the caravan is rather old. Does any body know where I could find out this information? Many thanks for your help.

On the menu bar on our home page, there is a heading entitled 'What Can I Tow'. Click on it to take you that page. If you then scroll down to the What Tow Car box and fill in your outfit details, it will advise you if you have a safe match.

Towing Electrics - Sterling Eccles Onyx 2004

We have the above van but have never towed - it is on a site that offers storage and tow in & out facility. We are about to move our van to another location and a friend (who does tow) has offered to move it for us.

He has asked about the adaptor for the lights - his is a 13 pin and wants to know what ours is - does anyone know? Are they standard?

Also is there any way of checking our towing lights without being connected. As we don't tow how can we check these are working before he comes to move the van?

Many Thanks for any help

Sue


The sockets from your caravan should be the standard UK 7 pin but your friend has the European 13 pin version and will there need an adaptor to convert it into the preferred UK twin socket system. These adaptors are available and you should be able to buy one from your local caravan dealer.

As for checking the lights, the easiest way is to hook it up to a towcar. Perhaps the owner of the storage facility might be able to help you.

What tow bar????

by Sarah
(Leicester)

Hi, I have just bought my first caravan and need to get a tow bar fitted. I have a Ford Mondeo Estate (52 plate) and I'm not sure what tow bar I need. Do I need a particulary brand ie. I've heard Witter are good but does it really make that much difference?? Also do I need single or twin electrics? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks all. x


When I had my tow bar fitted, I took advice from a mobile fitter. I just phoned him up and told him the make and model of the car and he advise me what we be best and quoted a price and came to my house to fit it. As for the electrics it is totally up to you. If you intend to do long distance touring I would go for the twin electrics, The extra grey socket (12S) will allow you to operate your fridge whilst towing. It will also operate the reversing lights on your caravan, as well as charging your battery. I personally have always gone down the twin electrics route. The cost on having the extra socket fitted is worth it in the long run.

Caravan Hitch

by Mick
(South Ockendon)

I have a 1992 Fleetward Garland 2 berth caravan. When I am towing and pulling away it clonks. Would you happen to know what could be the problem with it?



It could be the damper which needs changing. Ask your local dealer to have a look and get them to change it if necessary.

Alko Stabiliser

by Alan
(Leighton)

Do you know whether you can fit an Alko stabiliser hitch to a Coachman 480/4 Mirage Lux 1998 caravan? If so, which one should I fit and is it a DIY job?



It should not be a problem to fit one and yes you can do it yourself. Full instructions should come with the stabiliser. As for the model it depends on the weight of your caravan. The majority of new caravans are fitted with the AL-KO 3004. You might like to try your local caravan dealer to see what they would advise.

Alko Hitch

by Geoff
(Wallington, Surrey)

I have a 2000 Elddis Typhoon which has a standard hitch. I was wondering whether it is possible to change my caravans hitch to one of the new type stabiliser types made by Alko.


This should be no problem at all. Full instructions should come with the new hitch. The Alko stabiliser hitches, have a larger head, so you will also have to change your towball as well.

To grease the tow bar-- or not?

by Carolyn Millward
(Shropshire)

I have been told by and experienced caravaner never to put grease on the tow ball as it may affect the stability.
My brother who has recently bought his first caravan tells me you should grease the ball to stop it rusting. My brother has done alot of reading up on caravaning. Which should I do.?



It all depends on the hitch head that you have fitted to your caravan. If you have the standard (old type) hitch, then you do have to grease your towball. However, if you have the hitch with a built in stabiliser, the under no circimstance should you grease the towball. The towball should just be kept throughly clean to make sure the stabliser pads inside the hitch are no contiminated with dirt.

tow bar

We have a caravan which we have towed with a greased tow bar. We have just changed the car and this one has a dry tow bar is this a problem.

If the caravan you are towing has a hitch head with a built in stabiliser, then the towball must be kept clean and dry. If it has a standard hitch, then the towball must be greased.

Has anyone ever had their caravan unhitch while towing

by Andy
(Yorkshire)

Has anyone ever had their caravan unhitch while towing thanks..............


I have only ever seen this happen once. It happened to someone who was leaving the site where were situated. They were just pulling away and had just driven a few feet and the caravan just came away from the car. That is why you should always make sure that the caravan is coupled to the car correctly and that the breakaway cable is attached to the car before driving off.

Towing Vehicle

by Carol
(Essex)

I need some help with information about my towing vehicle. Would you know whether my Fiesta l800 would tow a Monza 4.30s Deluxe caravan? Many thanks.

On the menu bar on our home page, click on 'What Can I Tow', then scroll down the page to the box entitled Outfit Match and then simply fill in you outfit details and it will work out if you have a safe match.

Hitch Damper

Please can you tell me how expensive is it to have a new damper fitted to a Sprite Musketeer.
Thanks.



The damper itself will cost around the £50 mark. You could fit it yourself to save labour costs or you could ask your local dealer or a mobile mechanic for a quote for fitting it for you.

When Attached To The Car ...

by Jane
(Devon)

When your caravan is attached to the car can you go in it to make a cup of tea etc or do you have to unhitch it or put its stands down? I am a total beginner!


If you enter your caravan whilst it is still attached to your tow car, it is always advisable to wind your rear legs down for stability.