Hi to you all, i am thinking of changing my caravan tow ball end for a alko stabiliser kit so it replaces my snakemaster stabiliser. Just thought it would be easier to use and i would not have not have to store it when not in use.
I bumped into the person who i brought the caravan off and had a chat with him about it,he said he was going to put one on but was told you could not. Being new to this anyone got any answers,also do i have to grease my tow bar ,i take it if you use a alko tow bar is kept dry. Enclose photo ,sorry but best i could do until caravan is moved. Thanks
http://s708.photobucket.com/albums/ww90 ... 001-15.jpg

From what I can see of the hitch head on the photo it looks like an Alko...is the van on an Alko chassis??...If you look under the van it may have Alko in big letters embossed on the chassis rails.......If it is ....the Alko tow hitch head is a bolt on replacement for the hitch head you have at the moment....Maybe the capt can be of more help...

When / If you get an Alko hitch head everything must be absolutely grease free inside on the friction pads...I give mine a rub with meths on a clean rag......the tow ball on the car needs to be grease free as well...the towball also needs any paint sanding off down to shiny metal....You might also need an Alko towball...this has a longer "neck" to allow the hitchead to move without catching the towbar when cornering.......think as far as I remember you can buy the whole lot as a package deal.....

Cheers for reply, my chassis has a plate saying TW Chassis ltd and on the tow hitch it says albe if that helps. On the setup that i have now should i grease the tow bar. Cheers

From the sound of that it looks as though maybe an Alko hitch head WON'T fit afterall.....

You need to grease inside the Hitch head and the car towball on the setup you have now...Watch yer trouser legs when hitching /unhitching....put the cap straight back on the towball...you can always tell a caravanner by the smudge of black grease on their trouser legs...better tell the missus as well she won't be pleased if her new strides get all daubed up...............mucky grease is a sod to get off...

I used to really like the old leaf type stabilisers..in fact for "pitching" I think they're better than the Alko's...I only changed 'cos an Alko came with the caravan.........and I'd much rather have a Snakemaster or a Scot anyday ..than the small Alko stabiliser........the one with the little red handle at one side........

Cheers for replie, looks like i am stuck with the snakemaster. What type of grease do i use,and when you say put cover back on tow bar,do you hitch the caravan with the plastic cover left on. All new to me, and got my first hols in it next month.

I used to use some high melting point grease ...HMP....I just happened to have in the garage....

The towball on the back of the car is the one you catch your leg on...usually squeezing through as you've just unhitched....you'll know what I mean when you've done it...the cover is a dome shaped plastic or alloy cup that push fits onto the car towball...you sometimes get full soft plastic covers that cover the whole lot..even a split tennis ball will do......you take this off before hitching up.....like I said before.. it stops you getting your trouser legs daubed up with grease...don't know how many pairs of kegs I've ruined over the years....and it stops the towball getting all rusty and rough..

The Snakemaster should be a very good stabiliser..its very like the Scot we used to have....but don't rely on it to work miracles...no stabiliser can do that...you need to balance your stuff in the van....heaviest items just slightly forward of the axle on the floor or low down.....Heavy things like tinned stuff.. bottles and jars we still put in the back of the car in a cardboard box..Don't put heavy things at the back end of the van either...Just Get your packing balanced right and you shouldn't have a problem....

Even now after years of caravanning.. I'm still playing about trying to get the perfect tow....moving the waterbarrels slightly backwards or forwards a bit....or moving the dirty washing bag forwards a bit.....just fine tuning....our vans very stable...even in bad weather......its just pursuit of the perfect ride.....all caravans vary...It might sound complicated, but most of its just common sense...you'll soon get the hang of it.....

Cheers fot that.

TW were Lunars own in house chassis manufacturers I think they stopped using them in the 90s in favour of Alko.