al-ko tow hitch

[(RIP) rustygates]

Hi
getting back to the original post, (seems a long time ago) and having visited ALKO stand at the NEC last wed the alko rep said it was really a precautonary measure to get people to check various measurements for clearance's between bottom of alko hitch against brinks 4 hole ball and not a compulsory order to change 4hole brinks to a 2hole alko ball.

rustygates.

Hi all
The original post regarding the Brink four bolt tow plates not being OK for al ko hitches concerned me a bit as my Terrano tows a big caravan with Al Ko hitch. I therefore sent photos of my four bolt kit in situ on the vehicle to Al Ko and requested a definitive answer, they replied very promptly and have told me that the said tow bracket is not suitable. A local towing company have also told me that there is no components that can be bought as an approved add on that will make the Brinks 4 bolt OK to use. I am sure there are many miles being covered perhaps without problems but I am changing mine to be safe.
Regards to all

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

i must say i have struggled to find this 4 bolt to 2 bolt
adaptor.

just done about 600 miles towing in 2 weeks with the
alko 2700 on the brink/witter 4 bolt no problem.

mind not had spare on back door which certainly eases
connecting up and unhitching.

sometimes used to get a situation where caravan wouldnt
come off car easily, maybe stabiliser lever wasnt fully up
as would foul on spare.

for record father in law has what i believe is alko ball
on his scenic and alko 1300 on van, my father also
runs a 2700 but has a gold ball on his pug 406 is this
any different to an alko ball.

my long term plan is to redesign the tow bracket to a
receiver system, which will then use a 2 bolt but not
an alko but a ball/jaw combo so where to these fit into
alko's way of thinking....

[andrewk]

Originally Posted by rbrt

an alko but a ball/jaw combo so where to these fit into
alko's way of thinking....

The problem with any ball other than the Alko (so far as I know) is that the Alko hitch is bulky and can foul the sides of the towball assembly in circumstances where either the towcar or caravan are on a side-slope and hence the caravan hitch is rotated around the ball. The Alko ball has a taller and narrower neck to prevent that happening. I used to use an African Hoe 3500kg combination ball/pin on an Isuzu Trooper I had without any problem - but it could, theoretically, have fallen foul of the problem that Alko highlight in the technical note about towballs on their website - as I suspect will any of the other combos.

Cheers
Andrew

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

The problem with any ball other than the Alko (so far as I know) is that the Alko hitch is bulky and can foul the sides of the towball assembly in circumstances where either the towcar or caravan are on a side-slope and hence the caravan hitch is rotated around the ball. The Alko ball has a taller and narrower neck to prevent that happening.

so could this explain the alko hitches seemingly welding them selves on to to the ball or was it down to stabilizer lever not fully releasing?

[(RIP) PLANK]

Originally Posted by rbrt

so could this explain the alko hitches seemingly welding them selves on to to the ball or was it down to stabilizer lever not fully releasing?

I have had this a lot with alko 'stabilising' (allegedly :wink: ) hitches, most dealers say its down to worn out pads in the hitch, or the wrong ball, but even with both in top order i often find it a struggle. I have found winding the jokey wheel down and then bouncing on the rear end of the car frees them.

I have a theory that there are moving parts in the hitch that need lubrication but the constant emphasis on degreasing everything in site makes them stick, what does every one else think?

[JonathanM]

Originally Posted by PLANK

I have had this a lot with alko 'stabilising' (allegedly :wink: ) hitches, most dealers say its down to worn out pads in the hitch, or the wrong ball, but even with both in top order i often find it a struggle. I have found winding the jokey wheel down and then bouncing on the rear end of the car frees them.

I have a theory that there are moving parts in the hitch that need lubrication but the constant emphasis on degreasing everything in site makes them stick, what does every one else think?

Times that this has been a problem for me tend to coincide with towing in the wet, and if the car & van are not mostly straight when tryiing to unhitch - had it happen from new, so the theory of worn pads or wrong ball just doesn't seem to fit in my cases from 3 years ago. Now, yes, worn pads could be an issue.

[(RIP) PLANK]

i have experienced this when wet and dry, and wehn in a perfect straight line! sometimes i helps to put the brakes on the caravan and the reverse the car and inch to compress the hitch head or pull it forwards a little if you have reversed into a space.

I think andrewK and i have covered this before, but i am also not convinced that the alko hitch actualy does a lot to improve stability!

I use the term caravan as oppoesd to van as if you are towing a caravan with a comercial vehicle they are then both vans and it gets a bit confusing :?

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

i too have reversed to remove pressure with varying results.

concern is with hitch compressed, once of ball can move forward
onto car with possible damage.

its bizarre, wonder if the other brand, name escapes me thats
blue handled has same issues. had wondered about changing
before as believe handle is set back and would foul spare wheel
though now its off the door probably wont bother.

will monitor it and if locks on again report back.

[(RIP) PLANK]

is it a winterhoff?

wel i have a couple of spacers in the tow bars on our vehicles to clear the door mounted wheels etc, but you can buy a 'stuby' handle for this purpose i believe they are about £25?

alternatively just take the silly theing off and put a proper hitch back on :wink:

I bet you wont notice the difference when towing!

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

thats it winterhoff, cheers.

cant do spacers it a 4 bolt witter.

alko alternative lever is only for 2004 model
not 2700 :cry:

the spares in the boot, or in garage when 3rd
row seats needed.

noticed tonight, and yes came straight off when
compressed slightly that hitch only twists few
degrees left or right. perhaps when unhitching
in rough ground of back garden this restricts
release? with such limited 'roll' wondering if
strain possible in extreme ground.

[andrewk]

Originally Posted by PLANK

I think andrewK and i have covered this before, but i am also not convinced that the alko hitch actualy does a lot to improve stability!

I've probably said this in another post - but on a couple of occasions now, I've forgotten to press the Alko stabiliser handle down after removing a hitchlock that I fitted whilst parked at the motorway services. It's actually quite easy to forget if you remove the hitchlock and then put it in the rear footwell on the drivers side - then just get in the drivers seat and away you go.

Last time, I drove over 100 miles down the motorway with no effective stabiliser and didn't notice any difference to towing behaviour. (The outfit was a MKIV LWB Isuzu Trooper Citation towing a Burstner S500TS caravan (1500kg MTPLM).

I've probably also pointed folks before to the research carried out at Bath Uni on this too. See: http://people.bath.ac.uk/en8cjk/Caravan.pdf - but just in case. :smile:

Cheers
Andrew

[(RIP) PLANK]

i have just checked the link and it is 71 pages long! and i have the attention span of a goldfish : : (interesting but research at plymouth uni suggests goldfish are fairly intelligent and can recognnise shapes colours and even tell the time!)

have you a condensed version, do they think alok stabalisers are 'pants' or what? :

[andrewk]

Originally Posted by PLANK

have you a condensed version, do they think alok stabalisers are 'pants' or what? :

You only really need to read the executive summary which is at the front and much shorter. However ............

The bottom line is that the research shows that stabilisers significantly reduce the small oscillations that affect towing comfort but have no effect on larger oscillations that might become full blown snakes. They can neither prevent snakes nor do they assist in recovering from one. They do not increase the road speed at which a combination will become unstable. Yes, the report says that stabilisers are pants.

I have heard that the Bath research was the trigger for Alko to develop the ATC (Alko Trailer Control) see: http://www.al-ko.co.uk/info-detail.asp?ID=900

My worry has always been that drivers may have an unwarranted confidence that a stabiliser is going somehow prevent snaking and then drive faster because they feel safer. The research reinforces my worry - and I think the development of ATC just might be a recognition from Alko that stabilisers really are pants - OTOH, it might just be another money making scam.

Cheers
Andrew

[(RIP) PLANK]

AndrewK is doesnt happen often but i agree with you, there is no substitute for a correctly set up and loaded towing combination as we have discussed before.

I have never been keen on stabalisers of any brand or description, i have 3 or 4 bulldog blade type systems in my shed that are going for scrap before the end of the week unless some one wants to collect!