 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Alko caravan towbar position? |
 
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| JWL Member Since: 26 Oct 2011 Location: Hereford Posts: 3443   
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Which is a complete pain in the preverbials when you are towing a multitude of trailers. I used to keep a Alko ball coupling dedicated to my caravan and put it on for caravanning as I completely stuffed the wear pads by just "repositioning" the caravan in it's parking place in a field next to my last house. The every day ball hitch was covered in old rusty crud from moving old trailers arond. When I realised what I'd done I made a right mess of taking the wear pads out to clean them and broke one, ending up getting some new ones[/url]
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13th Jan 2012 12:21am |
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11324 
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This is where a Dixon Bate set-up comes in handy. To swap to different hitches, just swap the slider, which is exactly why I changed mine from a NAS step. Darren
110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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13th Jan 2012 8:37am |
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| Zagato Site Supporter Member Since: 08 Jan 2011 Location: Billingshurst West Sussex Posts: 5013
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The Juries still out on these Alko friction hitches
 I've never needed any type of stabilizer, had 4 different size vans (only up to 17' though, maybe the longer one's need something!) and numerous tow vehicles. The Defender are the best towers as the tow ball is so close to the rear wheels, helped by stiff suspension and the great back end already makes a size-able hole through the wind! |
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13th Jan 2012 8:47am |
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11324
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I'm not sure that the jury is still out
 These things have been around for along time now and I'm not aware of any great issues with them, other than a need to keep your balls clean (ooh, err, missus). Not everyone tows with a Land Rover, of course.
Mind you, things do move on. Our latest van, a Bailey Pegasus, has Alko's stability assist system fitted, which essentially pulses the brakes if it detects it swaying. To the best of my knowledge, it's never activated yet, but it's reassuring to know it's there if something did go drastically wrong. Darren 110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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13th Jan 2012 9:16am |
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| Lorryman100 Member Since: 01 Oct 2010 Location: Here Posts: 2686 |
Well it seems that I am moving away from Alko hitches, as we have just purchased a new tin tent, an Elddis which has a Winterhoff hitch and it looks as if that style may cure the faffing about of having to open the rear door when hitching up to get around the spare wheel problem of closing the Alko hitch! Lets hope so anyway, will let you know if it does or not,
http://www.winterhoff.de/english/inhalt.html Brian. |
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13th Jan 2012 11:27am |
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| JSG Member Since: 12 Jul 2007 Location: Berkshire Posts: 2412 
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Which model have you gone for Brian?
We were looking at second hand caravans last autumn to get a bit more comfort than a tent somtimes and ended up at the NEC show 'just for a look' I put a deposit down on an entry level Elddis in the end  which we are picking up early in March.
On researching the Winterhoff system it looks as though you don't need the 'higher neck' towball so I'm hoping by current Dixon Bate will be ok.  Click image to enlarge I've sold the rear step and fitted a DB sliding tow bar since this pic. John http://www.hampshire4x4response.co.uk 2011 Tdci 110 CSW XS |
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13th Jan 2012 4:32pm |
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| WarPig Member Since: 04 Dec 2009 Location: Sheffield Posts: 1748 
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Thanks for the advice Brian
 That looks like a great caravan youve got.
Ive lifted the towbar since my first post, just need to fit a couple more bolts. I'll take my sockets & spanners when I go and collect the caravan so I can adjust as necessary. Once home I'll spend some time getting it just right. And Ill sand the paint off the day before. Click image to enlarge Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated  |
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13th Jan 2012 6:56pm |
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| rossy Member Since: 29 Nov 2010 Location: Co. Roscommon Posts: 1296  
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I haven't towed the caravan with the Defender yet but will be in 4 weeks time during kids half term. Our new van only weighs 1.4 ton fully laden (Lunars are light ) but when we ordered it we didn't know we were getting the 110 or we would have got the Coachman or Swift version of the same layout (nicer inside but heavier) for the same money !
Can anyone tell me how towing a caravan affects steering and handling in a Defender compared to more 'modern' vehicles ? |
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13th Jan 2012 8:24pm |
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11324
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Hardly at all, really.
Our first van was a Lunar, bought for it's light weight and towed behind my 2.25 petrol Series III. When I chopped that in for a Stage 1 V8, weight became less of an issue  Darren
110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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13th Jan 2012 8:57pm |
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| WarPig Member Since: 04 Dec 2009 Location: Sheffield Posts: 1748
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You'll probably find you keep checking your mirrors to convince your brain your actually towing it  |
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13th Jan 2012 9:23pm |
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| rossy Member Since: 29 Nov 2010 Location: Co. Roscommon Posts: 1296
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thats the right answer !
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13th Jan 2012 10:02pm |
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| Lorryman100 Member Since: 01 Oct 2010 Location: Here Posts: 2686 |
@JSG We went for another twin axle, the Elddis Crusader Super Scirroco
Last edited by Lorryman100 on 14th Jan 2012 11:32pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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14th Jan 2012 12:05am |
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| ben2012 Member Since: 10 Oct 2011 Location: Uk Posts: 64 |
Hi thinking of getting a tin tent and just wondering what peoples thoughts are of towing with a 90? I see most of you use a 110, I realise their wont be loads of difference but is one better or more suited than the other? Thanks Ben
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14th Jan 2012 11:34am |
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| Laurie Member Since: 22 Feb 2008 Location: Sussex, England Posts: 2897 
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If anything, a Ninety tows better than a One-Ten.
The shorter distance from the rear axle to the towhitch makes the tail less likely to wag the dog. |
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14th Jan 2012 12:20pm |
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