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Subject Topic: A little problem
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Personmangler
05/6/2015 at 7:08pm
 Location: Birmingham
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We have encountered a little problem last week end returning from Billings Aquadrome while driving on the M1.
We were traveling at 40 mph in the slow lane when I had the starting of a sway, first thing I checked to see if a big lorry was up my side(there wasn't)after I had control back we carried on(only 2 junc from home)at home I went straight to the caravan to check everything was still attached.
I noticed that the stabiliser which is on the tow ball was sticking up a bit and not fully down, which it was when we set off.
After a good look over it seems that, when the caravan comes forward on braking the handbrake lever is hitting the stabiliser arm and lifting it up, so I am losing the stabiliser effect.
Has anyone else had this problem?
Anyone know how to solve it?
The van is a 1999 Sterling Europa 2 berth(Al-ko chassis)


Persontango55
05/6/2015 at 10:56pm
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Have you got a fixed towball on the towcar?
If you have then you need an Alko towball which provides extra clearance underneath and for the stabiliser hitch to swivel but if you haven't and only have a standard towball fitted then the caravan will detach itself from the towball which sounds like this is what has happened as the hitch was down when you set off but not when you returned home.   


Personbilly
06/6/2015 at 8:27am
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If the caravan sways when stabiliser is disconnected you need to correct that first. A stabiliser is not there to correct an unstable caravan, it is there to try to prevent accident if extreme manoeuvre is required in potential accident situation. I would check tyre pressures & noseweight.

Even if non Alko spec flange ball is fitted it would only cause contact at extreme articulation & you would know that as front of hitch would be damaged, so not a cause of this specific problem. As a separate issue though obviously correct Al-ko spec flange ball should be fitted.

If it's a 1999 caravan one can conclude that the Al-ko stab. hitch was not standard fitting, has been fitted afterwards & due to fouling of handbrake on lever is not a suitable fitment.

A possible solution could be this. Stabiliser handle can be removed & this tool used to set stabiliser. It's intended for 4x4s with rear mouted spare wheel but might work for you.

Otherwise fit either a standard non stab. hitch, cost about £30 or if stab hitch is required & it sounds as if caravan is under 1350kg all up weight the lighter weight Al-ko AKS 1300 stabiliser hitch could probably be fitted which has different handle which should not foul handbrake.


Personbrianconwy
06/6/2015 at 11:21am
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Quote: Originally posted by tango55 on 05/6/2015
Have you got a fixed towball on the towcar?
If you have then you need an Alko towball which provides extra clearance underneath and for the stabiliser hitch to swivel but if you haven't and only have a standard towball fitted then the caravan will detach itself from the towball which sounds like this is what has happened as the hitch was down when you set off but not when you returned home.   


I think he is saying that the stabiliser lever had lifted up and not the hitch.

Studies done on stabilisers suggest there is hardly any increased safety provided by them, just damping of movements. The critical speed where catastrophic loss of control occurs is only increased by about 2 MPH.


Personmangler
06/6/2015 at 11:41am
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When we bought the caravan last year I did indeed purchase the proper tow ball for the stabiliser.
The caravan had not become detached from the tow car, all that was different, was the stabiliser arm sticking up a couple of inches from it's down position, caused by the handbrake lever pushing it up.


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PersonVectratot
06/6/2015 at 11:52am
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Sounds to me that the breakaway cable is to tight causing the handbrake lever to rise and lifting the stabiliser handle, No way should the handbrake lever lift up unless the hitch becomes detached from the tow ball


PersonMotobiman
06/6/2015 at 12:04pm
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Interesting, but I can't picture the set up where the handbrake would interfere with the stabiliser.

Can you post an image of the setup with the handbrake in the off position and the stabiliser fully engaged?


Personbilly
06/6/2015 at 12:19pm
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Your various solutions are in post 3, mangler. Which option do you want to choose?


PersonSkoda Bob
06/6/2015 at 1:09pm
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We were traveling at 40 mph in the slow lane when I had the starting of a sway.(quote)

This could be the answer why, if the road surface hasn't been changed for a few years, it will have the HGV ruts where the wheels go, the car and van being narrower could have caught in these ruts and started the sway.
even driving to slow can create the same affect, try 56 on the motorway, so your traveling at the same speed as the HGVs and not holding everyone up while they have to pass you. most vans will have a small amount of sway in lane one, on any motorway that hasn't been resurfaces for a while, on some you can even see the ruts
Then there is what others have said, the wrong tow ball, weight distribution, tyre pressures,


Personjanus
06/6/2015 at 1:22pm
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I have memories of this problem of the handbrake lever catching the stabiliser handle and lifting it from the past, it was a known problem and there was a solution, but I am blowed if I can remember what it was.

-------------
Bill

For a licence dated 1997 or later you must add together the plated max weight of the caravan and trailer, if the total is 3500 or less you can tow it. You may even tow a caravan with a MAM greater than the cars unladen mass the restriction was removed in 2013

Mondeo Titanium 140 tdci


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Personbilly
06/6/2015 at 1:27pm
 Location: North Essex
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The solution is the detachable handle as in ebay link. Designed for 4x4s with rear spare wheel that does not allow handle to be lifted when coupling up but should solve op's problem.


PersonMotobiman
06/6/2015 at 1:33pm
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Wouldn't it be better to find WHY the stab handle is being 'lifted', before spending money?

Just an old engineers trick.


Personbilly
06/6/2015 at 1:46pm
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The op states stab handle is being lifted by handbrake lever making contact when hitch damper is compressed. This would suggest that stabiliser hitch has been fitted at later date & is not suitable for caravan. It could be modified as stated or replaced with suitable hitch as previously indicated.

One can only give advice from the info given by op which even old engineers need to read properly.


PersonMotobiman
06/6/2015 at 2:09pm
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But I can't compress my hitch damper without either putting the handbrake on, which sort of defeats the object, or blocking the wheels and using the car to compress it, so one might ask, is that by observation or just a possibllty?

And if it is that, what is causing either the hitch to go back so far as to contact the brake handle or is the brake handle being lifted by, for example, a too tight brake away cable?

Rushing out and buying parts before you actually know what the issue is might be described as hasty.

Not gonna react to the dig but maybe this bit will help.

Quote
it seems that
Unquote

Hardly enough to base a fix on and I accept your apology.


Personbilly
06/6/2015 at 3:54pm
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One can easily check with caravan hitched to car stopping slightly sharply so hitch compressed, then get out & check handbrake lever position in relation to breakaway cable. Breakaway cable should not cause problem if it is correctly looped around itself though loop adjacent to ball or around ball(bad idea).

If handbrake lever is right down in off position & has hit & lifted stab. handle then one can conclude that hitch is not suitable for caravan, although the fix as pointed could be to use detachable handle. Or fit smaller(for caravan under 1350kg max weight)AKS 1300 which has side lever or of course standard hitch.

I've just checked my caravan, which has Al-ko running gear & I can see that should I fit a larger Al-ko stab. hitch I would have same prob as op.

Which raises an interesting point. It's a frequently asked question on here, can an Al-ko stab hitch be fitted to newly aquired caravan? Answer is invariably yes as bolt spacing is same as Al-ko standard hitch, however it does appear one needs to consider the point raised by op which is something that has not been previously mentioned on here.

Post last edited on 06/06/2015 16:01:53


PersonMotobiman
06/6/2015 at 4:48pm
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My brake lever has dog leg bend in it to clear the stabiliser handle.

So there's another solution........ If that is the issue.



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