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Topic: Anti snake bar

spellcaster

01/7/2013 at 7:47pm
Location: Anglesey
Outfit: None Entered

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Hello,
My swift challenger came with an anti snake bar. Its like a pulley on the end of a metal bar. It came with the caravan so I guess it has everything on the van it needs, however I don't know how you use it and I don't know what I need to add to my towbar to connect it up. Any help be appreciated. Carl

diesel steve

01/7/2013 at 8:42pm
Location: fife
Outfit: vw t5 adria isonzo

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bin it. they are not fit for purpose.much better with an alco hitch stabilizer.

664DaveS

01/7/2013 at 9:13pm
Location: Shropshire
Outfit: Bailey Phoenix GT 75

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There is nothing wrong with them,an Al_ko hitch is expensive.

The end near the "pulley"which is where the friction pads are should slot into a mount bolted behind the towball-or clamped to a swan-neck hitch.Usually secured with a locking screw.

Connect car to van, then the blade part is moved sideways and should sit in a bracket on the caravan A-frame(it can take some effort to lift and slot it in.
It could be a Bulldog or Scott Stabiliser-there are other types.

If you google Bulldog and you should see some info.

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DS-There's more to life than football!!!

Grampian91

01/7/2013 at 11:32pm
Location: Midlands
Outfit: Mondeo Avondale Gram

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Its not essential to use if you load properly and drive according to the conditions.

Its not a cure for a poorly matched or incorrectly loaded outfit.

If you want to use it you need the bracket that connects to the car. This will vary depending on the actual brand of stabiliser bar you have.

Most caravan shops with a spares department should be able to get one for you. Some may have them in stock.

allan-d

04/7/2013 at 5:20pm
Location: elland west yorks
Outfit: crown regent

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DONT BIN IT IV'E USED ONE FOR YEARS WITH NO PROB AL-KO OK WHEN TOWBALL CLEAN BUT GET DIRT OR GREASE ON IT THEN IT'S LIKE NOT HAVING ONE ON .
BUT LIKE GRAMPIAN91 SAY'S IT WONT HELP WITH A POORLY LOADED VAN

REGARDS ALLAN-D

diesel steve

04/7/2013 at 6:06pm
Location: fife
Outfit: vw t5 adria isonzo

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got a snake master bar fitted at dealer when i bought my 1st van. i was able to take hold of end of bar and move it from 1 side to the other with ease.dealer rechecked torque of nut to make sure correct pressure on friction pads,still able to move it so what difference would a van weighting 1200kgs do.anyway went away on holiday and it kept jumping out of holder on van.met a few caravanners on site who had them and all said it was crap.on return to dealer got my money back and bought an al-lo hitch and you would not believe the difference.made for a very stable tow.

664DaveS

04/7/2013 at 8:56pm
Location: Shropshire
Outfit: Bailey Phoenix GT 75

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Used a Bulldog for years prior to the standard fitting of Al-Kos. They seem to work well,they can be a little noisy when turning, and can slide out if van turns through a tight (very) corner.

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DS-There's more to life than football!!!

LobeyDosser

05/7/2013 at 12:47am
Location: Argyll Scotland
Outfit: 1997 Bailey Ranger 470 4

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I tow a number of trailers, some have stabilizers and some do not.

Having an Alko one on the caravan was aright royal pain in the butt because ever time I towed the van I had to degrease and clean the dammed towball.

Thankfully we have now returned to the Bulldog type stabilizer. Easier to use and easier to set up correctly, using a Vice and a Spring Balance.

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Lobey.

takisawa

05/7/2013 at 10:25pm
Location: Staffs
Outfit: Swift Challenger 490 SEL & VW Tiguan

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I think they actually do a better job.They do a better job of damping the pitching than the hitch type. To say they are not fit for purpose is a load of rubbish.

They need to be set up properly. When it's in place on the car, push the blade from side to side with a set of bathroom scales. It should take about 3 stone to move it. If necessary, tighten the bolt in the centre of the circular plates. By its very nature it will make a slight noise on movement. That's the friction doing its job. I spoke to a
chap once who had loosened the plates because of the noise...!!!

Your car will need a bracket on your car with a rectangular hole, into which the small rectangular end of the stabiliser fits. If you've got a flange type towbar the bracket sandwiches between the tow ball & tow-bar. If you've a swan neck type it's a different bracket.

The 2 Tops

10/7/2013 at 11:57am
Location: None Entered
Outfit: Swift Challenger Sport 524 VW Carave

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Our last van had a Winterhoff hitch stabiliser, and I was always happy with it.
Our new van has not only an Al-ko hitch stabiliser, but also aa Al-ko ATC.
Very often, when a large HGV overtakes us, the sideways reaction is greater than it was with the Winterhoff.
This makes me wonder if the ATC is initially reacting, then correcting its own reaction.
Talking to another caravanner with more experience of the device, he told me that I would be surprised if I saw a report on the number of times the ATC activates in any given period of time.
The unit has troubleshooting procedures in the event of a problem, and says not to proceed if the indicator light is red - in which case the van should be returned to the dealer. What about when not in a position to do so - the worst scenario being when abroad?
Bertie.

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The 2 Tops

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