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I'm not going to voice my opinion on the need to have a stabiliser or not, this question came up before & got a wide selection of replies. Lots of folk think they don't need one but I've seen too many go wrong on the road to run without one personally. 

The only thing I'sd say to you is, for the sake of the cost of having one, try practising turning back time, I can't do it. It'll be to late after something goes wrong on the road & you wish you'd bought one.

Stay safe

BB  

Have to say that until we got our new Ellie last summer that came complete with the (wonderful), winterhoff gismo, we'd always towed with the blade type of stabiliser. First the Scott, then the Bulldog, (and got the scars to prove it when we had a flat battery on the tow car at a services and had to unhitch while lots of other nice peeps helped up to give it a push start - an me with my back! Anyhoo, I happened to be at the back more for show than anything else and got whacked with the bl**dy blade right on me shin and bled all the way home!).

However we've noticed how excellent the Winterhoff is, (as I believe is, the Alko type), and wouldn't want to go back to the blade type again. This just made the whole unit feel much more stable even when we had an emergency stop on the downward slope of a steep hill in Cornwall! Only thing needed then was a change of underwear for me!And to pick up one of the front seat cushions that fell down. Phew

I can just reinforce what others have said about cleaning the tow ball thoroughly with meths which may stop the noise. The worst thing you can do for these modern stabilisers is to grease the tow ball as you would have before.

I got so obsessed about keeping the connection spotless that not only do I keep a small bottle of meths and a clean j cloth in the front locker for the job but I also slip a small freezer bag over the tow ball on the car itself and fasten with an elastic band before putting the tow ball cover on it. Don't want even the tiniest fleck of dust to interfere with the adhesion that the Winterhoff needs.

I love our Winterhoff

Quote: Originally posted by kmckirkle on 24/7/2006

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I have just taken delivery of a 3 year old van which has an alko stabiliser.  I am a complete novice to this hobby and haven't even towed it yet (scared)!!!  However I will have to take it to storage today (yipes)!!!  I have just read the above and wonder what and where those referred to pads are and what is a blade stabiliser.  Apologies for the probably obvious questions.  Thanks.

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Hya Kate, don't worry about towing the caravan for the first time, just relax, gather your thoughts & concentrate on remaining in control of the outfit. Just drive at a speed that you feel comfortable at & ignore the traffic following you. They have the option of overtaking or staying there. Your main concern is to get your outfit to its destination in one piece. Only you know that you're new to it, they've no idea at all.

I would suggest that if you're concerned once on the road, just find yourself an industrial estate somewhere nice & quiet & go & drive round it for a few minutes. Set yourself little targets & tasks to do with the caravan & you'll soon get the feel of it.

Take care & enjoy it.

BB  

 I use a Straightliner stabliser, a blade with a gas strut incorperated,very good, they are sold by SAS.