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Hello everyone

Cracking site which i hope will ease my pain of being a novice caravaner!   I browsed for ages on the subject of alko stabilisers...i have to be honest it was a bit of a brain overkill!

Can anyone advise me on this? i have just purchased a 1999 elddis typhoon xl 4 berth. Its my first van and it has a standard hitch fitted. I have bought (rightly or wrongly) an alko 2004 stabiliser as i was advised by close friends(caravaners of many years) that this was the way forward.

I am relatively hands on, however i have never changed a hitch and cannot find fitting instructions anywhere.  Does anyone have the experience, or can offer me advice on how to fit this hitch to my van?

Any help would be really appreciated

Hi Beasty Boyz and welcome to the site....get comfy you will be here for a very long time !!!

I have had caravans with the normal/standard hitch and needed the seperate stabilizer bar..but then we bought a caravan last year with the Alko hitch and it is definatley the best way to go...much more stable and easier to use hitch/unhitch !! and you do get better stability as well...I cant advise you on the changing of one...as I have never done this..But im sure/know someone will be along to advise you soon..

Happy caravanning and if theres anything at all that you wanna know ask away...this site has taken me from tent to trailer tent to caravans...and I couldnt have done it without it...the advise on here is totally invaluable!!

Welcome again !!

You may need a different towball for Alko hitches, depending what is on your car. It needs to be a longer neck to allow for the rubber and fittings on the Alko hitch. They are very good and so much easier. Certainly reassuring. A new tow ball wont be too dear - its just a couple of bolts. it isn't rocket science to fit them - but you want to do it right of course. Have you asked if a tow fitting firm will fit it for you - it isnt a huge job and may not be all that dear. They may throw in the new ball for nothing!

Fantastic! thanks everyone 

and a big thanks to Gina for the linky thing to the instructions Today was the first chance i had to fit the alko and like you all said it was fairly easy. I did have to pop up to canwell caravans service dept for a 2mm spacer and a set of new hex bolts which cost me a stagering £2  but i would say  it took me 20mins and its all done!

Had a game with the hitch lock afterwards though then i found i had to trim the excess thread back to the nut and that was okay too. I feel abit more confident now and have booked a CL site near to monyash for 27-28 to try it all out for the first time!... Cant wait

you do need the alko ball..because of the see saw action....etc...better to be safe and all that apparantly my local dealer has seen loads of bent tow balls..because they were not the ones your suppesed to use with the Alko...

For the sake of £6 could save yu more in the long run....he mentioed bent tow bar brackets...too !!