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 Topic: Shock absorbing tow ball???
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02/12/2011 at 9:17am
Location: Keswick
Outfit: Bailey
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Whilst fitting this 20 year old gadget ask yourself "Will this be compliant with EU standard 94/20/EC applicaable for all cars post "S" reg".
If you need an approved towbar you also require an appropriately approved towball.
If the answer is no and you use it anyway then your classic is not insured due to breaching the Construction and use Regs.
Phil
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If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
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02/12/2011 at 10:07am
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My car's a B reg, & AFAIK the tow bar's not approved either, but it's a simple fit on these cars (not a simple job to fit though, unfortunately). I'm sure I can trust Witter to deliver the goods where towing stuff is concerned, & the rubber should be fine, as long as it's not been kept in direct sunlight.
However, I doubt I will buy it, as it will probably take too long to get here, & if I do buy my beloved chrome flip-down cover, it probably won't fit anyway.
I am, however, very interested to know what peoples thoughts are on the stabiliser? I still intend to buy one, the caravan already has the sliding foot bracket fitted to the "A" frame. My dad has towed caravans with & without stabilisers, & has informed me of his thoughts. He says anyone towing without one, in this day & age, is foolish (maybe his words were stronger). The guy who sold me the van said he's never needed one, it tows fine as it is.
I know it's only a small van, & mine is a big car, but apart from a couple of small trailers, this is my first real towing experience. The outfit comes within the class B license, so I don't need to take the trailer test, I'm just free to get on with it.
I class myself as a good driver, having covered well over a quarter-million miles in the 13 years I've been driving, with no major accidents & no points or endorsements on my license. I've driven many different vehicles & never had any problems (a bit of confidence also helps) & I constantly have to jump from auto to manual, sometimes even right to left hand drive. (my car is an auto, which should be fine for towing).
So, do I need a stabiliser? Perhaps I should word that better; Should I have a stabiliser? I do intend to do some motorway miles with the outfit.
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02/12/2011 at 10:14am
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Quote: Originally posted by JTQU on 02/12/2011
Quote: Originally posted by matty79 on 01/12/2011A "no" to stabilisers?
Is this wise?
Wise? Well it is certainly not needed and its name is somewhat misleading, it in reality is only a motion "damper". It stabalises in the technical sense nothing but makes for a physically more relaxing ride in damping down low order movements.
Arguably it "hides" initial hints of instability, the things that can also give that "comfort". I would rather "feel" what is going on and act accordingly but that view might not be shared by my passengers. It depends if you drive with a sensibility to what is happening with your vehicle and caravan or drive oblivious to all the physical messages being given out by them.
From the 1960s to 2002 I followed my own advice, without mishap, only changing then because the "new" van came fitted with the Al-KO composite hitch/damper that was easier to leave as supplied.
If it had been an easy job, would you have removed it?
I trained as an engineer when I left school, & I'm a great believer in machines communicating with you. I used to "feel" as well as hear & see what a lathe or milling machine was doing in the workshop, & as my car is an older model, you get a good feedback from it. Most of these modern cars don't give back much information to the driver, everything is damped out these days, which is why people have so much trouble in snow I believe.
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02/12/2011 at 11:56am
Location: Blackburn Lancashire
Outfit: Coachman Laser 650 and Discovery
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I'm not going to get into the whole stabiliser thing again, it's been done to death on here. I don't like them because they mask the feedback you need, and then you get surprised - in a bad way. It takes out the little wriggles, but won't stop snaking.
Ten or fifteen years ago, people did think they helped, but in actual fact they will not save you in an emergency. If you want one, get one, but I would never buy one. My caravan has a stabiliser hitch, so it needs to stay on. I would be just as happy without it.
Think back to the days before stabilisers were invented. Were there more accidents?
Only recently on this forum, there was an incident where a caravan overturned. It was fitted with a stabiliser, but the basic rules hadn't been followed.
They do make for a slightly more comfortable ride, but they definitely are not safety devices. Caravans are not the only type of trailer, and most trailers on the road do not have any form of stabiliser.
Jim
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02/12/2011 at 1:57pm
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I see your point. (I should have searched for posts on stabilisers, but that wasn't the original subject of this thread, I just kinda got carried away).
There's no substitute for following correct procedures with these things. Like having a good weight ratio (mine is pretty much spot on 85%, the car is actually slightly heavy, which is the best way to be I think) & loading the van correctly.
I never thought nose weight gauges were necessary, but have been given one recently & now I fully intend to use it.
I'm still going to get a stabiliser though, I think the damping effect will help with the suction effect of passing lorries on the motorway & avoid any possible over-reaction on my part. These are high sided trailers, & I am using it all year round in all weathers, so I think I would gain some peace of mind with one fitted. & a good 2nd hand one is only about £10-£20. I will have to leave it off once or twice though, just to see how it feels. maybe then I will leave it off altogether, but until I try I won't know.
So, back to my original post, regardless of it's age, does anyone have any real experience of the shock-absorbing tow ball? As I said, one was fitted to my last car, an identical model to this one (how I wish I had kept the tow bar).
I've just finished fitting the tow bar. It was bought 2nd hand for £30 from a bloke in Windsor.
It was only when I got there to pick it up he revealed he had actually made it himself! But a very good job he's made of it, he was a retired engineer & steel fabricator/welder, so I'm confident it's up to the job.
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