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This may sound stupid but we had an accident this weekend, we have a hitch stabiliser on the caravan we seem to have a problem hitching the van to the car (freelander) we bought the van 2nd hand 2 weeks a go even the last owner was jumping on the caravan to attached it to the car.  the hitch lock cluncked as he said it would, we checked the electrics everything worked, attached the breakaway cable set off and on the first corner the caravan came away from the car, went between 2 cars up the kerb and into someones hedge we were very very lucky or should I say everyone else was. it did damage to the trim on the caravan, but my main question is have others had problems hitching up and do you do some sort of double check OH has said he is going to put the jockey wheel back down and raise to see if the back end of the freeleander rises up.  Don't want my stomach in knots everytime we go out with it.

The size of the ball will be the same as they all measure 50mm. diameter but it's the actual design that makes the difference to accommodate the Alko hitch. If you look at the picture in the link you will see that it's machined away under the ball to give more clearance and the distance from the centre of the ball to the bolt on flange is greater than a standard towball.

http://www.leisureshopdirect.com/caravan/caravan_accessories/product_27334/Alko_AKS_Towball.aspx?aff=122

we have just bought a van with the AL-ko hitch and didn't realise we needed a specific ball, have just gone and ordered one!  we had a strange 'creaking/juddering' sound when we came to a stop or on take off, would this have been why???

Quote: Originally posted by the black fox on 13/8/2012

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a lot of people don't know or realise either that a alko hitch lock is dry ,no grease must be used at all ,where as normal hitch locks need loads of grease .
sappyc your spare wheel may well have interfered with coupling correctly ,i always fit a spacer plate between the hitch and the car as well ,(don't forget longer bolts though) .

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