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Subject Topic: Fitting alko stabilizer problems Post Reply Post New Topic
PersonBasil59
25/8/2018 at 8:18pm
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Only found one hole on sprite muskertir 1981 but on the alko stabilizer there are more than one hole has anyone had the same problems


Persontango55
25/8/2018 at 8:23pm
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As far as I'm aware you can only fit an Al-ko stabiliser to a caravan that's constructed on the base of an Al-ko chassis. The Sprite most likely has a steel girder and timber construction with a standard forged hitch coupling and that's why the stabiliser doesn't fit. However, the alternative is to fit a blade stabiliser which they used to use before the AL-ko chassis was introduced.


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PersonBasil59
26/8/2018 at 12:58am
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Oh thanks for your reply I did get in touch with sprite dealer they said that the sprite muskerter 81 would be an alko chasis so would match up ok so I need to get back in touch again


Persontango55
26/8/2018 at 10:09am
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I didn't think the Al-ko chassis' were introduced till at least the 90's but I may be wrong. I used to have a Swift 1982 caravan that was built on a timber chassis and the 'A' frame was made from 'C' shaped girders welded together with a forged hitch (not pressed steel). On the 'A' frame you could drill into the offside girder to bolt on the leaf blade stabiliser bracket but on the Al-ko chassis they advised not to, that's why Al-ko indroduced the stabilser hitch to eliminate the need for fixing an independent stabiliser bracket to the 'A' frame.
You should be able to tell if your caravan has an Al-ko chassis by the colour of it as it should be silver galvanised steel throughout. If it's the older version then the 'A' frame will be thicker and coated with protective paint.


PersonRob and Tina
26/8/2018 at 11:44am
 Location: Royal Forest of Dean
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The Sprite group used their own chassis until about 1991 when they used bought in chassis such as Knott. As tango55 said earlier, the only thing you can do is fit a blade stabiliser if you feel that you need it.

Rob


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Personbirdman101
26/8/2018 at 12:15pm
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Our early Sprite was built on a B&B chassis. The Alko stabiliser does not fit these you will need to fit a blade type such as Snakemaster or Bulldog. Alko did in later years buy out B&B.


Persontango55
26/8/2018 at 5:43pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Basil59 on 26/8/2018
Oh thanks for your reply I did get in touch with sprite dealer they said that the sprite muskerter 81 would be an alko chasis so would match up ok so I need to get back in touch again



So according to the replies you've received on this thread it seems like you were incorrectly advised by the dealer. However, if you bought the Al-ko stabiliser hitch from them I would be inclined to take it back for a refund on the grounds that you were sold a product not fit for purpose. That's why it pays to ask on this forum first because quite often people are more knowledgeable about caravans than what most dealers are because they will sell you anything just to make a profit whether it's right or wrong which is often the case when being advised about a safe match.


PersonBasil59
26/8/2018 at 7:03pm
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Oh thanks everyone for you advice I should have asked on here before can I ask another would the bulldog be the best one or the snakemaster stabilizer has anyone used the beither with this age of caravan


PersonRob and Tina
26/8/2018 at 7:40pm
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I used a Snakemaster on our 1982 A Line Rambler with B&B chassis. It seemed to work ok but I always take great care with loading and getting the noseweight correct. A stabiliser helps with stability but you still need to load the caravan and drive it carefully.

I bought a Snakemaster because it was a lot cheaper than a Bulldog, both should work ok if fitted correctly.

Rob


Persontango55
26/8/2018 at 8:33pm
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I can only agree with the comments posted by 'Rob and Tina' about noseweight and stability. However, any type of blade stabiliser will do but the one I used to use was the Breckland Driver Stabiliser shown in the link below. The reason I chose this one is because the friction plates are bigger in diameter than the Bulldog although the Bulldog was probably the most popular brand.


Breckland Driver Stabiliser


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Personchrisn7
27/8/2018 at 2:02pm
 Location: West Yorkshire
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tango makes a good point about the diameter. I used a Bulldog, but the design of either is arguably better than modern stabilisers - just longer to fit so less convenient.

Mine and all it parts are still in my garage if you are anywhere near me..


Persontrog100
27/8/2018 at 4:22pm
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i use a bulldog i like the big cast iron bracket that fixes to the tow vehicle..

has as been said i think they do a good job just more trouble to fit than just pushing down a handle..

i recently bent mine.. something called a humped crossing   

a little village in Perthshire called Stanley i hit it at about 15 mph.. i had no idea what it was.. the bang and crash was unbelievable..

it bent the two inch wide half inch steel piece that slots into the holder..

i had to raise the holder the blade fits into by a couple of inches to stop it coming out of the slot..

without a stabilizer my van used to wag its tail noticably at about 55 mph.. 55 mph was the fastest i dare go..

i fitted a couple of alko shocks and the bulldog.. the van is now rock solid stable at UK legal speeds and above..

trog








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