I have in the last 6 months had a detachable towbar fitted, I have now had chance to try it on my caravan fitted with an Alko Hitch Stabaliser but when conected I am finding that the stabaliser will not lock down.
I have checked the indicator and it is showing fully located but the jaws of the stabaliser are stopping it from locking down therefore rendering it ineffective. Any body got any ideas on this?  Freelander 2 TD4 GS 2011 Manual Satorini Black (Current)
Freelander TD4 S 2004 Silver Manual (Gone)
Landrover Series 3 Manual Long Wheel Base Safari (Gone)
Landrover series 2A Manual Short Wheel Base (Gone)
Numerous different vehicles inbetween

how big its the diameter of the towball?

are the alko friction pads correct for the model alko hitch? Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

I was told that all detachable tow bars would fit an Alko Hitch the caravan was pulled with a fixed toe ball with a narrow neck on another Freelander. the ball is a 50mm ball according to the stamp on the top. Freelander 2 TD4 GS 2011 Manual Satorini Black (Current)
Freelander TD4 S 2004 Silver Manual (Gone)
Landrover Series 3 Manual Long Wheel Base Safari (Gone)
Landrover series 2A Manual Short Wheel Base (Gone)
Numerous different vehicles inbetween

in that case i would look towards a issue with your Alko hitch

these files will provide you with handbook for your hitch model


http://www.al-ko.co.uk/edit/files/handbooks/ Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

I would check the pads in the hitch first, if the ball is 50mm the only other thing that could stop it is if the stalk under the ball is too large a diameter which would be extremely unlikely.

The stalk on my tow bar just under the ball is 28mm and an Alko hitch fits fine.

Make sure you take the paint off the ball before you hitch the caravan.

Are you sure the stabiliser is not seized, fairly common fault if the stabiliser is not covered during spells of non use. Works OK when not on the ball but is impossible or near impossible to lock down on the ball. my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

I have never covered mine and never had it seize in 10 years of caravaning

Might be why I go through a set of friction pads each year too  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

But you don't live on the west coast of Scotland, the wettest region in the British Isles Wigan is also west and it rains up in Manchester which makes it worse  my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

Unlikely that it is a towbar fault. An alko hitch will lock down on all 50mm balls (but may not articulate fully on a non alko flange tow ball). To rule out towbar issues though, try it on another towbar - friend or neighbour perhaps.

Check that your friction pads are (as already said) of the right type, are seated properly and are not swollen or otherwise distorted. If the stabiliser handle is going fully home without the tow ball fitted then the friction pads are the only real suspects.

You could by an alko 'hitch lock' ball for just a few £s - a red hard plastic ball designed to lock into the cup when hitch locked. That will save faffing with on and of the car to get it working properly.

To All

Pads seem ok

The hitch locks down on to the ball ok.

The only things I saw was that the indicator was not raised as high as previous when fitted to my previous vehicle which had a fixed ball with a narrowed neck

The stabiliser handle will not travell above half way and the ball had markings where the pads had made contact which appeared to be central on the ball.

I took it to the caravan supplier at Chorley and they tried it on one of the caravans they had and it would not lock down on theirs either.

I have contacted Land Rover at Chorley who supplied the Tow bar and ball to see if they could come up with a sollution but no response as of yet. Freelander 2 TD4 GS 2011 Manual Satorini Black (Current)
Freelander TD4 S 2004 Silver Manual (Gone)
Landrover Series 3 Manual Long Wheel Base Safari (Gone)
Landrover series 2A Manual Short Wheel Base (Gone)
Numerous different vehicles inbetween

can you take a photo of the tow bar from the side as it might be easier if we could see it  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

It looks like this one on the photo attached Freelander 2 TD4 GS 2011 Manual Satorini Black (Current)
Freelander TD4 S 2004 Silver Manual (Gone)
Landrover Series 3 Manual Long Wheel Base Safari (Gone)
Landrover series 2A Manual Short Wheel Base (Gone)
Numerous different vehicles inbetween

Picture of tow bar stabiliser in my gallery not sure how to add to this message[img] Freelander 2 TD4 GS 2011 Manual Satorini Black (Current)
Freelander TD4 S 2004 Silver Manual (Gone)
Landrover Series 3 Manual Long Wheel Base Safari (Gone)
Landrover series 2A Manual Short Wheel Base (Gone)
Numerous different vehicles inbetween

i was meaning the towbar

 Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

If another stabiliser from another van will not lock down on the ball, I suggest a careful measure of the ball using a vernier gauge. It would seem that some where it is over 50mm. my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.