I'm not going to get into the perennial argument of do hitch stabilisers do anything or not.
If you load your caravan properly as plank says and drive it properly no probs and they may just be superfluous, I've harboured that thought for a long time.
But as a lot of vans come with them as standard why ditch them? they just may help as back up one day, there's no substantial evidence to say they wont. Thats nothing to do with a cosy feeling, from my view its based on practical engineering experience and a decent understanding of physics & dynamics (I may not sound it but I am a reasonably educated engineer by trade but binned uni for hands on
it paid the bills better :lol ).
If you accept youve got one and choose not to ditch it I really dont understand why theres such a big downer (costs aside
) on the replacenment handle
I found one on ebay 2nd hand (unmarked condition) for £12 + £5 p&p.
We have the Alko 3000 which is the biggest chunkiest of them on our van and it went from standard handle fitted = chew on to 4x4 handle in use = pice of piss :thumbs no removing spare wheels, no squashing hands and twisting arms.
On a slight aside for stability I do love the presence of the Alko ATC , again as a back up, not as a substitute for proper towing skills and set up but I would say anyone who claims theyve never been caught out is either brain dead or telling porkies
The reason for my like of them is whilst driving down through Northumberland, nothing to see to warn us, we crossed an open gap along the A1 and got wacked by one hell of a crosswind. All happened very quickly but all I would describe the van as doing was snapping back into line very very quickly indeed. I was in the process of (trying :lol ) to react properly and was beaten to it.
I asked around including speaking to Alko tech people and what I described happening to us is
exactly what it is supposed to do.
Cant fault it and I'll always wonder if it saved the day :bow but as said by Plank and others you should startoff doing it right from basics.
