Al-Ko ATC

W8NEY
W8NEY Forum Participant Posts: 1
edited August 28 in New to Caravanning & Touring #1

Hello i am new to the club and we have just purchased a new Bailey Alicanto Grande caravan, i last ownwed a caravan back in 2006 so things have changed a little. The question i have is regarding the AL KO ATC hitch, i drive a new Defender with the spare wheel on the rear door and its in the way when hitching and unhitching the van, has anyone got any solution for this please.

Sorry if this has been discussed before

Thanks in advance

 

Michael

Comments

  • eribaMotters
    eribaMotters Club Member Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 28 #2

    Only the obvious suggestion of take the spare off and put it in the boot. Your Defender does have a lot of space.

     

    Colin

  • DaveCyn
    DaveCyn Club Member Posts: 339 ✭✭✭
    100 Comments
    edited August 28 #3

    I had the same problem with my Freelander.

    Spoke with our local towbar specialist who fitted a big beefy spacer in between the towbar and tow ball. 

    Problem solved!

     

  • eribaMotters
    eribaMotters Club Member Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited August 28 #4

    I'm guessing the OP has a swan neck tow bar so that would not be an option. Also I don't think you can now put something between the tow bar fitting and tow ball on a flange mounted set-up, unless it is a commercial vehicle.

    Colin

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,134 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 28 #5

    We overcame this on our Discovery by coupling up with the rear door open then closing it once the Alko handle was down. With the older hitches it was possible to turn the red handle up the other way which was another way to avoid the spare wheel. I don’t know if that’s still possible.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,134 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 28 #6

    We overcame this on our Discovery by coupling up with the rear door open then closing it once the Alko handle was down. With the older hitches it was possible to turn the red handle up the other way which was another way to avoid the spare wheel. I don’t know if that’s still possible.

  • Vulcan
    Vulcan Forum Participant Posts: 670
    edited August 28 #7

    Try removing the plastic handle temporarily, it's only held on with one long torx screw, then after coupling close both bare handles enough to replace the plastic handle before closing fully.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,134 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 29 #8

    My solution (above) took away the need to remove the handle each time. It worked perfectly well upside down and cleared the spare wheel👍

  • Lutz
    Lutz Forum Participant Posts: 1,564 ✭✭✭✭
    edited August 30 #9

    Spacers are only permissible if they are approved by the towbar manufacturer and he must specify the maximum permissible thickness of the spacer in order to comply with type approval requirements. The permissible spacer thickness will be documented in the towbar type approval certificate.

  • Roger McNair
    Roger McNair Forum Participant Posts: 62
    edited September 3 #10

    Hi Michael,

    We tow a Coachman Laser 575 with a Defender D300 (fitted with an electrically deployable towbar). The stabiliser hitch handle fouls the underside of the door mounted spare wheel. The only solution is to open the rear door to couple up then close the rear door before lifting the jockey wheel (otherwise the rear door fouls the jockey wheel in the raised position).  Otherwise its a superb towcar, in June we towed to the Cote D'Azur and back

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