New AL-KO 44 & 45
I have just received a Swift Exlclusive 2018 model, to get cheaper insurance I needed a wheel lock from al-ko number 44 so I rang them only to find that swift had purchased the tooling rights for said locks, so I rang Swift they said ring al-ko, so I rang, they said ring Swift, so I did, the customer service said they knew nothing about it. Anyway after numerous emails & phone calls. Swift sent an email a couple of days later to say that the rrp was 250 pounds or there about, however YOU can only get them from an authorised dealership. After ringing around a lot of dealers they ranged from 314 to 385 pounds including vat. I managed to find a dealership that didn’t think they were Robin Hood, Marquis Caravans & Motorhomes, Dinnington, Sheffield, so if you want to feel less mugged, please go there. The man you need is called Eddie, you may have to wait a couple of weeks so that Swift send them to him
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Comments
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I have recently changed from Alko wheel-specific lock to Nemesis. Much easier to fit as the wheel doesn’t need to be aligned, and they are not wheel-specific, so you don’t have to change for a new caravan. They are industry approved so should meet insurance requirements.
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I have a 2018 van purchased in Feb. When I enquired about the wheel lock I was told I had to buy the complete kit, the insert was not available on its own.
After discussion with Swift, my dealer obtained the new lozenge at a cost of £160. Still a lot to pay but better than the £240 I was expecting to pay.
Gill
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£160 ...to save how much on insurance?
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It seems the Alko lock offers very little resistance to thieves and their cutting equipment. I read somewhere the Nemesis offered the same resistance (about 30 seconds)
Guess you have to do the maths, as others have said, insurance premiums are not exactly halved by fitting either but seem to be a requirement in their t&c's.
A police security adviser told me one of the best deterrents was 'smart water' and yet only a few insurance companies even have it on their list of 'approved anti-theft devices'
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Alko locks are far superior to Nemesis. Thieves remove the Alko devices with Oxy Acetaline torches. Nemesis ultra locks are removed by simply towing the caravan away making them an easier target. That’s why when you see photos of where caravans have been stolen there are often drag marks. The point that fixes into the wheel nut fails and the locks just fall off.
Alko are not perfect by any means, however they are the most secure lock available other than the JSB hublock which requires the wheel to be removed.
Many people go on about ‘it’s not worth the expense considering the insurance discount’. Personally I’d rather make my caravan as hard as possible to steal regardless of the insurance.
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At those prices it could be cheaper to change the wheel rims to suit the Al-Ko lock one already has!
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Having just changed our caravan we were told it needed a 35 wheel lock as opposed to the 33 that we had on the old van. Before paying the ridiculous prices tried fitting the 33 and low and behold it fit the new van. Can't be much difference in the sizes. Worth trying before paying out for a new lozenge.
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Wouldn't it be a better idea if caravan wheels were standardised so that "one size fits all"?
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" Pie in the sky lad, Pie in the sky " !
Wouldn't it be better if all caravans were made the same and the different manufacturers added their own stamp on finishes ?
Swifts " Wind of change " Corniche in the nineties was advertised as " Some day all caravans will be made this way " ! Thank heavens they weren't.
Happy caravanning.
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I'm not suggesting homogenous boxes but basic stuff like wheels, any sort of plug-in connector, lamp clusters etc could be standardised to the benefit of all.
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Does that include jacking time?
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