#1

Witter detachable swan neck tow bar paint

in We've got it down to a T Tue Aug 23, 2022 9:28 pm
by Cockney camper (deleted)
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Annoyed that I had a Witter detachable swan neck tow bar fitted and have now discovered, after towing it home, that the paint on the tow ball should be removed, otherwise the stabiliser pads become contaminated with paint from the tow ball. I would have thought that the least the fitter could do is say that the paint should be removed before towing. This is my first caravan so would know no better unless told.


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#2

RE: Witter detachable swan neck tow bar paint

in We've got it down to a T Wed Aug 24, 2022 7:21 am
by Steamdrivenandy | 1.045 Posts

I've never understood why the towbar fitters don't remove the paint as part of their fitting service. Generally a lowball cover comes with the towbar so there's little risk of rusting. But if you're fitting them day in day out you maybe forget the niceties. There are quite a few things in caravanning that are best read up about beforehand.


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#3

RE: Witter detachable swan neck tow bar paint

in We've got it down to a T Wed Aug 24, 2022 8:18 am
by eribaMotters | 5.578 Posts

I suppose it's down to what you plan to tow. With a trailer you would not remove the paint, simply slap lots of grease on the ball. Also to clean the ball correctly the first time is not a short a job. Having said that, I'd have thought the fitter would have said something.
As regards little risk of rusting, I'm amazed at how much the ball can rust. My Audi has a retractable ball and with the supplied cover it rusted. So I put on a nice rubber Alko one and it rusted even more as water got trapped. At the end of last year I covered the ball with vaseline, put an old Alko rubber cover on and then a plastic bag taped up. This did the job.

Colin


Forum Moderator. aka Oscar - Audi A3 1.5 petrol _ ex 430, 552, camplet trailer tent, 310, now a nice white 2017 430.


Last edited Wed Aug 24, 2022 8:19 am | Scroll up

#4

RE: Witter detachable swan neck tow bar paint

in We've got it down to a T Wed Aug 24, 2022 8:52 am
by Steamdrivenandy | 1.045 Posts

Ah, but a removable towball leads a more cossetted life in a nice dry bag in the car's boot. Having said all that, yesterday I moved my Yorkshire Spanner (lump hammer). It had spent two days in blazing weather sat on a plastic awning pole bag. No rain had got anywhere near it but the top face, where it had been in contact with the bag, was rusty all over and the bag had a rusty outline of the hammer on it. The hammer normally lives in the boot and shows no sign of rust.


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#5

RE: Witter detachable swan neck tow bar paint

in We've got it down to a T Tue Aug 30, 2022 12:35 pm
by Cockney camper (deleted)
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I messaged the fitter and he said, leave it alone as it works fine.


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#6

RE: Witter detachable swan neck tow bar paint

in We've got it down to a T Tue Aug 30, 2022 12:59 pm
by JohnE (deleted)
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Perhaps your towbar fitter isn't aware that you have a stabiliser fitted to the caravan's hitch.

You need to remove the paint from the ball to prevent contaminating the stabiliser pads as per Al-Ko's instructions:


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Remove_towball_paint_for_first_use.pdf Remove_towball_paint_for_first_use.pdf


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Last edited Tue Aug 30, 2022 1:02 pm | Scroll up

#7

RE: Witter detachable swan neck tow bar paint

in We've got it down to a T Thu Sep 01, 2022 2:10 pm
by Cockney camper (deleted)
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I told him I had an Al-ko stabiliser.


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