Snakemaster stabilizer

[ssizefive]

I have just bought a fairly old Elddis Whirlwind & it has a snakemaster stabilizer with it. I have put the bracket onto my towbar but have no idea how to set them up & cant find any info on the internet. Can anyone help?
I have towed before but not for a long time & i didnt have a stabilizer back then.

Thanks
Steve

[HarryM1BYT]

I have just bought a fairly old Elddis Whirlwind & it has a snakemaster stabilizer with it. I have put the bracket onto my towbar but have no idea how to set them up & cant find any info on the internet. Can anyone help?
I have towed before but not for a long time & i didnt have a stabilizer back then.

Thanks
Steve

If this is the type which is designed to lift the front of the caravan/rear of the car - adjust the height so it provides around 70 pound of lift. In other words - once it is all coupled up and you start to lift the arm onto the bracket, you are lifting about 70 pounds.

For side to side damping, the friction surface adjustment needs to be set for about the same figure, 60-70 pounds of sideways pressure needed to make the arm move at the far end of the arm.

[reworht]

Steve - PM me an email address and I'll send you the Snakemaster instructions in PDF format
Rod

[ahp]

I have just bought a fairly old Elddis Whirlwind & it has a snakemaster stabilizer with it. I have put the bracket onto my towbar but have no idea how to set them up & cant find any info on the internet. Can anyone help?
I have towed before but not for a long time & i didnt have a stabilizer back then.

Thanks
Steve
If it came with the caravan, I presume the caravan bracket is already fitted. Just remove your towball and put the stabiliser bracket on between the towball and towbar (longer bolts usually required) and bob's your uncle. The caravan bracket should have been set when fitted to the caravan.

Instructions are here:-
http://www.towsure.com/images/tagged/p/868-instruction_pdf-st13_instructions.pdf

Happy towing
regards
Tony

[ssizefive]

Thanks for the replies. I am going to bring it home tomorrow for a test run so fingers crossed!!

Steve

[actros]

Thanks for the replies. I am going to bring it home tomorrow for a test run so fingers crossed!!

SteveBring it to the Doncaster family weekend mate and get the nohow on it,
:shrug:

[ssizefive]

Bring it to the Doncaster family weekend mate and get the nohow on it,
:shrug:

I am doing Brian, that is going to be the first outing. Not looking forward to the motorway though.

Steve.

[HarryM1BYT]

I am doing Brian, that is going to be the first outing. Not looking forward to the motorway though.

Steve.

If you keep it to 56mph, you will be able to save fuel and be able to cruise in lane 1 with the heavies.

[ssizefive]

If you keep it to 56mph, you will be able to save fuel and be able to cruise in lane 1 with the heavies.

Most of the M62 that i will be on is covered in roadworks at the moment so the speed limit is 50 and i will be in lane 1.

Steve

[ssizefive]

Well the caravan is now home & quite a bit cleaner:} Still a lot of 'bits' of jobs to do but everything seems to work except the fridge, but that could be just me as i haven't spent too much time at it.
I couldn't use the stabilizer as the long locking arm rod is missing & also the pin that goes in the towbar end. I have seen a new rod on ebay that isn't expensive but would it be ok to use a nut & bolt through the hole that the pin is meant to go in?

Steve.

[reworht]

If you have a look on Towsure's website, I think you can get these as spares.

[HarryM1BYT]

Well the caravan is now home & quite a bit cleaner:} Still a lot of 'bits' of jobs to do but everything seems to work except the fridge, but that could be just me as i haven't spent too much time at it.
I couldn't use the stabilizer as the long locking arm rod is missing & also the pin that goes in the towbar end. I have seen a new rod on ebay that isn't expensive but would it be ok to use a nut & bolt through the hole that the pin is meant to go in?

Steve.

I think your 'pin' is an R spring clip. It fits through a narrow hole, where the bracket slides into the towbar bracket, to prevent it sliding back out. They often get lost, when you get one, put a brightly coloured tiewrap around it - it makes the pin easier to pull out gripping the tiewrap and it is easier to see on the grass.

I have loads of R clips here, if you are passing by - but bring the bracket with you for a free fitting.

[ssizefive]

I think your 'pin' is an R spring clip. It fits through a narrow hole, where the bracket slides into the towbar bracket, to prevent it sliding back out. They often get lost, when you get one, put a brightly coloured tiewrap around it - it makes the pin easier to pull out gripping the tiewrap and it is easier to see on the grass.

I have loads of R clips here, if you are passing by - but bring the bracket with you for a free fitting.

Excellent & thanks for the tip.

Steve.

[Shortfella]

If you keep it to 56mph, you will be able to save fuel and be able to cruise in lane 1 with the heavies.

Another 'wobbly box' mixing it with us 'heavies' just what we need. ;)

[ssizefive]

Have just been setting the stabilizer up as per the instructions but it seems very stiff on the side to side movement when pulling it with the scales at 70lbs,in fact i can hardly pull it - does this seem right?

Steve

[HarryM1BYT]

Have just been setting the stabilizer up as per the instructions but it seems very stiff on the side to side movement when pulling it with the scales at 70lbs,in fact i can hardly pull it - does this seem right?

Steve

That seems to be correct.

[reworht]

Yes - my Snakemaster is quite difficult to move by hand (and I set mine up on the bathroom scales too) - it needs to be pretty tight to do its job. Just remember to disconnect it before reversing the van!

[HarryM1BYT]

Yes - my Snakemaster is quite difficult to move by hand (and I set mine up on the bathroom scales too) - it needs to be pretty tight to do its job. Just remember to disconnect it before reversing the van!

Why do you need to disconnect it to reverse?

Mine is another make, but similar principle and I have never needed to disconnect it to reverse.

[reworht]

It was a 'warning' with the original instructions when it was new - I have to be honest and say I haven't investigated the scientific principles behind it - I've just got into the habit of doing so!

[reworht]

I knew I had it somewhere (it was a scanned letter, filed on a 3.5"" floppy disk :D).
This was the answer from the Snakemaster manufacturers when I queried the "disconnect before reversing" warning many years ago:-
With car and van coupled, on level surface and both in straight line, there should be 100mm of the leaf spring protruding to the rear of the locating shoe.
If the stabiliser is mounted to the right of the towball, full lock to the left will pull the leaf forwards in the shoe, and full right will push it further into the shoe.
If reversing on full right lock, the retracting action of the hitch will push the spring still further into the shoe. Because of the arc in the spring, downward pressure will reduce, and it is likely that the spring will "hop" over the edge of the shoe - which could damage your A frame fairing. This is probably why disconnecting the stabiliser for reversing is recommended.
If the stabiliser is mounted to the left of the towball, the situation is the same, but the opposite steering locks apply.


I'd go out and see if the theory is right - but guess what? - its raining :(

[HarryM1BYT]

I knew I had it somewhere (it was a scanned letter, filed on a 3.5"" floppy disk :D).
This was the answer from the Snakemaster manufacturers when I queried the "disconnect before reversing" warning many years ago:-
With car and van coupled, on level surface and both in straight line, there should be 100mm of the leaf spring protruding to the rear of the locating shoe.
If the stabiliser is mounted to the right of the towball, full lock to the left will pull the leaf forwards in the shoe, and full right will push it further into the shoe.
If reversing on full right lock, the retracting action of the hitch will push the spring still further into the shoe. Because of the arc in the spring, downward pressure will reduce, and it is likely that the spring will "hop" over the edge of the shoe - which could damage your A frame fairing. This is probably why disconnecting the stabiliser for reversing is recommended.
If the stabiliser is mounted to the left of the towball, the situation is the same, but the opposite steering locks apply.


I'd go out and see if the theory is right - but guess what? - its raining :(


Mmmmm, I've never heard that before....

I have had mine 20+ years and never taken it off ever, for reversing - but then it is not a Snakemaster. So long I have forgotten its name and the company has gone out of business anyway. Rather than a flat spring, it is made from two rods, with two coils forming the spring. The two rods are joined into one at the caravan end (a U) and that U part sits on the A frame bracket and slides back and forth on a shaped nylon block.

I have had it on several cars and caravans. I just test it on both full locks to make sure there are no potential colisions when fitted.

I must say it has worked very well indeed, I have never had it snake and heaving it onto the bracket takes much of the weight off the car's rear suspension.

[reworht]

I'm off to Derbyshire with the 'van in 3 weeks time - I'll test the theory and report back :)

[ssizefive]

Well, just got back from the Yorkshire spanner weekend & am pleased to say the caravan journey was a success :D. The weather was poor on Friday, the traffic was awful, the M62 was pretty much a carpark but the car & caravan were totally fine, the stabilizer worked a treat so thanks for all the advice from everyone, it certainly helped.

Steve

[RPWC]

I too have a snakemaster,and like Harry don't bother removing it while reversing,unless I'm turning whist reversing,in which case,I remove it