Will Alko Shock Absorbers Fit Behind My Powertorch Mover

[moorlandman]

Hi folks, I would like to fit a pair of Alko shock absorbers to my van,so I watched the Alko shock absorber video on You Tube, then I had a look under the van (at the fitting site) only to find that the Powertorch mover motors appear to be in the way, there is a gap behind the motor, (between it and the chassis), but I'm not sure if the gap is wide enought to fit a shocker in place.

Anyone done this job, if so advice would be welcolm.

Many thanks

Terry

[DTH]

Terry, I fitted a pair of Alko shocks to my Lunar Lexon which was fitted with

a powertouch mover to the front of the wheels and I found there was plenty of room,

but I can only comment on my experience as you don`t state what caravan you

want to fit them to.

HTH

Dave

[DTH]

This is a photo of the shock and mover fitted to a Lunar Clubman

 

[JTQ]

Talk to Powrtouch re your specific mover for the definitive answer.

Some if not all current Powrtouch units do accommodate AL-Ko dampers.

However you might find the precise positioning of the mover needs to be set for it to be clear, if it was pre installed before the dampers.

[OWOMW]

Fitted my AL-KO dampers behind my front mounted Powrtouch EVO Auto with no problem.

Edited August 2, 2014 by onewheelonmywagon

[Jaydug]

On my previous van, a Bailey Pageant, I fitted a Powrtouch mover myself. Some years later I wanted to fit Alko shockers but the space between the chassis and the mover body was too small. All it took was to loosen off the mover's fixing bolts and move the motors outwards slightly. Once done, the shockers fitted. The mover rollers still covered the full width of the tyres treads.

[moorlandman]

Terry, I fitted a pair of Alko shocks to my Lunar Lexon which was fitted with

a powertouch mover to the front of the wheels and I found there was plenty of room,

but I can only comment on my experience as you don`t state what caravan you

want to fit them to.

HTH

Dave

Hi Dave, It's an Ace Award Morningstar 2005, Thanks, Terry

[moorlandman]

On my previous van, a Bailey Pageant, I fitted a Powrtouch mover myself. Some years later I wanted to fit Alko shockers but the space between the chassis and the mover body was too small. All it took was to loosen off the mover's fixing bolts and move the motors outwards slightly. Once done, the shockers fitted. The mover rollers still covered the full width of the tyres treads.

Hi Jaydug, sound like the same situation, can I assume when you refef to the "mover body" you mean the motor, I'll have a look with the wheel off and see ( as you did) if it can be moved further away from the chassis.

Thanks

Terry

[lute]

Hi

when I bought my mover Powrtouch asked if my van( german van) had shocks fitted as the models differed, best you ask Powrtouch.

[JTQ]

The motor, gearbox, engagement mechanism etc is a single assembly that is mounted on and slides bodily, sideways, on the retangular cross tube. These motor assemblies are fixed where needed by "grub" bolts through nuts welded on that tube

Edited August 2, 2014 by JTQ

[Jaydug]

Hi Jaydug, sound like the same situation, can I assume when you refef to the "mover body" you mean the motor, I'll have a look with the wheel off and see ( as you did) if it can be moved further away from the chassis.

Thanks

Terry

Exactly that! No need to remove the mover. Just work on one side at a time. Loosen off the four nuts on the U shackles. Loosen the four bolts and locknuts on the alignment tube, then pull out the motor unit sufficiently far to fit the shocker unit. The clearance between motor and shocker only needs to be a few m-metres. Once your shocker is fitted, tighten the motor fixings.

 

Edit. If you have a cross-over tube then that will need adjusting as well.

Edited August 2, 2014 by Jaydug

[moorlandman]

Exactly that! No need to remove the mover. Just work on one side at a time. Loosen off the four nuts on the U shackles. Loosen the four bolts and locknuts on the alignment tube, then pull out the motor unit sufficiently far to fit the shocker unit. The clearance between motor and shocker only needs to be a few m-metres. Once your shocker is fitted, tighten the motor fixings.

 

Edit. If you have a cross-over tube then that will need adjusting as well.

Thanks for the (quality) info, just working now on a method of anchoring the front end before I jack up the wheel (unable to couple the car, it would stick out too far into the cul -de-sac)

Regards

Terry

[Jaydug]

See this topic:-

http://www. caravantalk. co. uk/community/topic/98172-jacking-up-question/

The various suggestions should solve your problem.

[moorlandman]

See this topic:-

http://www. caravantalk. co. uk/community/topic/98172-jacking-up-question/

The various suggestions should solve your problem.

Thanks for that, I have a pair of very strong steel gates just a few inches in front of my hitch, Im considering getting a 50mm towball, two lengths of threaded bar + nuts and various washers etc, fastening the threaded bars to the towball. Fitting the towball to the hitch and poking the threaded bar through the gates, clamping the "arrangement" to the gates.

Should work (in theory )

Edited August 2, 2014 by moorlandman

[philspot]

Thanks for that, I have a pair of very strong steel gates just a few inches in front of my hitch, Im considering getting a 50mm towball, two lengths of threaded bar + nuts and various washers etc, fastening the threaded bars to the towball. Fitting the towball to the hitch and poking the threaded bar through the gates, clamping the "arrangement" to the gates.

Should work (in theory )

Just make sure the gates are securely fitted to something via their hinges!! (And don't let them swing open at an inopportune moment)

You could consider fitting a (removable) hitch-post in the driveway as a handy feature and extra security, if you regularly park the caravan there.

Edited August 3, 2014 by philspot

[moorlandman]

Just make sure the gates are securely fitted to something via their hinges!! (And don't let them swing open at an inopportune moment)

You could consider fitting a (removable) hitch-post in the driveway as a handy feature and extra security, if you regularly park the caravan there.

Thanks, the hitch post sounds like a good idea,(the simple solutions are usually the best )

[OWOMW]

Lock the jockey wheel in its forks so that it can't swivel sideways, put a couple of chocks or house bricks either side of the other wheel, and use a 3 ton trolley jack to lift the van.