Alko Axle Problems

The caravan was inspected by the insurance company's engineer and no evidence of pothole damage was found so it is not covered. The engineers opinion is that partial collapse of the axle is due to premature failure of the preloaded bush on that side of the axle.

This safety issue is now with Bailey so I will have to wait and see what happens next.

i am not sure if just a replacement axle would give me peace of mind to go long distance touring with this van - when it fail again?

All Bailey Unicorn 11 owners beware

The caravan was inspected by the insurance company's engineer and no evidence of pothole damage was found so it is not covered. The engineers opinion is that partial collapse of the axle is due to premature failure of the preloaded bush on that side of the axle.

This safety issue is now with Bailey so I will have to wait and see what happens next.

i am not sure if just a replacement axle would give me peace of mind to go long distance touring with this van - when it fail again?

All Bailey Unicorn 11 owners beware

 

 

The ALKO axle is the standard on most caravans so changing makes does not help. It does look like a fault on a small minority so I would not expect the same from a replacement. If they were that bad there would be caravans everywhere with the same problem and this is not the case.

I hope "Wildwood " is correct but I think the Unicorn 1 had a 1600kg axle istead of the 1500kg fitted to the Unicorn 11. Strange with a Max Laden Mass of 1498kg

My Unicorn 11 is an early one so there may be more to follow - I hope there is not.

An esy check is to try to put your fingers between the top of the tyre and the wheel arch. Two or three fingers gap would seem to be normal. On the "bad side" of mine there was only room for about one finger. If you are worried get it checked

i am not sure if just a replacement axle would give me peace of mind to go long distance touring with this van - when it fail again?

 

Re my earlier post in this thread, our axle was replaced fifteen years ago in May 2001 - and since then we've done at least 65,000 miles without a single problem related to the axle.

Hello everyone,

Have a Bailey unicorn Vigo, and yes we have just had to have a new axle fitted, £940 inc labour. Only had it 16months. We were told by the dealer it's been overloaded, this is our third bailey and we have never had this issue, the side were the the cooker, microwave, gas bottles and water system is, had no clearance hardly above the tyre, having had the new axle fitted I have noticed that that same side as less of a gap than the door side, and the van is empty.
The farther in law Also has a Vigo and it looks like he has got the same issue and Carrys little in the van, it looks like his may have dropped on the same side. It's in for its first service at the beginning of November, so let's see. Looks like a bad design on the unicorns, having the gas bottles over the axle, cooker, microwave and water and heating system.

The caravan has been checked again is accordance wiith Bailey Caravan instuctions and there is still no evidence of "pothole" damage. They have told me that the onle way to be sure of the cause of the damage is to have a "strip report" on the axle. I am waiting for a reply from Al-Ko. Their first reaction was that the axle was out of warranty.

I hope "Wildwood " is correct but I think the Unicorn 1 had a 1600kg axle istead of the 1500kg fitted to the Unicorn 11. Strange with a Max Laden Mass of 1498kg

My Unicorn 11 is an early one so there may be more to follow - I hope there is not.

An esy check is to try to put your fingers between the top of the tyre and the wheel arch. Two or three fingers gap would seem to be normal. On the "bad side" of mine there was only room for about one finger. If you are worried get it checked

When the insurance company weighed your van, what did it weigh?

Didn't Bailey move the gas bottle etc to try to counteract the heavy nose weight on the new AluTecs? It was an obvious 'sensible' move in loading terms but having all the heavies on one side must have been too much.

It would be interesting to compare the offside and nearside weights. The axle as a unit might be OK but the weight distribution overloads one side, therefore Bailey's are partly responsible, surely.

We have a series 3 Vigo which now has to go back to the factory due to an axle problem. Our friends have an identical van which had to go back in the summer for the same problem. Bailey/Alko clearly have a problem and should accept responsibility. Why is the CC not taking it up on behalf of affected members? I have also had the thought about the position of the gas bottle.

I am sure that I read somewhere that the Club don't want to be a Union Rep for carvanners and I can understand that. But it should be concerned that what I would call real designer/engineering errors are being made. The Club test vans etc, including older vans.

It certainly sounds as if there is a potential accident situation here, particularly if the van is fully loaded.