Alko Axle Problems

georgevan replied on 07/09/2016 07:59

georgevan

Posted on 07/09/2016 07:59

I am the owner of a 2013 Bailey Unicorn 2 Cadiz and have just been told that I will require the axle to be removed and sent back to Alko for refurbishment.

This will mean the caravan being off the road for 6 to 8 weeks and a cost of about £1000.

Is this due to bad design/production of the axle or the caravan layout ? - the gas locker, fidge and cooker are on the side that has failed.

Is this what we should expect from a 3/4year old caravan?

141 replies

Ian Brearley replied on 06/02/2017 12:53

Member

Ian Brearley

Caravanner

Posted on 04/02/2017 16:36 by catherinef

Maybe a group of you should make contact with the Club Legal or Technical Team for assistance. There seems to be too many occurrances.

Are these all single or twin axle vans?

Posted on 06/02/2017 12:53

Mine is single

Ian Brearley replied on 06/02/2017 12:56

Member

Ian Brearley

Caravanner

Posted on 06/02/2017 12:56

Below is a post I've placed on The AL-KO Facebook page:

My Lunar Clubman has an AL-KO axle which has failed, in less than two years, and this, apparently, is due to overloading. My van has been replated by Lunar and should be capable of handling 1345kg and when I measured it recently it came out at 1270kg

If my van were to be loaded at 1345kg and I hit a patch of uneven road (not potholes) would that not be capable of causing axle failure?

If my van were to be loaded at 1345kg and I stepped into it with my 110kg and was joined by my good lady at 80kg would that not be capable of causing axle damage? How about if I invited a few friends in for a glass of wine?

What technical evidence would lead to a verdict of overloading, as opposed either of the above, because I have a suspicion that the axle in my van was poorly specified, or assembled, and that I have had to pay for a construction which is really not fit for purpose?

Looking on the Caravan Club forums there are numerous examples of unhappy Bailey owners with failed axles and plenty on the Lunar Facebook group.

Bailey have made goodwill payments to some of their owners but Lunar are not being as generous. I'm over £600 out of pocket and I'm wondering if I should budget for two axles and two tyres every two years...

1 person likes this

Ian Brearley replied on 06/02/2017 12:58

Member

Ian Brearley

Caravanner

Posted on 06/02/2017 12:58

I'm looking for contact details at AL-KO and at Watchdog (TV)

Can anyone help with either of those?

ANDY MILLER replied on 07/02/2017 13:40

Member

ANDY MILLER

Caravanner

Posted on 07/02/2017 13:40

Just as a matter of interest, does any of the above problematic axles have the red al-ko shock absorbers attached to them? My pursuit 560-5 hasn't yet the MLTM is 1441kg on a rated 1450kg axle? The current axle on mine is a 1600-02 which can be found on the identification sticker on the axle. Begs a question?

ANDY MILLER replied on 07/02/2017 13:55

Member

ANDY MILLER

Caravanner

Posted on 06/02/2017 12:56 by Ian Brearley

Below is a post I've placed on The AL-KO Facebook page:

My Lunar Clubman has an AL-KO axle which has failed, in less than two years, and this, apparently, is due to overloading. My van has been replated by Lunar and should be capable of handling 1345kg and when I measured it recently it came out at 1270kg

If my van were to be loaded at 1345kg and I hit a patch of uneven road (not potholes) would that not be capable of causing axle failure?

If my van were to be loaded at 1345kg and I stepped into it with my 110kg and was joined by my good lady at 80kg would that not be capable of causing axle damage? How about if I invited a few friends in for a glass of wine?

What technical evidence would lead to a verdict of overloading, as opposed either of the above, because I have a suspicion that the axle in my van was poorly specified, or assembled, and that I have had to pay for a construction which is really not fit for purpose?

Looking on the Caravan Club forums there are numerous examples of unhappy Bailey owners with failed axles and plenty on the Lunar Facebook group.

Bailey have made goodwill payments to some of their owners but Lunar are not being as generous. I'm over £600 out of pocket and I'm wondering if I should budget for two axles and two tyres every two years...

Posted on 07/02/2017 13:55

Whats your axle rated at and does it have the red shock absorbers fitted?

ANDY MILLER replied on 07/02/2017 13:57

Member

ANDY MILLER

Caravanner

Posted on 21/01/2017 16:42 by georgevan

I am expecting a reply from the DVSA at the end of the month (Jan 2017) following a meeting between Alko and Bailey.

The more I look into the subject on the web the more I am convinced that there is a safety issue with Alko axles.

When I get the reply/verdict I will post it on this discussion.

Posted on 07/02/2017 13:57

Have they not got back to you yet?

flatcoat replied on 07/02/2017 14:45

Member

flatcoat

Caravanner from West Yorkshire

Posted on 07/02/2017 14:45

Although I agree the CC should get involved, I doubt the Club will help anyone with this. Never been known to show any interest in their members with tackling manufacturers with other quality/build issues before.

9 people like this

Greygit replied on 10/02/2017 06:27

Member

Greygit

Caravanner

Posted on 10/02/2017 06:27

This axle problem reminds me of the saga of wheels breaking up on cars of a well know German manufacturer, they maintained it was the bad roads in Britain causing the problem and they kept up this excuse for quite some time. This was very costly for the owners of these cars as the wheels breaking up were aluminum, eventually the car manufacturer came clean and admitted their wheels were at fault. I wonder if we have a similar situation here.

2 people like this

ValDa replied on 10/02/2017 10:03

ValDa

Caravanner from North Yorkshire

Posted on 13/10/2016 12:25 by swiftphil

Hi georgevan Your insurance company is qute right about pothole damage, when this occurs there is almost always internal damage ie split floor, split funiture and even furniture pulling away from thye wall all caused by the shock. I hit a pothole at a mere 5 miles an hour and the damage was all of the above plus it totallydestroyed the suspaension on one side.

Posted on 10/02/2017 10:03

Well in the year 2000 when we had our problems, outlined near the beginning of this thread, Alko did acknowledge a fault with our axle, and not only that,but with the first replacement which was fitted. After the caravan went back to Alko in the midlands to have a second replacement axle,they told our dealer that a 'whole batch of axle suspension rubber' was at fault!

Our dealer still remembers the whole incident, and still asks if the caravan has a 'lean'.

Fortunately we were lucky and the whole episode cost us nothing!

And in response to the question about shock absorbers, our caravan does have shock absorbers, but I couldn't tell you whether they were the 'Alko red ones' as mentioned above.

Freedom a whitebox replied on 10/02/2017 10:17

Member

Freedom a whitebox

Caravanner

Posted on 06/02/2017 12:56 by Ian Brearley

Below is a post I've placed on The AL-KO Facebook page:

My Lunar Clubman has an AL-KO axle which has failed, in less than two years, and this, apparently, is due to overloading. My van has been replated by Lunar and should be capable of handling 1345kg and when I measured it recently it came out at 1270kg

If my van were to be loaded at 1345kg and I hit a patch of uneven road (not potholes) would that not be capable of causing axle failure?

If my van were to be loaded at 1345kg and I stepped into it with my 110kg and was joined by my good lady at 80kg would that not be capable of causing axle damage? How about if I invited a few friends in for a glass of wine?

What technical evidence would lead to a verdict of overloading, as opposed either of the above, because I have a suspicion that the axle in my van was poorly specified, or assembled, and that I have had to pay for a construction which is really not fit for purpose?

Looking on the Caravan Club forums there are numerous examples of unhappy Bailey owners with failed axles and plenty on the Lunar Facebook group.

Bailey have made goodwill payments to some of their owners but Lunar are not being as generous. I'm over £600 out of pocket and I'm wondering if I should budget for two axles and two tyres every two years...

Posted on 10/02/2017 10:17

Hi Ian, I didn't read your original post but did post something along the same lines a few days after on another discussion.

It had occurred to me that,

How could overloading during towing be blamed?

or,

is the MTPLM the maximum load that the caravan can have when in use on a pitch?

If that's the case, then a lot caravans are 'sold unfit for purpose' as the payload would be preached as soon as you stepped in it on site. And that's without introducing some of the stuff that has to be carried in the tow cars!

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