Post by Brian M on Jan 31, 2009 23:04:27 GMT
From: talltrees122 (Original Message) Sent: 05/05/2005 22:19
Hi, we need to make our caravan secure and not sure where to find a suitable (and not too expensive) lock that will fit. Does anyone know whether hitchlocks or wheelclamps are most suitable? We have a 12.2 circa 1978 we think.
The hitch has a loop that is pulled upwards to release the towball - is this standard and does it have a name? thanks jayne n neil
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From: OliverShaw1 Sent: 06/05/2005 10:11
Tow hitch
The hitch sounds as though it is standard for the make. It is known as a B&B hitch, because the firm who built the chassis were B&B Trailers. They were founded by Ted Billington, whom I used to know through what was then the Safari Owners' Club, and another gentleman whose name began with B, I think a Mr Bird; hence B&B. B&B Trailers were later bought out by Al-Ko Kober. Don't know whether Ted Billington is still alive; I had the impression that he was in his nineties when I was last in conversation with him, a few years ago.
An unusual feature of the hitch (at least by modern standards) is that it is designed to rotate, and the manufacturer's instructions for unhitching include to pull up the handle and then rotate the hitch to one side through a right-angle in order to get it off the ball. Personally I never do that, preferring to raise the handle and then wind up the front of the 'van on the jockey wheel; these 'vans are so heavy that I don't believe in using my own muscles to manoeuvre the 'van in any way at all if I can possibly avoid it, and I find that my method will always lift the 'van off the towball, very easily and under full control. However the official method might be very useful for a lighter trailer with no jockey wheel, and the instructions may simply have been copied more or less automatically to their caravan chassis. This is presumably the reason for designing the hitch to be able to rotate, and you can now choose whichever method best suits you.
Identifying your 'van.
If the identification plate is still intact it will be found on the outside of the nearside panel, immediately forward of the door, at floor level. This should give both the model number and the serial number. The first two digits of the serial number are the year of manufacture, and the remainder is a number to indicate which 'van it is from that year's build. So, for example, 78033 would indicate the the 23rd caravan built (023) in 1978.
If you don't have the model number and serial number there is now a wealth of information already published on our "Dating Safaris" message board which will enable you to date your caravan fairly closely. Identifying the model is fairly easy; the figure before the oblique is the body length (in feet), and the figure after the oblique is the number of berths. The 12/2 had one unusual feature in that the door to the washroom was set at a slight but noticeable angle, rather than exactly on the fore-and-aft line, and (at least in the mid-seventies) had a folding flap on the washroom door that could be raised to provide a light-duty kitchen worktop. I think it likely that this flap may have been retained in the later 12/2s, but cannot confirm the point.
If it is of interest, I have an original 1980 Safari Sales Brochure giving details of all models, and Brian (the Group Founder) has taken a digital copy of it and will email it to members on request.
Security Devices
The best answer is both a hitchlock and a wheelclamp. However if you want to start with only one I personally would make that the wheelclamp, and this has the advantage that they are readily available over the counter whereas hitchlocks that will fit a B&B hitch will probably have to be ordered.
Well worth looking at the SAS wheelclamp, as the designers have started from scratch rather than just cloning other people's ideas and have come up with one which is very much more compact and much easier to fit than most of its competitors, while still matching them for security. I am fairly sure that it carries the Sold Secure designation, but do check that for yourself. Certainly this is the type that I use on my own 'vans, and have used them for many years. Not all dealers stock this make, but certainly Harringtons do.
The only snag to this design is that it locates onto one of the wheel nuts, so on that wheel they need to be exposed, and this means you have to remove the chrome hub cap; if that is acceptable to you this is an excellent design of wheel clamp, but if you feel strongly that you want to leave the hub cap in place you need a more conventional design of wheelclamp. However with a more conventional design you are not going to be able to see the hub cap anyway underneath the wheelclamp ... ...
Personally I settle for the SAS clamp and remove my hubcap on that side, and just make sure that the paint on the wheel is in good order. The latter is worth doing anyway - including the "blind" side of the wheel, where you may well find all the paint has disappeared and you just have rusty metal; in the interests of safety it is well worth cleaning this up and inspecting for severe corrosion and for cracks, etc., then if it is sound repaint with Hammerite or other suitable metal paint.
I have only once in fifty-odd years known a caravan wheel not to be sound, but that one isolated occasion did an immense amount of damage. The rim and tyre parted company from the wheel centre, came up through the floor of the 'van, and exited through the side of the wardrobe, while dropping the chassis onto the road. Fortunately I had already stopped to investigate an ususual clicking sound, and was only just starting to pull away again having found no visible problems, so I was still almost stationary when this occurred; it would have been disastrous if it had happened at normal road speeds.
Hitchlocks: there is a very limited range that will fit your hitch. Most makes have several versions, each one tailored to a particular hitch, and only a very few have one for the B&B hitch. I use a Bulldog hitchlock, which when I bought it was listed by the manufacturer but for which the retailer had to place a special order; that is one of the popular makes, and a very sturdy one, but it is several years since I bought it and I have no knowledge of whether it is still available - but certainly still worth a try. Otherwise you may have to ask your local friendly caravan dealer what he can find for you.
There is or was available a cheap and very light duty hitchlock made up of plastic coated metal strap, and secured with a padlock. I think it sold for only about a fiver, but be aware that they are rubbish. Regard this type as little more than a toy; two minutes with a hacksaw, or a few seconds with a crowbar (or even a big screwdriver) can have it busted open.
Hope this is helpful,
Oliver
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Recommend Delete Message 3 of 3 in Discussion
From: talltrees122 Sent: 08/05/2005 20:31
wow,thanks for all that info...we had looked at the 'dating safaris' and concluded that ours was a late(ish) model of around '78-80..but aha! have just located the serial number...80201. Now we are safe in the knowledge that we are the proud owners of a 1980 model, and boy is she gaining a host of admirers already.
Yesterday whilst replenishing gasbottles/batteries etc at our local caravan dealership, an elderly gentleman approached us and asked if we were the owners of The safari. With a faraway look in his eye he said he had fond memories of the one he owned in the '60's, and that they were "the Rolls Royce of caravans". He said we MUST take good care of her. We felt like proud parents (well almost) and are certainly enjoying safari ownership. Friends who initially scoffed at our middle aged enthusiasm about caravans (our combined age is just 63!) came to visit today and were suitably impressed - and even asked if they could borrow her. We need to consider just how good friends they are first..
Regarding locks, we have found a hitch lock that fits at a specialist trailer outlet, sorry cant remember whats its called, will certainly consider putting on a wheel clamp too.
thanks again for the info, jayne n neil
Hi, we need to make our caravan secure and not sure where to find a suitable (and not too expensive) lock that will fit. Does anyone know whether hitchlocks or wheelclamps are most suitable? We have a 12.2 circa 1978 we think.
The hitch has a loop that is pulled upwards to release the towball - is this standard and does it have a name? thanks jayne n neil
First Previous 2-3 of 3 Next Last Delete Replies
Reply
Recommend Delete Message 2 of 3 in Discussion
From: OliverShaw1 Sent: 06/05/2005 10:11
Tow hitch
The hitch sounds as though it is standard for the make. It is known as a B&B hitch, because the firm who built the chassis were B&B Trailers. They were founded by Ted Billington, whom I used to know through what was then the Safari Owners' Club, and another gentleman whose name began with B, I think a Mr Bird; hence B&B. B&B Trailers were later bought out by Al-Ko Kober. Don't know whether Ted Billington is still alive; I had the impression that he was in his nineties when I was last in conversation with him, a few years ago.
An unusual feature of the hitch (at least by modern standards) is that it is designed to rotate, and the manufacturer's instructions for unhitching include to pull up the handle and then rotate the hitch to one side through a right-angle in order to get it off the ball. Personally I never do that, preferring to raise the handle and then wind up the front of the 'van on the jockey wheel; these 'vans are so heavy that I don't believe in using my own muscles to manoeuvre the 'van in any way at all if I can possibly avoid it, and I find that my method will always lift the 'van off the towball, very easily and under full control. However the official method might be very useful for a lighter trailer with no jockey wheel, and the instructions may simply have been copied more or less automatically to their caravan chassis. This is presumably the reason for designing the hitch to be able to rotate, and you can now choose whichever method best suits you.
Identifying your 'van.
If the identification plate is still intact it will be found on the outside of the nearside panel, immediately forward of the door, at floor level. This should give both the model number and the serial number. The first two digits of the serial number are the year of manufacture, and the remainder is a number to indicate which 'van it is from that year's build. So, for example, 78033 would indicate the the 23rd caravan built (023) in 1978.
If you don't have the model number and serial number there is now a wealth of information already published on our "Dating Safaris" message board which will enable you to date your caravan fairly closely. Identifying the model is fairly easy; the figure before the oblique is the body length (in feet), and the figure after the oblique is the number of berths. The 12/2 had one unusual feature in that the door to the washroom was set at a slight but noticeable angle, rather than exactly on the fore-and-aft line, and (at least in the mid-seventies) had a folding flap on the washroom door that could be raised to provide a light-duty kitchen worktop. I think it likely that this flap may have been retained in the later 12/2s, but cannot confirm the point.
If it is of interest, I have an original 1980 Safari Sales Brochure giving details of all models, and Brian (the Group Founder) has taken a digital copy of it and will email it to members on request.
Security Devices
The best answer is both a hitchlock and a wheelclamp. However if you want to start with only one I personally would make that the wheelclamp, and this has the advantage that they are readily available over the counter whereas hitchlocks that will fit a B&B hitch will probably have to be ordered.
Well worth looking at the SAS wheelclamp, as the designers have started from scratch rather than just cloning other people's ideas and have come up with one which is very much more compact and much easier to fit than most of its competitors, while still matching them for security. I am fairly sure that it carries the Sold Secure designation, but do check that for yourself. Certainly this is the type that I use on my own 'vans, and have used them for many years. Not all dealers stock this make, but certainly Harringtons do.
The only snag to this design is that it locates onto one of the wheel nuts, so on that wheel they need to be exposed, and this means you have to remove the chrome hub cap; if that is acceptable to you this is an excellent design of wheel clamp, but if you feel strongly that you want to leave the hub cap in place you need a more conventional design of wheelclamp. However with a more conventional design you are not going to be able to see the hub cap anyway underneath the wheelclamp ... ...
Personally I settle for the SAS clamp and remove my hubcap on that side, and just make sure that the paint on the wheel is in good order. The latter is worth doing anyway - including the "blind" side of the wheel, where you may well find all the paint has disappeared and you just have rusty metal; in the interests of safety it is well worth cleaning this up and inspecting for severe corrosion and for cracks, etc., then if it is sound repaint with Hammerite or other suitable metal paint.
I have only once in fifty-odd years known a caravan wheel not to be sound, but that one isolated occasion did an immense amount of damage. The rim and tyre parted company from the wheel centre, came up through the floor of the 'van, and exited through the side of the wardrobe, while dropping the chassis onto the road. Fortunately I had already stopped to investigate an ususual clicking sound, and was only just starting to pull away again having found no visible problems, so I was still almost stationary when this occurred; it would have been disastrous if it had happened at normal road speeds.
Hitchlocks: there is a very limited range that will fit your hitch. Most makes have several versions, each one tailored to a particular hitch, and only a very few have one for the B&B hitch. I use a Bulldog hitchlock, which when I bought it was listed by the manufacturer but for which the retailer had to place a special order; that is one of the popular makes, and a very sturdy one, but it is several years since I bought it and I have no knowledge of whether it is still available - but certainly still worth a try. Otherwise you may have to ask your local friendly caravan dealer what he can find for you.
There is or was available a cheap and very light duty hitchlock made up of plastic coated metal strap, and secured with a padlock. I think it sold for only about a fiver, but be aware that they are rubbish. Regard this type as little more than a toy; two minutes with a hacksaw, or a few seconds with a crowbar (or even a big screwdriver) can have it busted open.
Hope this is helpful,
Oliver
Reply
Recommend Delete Message 3 of 3 in Discussion
From: talltrees122 Sent: 08/05/2005 20:31
wow,thanks for all that info...we had looked at the 'dating safaris' and concluded that ours was a late(ish) model of around '78-80..but aha! have just located the serial number...80201. Now we are safe in the knowledge that we are the proud owners of a 1980 model, and boy is she gaining a host of admirers already.
Yesterday whilst replenishing gasbottles/batteries etc at our local caravan dealership, an elderly gentleman approached us and asked if we were the owners of The safari. With a faraway look in his eye he said he had fond memories of the one he owned in the '60's, and that they were "the Rolls Royce of caravans". He said we MUST take good care of her. We felt like proud parents (well almost) and are certainly enjoying safari ownership. Friends who initially scoffed at our middle aged enthusiasm about caravans (our combined age is just 63!) came to visit today and were suitably impressed - and even asked if they could borrow her. We need to consider just how good friends they are first..
Regarding locks, we have found a hitch lock that fits at a specialist trailer outlet, sorry cant remember whats its called, will certainly consider putting on a wheel clamp too.
thanks again for the info, jayne n neil