Contents
Authentication of Manufacture
Introduction
Safety Precautions
Operation
Servicing and Cleaning
Spare Parts
Problems and Solutions (Troubleshooting)
Introduction
Dear Customer,
We congratulate you on purchasing a trailer fitted
with an AL-KO coupling head. However, in the
interests of safety, before using your trailer it is most
important that you familiarize yourself with the
operation of the coupling head.
Safety Precautions
• Always ensure that the coupling head is properly
connected to the towing vehicle's towball every
time you couple up. If not coupled up correctly the
trailer may become detached from the towing
vehicle and cause an accident!
• Maximum possible articulation of the coupling
head must not exceed ±25° vertically and ±20°
horizontally. If exceeded, components will be
overloaded and the operation of the assembly
adversely affected!
Operation
For Types AK 75 AK 160 AK 300 AK 350
Articulation:
Maximum articulation must not exceed ±25° vertically
(Fig. 1)
Maximum articulation must not exceed ±20°
horizontally (Fig. 1)
CAUTION: If these articulation angles are exceeded,
components will be overloaded and the operation of
the assembly adversely affected.
Coupling Up
Open coupling head. To do this pull the coupling
handle up (Fig. 2/1) in the direction of the arrow. The
coupling mechanism has a fixed open position, i.e. as
long as the coupling head is not placed on the ball the
coupling handle will remain open.
Put the open coupling on the ball of the towing
vehicle.The nose load on the coupling head
automatically and audibly clicks into position.
In the interests of safety press the handle down by
hand as well (Fig. 2/1). Locking and securing takes
place automatically.
The coupling ball is correctly connected when the
green cylinder of the safety indicator is visible when
the trailer coupling is viewed from the side (Fig. 2/2).
The coupling mechanism is correctly engaged when
the coupling handle can no longer be pressed down
by hand.
CAUTION: When the coupling head is not correctly
hitched onto the towball then the trailer can
become disconnected from the towing vehicle.
Uncoupling
Open coupling handle and lift the coupling head from
the towball of the towing vehicle. Where there are
higher nose loads coupling and uncoupling can be
made easier by use of the jockey wheel.
Wear indicator:
A wear indicator on the coupling head (Fig. 3) shows
whether the wear limit of the towing vehicle's towball
or the trailing coupling has been reached or not.
For this purpose hitch up the trailer to the towing
vehicle (see Coupling Up) and drive the car and trailer
approx. 500m.This will set the coupling head
adjustment. Following this check wear as follows:
If the green indicator is visible on the coupling head
with the coupling engaged (see Fig. 3/2) the coupling
head is in a new condition or the wear on the towball
is within permissible limits.
When the green indicator on the coupling handle is
completely covered over and only the red indicator
visible (Fig. 3/1) this could be caused by the
following:
• The towball has reached the lowest wear limit of
dia. 49 .
• Both coupling head and the towball are showing
signs of wear
• Towball is in a new condition with dia. 50 but the
coupling head is showing an excessive level of
wear
CAUTION:
Under these circumstances the coupling head can
become detached from the coupling ball and the
trailer break away from the towing vehicle!
The coupling head and towball must therefore be
checked IMMEDIATELY before future use. Any faulty
parts must be changed IMMEDIATELY.
All maintenance work must be carried out by
specialist workshops authorised by AL-KO (AL-KO
have a network of Service Centres in the UK &
throughout Europe)!
GB
Operating Instructions for
Coupling Head 605363
4
