Alko Suspensions

Alan
Our friends did the Canning Stock Route, with their Outback Camper Trailer, and I can assure you that it's good enuf.
Note............they go outback every year, and have done many rough tracks.
Never given a problem.
Not sure if there is an "Off Road Version"
Perhaps an email to Alko themselves, will answer that question.
Cheers
Bucky

I travelled around Australia for 2 years with a Camper Trailer that had Alko suspension. I took my trailer into places that the locals said would shake it to bits but it performed faultlesly.
My experience living on the road was that everyone has different opinions on this subject but basically if you adjust your tyre pressures & drive to the conditions the Alko supension wont let you down.
Just another thing. If you get the electric brake option make sure you order off road magnets.

Yep - used by various off-road trailer builders - ALKO claim it is self dampening (no shocks needed) - Phoenix Caravans use it on their offroader - Jurgens Stargazer too - probably others.

Alan,
I have had a big tandem trailer with Alko suspension for over 10 years. It has carried a lot of heavy loads and I have had no issues.

Hope Mr Murphy doesnot read this !!

Hi Alan
I have just returned from a 13K trip with my Trackabout CT. It has Alko Outback suspension. (I think thats what its called) rebound 7 leaf. Before I left I rang John at Trackabout about them and he advised he has never had a problem with them.
We Did Buchanan, Buntine into Halls Ck and then the Gibb. NO problems.

Cheers

Howard

Alan:
Had them on my boat trailer and did a good job until one failed down in Kingston (SE of SA) (Twin hull boat with the trailer stub-axles each side of the hulls, rather than underneath, to keep boat lower to the ground).
I had to gas-axe it off, bring it back to Adelaide and have it sent to Melbourne so they could assess the failure, then (after concluding it was not their fault) they sold me another one which had to be sent to Adelaide and then down to Kingston to be fitted. Took about 6 weeks, with my boat sitting in a repairer's back yard down in Kingston.
Then when I got back to Adelaide, the other one failed (rubber went soft, stub axle splayed outwards and kept scrubbing tyre out SEVERLEY!

I was going to do the drama again until I worked out it was cheaper to ditch them and pay the man to fit a new drop axle (to allow hulls to stay low) , new Brake Disc and Caliper mount (couldn't re-fit existing ones) and new springs: now ride is far softer than ALKO's and I can repair/replace a broken spring myself, anywhere there's a wrecked car.

So, they do the job but when they wear, they scrub out your tyres and cost over twice as much to repair and you'll have real trouble sourcing replacements up the track! Keep to the bitumen or, if you go off-road, sell the trailer after your trip.
And they fail very quickly if you exceed the recommended loading(!)

Alan,

My small 1998 Wallaby hard top camper (pic in my sig) has AL-KO independent suspension with Bilstein shocks. Bought it second had from a mate who had it from new. He took it all over Australia.

I did a 5,000K trip this year into the North Flinders including towing it up the river bed to Grindells Hut in the Gammon Ranges with no problems.

I recently contacted AL-KO to see what the life of the suspension was and they said the rubber lasts on average, with water and dust ingress, 10 to 15 years . They will redo the rubber at a cost of $253 ex GST if I ship the axle to Melbourne. Thinking about it as I don't use it much.