Somehow I had not run across any information about this item being in the Alko Trailer Hitch! I hadn't seen it in any of the literature, but someone on the f/b page pointed it out this morning in a conversation about a "clunk" noise upon braking.
"... the hitch damper? That's the part under the rubber boot, sometimes
they get worn out. When yours is fully extended in the video, it
doesn't stretch out as far as mine, which I find curious. Try and
Google "ALKO hitch damper" there are videos to compare as well.
The damper is inside of the telescoping section of the hitch and cushions the impact of the trailer inertial brake system against the ball of the receiver.
Here's a video showing how to access and replace the damper: VIDEO <<<
This appears to be the correct part available on ebay:
LINK <<<
In the video that the trailer owner posted you can see the rubber sleeve on the hitch collapsing quite quickly upon braking. I also suspect that her brakes may be out of adjustment because I didn't expect the linkage to collapse so quickly.
My suggestion: "Things
appear to be working correctly, but your brake might not be adjusted
correctly. I wouldn't expect the telescoping section to compress so
quickly. Unfortunately I am nowhere near a trailer that I could
compare.
Further conversation on a related topic: While
we are on the subject of the parking brake: is that like a vehicle in
which I should use the parking brake every time I unhitch so it gets the
proper amount of wear? Or do I have to be careful of “wearing it out”? I
can easily secure the trailer by using my wheel chocks instead, which
is what I’ve been used to doing with other trailers.
Response: "Applying
the parking brake does not cause any wear, as long as you release it
before towing... we made that mistake once. Using the break is more
secure than wheel standard chocks. There is a wheel locking device that
goes between the wheels and expands to grip them, but that's more
expensive.
