What made you decide to get a Alko type stabilizer?

Years ago we had a caravan with one of those old spring stabilizers.  We were going to Pembrokeshire for a break and in our wisdom thought it would be a good idea to start out half way throught the night, so as to get a good day in.  We travelled across country from Tamworth, in the directon of Tenbury Wells and arrived in Builth Wells at about 8pm just in time for the Little Chef to open.  It seemed an ideal place to stop for breakfast so we parked the van around the back in view, and went in for our breakfast.

After a reasonably decent breakfast we headed back to the caravan and I thought I would just check around the van.  Everything seemed fine until I came to the stabilizer.  When I came to check it, it was conspicuous by it's absence.  I hadn't got a clue what had happened to it.  Had it been stolen?  This was our first thought.  The other option was I hadn't put it on properly and it had dropped off somewhere between home and Builth Wells.  I was more concerned that it might be lying in he road somewhere waiting for some unsuspecting vehicle to collide with it.  We quickly hitched up the van and proceeded to slowly retrace our steps back to Tamworth checking every inch of road.  The closer we got to home, the more I began to wonder if I had put the thing on in the first place.  I rang up a neighbour to ask him he would go and check to see if I had left it on the drive, but there was no evidence.  Had I left it in the house?  We eventually arrived home and after checking everywhere with no success, started out once more for Pembrokeshire.

We slowly traced the road back to Builth Wells, once more, checking all the way.  After arriving back in Builth, we came to the conclusion that someone had in fact stolen it while we were enjoying breakfast. 

What a complete waste of a day.  We eventually arrived in Pembrokeshire  and managed to get set up before it got dark!  So things didn't quite go according to plan!

This was the last spring stabilizer we had and the whole incident encouraged us to buy one of the Alko integrated hitch stabilizers shortly after.  So if anyone did find a spring stabilizer by the side of the road, somewhere between Tamworth and Builth Wells about 20 years ago, no need to return it, thank you very much!