Caravan companies are constantly seeking new ways of improving towing safety. No one has done more in this field than Al-Ko. The latest such breakthrough is ATC (Alko Trailer Control). ATC is an emergency braking system that works in a similar way to ESP (Electronic Stability Program) on some vehicles.

ATC monitors lateral acceleration and can identify oscillations that signify the start of a ‘snake’. The system will apply electronic braking to bring the caravan/trailer back in line without the driver even being aware of a problem.

 

The operation of ATC places additional burden on the supplementary system of the towing electrics. The application of the electronic braking generates a large power ‘spike’ of current (Amps). As a consequence, anyone running ATC with most standard supplementary wiring systems will have problems. A standard set-up is unlikely to have the correct fusing or cabling.

 

 To operate ATC safely there must be a permanent 12V power supply to ‘pin 4’ of no less than 20Amps. Best practice would be to have independent power feeds for ‘pin 4’ and ‘pin 6’ (Auxiliary feed for fridge etc – through a relay). It is possible to have a shared power supply for both pins ‘4 & 6’. If using this system then the feed fuse must be no less than 25Amps. However, it is our opinion that independent feeds offer much more reliability. This is important as, in theory, if a fuse blows whilst the ATC is actuating brakes, then those brakes may ‘stick’ until power is restored. Not desirable at any speed!