Anyone who has ever had their outfit snake will confirm it is one of the most frightening experiences that a caravanner can have. It is why so many of us fit one or other of the stabilisers on the market, nearly all of which are based on some form of friction clamping. Recently, however, Practical Caravan tried our a new stabiliser that operates on an entirely different basis.

The Lubs Electronic Anti-snake System (LEAS) stabiliser is an electromechanical device developed in Germany by engineer and boat trailer designer Wolfgang Lubs, who had experienced a particularly frightening snake and resolved to ensure it would never happen again.

While conventional friction-type stabilisers operate continuously - the friction pads damp every movement of the caravan - the LEAS stabiliser operates only when it sends the start of a snake. Speed of the outfit isn't important; it is a sudden movement of the caravan to the right or left that will activate the equipment, which applies 20 percent of the van's maximum braking power to bring it back under control.

The LEAS stabiliser comprises a control unit, activator and electrical connections that include an audible warning unit fitted in the tow vehicle. A device to sense temperature is also attached to the brakes to warn the driver if the caravan brakes start to overheat. The unit also features an antitheft brake-locking facility.

At present the LEAS is only available via mail order from Germany, but fitting the unit is within the capabilities of any caravanner who is DIY competent. (However, a fitting service will be available in the UK, if negotiations with a UK importer are successful.)

Conrad Anderson Note: We are the UK importer and now have this product available for supply and installation.

The LEAS stabiliser comprises the actuator, control panel and electrics

Wolfgang tested the unit on our 1991 Sprite Continental towed by our long-term Daewoo Tacuma (a 54 percent match). But first it had to be fitted.

Wolfgang began by fitting the actuator unit to the van's offside A-frame channel with U-bolts. Usually it is fitted under the A-frame fairing but because the A-frame on the Sprite is relatively short, the unit had to be fitted under the front of the gas bottle locker instead. To save time on our test, we did not then replace the fairing.

The shaft on the actuator, which operates the van brakes when start of a snake is sensed, was then attached to the brake rod by a wire rope. This had to be accurately positioned on the brake rod to ensure the system operated correctly. Next the electrical cable from the actuator to the control panel was run to the rear of the caravan along its underside.

In a conventional installation the control panel would be mounted inside the caravan at the rear end but, again to save time, Wolfgang mounted it on the outside of the rear panel with Duct Tape.

The electrical connections to our Daewoo comprised the live and return leads directly connected to the battery. In a permanent installation the cables would then have been run under the vehicle to the rear, but for our test they were run over the roof.

At the rear end of the wiring harness was a socket into which the electrical connection from the LEAS was plugged. The audible warning device was loosely mounted inside the tow vehicle.

When the plug and socket were connected, the system automatically went through a self check: the caravan brakes were applied and the audible warning sounded for a couple of seconds to confirm the system is working correctly, it then reset itself.

It took about 90 minutes to install the stabiliser for our test. It would take only a little longer for anyone competent at DIY to do it themselves. We were now ready for the stabiliser to make it's UK debut, and it took the outfit for a test drive on the M25 and then along a straight country road that we know well.

Having removed the A-frame fairing, the actuator was mounted to the offside A-frame channel.	Wolfgang had told me that the LEAS would deploy if a snake was sensed even at slow speed. Once on a clear section of the country road I flicked the steering wheel first to the left and then to the right. This made the back of the van twitch sufficiently to activate the audible warning system and for the LEAS to deploy. The car's engine seemed to lose power momentarily, but this was due to the car having to work harder to tow the caravan as the van's brakes were being applied by the stabiliser. Again checking that the road was clear we were able to repeat the test twice. On each occasion the LEAS and the audible warning signal operated correctly. Fortunately, we did not have the opportunity to test the brake temperature warning signal, but even on its own this would be a useful accessory, as would the facility to lock the caravan brakes prior to unhitching the tow vehicle. This could be used as an additional antitheft device while on holiday, or during short stops if, for instance, it was necessary to leave the caravan in a lay-by, or at a motorway service station. Increasingly, the LEAS is completely compatible with other stabilisers since it only deploys when the caravan suddenly sways twice in quick succession. This means that the conventional friction-type stabiliser is fine for damping the normal slight swaying experienced during towing, but at the first hint of a snake developing the LEAS deploys to bring the outfit under control. Presently, the LEAS's German manufacturer, BL trading, Cologne, is in negotiations with a UK company interested in importing the unit, but at the time of going to press nothing had been finalised. At €700 (£465) the LEAS is costly. That's more than double the AKS, Winterhoff, or Straightline stabilisers, which also resist pitching, which the LEAS stabiliser does not do. That said, the LEAS is well-designed, and for some the extra piece of mind it offers will be worth paying for. The LEAS stabiliser has an audible warning system set up in the tow car.
Duct tape on the brake rod and a cable tie on the gas pipe was used to work out the movement to activate the LEAS.
Wire rope from the actuator attached to the brake rod with two fixings.
The control panel was mounted on the rear panel. In a permanent installation it would be inside the caravan to the rear end.
The 12V electrical supply for the LEAS came from the tow vehicle's battery.
A plug and socket connected the tow vehicle to the LEAS stabiliser.