During my (limited) experience of caravanning, I have become used to groaning and creakings from the draw bar when passing through villages and towns at low speed and particularly when manoeuvring on site.

When we got to the Tunnel a couple of weeks ago it was so bad that I asked a couple of more experienced forum members for their advice. Both suggested cleaning the towball and stabiliser pads with emery paper and then cleaning them with brake cleaner. The first bit was fine but my brake cleaner spray is at home in my garage and was last used for, well, cleaning brakes. That’s not really necessary, I thought.

So, I removed the stabiliser pads, cleaned the glazing off them with fine emery and replaced them. All was quiet for the next towing session but a slight creaking could still be heard on occasions.

In a supermarket the other day, I noticed a bottle of alcohol and thinking that such a product could have multiple uses (sanitising hands, mixing with orange juice in an emergency and cleaning stabiliser pads) I put it in the basket.

Back at the campsite, I once again cleaned the pads and the towball with emery and then, revelation of revelations wiped them with some alcohol-soaked kitchen paper and the amount of muck that came of the ‘clean’ parts was amazing.

Even more amazing was the transformation in the towing characteristics of the caravan. It is now silent when towing and much smoother all round. It just somehow feels better.

So, if like me you are missing out the final step in the cleaning of these bits, give it a go. You too might be amazed.