ARK XO Mod – End Cap Protection
The plastic end cap on ARK XO jockey wheels is easily damaged on dirt roads. Flying rocks bashing in to it will cause it to crack and even fall off. These ARK XO mods prevent the jockey wheel becoming unusable.
Without the end cap in place the jockey wheel can easily fill up with dirt – binding up and potentially damaging the internal gears for the winding mechanism. If you keep your camper or caravan outside when not in use this ARK XO problem is exacerbated after a few years of use as the plastic begins to break down due to UV light exposure.
ARK XO Protective End Cap
Ways To Avoid The Issue
There are four ways to avoid the ARK XO jockey wheel problem with the plastic end cap.
- Fit a StoneStomper to your caravan or camper trailer. The jockey wheel cap can’t get damaged if stones can’t hit it.
- Turn your jockey wheel cap to face away from your vehicle. Not always possible given different drawbar configurations.
- Carry a spare end cap. You can buy these as a spare from ARK Corporation.
- Fit a metal and cap in place of the plastic one.
Metal End Cap For An ARK XO Jockey Wheel
It’s very easy to make your own metal end cap for your ARK XO Jockey wheel like ours. I made ours from 3mm aluminium cut to size and bent to shape. I used aluminium for the simple reason that I had some sitting around doing nothing.
- A few minutes with an angle grinder to cut it to size.
- I bent it up in a vice with a bit of persuasion from a rubber mallet.
- Drilled a few 1/8″ holes in it.
- Riveted it in place.
Better ARK XO Jockey Wheel End Cap
Conclusion
An ARK XO jockey wheel is a really awesome bit of kit. With a bit of thought and possibly a bit of work you can easily prevent one of the common problems that lead to failures with them.