Help requested. Caravan sways

Daydreamer · Veteran Member

Help requested. Caravan sways

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Will leave this for the experts.
One question ... did you have a weight distribution/anti-sway device fitted?

blaze · Guru

Does the van sit level when hooked to the tug, there needs to be weight on the drawbar. Get a scale and measure your towhitch weight, guessing is not an option. Have you got a WDH. Sounds like it is loaded too light in the front to me. Where is the water tanks, may be better full. Just some thoughts
cheers
blaze

Daydreamer · Veteran Member

Yes, we have a WDH and an anti sway bar - both supplied by the van manufacturer. Once the van was hitched to the vehicle, the back went down noticeably.

daydreamer

Rip and Rosie · Guru

woops...............the whole rig should be level.

if the tug goes down in the back, there is too much weight on the back wheels.

I'm sure the experts will be on soon, but you will be light on the front wheels, which will affect your steering, and more if its front wheel drive.

davkar · Senior Member

Hi
Has the van got light truck tyres if not it should. and it is always best to fill water tanks full as this also reduces sway.
that may help. IMO
Regards

Daydreamer · Veteran Member

Yes, it does have light truck tyres. The inflation is meant to be 50psi. We can try filling the water tank - but it holds 120l and that is a lot of weight.

daydreamer

JustJim · Senior Member

Graham

Which model Viewfinder did you buy?

Jim

Daydreamer · Veteran Member

The Ossa

Boroma577 · Guru

davkar wrote:
best to fill water tanks full as this also reduces sway.

You should not have to rely on filling your tanks with water to reduce sway.....that is definitely no solution.

Can you post some pics of it please??

JustJim · Senior Member

I should have figured out it's an Ossa Graham..

As has been said - there shouldn't be any reliance on filling water tanks, or not filling them.
However - some poorly designed vans do react adversely to tanks being filled or empty..

From what you say, there's something odd going on..
It might be a few days but I'll get some information and get back to you.

Jim

Daydreamer · Veteran Member

Hello Boroma 577

Cannot send pictures as we have not taken any as yet - we have only hd it for less than one month.

If you get on line and look it up it is the viewfinder by Cell - The Ossa. They ahve several photos of it, specs and a floor plan if that helps.

JustJim · Senior Member

Just me again Graham..

(It's damn hot here and i'm not reading posts as closely as I should..)

I've just noticed you said..
"Once the van was hitched to the vehicle, the back went down noticeably."

Was that before or after the WDH was hooked up?

Jim

Daydreamer · Veteran Member

Hi JustJim

Hot here too. Back of PAthfinder went down when van was put on teh tow ball and remained that way when LDH was attached. No change, then.

By the way, it is Margaret writing.

Boroma577 · Guru

Daydreamer wrote:
Hello Boroma 577
Cannot send pictures as we have not taken any as yet - we have only hd it for less than one month.
If you get on line and look it up it is the viewfinder by Cell - The Ossa. They ahve several photos of it, specs and a floor plan if that helps.

Hi Margaret, I was looking for pics of your specific setup....not of the brand of caravan. Pics of the van and vehicle hooked up so we could see what was happening.

Can't believe you have had it for almost a month and not taken any pics. I took pics from day 1, even of the handover and driving out the driveway.

-- Edited by Boroma577 on Tuesday 3rd of January 2012 08:07:55 PM

Daydreamer · Veteran Member

I can understand that but i guess we had different stresses at play. So, no , no pictures taken as yet. It did not seem important but I guess that will be remedied if we can ever get it back and working.

Margaret

signwilson · Senior Member

I had a similar problem with a compass and the ball weight was 100kg heavier than quoted when it was empty get the ball weight of the van checked

Daydreamer · Veteran Member

Will do. If the ball weight is higher than it is supposed to be, how does one correct that?

davkar · Senior Member

As I wrote IMO but there is always one in the forum to nit pick . It seem as though in this site there seem to be a click group and if you are not in it the IMO will not count.

Rip and Rosie · Guru

davkar wrote:
Hi
Has the van got light truck tyres if not it should. and it is always best to fill water tanks full as this also reduces sway.
that may help. IMO
Regards

At the end of 2011 we did a towing course, and we were told to fill the tanks. I have read a few arguments against it though. However, when resolving issues like this, which might just be opinion, I like to get the science behind it all. So far, filling the tanks is winning, and if I remember where I read the physics behind it, I'll post.

Not use about the tyres though- just always thought everyone did this.

Daydreamer wrote:
Will do. If the ball weight is higher than it is supposed to be, how does one correct that?

Your ball weight should not exceed the recommendations for the vehicle, which to my knowledge relates to chassis strength.

You can, I think, either adjust the van (or change it all together) to reduce the weight on the ball, or strengthen the rear suspension of the tug.

The first thing is to ensure the van is constructed and packed efficiently, with most of the weight over the axle(s), and with sufficient weight on the ball.

Then ensure that your hitch is appropriate- WDH appropriate and in place. ... but check the manufacturers specs as some vehicles should not use them.

Lots of people add air bags to the back of their vehicles - but you would need to ask an expert.

However, I'm not sure that this changes the strength of the chassis, but it will assist to keep the back of the vehicle level.

davkar wrote:
As I wrote IMO but there is always one in the forum to nit pick . It seem as though in this site there seem to be a click group and if you are not in it the IMO will not count.

Not sure about this one either. This is the friendliest forum I have ever been on.

Delta18 · Guru

davkar wrote:
As I wrote IMO but there is always one in the forum to nit pick . It seem as though in this site there seem to be a click group and if you are not in it the IMO will not count.

Sounds to me like you are the one "nit picking" because other people have an opinion.

To my mind (IMO) if the van is correctly designed the level of water should not affect the van handling otherwise you would be looking for a tap to fill up every time you had a glass of water from the tank. (exaggerated but you see what I mean).

Caravan sway is usually a sympton of too little ball weight but until the weight of the van and the ball is measured it is pointless guessing.

Cheers Neil

JustJim · Senior Member

The problem with Graham and Margaret's rig has been outlined, and it seems serious.

Speculation rarely helps in cases like this.. Different opinions and anecdotal stories often just turn the whole thing into a bun fight.

Neil is right - get some firm facts and we can move on to (hopefully) solve the problem correctly and not pass on inappropriate advice.

Margaret and Graham, I've sent you an email

Jim

davkar · Senior Member

I suggest you go back through the fourm and read it and wake up to yourself. As I only offered some help and someone comes along and nit picks.

the rocket · Guru

Hi,what is an IMO. Cheers.rocketnstrop

the rocket · Guru

Hi,Congratulations on your purchase. I suggest you go back to where you purchased it and ask them. We purchased our van fromCamperland in Bne. andwe were bamboozled with lots of things and we kept going back and their after sales service was excellent. Hopefully yours will be the same. Good luck. Rocket n strop

Ma · Guru

IMO - in my opinion

Daydreamer · Veteran Member

Dear all

Thank you to all for your input. You are all trying to help in your own way with the best of your knowledge and experiences and it is appreciated.

The van is now back where we bought it and on Monday , it will be wieghed while attached to a Navarra. This is similar to he Pathfinder and having a test drive with it on the highway will tell us if we have a problem with the van or with the vehicle. If, as I think, it is the vehicle, then we need to strengthen the read of the car. It is well documented that the pathfinders have a very soft end. Putting heavier coil springs and shockers on the back should help that. If the car is then level, we will see if the van is level and if it is not, it may need the height of the hitch adjusted. In any case, this is the understanding of the discussion with the importer/dealer today. They are being very supportive and seem very willing to problem solve. It is obviously to their benefit to ensure that we come out of this satisfied and with a van set up we can enjoy for many years.

So thank you all again, and I promise to let you have updates as we progress as this will certainly be useful to someone else down the track.

Margaret

Zoomtopz · Guru

Not 'nit picking or blaming' Margarette .

Was it your driving , Remember not blaming , you mentioned , over 80 it

got a wobble up , was th van trying to push you , especially down hill .

The idea of towing anything , is to keep th prime mover away from th

trailer , so sometimes when we back off or brake the traier wants to

push th prime mover & if we try to compensate , it will wobble or even

jackknife . Your last post suggests you are on th right path to fixing it

though . Mate I have over 45yrs of driving Semis - Road-trains , cars ,

4X4 , Fire Trucks , Ambos & Buses & I STILL do Regular driving courses .

I don't know everything Yet , oh by th way , I have not towed a caravan

yet , so you see I am learning a Lot from this Forum .

Richo

Daydreamer · Veteran Member

Hello Richo

I am not feeling picked on or blamed, so no need to emphasise that you are not doing so. I have many years of university teaching and in that time, one develops a thick skin.

I am definitely learning. It may well have been the way I was driving. But I took over from my husband driving as when he was driving and complaining about the van swaying, I thought it might have been HIS driving - so I offered to drive. Besides that meant that I could then have something else to concentrate on besides holding my breath as the van swayed.

So, yes lots to learn. I am learning a lot from this forum and will ensure to pass on anything new I learn so that perhaps it may be useful to someone else.

Are you ever going to try towing a van??

All the best

Margaret

Di-n-Gary · Veteran Member

I'm not advocating another forum is better but on caravanner's forum at the moment , there is a raging debate about caravan sway and the contributers are VERY knowledgable. Collyn Rivers , who is an engineer as well as half a dozen other things, gives a very good insight to caravan sway and its causes. Maybe can give you some answers