CARAVAN REPAIRERS, ARE THE ANY THAT KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING?

Snippy · Senior Member

CARAVAN REPAIRERS, ARE THE ANY THAT KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING?

Nevd · Senior Member

Kevin have you tried a dedicated trailer repairer for the brakes? More specialised area of knowledge than a general caravan service place.

Snippy · Senior Member

I have just spoken to a local repairer.

Explained the situation. He is prepared to give me a written warranty on all his work and I don't have to pay until I have road tested the van. HALLELUJA!

Rafter brackets will be fitted on the sail rail as suggested earlier in this post.

Booked in so will be done before we move on.

Thanks for all the sensible suggestions, and others who are entitled to their opinion.

Cupie · Guru

Nevd wrote:
Kevin have you tried a dedicated trailer repairer for the brakes? More specialised area of knowledge than a general caravan service place.

Now there's a good suggestion.

After I replaced all my brakes from the backing plate outwards, I had difficulty in adjusting them despite having been able to do so in the past, since boyhood, without trouble. Could only get about 50% effectiveness.

So I took it to a trailer specialist & he fixed it in not much more than 15 minutes while I sat in the tug & operated the pedal. Best $100 cash in hand that I have spent for a long time.

In my last episode with a Caravan repairer, he did an excellent job of replacing damaged side panels ... but .. didn't test the running lights when he finished.

After I got it home I found that they kept blowing the fuse.

I was able to find that he had reconnected a (faulty) wire that, I assume, had been crimped to the chassis during original construction & abandoned behind the sheeting. I had found it several years ago when changing over to LED lights but foolishly had not tagged it.

Not all bad news though as it gave me the opportunity to draw up an accurate wiring diagram for the van's running lights & most importantly to cut away & tag the offending wire as well as redoing the connections at each light fitting.

-- Edited by Cupie on Monday 25th of May 2020 12:09:14 PM

Moose2 · Senior Member

Two years of towing is meaningless...he may have only travelled a short distance in that time. We don't all tow every day.

When I had trouble with my brakes on one trip I just disconnected them and carried on and sorted it out at home. Travelled a few thousand Kms like that. Admittedly a light van and I was careful. Didn't come close to any accidents nor to killing anyone. So you high and mighty safety nuts should just pull your heads in....just because he drove without brakes doesn't make him (or me or anyone else that's done it) crazy, a potential murderer, stupid or whatever else you've labelled him.

Possum3 · Guru

Many moons ago (in the seventies) I was pulling a 21 ft Viscount Supreme behind a Commodore. In those days caravans didn't come with electric brakes just a momentum actuated brake relying on the tug vehicle brakes - There are many of those type of units still on the road and don't cause accidents because the vans don't have modern braking systems - If towing with a suitable matched vehicle additional brakes on van is "a nice to have" not a major disaster waiting to happen.
Don't go around on your high horses berating others when you don't have all the facts.

Cupie · Guru

Possum3 wrote:
Many moons ago (in the seventies) I was pulling a 21 ft Viscount Supreme behind a Commodore. In those days caravans didn't come with electric brakes just a momentum actuated brake relying on the tug vehicle brakes - There are many of those type of units still on the road and don't cause accidents because the vans don't have modern braking systems - If towing with a suitable matched vehicle additional brakes on van is "a nice to have" not a major disaster waiting to happen.
Don't go around on your high horses berating others when you don't have all the facts.

I recently towed a 21' Pommie van that was used as a hire vehicle.

It had over ride brakes & they were excellent.

No need for brake controller on the hirer's vehicle.

It also had the friction hitch & the relatively light ball weight eliminated the need for any sort of WDH.

All in all a pretty good set up.

outlaw40 · Guru

Possum3 wrote:
Many moons ago (in the seventies) I was pulling a 21 ft Viscount Supreme behind a Commodore. In those days caravans didn't come with electric brakes just a momentum actuated brake relying on the tug vehicle brakes - There are many of those type of units still on the road and don't cause accidents because the vans don't have modern braking systems - If towing with a suitable matched vehicle additional brakes on van is "a nice to have" not a major disaster waiting to happen.
Don't go around on your high horses berating others when you don't have all the facts.

Come on possum i dont believe your that silly the 21ft viscount you were towing had brakes override brakes you know that and you know if your accidentally forgot to flip back the reversing lock on the coupling when heading of the van would have pushed that commodore through any intersection you tried to stop at .op was towing a van with no working brakes. if there is anyone on there high horse its the fools on here defending his actions . anyway i am done with this thread. you just cant fix stupid .i hope he fixes them before he kills any of your loved ones .

Mike Harding · Guru

outlaw40 wrote:
you just cant fix stupid .i hope he fixes them before he kills any of your loved ones .

You forgot to mention he may also kill:

Nuns on a pedestrian crossing.

Small children at a play park.

Tiny kittens just learning to walk.

But I do agree: stupid cannot be fixed.

Cupie · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:
outlaw40 wrote:
you just cant fix stupid .i hope he fixes them before he kills any of your loved ones .

You forgot to mention he may also kill:
Nuns on a pedestrian crossing.
Small children at a play park.
Tiny kittens just learning to walk.

But I do agree: stupid cannot be fixed.

LOL ..

Sounds like you've been puffing that funny weed that you find in your secret spots in the NP.

Seriously though, I have lost my Van brakes once or twice & find that the Patrol's breaks pull up my 21'6" Jayco quite well. Would still hate to rely on them in an emergency or down a range. I still fix them straight away though. Crazy not to IMHO.

(The Manual 4.2 EFI GQ has larger brakes than the non EFI models I believe .. part of the reason that its towing capacity was upgraded from 2.5T to 2.8T).

Mike Harding · Guru

Cupie: it's just that I don't like bullies.

Delta18 · Guru

Snippy wrote:
I have just spoken to a local repairer.

Explained the situation. He is prepared to give me a written warranty on all his work and I don't have to pay until I have road tested the van. HALLELUJA!

Rafter brackets will be fitted on the sail rail as suggested earlier in this post.

Booked in so will be done before we move on.

Thanks for all the sensible suggestions, and others who are entitled to their opinion.

Good job you have found a good repairer.

Ignore the knobs on here that know all (or SFA) they are the same ones that swear your house and van will burn down if you put a 10A plug on a 15A lead or if you run your 3 way fridge on gas while travelling your van will blow up ha ha.

For all they know you may tow a 15 foot van with a Kenworth prime mover but they are still right.

-- Edited by Delta18 on Monday 25th of May 2020 09:42:51 PM

-- Edited by Delta18 on Monday 25th of May 2020 09:43:11 PM

SouthernComfort · Guru

Victorians, I endorse Magnarc's recommendation for Hardings Swift Caravans in Kilsyth. Worth traveling to them wherever you are, huge outfit and probably the most professional set-up in the country. I spent much time locating the best mechanics/repairers I could find for both van and car, would never use dealers or generic workshops, you need specialists with solid reputations.