While away this weekend we saw a van with a rotary clothes line in the fixing where the jockey wheel would be. Obviously the van was therefore only sitting on its 4 legs. Is this safe to be sitting on just the steadies as I thought the jockey wheel needed to take some of the weight as well.
------------- Nigel
March 2012 - Dove Meadows
6th July Moving to Hayle
Once the steadies are down the van should be ok without the Jocky wheel on the ground. I have a phumatic tyre on mine so always lift it and used to use one of the lines you are on about but changed to one that stands on the ground as we found the towels for example would rub and blow against the van. It also annoynig having things blowing around out the corner of your eye whilst sitting in the van and it restricts access to the gas locker which you always need to get to just after you have hung the washing up. Just my opinion.
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I dont know the definitive answer but I have noticed a large number of caravanners who raise their jockey wheel whilst on site, which amounts to the same thing. Personally I dont and will be very interested in the replies to your question
------------- hawk
"Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone"
I have the body of a greek god - its in my freezer
The back of the van has no jocky wheel and if people are in the back of the van and you lift the back steadies up it would fall over. Not trying to sound sarcastic here but that is the way I would look at it.
I would say the corner steadies are just that. The main weight of caravan should be on wheels & jockey wheel. I would thought putting unneccessary weight on corner steadies might stress bodywork & cause leaks.
We lost the bottom half of our jockey wheel enroute to site at Easter. The CC wardens on site helped us to physically lift the van off the hitch and level it using the steadies. They said that we would be fine pitched without a jockey wheel but we weren't so sure and went out and bought one first thing the following day. We did see several vans on site with their jockey wheels raised though.
Some will not agree with me but I always use the jockey wheel as it supports the front of the caravan. The weight is taken by the 3 wheels (or 5 if it's a twin axle) and the steadies just support the van at the corners.
It's all very well to say there's no jockey wheel at the back - but the caravan is nose heavy and there is a lot more weight forward of the axle than there is behind it. It's also longer at the front.
------------- Caz
If you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, just keep going till you go round the bend.
i use the jockey wheel for a good reason.two gas bottles forward of the steadies and a spare wheel which weighs 20 kgs on its own.it is also there to take the strain of two adults at the front of the van most of the time.steadies are just that.as said all that weight could cause stress to the front panels if the wheel is not used.imho.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
I would never feel really happy with the jockey wheel lifted, but logically - while vans are supposed to be loaded so that they are nose-heavy, this should only be (on average) to about 70-90 Kg (at the hitch). I am sure that one person alone is as often or not around that weight, so if two people are in and toward the rear of the van - the steadies at the rear are bearing the brunt without the assistance that the jockey wheel provides at the front....
Gram
------------- What's the difference between a chicken?
This is an interesting debate with responses evenly split.
I do not see myself as any knid of expert on this but would be interested if those who wind up their jockey wheels have checked under their vans to see how and to what the front steadies are connected and if there is any sign of damage.
Surely the pole of the washing line should be pushed in far enough to contact the floor,clamped up tight and therefore supply the same amount of support as the jockey wheel any way?