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Subject Topic: wheel coming off
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Personmaddy101
08/4/2013 at 5:34pm
 Location: Tonbridge
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Hi
I am new to caravanning, this is my second season. As I am a beginner I decided to bite the bullet and pay a good deal of money to have my relatively new caravan serviced before the new season started. 2 weeks after service and less than 5 miles up the road my wheel comes off and hits another car, causing considerable damaged to their car, my caravan and more importantly injury to the passenger. Is this my fault? Or even 50:50 fault? The engineer knew I was a novice and at no time told me to recheck the nuts? I paid the expert because this is what I thought he was. How can I be to blame, I thought I had done everything right?

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Maddy


Persondad1uk
08/4/2013 at 5:39pm
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So sorry to hear about your mis-fortune!

I would be taking legal advice possibly off the AA or some motoring experts.

I feel there must be a claim against the guy who did the servicing but not sure how you go about it but I'm sure someone in the know will be along soon!



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Jan and Simon and Jet and Amber


Persongeoff+emmy
08/4/2013 at 6:13pm
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All the service places i have used have always re-torqued the wheel nuts in front of me

But the advice is to check road wheels before every trip (with a torque wrench)


PersonZafiral
08/4/2013 at 6:15pm
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Was the trip that the wheel came off the first movement of the van after the service?
Most paperwork I have seen about caravans recommends checking wheel nuts 30 miles or so after any work so as it was 2 weeks later the service guy may be able to use this as a get out.

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All year Dorset!!!


Personphil76
08/4/2013 at 8:41pm
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A correctly fitted wheel won't come off the fitter was negligent and should take responsibility not put the onus on the customer to check the work after all the fitter is supposed to be qualified to remove and re fit wheels safely


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PersonBig Al
08/4/2013 at 8:49pm
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What
how can the fitter be blamed for this 2 weeks after a service
if the op could not be bothered to physically check his own wheels for security im afraid you should be ashamed of yourself and your so lucky you never killed anybody.


Personneil and lena
08/4/2013 at 9:02pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Big Al on 08/4/2013
What
how can the fitter be blamed for this 2 weeks after a service
if the op could not be bothered to physically check his own wheels for security im afraid you should be ashamed of yourself and your so lucky you never killed anybody.



Sorry have to agree with Big Al on this one , its common knowledge that you should check your wheel studs before every journey .
I have a torque wrench and use it before every trip and again before returning home whether its 50mile's or 500


Personbexamy
08/4/2013 at 9:10pm
 Location: Kent
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How do now someone has not undone your wheel nuts when your van was stored or someone may of tried to nick your wheel


PersonBig Al
08/4/2013 at 9:14pm
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What is wrong with you people ?
You check your wheels you get in your car
you drive
its not hard is it ?


PersonOpensauce
08/4/2013 at 9:21pm
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Unfortunately it is the driver's responsibility to check wheelnuts. Certainly the fitter should have tightened bolts to correct torque & may or may not have done so. However if you are being nicked for this then the fact caravan was serviced a short while ago may form part of your defence.

I'm guessing that if you read small print on your service invoice there will be something in T&C's about rechecking wheelnuts after a short distance, but the fitter should have brought this to your attention.

For some reason, caravan wheelnuts do seem to have more of a tendency to loosen than car nuts & checking them should always be done before a trip. Some will buy a torque wrench for this but plenty just rely on a wheel brace.


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PersonOliverDay
08/4/2013 at 9:24pm
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Maddy

Just let the insurance company sort it out - that's what you pay insurance for.

You have applied a duty of care by having the 'van serviced and therefore it would be hard for anyone to find you negligent. If the insurance wants to seek recompense they are more likely to seek negligence on failing of the fitter.

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Ollie

2016
Monplaisir - Provence
Camping Les Gorges du Loup


PersonZafiral
08/4/2013 at 10:15pm
 Location: Kent
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With car wheels as they are attached to the vehicle you are in you will feel a wobble much earlier than with a trailer. This should alert you before it is too late.
Trailer & caravan wheels are generally not even balanced so perhaps the extra vibration could loosen the nuts. Also as you are not physically in the vehicle then by the time you feel any issues, it is unfortunately too late.
Ps Big Al from your comment you check the torque of your car wheels every journey, that is how your post reads. How very thorough of you.

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All year Dorset!!!


PersonBig Al
08/4/2013 at 10:21pm
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car wheels weekly Caravan wheels before every trip and my lorry wheels daily Its my fault if one comes off and kills somebody and it does happen !


PersonZafiral
08/4/2013 at 10:24pm
 Location: Kent
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Quote: Originally posted by Big Al on 08/4/2013
car wheels weekly Caravan wheels before every trip and my lorry wheels daily Its my fault if one comes off and kills somebody and it does happen !


I stand corrected, sorry for any doubt.

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All year Dorset!!!


PersonOpensauce
08/4/2013 at 10:50pm
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True enough for truck drivers who are brought up on checking wheelnuts although lost truck wheels are not as common nowadays as in 70s before the advent of spigot wheels. But certainly with tippers & other trucks that drive both on & off road torquing up nuts still needs to be an almost daily task.

Its understandable that caravanners without this knowledge & used to car wheels that do not come loose between servicing do not even consider checking wheel nuts & indeed as with the op want to leave it to 'professionals'...& it is these professionals who let down their customers if they do not explain the basic checks that are required.

& this is where forums such as ukcs really prove their worth. If forum users who come here seeking knowledge pick out the useful bits between the banter then they should be able to tow safely but plenty will just hitch up & tow without a clue what they are doing & there is no law to prevent this.


Personmaddy101
09/4/2013 at 9:42am
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I had no idea that caravan wheel nuts needed to be checked regularly. It is such a shame this has been missed. I attended the caravan club towing safety course before we bought the caravan. The dealer we bought the van off knew we were novices and spent some time going through the operation of all the different parts of the caravan and the service engineer also knew I had only been towing a year - no-one said a word about nuts!

But really what did I pay for in the service if something as basic as wheel safety was compromised by having it done?

Just to clarify - I had travelled less than 5 miles when the incident occurred. Yes 2 weeks had elapsed but the caravan had not been moved. So checking after 30 or 50 miles would not have changed the outcome.

We used the caravan for around 20 trips last year and didn't have a single problem with the wheels then 5 miles after a service one comes off? I dont think it takes a genius to conclude the wheel had not been put back on properly. Should I have checked, well obviously yes it seems I now have to go on a mechanics course so that I can carry out the service myself to make sure it has been done correctly! What if he hadn't put the brakes back on correctly, would that be my fault? Do I need to become a gas safety engineer Big Al, to make sure that the appliances really are safe?

As for being prosecuted - NO! The police could not have been nicer and neither for that matter could the couple who's car was hit by the wheel! Being a nurse my place was sat in the car with the injured woman while my partner huddled behind the crash barrier with my 3 children.

In my job I check and double check ALL the time and make sure my practise is safe. I expect the same level of care from mobile engineers in carrying out there jobs. He should have made my caravan safe to travel further than 5 miles!

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Maddy



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