|
 Topic: Caravan fishtailing
|
  |
28/5/2016 at 4:36pm
Location: Scottish Borders
Outfit: Elddis Whirlwind GT
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 31/3/2009 Gold Member 
Forum Posts: 231
| Site Reviews Total: | 1 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 0 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 0 |
|
Check nose weight and tyre pressures first as I suspect that's all it could be.
-------------
Doug
|
29/5/2016 at 12:39pm
Location:
Outfit:
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 25/1/2010 Diamond Member 
Forum Posts: 4530
| Site Reviews Total: | 13 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 0 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 0 |
|
Set car tyre pressures to fully loaded. Set caravan tyre pressures to correct figure. Once you have done that then increase the weight on front of caravan to increase the noseweight to give you a better tow.
You must not increase noseweight above the level your car allows, indicated in car handbook as towbar download weight or similar. If your caravan requires more noseweight than your car allows then your car is not suitable.
Noseweight is the weight caravan puts onto towball, usually 70kg or more. You need to buy a noseweight gauge or you can use bathroom scales & a suitable length of wood to weigh hitch. Caravan must be level on firm level ground to do this.
What you are doing is weighing the hitch to ascertain the noseweight. Do you understand this & why this is important?
|
29/5/2016 at 12:46pm
Location: Royal Forest of Dean
Outfit: Motorhome
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 17/10/2007 Diamond Member
Forum Posts: 3384
| Site Reviews Total: | 0 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 0 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 0 |
|
Check the nose weight with a nose weight guage and compare it with the max weight of the caravan and the max nose weight allowed on your tow bar. You want the nose weight as high as possible without exceeding the limits of the tow bar or the caravan hitch.
Rob
|
30/5/2016 at 8:56am
Location: Lichfield
Outfit: Coachman Amara 450
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 15/5/2008 Diamond Member
Forum Posts: 9588
| Site Reviews Total: | 23 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 3 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 1 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 4 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 11 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 3 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 24 |
|
There was a story about 7 years ago in the C&CC forum whereby a chap had been caravanning for well over 30 years and had owned 4 caravans during that period. However, he bought a brand new Bailey and had problems with severe snaking (which you refer to as fishtailing) which he had never encountered previously. The caravan went back to the dealers and to Bailey and could not find a problem. He went out on a rally, explained his dilemma and was told to get the caravan tyres balanced. The result was it solved the problem and adviced all readers to get their caravan tyres checked and balanced as the bouncing of just one tyre can contribute to instability.
Since this useful advice I always have new tyres balanced even if the tyre fitter says it doesn't require it merely because we are not allowed to travel in the caravan whilst in tow. An unbalanced wheel can cause door hinges screws to come loose as well as shaking the rest of the caravan.
Regarding your previous 2 berth model, the wheels were most likely not that far out of balance that's what makes the difference so for a fiver it's worth getting the caravan wheels balanced first and see if it cures the snaking. At least you can rule out by trial and error if the snaking still exists and then look at checking the caravan noseweight etc.
|
30/5/2016 at 10:02am
Location: Sitingbourne
Outfit: baily champaign
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 19/2/2006 Platinum Member 
Forum Posts: 1098
| Site Reviews Total: | 1 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 0 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 0 |
|
1st measure the height of your car towball,with the car approximately in its loaded condition,& Tyre pressure to fully load
with the van on a level surface place a set of scales under the caravan hitch with a piece of ply to protect the scales cut a length of broomstick to bring the scales + ply
to the same length/height of your car tow ball.
wind up jocky wheel & lower the tow hitch on to the broomstick which is positioned on the scales raise the jockey wheel until it is just clear of the ground. this will give you your caravan noseweight Its then a simple matter of landing the jockey wheel & loading the van until you get the correct noseweight ,which you should be able to find in you car handbook
I know this seems a bit of a fuss but once you have cut the broomstick to the right length nail it to the plywood panel its all very simple for the next time you have to do this
|
31/5/2016 at 4:55pm
Location: UK
Outfit: None Entered
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 15/4/2006 Gold Member
Forum Posts: 460
| Site Reviews Total: | 19 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 0 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 0 |
|
This is interesting re the balancing of the wheels, my new outfit seems to want to snake for no reason i can find. Fitted a Purpleline Nemesis Ultra High Security Caravan Wheel Clamp, which requires you to fit a retainer into one of the wheel nuts! am wondering now if this has thrown out the balancing! although i doubt they balance wheels from the factory, so will have them checked.
-------------
|
|
