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Subject Topic: Caravan fishtailing Post Reply Post New Topic
Personshinealite
28/5/2016 at 4:08pm
 Location: Stockton-on-Tees
 Outfit: Elddis Typhoon GTX View shinealite's Profile View Profile   Reply to shinealite Reply   Quote shinealite Quote  
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Hi sorry if this has been asked previously. I have recently bought a new 4 berth caravan and tow car. I did all the research and got a car which is more than capable of towing my new van, however I get quite a lot fishtailing while towing. I never had this problem with my 2 berth. I have an alco Hitchcock. Could there be a reason for this and is it worth getting a stabiliser. Thanks in advance.

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Peace, Love & Laughter under the stars!


Personqueensmessenger
28/5/2016 at 4:36pm
 Location: Scottish Borders
 Outfit:  Elddis Whirlwind GT View queensmessenger's Profile View Profile   Reply to queensmessenger Reply   Quote queensmessenger Quote  
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Check nose weight and tyre pressures first as I suspect that's all it could be.

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Doug


Personpeter1474
28/5/2016 at 4:42pm
 Location: ML9
 Outfit: Pageant Champagne 2002 Honda CRV 2008 View peter1474's Profile View Profile   Reply to peter1474 Reply   Quote peter1474 Quote  
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I agree with Doug.

Plus please don't post medical conditions, folk will start a collection for you.....

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Peter and CofSD (Anne)


Personshinealite
29/5/2016 at 12:26pm
 Location: Stockton-on-Tees
 Outfit: Elddis Typhoon GTX View shinealite's Profile View Profile   Reply to shinealite Reply   Quote shinealite Quote  
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Hahaha sorry peter1474 😂😂 thanks guys. Could it be nose weight too heavy or too light? And how do I check?

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Peace, Love & Laughter under the stars!


PersonOpensauce
29/5/2016 at 12:39pm
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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?


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PersonRob and Tina
29/5/2016 at 12:46pm
 Location: Royal Forest of Dean
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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


Persontango55
30/5/2016 at 8:56am
 Location: Lichfield
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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.


Personold chap
30/5/2016 at 10:02am
 Location: Sitingbourne
 Outfit: baily champaign View old chap's Profile View Profile   Reply to old chap Reply   Quote old chap Quote  
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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


Personshinealite
30/5/2016 at 12:15pm
 Location: Stockton-on-Tees
 Outfit: Elddis Typhoon GTX View shinealite's Profile View Profile   Reply to shinealite Reply   Quote shinealite Quote  
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Thank you for the advice guys, much appreciated.

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Peace, Love & Laughter under the stars!


Personstevo1
31/5/2016 at 4:55pm
 Location: UK
 Outfit: None Entered View stevo1's Profile View Profile   Reply to stevo1 Reply   Quote stevo1 Quote  
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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.

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