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Topic: Who tows a coachman amara 570/6?

Baileyjake

07/8/2016 at 10:14pm
Location: West Midlands
Outfit: Coachman Amara 570 6 + Shogun SG4

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I do for a start, with a Mitsubishi Outlander. I saw another caravan identical to mine at a rest area near Nantes on Saturday. The owners weren't present but they were towing with a Citroen C-crosser, identical to my outlander, made in same factory etc.

The reason I ask though is for a single axle van the coachman is very heavy 1600kg MPLM and really my outfit is 87% (outlander mass in service is 1830kg)

I just towed to the vendee and back 450 miles each way and for me it was not a pleasant experience at times frightening. I am loaded to a weight in the caravan of 1558kg (by my reich measuring system) the nose is about 85kg. (By Reich digital trailer load control) there was a lot of ballast in the car, 2 adult bikes on the tailgate, my sons bike in the boot, full awning in roof box. Inflatable boat in roof box etc. (in roof box to move weight between axles)

Some how at 55mph a natural frequency occurs where the van tugs from side to dice the car and bounces. Some times it's not noticeable but other times if windy or the road is rutted it's bad. And worse of course is when descending an incline. Exceed 60 and the ride is smooth but when slowing past 55 it starts tugging again.

Am I expecting too much from a single axle van? I am sure the first few trips with the amara it was not so bad and better than the Bailey.

I fitted the Alko red octagon shock absorbers but they don't seem to have helped. I have a stabilizer hitch. I also have MAD coil Spring assisters but fitted those when I had the Bailey ranger.

What is the Amara like for others?

-------------
First van bailey ranger 550/6
Now the proud owner of a coachman amara

Grampian91

08/8/2016 at 1:03am
Location: Midlands
Outfit: Mondeo Avondale Gram

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Overloading the rear axle/tyres?

85kg on the towbar and 2 bikes hanging off the back, plus the weight of the carrier. Then a roof box.

What sort of carrier? Towbar mounted or reat hatch mounted? If its towbar mounted you maybe overloading the towbar. Deduct the weight of the bikes and carrier for your noseweight limit.

If its hatch mounted it wont affect the noseweight for teh van, but its extra load for the rear axle. And the further back you put it the more affect it will have.

Do you increase the tyre pressures when towing?

So many variables, thats only just touching on the main points.

diesel steve

08/8/2016 at 4:46am
Location: fife
Outfit: vw t5 adria isonzo

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can you weight the car with your reich weigher to check your axles are not overloaded

navver

08/8/2016 at 8:53pm
Location: West country
Outfit: Mondeo

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The 85% rule or guide was originally based on kerb weight. Mass in service includes a full tank of fuel and a driver. This means it is heavier than the kerb weight would have been if measured the way it was when the 85% rule was invented.

So you 87% match is probably considerably higher.

Add in that caravans were shorter back then. Longer vans are definitely less stable.

Sounds like a lot in roof box and on the back which makes the car less stable.

Also bikes on back plus roof box means lots of wind turbulence hitting the van.

Not much in your favour really.

Baileyjake

08/8/2016 at 10:34pm
Location: West Midlands
Outfit: Coachman Amara 570 6 + Shogun SG4

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Navver, Yes based on dry kerb weight I am running about 92% the kerb weight for my car is not so easy to find but the mass in service is on the V5. Surely though if you have a reasonable amount of ballast and the max gross weight to carry it it must count as kerb weight? Indeed the outfit matching web site automatically adds 150kg payload into the balance. My caravan is 7.5m total length which I would agree is long for a single axle.

The bike carrier was tailgate mounted and the reason I used the roof box was to add weight between the axles rather than in the boot over the rear only. I could have carried the awning in the boot.

I don't think the problem is to do with overloading the rear axle because I have had the same problem at 55mph when towing for weekends away with no bikes on the tailgate (just my sons bike in the boot) and the very light weight porch awning in the boot. I think the problem has come about since getting new rear tyres on the car but can that be? The pressures are as stated on the sticker in the door for towing Eg 35psi and the caravan tyre pressures were also as required. 65psi.

I was wondering though if anyone else had the Amara 570/6 and what experience they had and also what car they used. Obviously towing with a navarra or a land cruiser, defender etc is going to be better but for most of the year I don't need such a large vehicle. The outlander certainly has enough grunt.

When I bought the caravan it was 5 years old and as part of its service before hand over had gained a brand new brake drum and possibly hub. Looking through the service history it had had a collapsed wheel bearing in the past. When I fitted the ALKO dampers I checked the hubs for play and smooth running but it seemed good to me.

-------------
First van bailey ranger 550/6
Now the proud owner of a coachman amara

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