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unlike car wheels caravan wheel nuts do come loose more often. one of the main reasons i think is the wheels are not balanced. i check mine each and every trip,not with a torque wrench as i have the yellow markers pointing to the centre of the hub.if they have not moved there is no reason to tighten the nuts.

http://www.hgvdirect.co.uk/catalog/checkpoint-yellow-wheel-nut-indicator-34mm-p-101314.html

 

bailey handbook

M 12 = 88 Nm = 65 ft lb

M 10 = 49 Nm = 36 ft lbs

M 14 = 135 Nm = 99.5 ft lbs

M 16 =210 Nm = 155 ft lbs

alloy wheel nuts = 110 Nm

Hi I have been caravanning for 20 years and onto our 3^rd van, this year is the first I have even considered the need to check my wheel nuts having just renewed both tyres. This may have been just luck but my van is serviced on a regular basis. My wheels were not balanced either until this week.

I got a cheap torque wrench out of Argos for £26, Machine Mart also do them for roughly the same price. I also stupidly thought that the wheel nuts would have been the same size as the vans, not so and also had to buy a 19 mm socket.

Just as well on our various travels which included such far flung places as Wick to Costa Brava I did not have a puncture. Here's for another 20 years puncture wheel problem free.

Quote: Originally posted by jeff juke on 29/3/2012

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I found on my last van they needed tightened more often,it had alloys.All the other vans i had including the one i have at present have steel wheels and i found they never moved....strange ?

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alloys expand and contract more than a steel wheel does.

I use one of these  with one of thesewith a Torque wrench extension and then you need the socket to fit your wheel nuts.

It's a recommended practice for caravanners to check the wheel nuts before each journey. You will find that you need to wait for your wife to get herself ready before each journey so you will have plenty of spare time to just check both tyres and then check the air, maybe clean the van as well.

Phil

Hi, Lidl are selling torque wrenches for £15.00 next week, don't know if they are any good though!

http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/index_30136.htm

Regards Janette