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Hi Everyone,

Just sat in the van at Longleat CC and listening to seal's in the background (nice site by the way) and I am looking out the window at the other vans parked near to us.

As a number are twin axle I just wondered what the pro's and con's were of these over single axle one's? We are new to caravaning this year and have a single axle at the moment, and didn't go for a twin axle as there is no way our car would have pulled one anyway! So other than the fact that the vans are heavier, and hence they need a twin axle,  whats the benefits or negatives? Are they more stable to tow and easier to move ?

We are thinking of upgrading to a 5 or 6 berth van over the next 2 years (once we change the car) and it would be useful to know the above for when we finally start looking!

Cheers

Darren

They are more stable to tow (OH can overtake lorries without risk of snaking), but you would need to have a motor mover fitted which will obviously add to the cost. The weight makes them nigh on impossible to push, even in a straight line, and you can't spin them around like a single axle. They cost more to insure and service as well. The extra length and width can cause a problem with access on some sites (we always ask about this). We need a 4x4 for towing which costs more in fuel. OH has just added that many sites in France, if you go there, have small pitches where you would struggle.

In spite of all this, we love ours and would not return to a single axle, the extra space is the main plus, as there are only two of us, we don't need an awning.

More stable to tow.  I'm sorry but I don't agree you have to have a motor mover, unless you want to park it behind your house.  I've never understood this idea of pushing caravans.  I can hardly walk, and we manage perfectly well with the Jeep.   We can put it anywhere we ant, and never push it one single inch.

I don't want to fall out with the people who like movers.  It's not personal, and it's a free choice.  I choose not to spend a silly amount of money on something that will take a big bite out of my payload.

Others do want to park in restricted spaces at home, but I was cured of that some years ago, when the police explained how it's a target for burglars, as well as an indicator of when you're away.

If you're in storage, I can't see why you would want a motor mover.  When I've said this before, some people have explained how some Continental sites are so tight that you need one.  I just wouldn't want to stay anywhere like that.  We like the wide open spaces.

As I said, a personal choice.  I would always have a twin axle though, if for example, you have a blowout, it has much less effect because it's only a quarter of the wheels.  Also, twins run at lower tyre pressures, which makes blowouts less likely, and less catastrophic.

Jim

As well as access as already mentioned some site simply say "no twin axels", may be due to size of pitch but if that is the case should restrict by length, may be an easy way to ristrict access to "unwanted units". So you do need to check commercial sites to see if you are ok to stay.

There is an overlap between long single axel caravans and twin axels but for anything that size I feel safer towing with a twin.

With respect to the need for a motor mover, I have stayed on sites with reasonable size pitches where I would still have had to ask several people to move cars in order to safely reverse onto a pitch but could "suffle in" using the mover.

We have a twin and find it is much more stable to tow

But I think they do not hold their money like say a up to 1500kls ones do, as you do really need 200 horsepower+ to tow them. But second hand they are usally in better condition  as they have been bought by the older carravanners, except ours which this year has been used for 140 nights+

We have a motor-mover but its for "just in case" as i have to hitch up and pitch on my own

Quote: Originally posted by geoff+emmy on 10/10/2011

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We have a twin and find it is much more stable to tow

But I think they do not hold their money like say a up to 1500kls ones do, as you do really need 200 horsepower+ to tow them.

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I believe in big towcars anyway, so that's no problem.  They aren't that difficult to level, and with a bit of forethought, you don't normally need to level side to side anyway.

We insure with the CC, and they certainly don't insist on wheel locks.  You can get a discount for them, which we declined.  We just use a hitch lock.

If you just pay a bit more, you can make life a lot easier.

We tow 1800kg with 215bhp, and that's plenty.

Jim

Ihave just bought a new twin axle so as yet Icannot comment on stability .As far as wheel locks go none of  the insurance companies secified two axle locks only that awheel clamp had to be fitted if the van was left unattended for more than two hours and when my wife said she wasn't happy about jacking the van to fit the second the salesman said no problem I'll give you a wheel clamp which is insurance approved anyway,and sure enough the insurance companies were happy and the only negative comment was that the CC could not give us the axle lock discount ,so dont think you have to jack it up every time

      doug