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Topic: Weight on Chassis.

corni

08/9/2013 at 7:30pm
Location: Doncaster
Outfit: Peugeot Autocruise Starfire 2 berth

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i was reading a post about stopping on the road to use toilet and facilities. one person replied about not moving about at rear without steadies down because it would damage the chassis.

When i have looked under our van i noticed the chassis are 2 x 8" or 10" "H girders" running the full length of the caravan.
now i am not going to do it, but i imagine you could hold a dance in your caravan without the steadies down and not do any damage. kidding, because cupboards and doors are pretty flimsey.
surely the steadies are just for steadying the caravan not supporting it.
must add i am no expert in this game.but it seems like all weight in a caravan was the chassis, axle and wheels.

Jack+Jon

08/9/2013 at 8:18pm
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More stress on body & chassis would occur while being towed at 60mph that walking around inside with steadies up.

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Regards, Jack+Jon.

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ChrisPolly+Oscar

08/9/2013 at 9:20pm
Location: Lancaster
Outfit: Landcruiser & Avondale Mayfair 510-5L

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We do it all the time; as stated, the induced loading through buffeting and pitching on a windy motorway at 60mph would be way, way more than you could induce by climbing in and out.

Chassis rails underneath are of a fairly thick C section; I used to do stress calcs as part of my job (moved to cost; more money); steel sections with flanged lightning holes like that can handle a lot of stress & strain before plastic deformation.

Steadies are only for use to stop it wallowing around on its suspension once it is pitched up for a period of time.

We have slept in it before now at a race track only attached to the Landcruiser, no steadies down as they would just sink into the claggy mud, pointlessly.

You will be fine

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Regards
Chris
Caravanning for 22 years
1997 Toyota Land Cruiser 3.0TD & 2004 Avondale Mayfair 510-5L
Previous towcars:
2002 Nissan Primera - sold
2002 Ford Galaxy - Died & scrapped. Good riddance.
1998 BMW 525TDS SE - PEx
1998 VW Passat SE - Crashed into & scrapped
1997 Peugeot 406 GLX - PEx

stuartggray

08/9/2013 at 10:29pm
Location: Dunfermline
Outfit: Coachman Pastiche 560 4

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Funny post - Whoever you got the info from is a dick. Bounce about as much as you like, the steadies are just steadies, not jacks. Do not lift the caravan off its wheels with the steadies!!!

You occasionally see arseholes with the jockey wheel retracted and the caravan supported on the main wheels and steadies. Do not do this. the main load bearing points are the wheels and the jockey wheel which will also level front to rear. The steadies just prevent rocking.

andy4x4

08/9/2013 at 10:40pm
Location: Scottish Borders
Outfit: Sterling Eccles 636 Ssanyong Korando

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I agree whit stuartggray (maybe not the dick bit lets just say misinformed person

) If your chasse was so flimsy it wouldn't make it to the end of the road some people are paranoid about this but how do they load and check the nose weight and then adjust with out going in to the van with the steadies up?

crack on and enjoy yourself with out worrying about thing that don't need worrying about

Andy

corni

09/9/2013 at 7:20am
Location: Doncaster
Outfit: Peugeot Autocruise Starfire 2 berth

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cheers for that.
i read on here that you shouldn't go to rear of caravan unless steadies were down because of weight.
then i thought, hang on a minute those girders underneath are massive surely they would hold any weight thrown at them
hence the post.
now i know i don't have to be obsessed with the steadies.
never even thought about the buffeting of the caravan when towing.
you budding brunels should thank me for giving you the chance to express your engineering knowledge on this forum. lol.

birder99

09/9/2013 at 8:12am
Location: Cambs
Outfit: Tin tent diddy tent BIG tent

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Sounds like a bit of mis-communication. It is not advisable to go to the rear of a caravan when unhitched and without the steadies down as the additional weight at the rear may cause the caravan to balance to the rear and hit the ground heavily (depending on weight distribution and persons weight).

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'A sure cure for sea-sickness is to sit under a tree'

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