Newbie here. We have recently purchased our new (to us) Pennine Pullman 535 (2001).
We are venturing over to Glastonbury next weekend and felt as it will be our first run with the FC we'd like to play it simple without the awning.
I am however concerned that towing without the awning inside might affect the distribution of weight.
On our first drive we had a little bit of sway which was scary enough, want to avoid anything like this again. The FC has fortunately been fitted with an AL-KO AKS 1300.
Any advice welcome. Should we take the awning anyway to keep balance?
You can still distribute the weight without the awning to get the correct nose weight But make sure your car is capable of handing the camper. Not just the power but also the weight of the car compared to the weight of the camper. A lighter camper with no awning should actually be easier to tow and control. Also, watch your speed, 60 mph max, especially down hill.
have fun
John
We carried the aqua roll just inside the door and the electric hook up cable and a mini electric oven in what floor space there was by the wardrobe and carried 2 light folding chairs on the seats by putting the table flat and the back cushions on the table and then placing the chairs on top, enjoy your camper we certainly did.
i ditched both the wardrobe and the awning in my 535 and never had any problems.
i can fit the porch awning kitchen unit, the spice rack thingy, big gas bottle, 3 folding chairs, the electric frying pan thing and any other bits in the space the wardrobe used to fold in to. the aqua rolls go behind that and the hook up and step goes in the doorway.
The hitch weight can actually be calculated, you can either use a piece of wood, like a short brush handle on some bathroom scales, weigh the front at a height it would be towed, also there are commercially available hitch weighs.
The hitch weight for a conway crusader, with toilet compartment is 67kg, when mine is loaded I am struggling to get it below 80kg. If the weight however is too low, snaking can occur.
This is from an unladen weight of 840kg.
But doesnt account for gas bottles, water in the flush tank fro toilet etc.
Any trailer that is not heavy enough on the hitch, for its total mass will snake at a certain speed.
I hope this will not sound derogatory in any way, But if you are new to using an AL KO 1300 there is a specific way of using them, I have seen folks pushing down the clamping handle before tightening them, There is a clip on you tube again showing the wrong way of using them. Another possibility is that the friction pads could be worn and need replacing they are comparatively cheap to buy and easy to fit.
We have a AL KO 1300 fitted to our Pathfinder that makes it feel stable when towing, To have a trailer swaying with one of them fitted and used correctly is something I have never heard of before.
If you add weight to the rear of the car it will also help keep the car planted and less effected by the movement of the trailer. (last resort but does help a bit)
------------- if your not living life on the edge your taking up tooo much room
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Towing FC without awning inside
via mobile 15/6/2019 at 7:20pm
