hello guys,in feb we upgraded our small avondale s/a van (1200kg) to a t/a swift spectrum van (1500kg) , and having problems keeping it stable above 40/45mph,
we tow with a grand cherokee, its not a small car,
the avondale used to stick behind the jeep without any issue , but as soon as i get to 45mph ish it wobbles , and when lorrys overtake its horrid ,
We have been out three times now and tryed lots of things ,
first trip - just as we loaded it, then found out there was a issue and stopped several times to try and move stuff about
second trip - every thing heavy (awrnign, clothes, tv,barrels over the axels and shopping/beer in the back of the jeep
third trip (yesterday)- change the bulldog stableiser for a alko hitch one , virtually nothing in the van , remove all non needed tat and awrning in the jeep with clothes which made it even worse in my oppinion,
people say that towing with a twin axel is more stable but i think i must be failing somewhere ,
Try checking the tow hitch weight, if it's not right, it will cause these type of problems when towing.
Another thing I thought of was if the tow ball on your car is too high, with it being a large high car, I've heard this can have an effect on stability.
Caravan and car should be in a straight line (on a level road) or slightly dipping. If it's like this /\ it will be unstable.
Some caravans just seem to be more unstable than others though... there might be no fault at all.
Have you checked tyre pressures, wheels not loose, (don,t laugh)is it the alko hitch? if so check pads
I tow a swift twin axle with a jeep and find it most stable even with 2 full 6kg gas bottles in front locker
its dead level, when the caravan enginer changed my hitch and ball he put it down one set of holes , as aparantly theres a hight standard for tow balls,
I have just been outside to measure towball height and its 470mm or 18.5 inches from ground to top of ball
Jeep,s noseweight limit is normally 150 kls much higher than the alko limit
We tow a twin axle with our Jeep Grand Cherokee and have no issues even at 60mph on the motorway and it is as steady as a rock. Our nose weight is about 90kgs with the MTPLM of the caravan at 1800kgs.
In the Camping & Caravanning magazine they have a forum and someone a few years back had a very identical problem to yours. He had been caravanning for over 30 years with 3 different vans over that time and had plenty of experience with no problems. However, he bought a brand new Bailey which was so unstable he was frightened to tow it to which he had booked to go on holiday to Cornwall later that year. Because of the severity of it, the caravan went back to the dealers twice and once to Bailey only to be told they couldn't find anything wrong so he was totally mystified as to what the cause was. His story then went on to say that he went on to a rally and chatted to a fellow caravanner who advised to get his wheels balanced so he took the advice and Hey Presto! it cured the problem, so I would suggest that for the sake of a few quid to get your wheels balanced as I consider it's worth it. However, if you do this and happens to cure your problem it would be appreciated if you could re-post here and let us know whether it solved your problem or not. The problem is that when caravans are manufactured the chassis' are imported with wheels and tyres already fitted so basically they build the coachwork etc. and then just despatch their to the dealers accordingly. So if you buy a caravan less than 5 years of age you can guaratee that the wheels and tyres have not been balanced.
Quote: Originally posted by Andy Higham on 29/6/2013
Its worth having the wheels balanced full stop. It will give every component in your van an easier life
Ans also worth while fitting shock absorbers. We have had these fitted to all our previous caravans and it makes a big difference when towing. Our current caravan came standard with shocks so all we had to do was balance the wheels.
wheels balanced , new tyres fitted when got the van, husband wasnt happy with them, van is a 2000 year abbey spectrum 416, its been moved at least every 30 days , if not well less than that
Do bear in mind there is an enormous difference between the Cherokee nd the Grand Cherokee. The ordinary Cherokee is pretty soft on the back end, and won't take kindly to a lot of weight in the back. You need to try it without putting much in the vehicle.
In contrast, the Zgrand Cherokee is a superb tow car.
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: Unstable outfit help
