As a family we have towed caravans for many thousands of miles over the last 50 odd years non of them had balanced wheels we never had any problems with wheels coming off
A correctly fitted wheel will not work loose
To say that a washing machine has a balanced drum is a poor example the drum is in fact unbalanced once you add washing that's why the drum and motor are suspended on springs and dampers and also has a large amount of weight fitted to the top to dampen the unbalanced forces
Anyone who has left the transit bolts in will have seen the effect as the washer spins a severely out of balance load and tries to shake itself to pieces
Having caravan wheels balanced isn't a bad idea and maybe gives some people peace of mind when towing but it isn't a substitute for taking a few extra minutes to ensure that the wheel bolts are seating correctly when refitting a wheel
Whereas an engine might be doing up to 5,000rpm and a washing machine 1,200 rpm, a caravan wheel will only be doing a few hundred rpm. Also there is dampening from the pressure of the tyre on the road.
A car my wife once had, suffered from a terrible rumble and it turned out the tyre was out of shape and had a flat area on it. When a caravan isn't being used how many people take the trouble to go and move it so the weight isn't simply on only one area?
Swift have the figures to prove their claim. Can anyone generate their own figures to dispute that?
I always get my wheels balanced, you'd be surprised how far out they are.
My caravan isn't under warrantee so I have to repair the heater, cooker, fridge etc when the bits are shook off.
Balancing isn't just about wheels dropping it's to stop bits dropping off and damage to all parts.
We all know what its like when we drive over the rumble strip on the approach to traffic islands, this must be what the caravan feels like with unbalanced wheels.
However I don't know everyone's circumstances and if saving a couple of pounds by not having wheels balanced when you have new tyres fitted is important, so be it.
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Topic: Wheel balancing?
