Sorry I a pain but if i getting a new van i going to research properly. After accident Hubby keen on twin for safety. New vans now available with fancy satbility control. What are the fors and againsts. I appreciate they dearer to service and insure and apparently less likely to snake but that is as far as my knowlege goes.
------------- Oh am loving the tin tent after campaining against it..........I was wrong.
A twin axle caravan still needs to be well balanced in order to be a stable outfit as some seem to think that having four wheels and tyres will counteract the need to load the caravan properly which is totally untrue. Any caravan that is not loaded correctly is liable to snake disregards whether you have a stabiliser on or not so you can take this equation out of your decision regarding stability for a start. If you are considering a motor mover which you will most likely need, it can be difficult to manoeuvre plus the costs of maintenance and servicing involved I would tent opt for a single axle caravan.
The bigger the caravan the more likely you are to crash, even if you are towing it with a heavy 4x4. The safest rig is an average sized car towing a caravan of half the car's towing weight. I tow a caravan of 700kg all up weight behind a Berlingo with no stabilizer & it tows straight as a die. Nothing will induce a snake, it drives as one vehicle.
Mine is also very stable at 1900kg, towed by a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I very much prefer twins, if only for the extra stability in case of a blowout.
It's no harder to manoeuvre, and you don't need a motor mover unless you want to put it behind your house or something like that.
Jim
Having had both we bought a new bailey pageant burgundy in 2008 and swopped it for a new swift conqueror 645 in 2010
I have found the swift much more stable to tow you do however need a car man enough to tow it, they are in fact easier to reverse than a single axle
I have had a motor-mover fitted as it is easier to hitch up and put in storage etc and at 1800kls its nigh on impossable to move it on my own
the benifits of a big twin axle are multifold proper shower/toilet more room, fixed island bed, alde heating the list goes on
I this week have been ringing round for servicing costs and have found that if I use a mobile approved fitter costs are little more than main dealer prices for the bailey
For insurance we use a company that does a deal on car and caravan both together because now some car insurance policy,s will not cover an 8mtr caravan
Also you will need a pre 97 licenese (or take the test) for the wieght other than that I have no regrets in moving to the twin axle
Quote: Originally posted by Crazyplace on 30/10/2011
apparently less likely to snake but that is as far as my knowlege goes.
A correctly loaded caravan, matched with correct towing vehicle will not snake. If you are not confident to drive a large outfit, the answer is to get a smaller one, not a larger one.
Quote: Originally posted by robin52 on 30/10/2011
I don't get the link between fixed beds and twin axles
The only link I can see is that with a twin axle you are more likely to have a larger van. A fixed bed in a large twin axle will give to more floor/seating/washroom space than a fixed bed in a single axle (which have less room as they are generally smaller). After saying that we are happy with the fixed bed and the room in our single axle van.
Single or twin, as Tentz says, loading, noseweight and tyre pressures are the most important thing.
I can't understand why anyone would want to move a caravan when it's not connected to the car. I just reverse under the hitch and lower it on. Certainly for hitching up you don't need to move the caravan an inch.
Jim
Quote: Originally posted by Crazyplace on 30/10/2011
apparently less likely to snake but that is as far as my knowlege goes.
A correctly loaded caravan, matched with correct towing vehicle will not snake. If you are not confident to drive a large outfit, the answer is to get a smaller one, not a larger one.
I agree with Tentz on this one.
In addition, double axle vans are also generally more expensive, motor movers are more expensive and the vans are generally bigger. I hear that some sites on the continent will not always accept twin axle vans on the basis that they often require large pitches (- this is just 'folksy' information I have picked up from somewhere, and do not have experience or evidence to support this).
The bigger the van, the heavier it is likely to be, and therefore this will impact upon towing weight ratios. A heavier vehicle could also impact upon fuel consumption i.e. might mean less mpg. At a time when fuel is at a high, this may be a feature for some (i.e. me) to consider.
For me, I can only see one advantage of a double axle. If one tyre blows on the van, then there is still another one left! Again that is just my twisted logic. In practice, I don't know how much of an advantage this really is. In thirty years of towing, I have never has a blow out on a caravan or trailer. I know that doesn't mean I will never have a blow out, but it does give me confidence in single axles - rightly or wrongly!
If you have a twin axle, there is a good chance you will need a 4x4 as a towing vehicle. We really like our Disco, but are only to aware of the deisel we frequently feed it with.
David, other than weight is there any reason why you think a 4x4 would be needed? I tow a twin axle Lunar which is lighter than a lot of single axle caravans. As others have said a T/A is easy to move on the back of the tug but they will not spin on a sixpence like a single axle, but I do find they reverse easier (not sure why) and feel more stable on site in strong winds. My main reason for getting a T/A was after seeing two caravans wrecked after tyre blow outs (within a week of each other on the same stretch of road!) It might be my imagination but I also feel that a T/A brakes more evenly. I don't think I would ever go back to a single axle unless I could not get the layout I wanted in a T/A format.
------------- 'A sure cure for sea-sickness is to sit under a tree'
Quote: Originally posted by Greendemon315 on 30/10/2011
I can't understand why anyone would want to move a caravan when it's not connected to the car.
If the space you have to move on does not allow the use of a vehicle?
My lane width for example. It's only a foot or so greater than my van's length so placing it into or coming out of my drive with using a tow car is simply not an option.
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Topic: Fors and againsts-single or twin axle
