After finding this issue last year & not really using the caravan much since, we decided to get the axle re-furbished. A Local Garage we know took the axle off and it was collected, refurbed & returned by a Company in Scotland, and refitted again. After collecting the caravan, we pulled over into a lay-by to check how it was looking and it appeared to be still catching. Apart from having the axle refurbed as we have, what else would cause this issue. Is it a chassis issue?
Be a bit easier to throw a few more definite ideas at you if we knew exactly where the tyre was rubbing. Front, back, top, inside, outside! The age of the van would also help us to know if frame/floor rot was a possibility.
Working on the most general of possibilities, if nothing has been recently knowingly changed, such as new wheels/tyres, then the only other option is 'something' has moved! None of those type scenarios tend to look good I have to say!
Options are, chassis has been distorted, body damage that has pushed wheel arch in, failure/rot allowing body to sag/move in relation to chassis.
Not easy to distort chassis, but guess it's not impossible. Has it been driven hard over any big pot holes or traffic calming lumps? Has it been jacked up in an incorrect manner such as on a chassis rail not fitted with a jacking point? Has it say spent it's life at the seaside and the galvanising has failed allowing rust to weaken and allow movement in the chassis?
Body frame/floor rot allowing the body to sink down on chassis is not unknown.
If the body has suffered any contact with a heavy/fixed object, it's possible that the wall/wheel arch has been pushed in. May not be obvious looking square on if no tell tale scuff marks, but should be noticeable looking along length of van with eye close to wall, you'd see a deviation from the normal perfectly straight run.
You can get a good idea of where any movement has occurred by comparing left and right hand sides of van, they should be near perfect mirror images of each other.
Certainly, on my van, the tyre/wheel arch clearance is so tight I struggle to fit a '3 legged' lock that requires a bar at top of wheel, so there is precious little scope for anything to move before rubbing would occur.
We have found what could be the issue in the cupboard where the wheel, arch is, the floor has slightly dropped/dipped away just under an inch from the caravan outer wall. There is a hole in the outer edge of the plastic wheel arch, we are wondering if water has seeped in over a period of time and damaged the floor in this area. We noticed that the glass lift up cover over the cooker in the same area, does not fully go back to the caravan wall, suggesting movement in the caravan wall. The caravan is a 2003 Crusader Aurora, so an oldie. We had considered scrapping it when we found the issue but as it is a tidy van inside, decided to have the axle refurbished to see if this would help. My husband is pretty handy at diy and did quite a bit of maintenance on the van last year, ie took out and re-sealed windows, sorted a damp issue in the bathroom, re-boarded etc, installed new shower floor that had cracked. Not had to deal with a floor issue yet though. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Last resort would be siting it on a Seasonal Pitch?
Hi JR
Thanks for your detailed response. The reason I asked about the make of axle and van is because the amount of stuff on the Web regarding wheel rubbing issues with Bailey and Lunar vans incorrectly fitted at time of manufacture 13/14" wheels or poorly fitted arches. Obviously not your particular issue. Given the age of your van and the fact the axle has been refurbished, ( I looked at the vid of the refurb company) it is unlikely to be an axle issue. Sad to say that damp, gravity weight and the ravages of time all combine to reduce the height of the wheel arches assuming the tyres are the exact dimensions as recommended by the van manufacturer. Me, time on my hands I would replace the arches and the surrounding structure as a labour of love. Failing that as you suggested, park it up on a nice site and enjoy.
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Topic: Tyre rubbing on wheel arch
via mobile 19/6/2021 at 12:05pm
