Hi all Ihave recently bought a Bailey senator series 6 I used it once and on the way home started making a loud banging noise under braking and slowing down I have had someone out to replace the damper in the hitch and fit new brake shoes but it is still sound it I was wondering if you any idea paid a lot for caravan only used once last year
When was the caravan last serviced?
Have you checked the wheel nuts?
It might be an idea to check nuts/bolts on drawbar,towbar on car and tow ball.
Did the person who did the brakes change the one shot nuts and adjust the brakes?.
Firstly, it SHOULDN'T be making those sorts of noises under normal towing conditions! Something is amiss!
The points raised above cover the usual causes, but an additional one, do you have Active Trailer Control (ATC)? If that senses (rightly or wrongly!) sideways movement of the van, it can apply the caravan brakes quite firmly and cause the telescopic hitch coupling to slam hard into it's end stop with an almighty bang!
If the damped coupling/towball are dirty/contaminated then that usually makes rather alarming 'tortured' groaning noises, especially at slow speeds, rather than true banging noises.
The caravan brakes need correct adjustment to ensure that the overrun coupling doesn't reach the end of it's travel and hit the end stop!
Sliding overrun coupling may need lubricating properly. If it's 'dry' it can be sticky, and 'un-stick' violently on breaking.
Got to ask, even though it may appear rude! Have you adapted your driving style to take account of towing? Towing requires gentle actions done in a timely manner, 'normal' perhaps more aggressive solo driving style can cause the caravan overrun coupling to act rather harder than normal and be more noticeable.
With any newly acquired caravan, a thorough check/service from a RELIABLE caravan service engineer is usually money well spent, it not only identifies any issues, it gives a degree of peace of mind that all is well and safe! Sellers, dealer or private, can not always be relied upon to ensure a caravan is up to scratch in the grubby bits no one can normally see! Well known for doing no more than it takes to secure a sale!
Thanks for the reply's the tow bar is new and I have tried using two different cars to test it looks like the overrun coupling is causing the problem it is banging against the end of its travel even when moving very slowly and yes it dose have ATC this is activating when plugged in but the light is not coming on .The guy who fitted my brakes and new damper came recommended on Facebook said i may need a new front piece but he adjusted my brakes so i couldn't even move my van in the morning so if you can recommend someone in the wigan area it would also be helpful
Quote: Originally posted by mpv450 on 18/2/2025
.... yes it dose have ATC this is activating when plugged in but the light is not coming on .......
The light is notorious for going faulty (often water ingress), mine didn't work when I bought my van either - simple fix, but ridiculously expensive for what it is (isn't that caravans in general though!)! It's worthwhile getting fixed as it's FAR more informative than a simple on-off light, it has a number of functions on indicating system status, one of which is potentially dangerous whereby a fault condition can cause the caravan brakes to apply when towing normally - you need to physically disconnect the ATC from the braking system under that condition!
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Topic: Bailey senator loud banging
via mobile 15/2/2025 at 6:51am
