First time Towing experience
Picked up a cheap jubliee envoy 1992 . Looked decent but have some damp issue at the back . I have few questions . Hope someone will give me some advice
1 . When towing I feel the caravan is bouncing about and have pull me push you affect . Is it normal ? 2. I manage to buy a used al ko stabiliser , and watched a how to change video , it says it need a steel dowel when I the take the 2nd bolt off . Does anyone have the steel dowel ? I can borrow or a link where I can buy ? 3. How to check the hitch damper is working properly? When I push in I need to put some strength to it . Is that normal? If not how hard to is to change ? 4. Does caravan have dampers at the wheels ? ( I know it's a stupid question) 5. How to seal the damp issue and how hard to change the panels ? Any help would be helpful. |
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1.....Make sure you have sufficent Nose weight on the tow hitch 3.....The damper needs to be fairly "Stiff" otherwise the over-run brakes will be coming on at the slightest slow down 4....Yes the caravan should have "Dampers" at the wheels similar to normal shock absorbers.. HTH;) |
Ash,ask a local caravan repair centre for a quote on repairing the damp, other than that ,speak to Keith kc13661, he did his own damp repair on his caravan. He has done a thread on it too, it was at the front where the roof panel meets the front panel.
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I'm not convinced all caravans have shocks in the traditional sense. This is a guess, the "axle" has an arm at each end. Where this arm and axle meet are rubbers. The stub axle for the wheel is on the other end of the arm. I'd almost describe these rubbers as similar to cush drive rubbers. The joint is "triangular" in shape with the 3 points fitting in between the rubbers. These rubbers act as the suspension. It is a good idea when the van is not in use for a long time to lift it onto axle stands so the wheels are clear of the ground and hang, this lets the suspension rest and it will probably last longer The above is all a guess and a very lose description. From what I have read it is possible to fit shocks to some chassis and they do apparently make the caravan more stable. I'm not to sure how they fit but I seem to think they are in front of the arm pointing down and backwards macafee2 |
Do you get a clonk when you brake or pull away? If you do then the tow hicth damper may well have gone. You do need some force to push the damper home but it can be done... or at least I can push my tow hitch home.
macafee2 |
Damp
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If the van is wet inside (damp) and the panels are soft the chances are it's been leaking for some time and this increases greatly the risk that the main frame has been damaged in some way With the damp issue you first of all have to find out where it's coming in (I know it sounds obvious) and repair Water runs down hill and tracks so the leak may have started in a different location to the damaged area. Things to look for include damaged awning rails , damaged waist rails or hardened none setting bedding sealant (some repairers use sikaflex or equivalent)indicating it has not been changed or maintained to a decent standard. Check for any leaks and damp around skylights ,aerials , windows or outside lockers . I have replaced parts of a caravans main frame and wall boards as well as re sealing awning rails and trims. It can be a daunting task but not insurmountable Do not use silicone Good luck Regards Steve |
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Silicone
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The awning rails on most older caravans are sealed with non setting bedding sealant that's around £3/£4 a tube or sikaflex can be used but only if you have no intention of removing as once it's on its very difficult to seperate the two surfaces Silicone will not bond the two surfaces and will eventually (after a short length of time ) let water in The rails can normally be resealed every 5 years with non setting bedding sealant . I believe our vans (Adria) are sealed with a substance similar to Sikaflex or Tiger seal but you have to be careful with that as a statement because sikaflex make sealant adhesive as well as adhesive sealant two very different products. If I were sealing an awning rail I would use non setting bedding sealant as on roof lights heater covers, aerials etc or sealant adhesive because the objective is to seal as well as stick and not stick as well as seal. Regards Steve |
Cheers Steve, I re fitted the new roof light assembly using mastic on the outside of the roof, under the rim where it sits on the roof, as that is what the original one, that blew off ,was sealed down with.
Just need to trim the excess off next time I fetch it home. |
Mastic
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If you mean non setting bedding sealant I would just leave the bit that squished out unless it's a massive amount because if you look at your other roof light you will see Adria didn't trim the original one or at least they haven't on mine. Regards Steve |
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My caravan has squishy sealant sticking out too. I'm not going touch it either as I have no leaks and don't want to encourage any.--;)
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Sikaflex 512 is the one for caravans:}
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1 . When towing I feel the caravan is bouncing about and have pull me push you affect . Is it normal ?
No, not normal, but it will feel very different towing to solo. Watch, or have someone watch it, is it really bouncing about? The push me, pull you, might be due to the brakes not working. Pushing the hitch in, should apply the caravan's brakes - known as over-run brakes. The brakes should prevent any sensation of being pushed. They should come on fully, if the hitch is pushed about halfway in/back and on both wheels. 2. I manage to buy a used al ko stabiliser , and watched a how to change video , it says it need a steel dowel when I the take the 2nd bolt off . Does anyone have the steel dowel ? I can borrow or a link where I can buy ? Were I you, I would have bought a traditional spring stabiliser. They are much cheaper and more effective than the AlKo. 3. How to check the hitch damper is working properly? When I push in I need to put some strength to it . Is that normal? If not how hard to is to change ? It should be quite hard to push in and slow to return. Is the moving part properly greased? There are usually one or two grease nipples. 4. Does caravan have dampers at the wheels ? ( I know it's a stupid question) Normally, not fitted. They can be fitted as an option. Likely it will have torsion in rubber suspension units, which to some extent are self damping. Rather than a spring. There have been reports of the rubber type collapsing. Are the tyre / wheel arch clearances equal? 5. How to seal the damp issue and how hard to change the panels ? Find where it is getting in, seal it, and/ or remove awning rails or what ever, clean and refix with proper sealant. The damage will always be much worse than it first appears to be, inside. Remove all damaged panels and check for damaged wood framing. Replace all that are damaged, replace, then source the laminate panel from a repairer. It is simple joinery. Furniture will probably need to be removed, which is not that easy, because caravans of that era are built from the inside out. Chassis, floor, then furniture, then the outside panels. Screws will probably be screwed in, from the outside, so need to be cut off to release furniture. Then some sort of bracket used to refix them. It is all very DIY-able and cheap materials, but very expensive if a dealer has to be employed. The sooner it is done the less the damage needing to be repaired. Capt. Tolleys creeping crack cure will stop many leaks, at least temporarily. |
Deleted, duplicate posting..
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Hi, a well matched towing outfit should be level or slightly nose down when viewed from the side. Pitching-the up and down movement of the caravan when towing- is caused by either poor incorrect loading of caravan or weak springs/ dampers on the car-may be suitable for solo driving not for towing .
Is your Alko stabiliser - incorporating hitch -of the friction type that DOES NOT require greasing ,if it has been greased then the stabilising effect is greatly reduced. A stable outfit does not necessarily require a stabiliser , correct driving manner and the ability to read the road ahead are the main factors. Have a look at www.al-ko.co.uk for the chassis layout ,running gear etc. Hope this helps. Regards Dave |
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The AlKo usually needs to have a ball fitted, with a slightly longer neck and should be an unplated bare steel type. The paint on which needs to be cleaned off. The ball should absolutely not be greased, clean with a bit of slight surface rust I find is fine. The friction pads are replaceable if they have been contaminated. To couple up, the main friction arm needs to be raised, then the small black arm, as the Alko is dropped onto the ball. A red/green indicator shows green when it is properly on the ball. Finally the friction arm needs to be forced down. Before it is pressed down, there is a max/min mark which can be checked. With the arm pressed down, to the first bit of resistance, it should be between the min/max marks. Fully forced down - it takes a bit of effort, it should be flat down over the hitch. Some suggest releasing the friction, when trying to manoeuvrer. Don't forget - there should be a breakaway chain/cable, which links the handbrake to a point on the car. If there is nowhere better, it is acceptable to hook that over the tow ball. Should the caravan ever become unhitched, that should apply the handbrake fully, then snap. |
Sorry Harry didn't express myself clear enough, your explanation is spot on, friction only.
Dave. |
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