Jockey up or down (from Dec magazine)
I have been caravanning for 45 years (approx), and I read with interest about whether the jockey wheel should be up or down whilst on slte. If the jockey wheel is down and the steady legs are down then any movement could put a strain on the jockey wheel.
It is designed to only take the weight of the unocupied caravan, so I always raise the jockey wheel about a couple of inches off the ground when on site and in storage, let the legs take the strain, after all that's what they are there for! This item is in
reply to Mr. Les Wilson's letter in December's magazine.
Comments
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My understanding is that the corner steadies are only there to steady the caravan and not to take the weight. The jockey wheel takes the weight.
We always leave it down while on site.
That said, we have a pneumatic jockey wheel and I've decided that it would be better not to have the weight on it while stored at home. So I've put a big block of wood under the hitch to take the weight (so it's still not on the steadies) and have wound
the jockey wheel up into the A frame.1 -
We were told by the dealer when we bought our first van to leave the jockey wheel down. It's in our current handbook that the jockey wheel should be down. So we leave it down.
We pitched opposite a van with the jockey wheel up recently and it was definitely not steady.
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Jockey wheel down!
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I see it as the wheels take the weight of the caravan and the steadies balance it and stop it tipping either backwards or forwards. Putting the jockey wheel down will assist the front ones but not the rear ones.
This is a subject that I've given a lot of thought to as I have the E&P levelling system fitted and was concerned about stresses being put where they shouldn't be. My jockey wheel is either lifted off the floor (or totally removed when at home). Once the system is deployed, the caravan is as steady as if it was built up on a brick foundation.
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Jockey down. The cornersteadies are just that and not meant to bear weight.
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To my mind the jockey wheel is part of the chassis structure and as such it should help support the chassis by being in contact with the ground. Certainly that was the view I took over 30 years of caravanning.
David
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With every caravan I've owned, I have always had the Jockey wheel down except when towing. No problems ever either on site or on the drive.
Cheers...............K
Same for us too. The more points of contact to the ground the better, as far as I'm concerned.
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Down, weight on wheels - steadies wound down till they touch then back a fraction. With a twin axle you can walk about inside with no steadies down and its just a bit bouncy but feels fine. Legs are just for balance not to take any strain.
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I see it as the wheels take the weight of the caravan and the steadies balance it and stop it tipping either backwards or forwards. Putting the jockey wheel down will assist the front ones but not the rear ones.
This is a subject that I've given a lot of thought to as I have the E&P levelling system fitted and was concerned about stresses being put where they shouldn't be. My jockey wheel is either lifted off the floor (or totally removed when at home). Once the
system is deployed, the caravan is as steady as if it was built up on a brick foundation.Am I correct in thinking that the E&P has two main jacks in the centre behind the wheels which take the majority of the weight of the chassis?
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Hi all,
On a standard single axle caravan there are three points designed to take the weight of the 'van, two wheels and hitch ( whether coupled or not ) When on site and one is expected to enter the caravan it must be as level across the axle and from front to
rear as possible. the corner legs can then be lowered to steady the 'van. Under no circumstances should the steadies be used to lift the 'van. For those that ( wrongly IMO ) the jockey wheel should be lifted, why not lift the legs so high to lift the wheels
off the gound !! BTW would all who wish to raise the jockey make note in the 'vans manual ( I'll know not to buy it when it comes up for sale.Happy caravanning.
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Is that a first??? I am in agreement too! The only jockey wheel I have had that wasn't all that robust was the removable one I had to fit when the old tow car got so low I couldn't clear the wheel so fitted a removable. The clamp for that was pathetic.
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Jockey down. The cornersteadies are just that and not meant to bear weight.
whew, good - I'm not that strong
Always down for me too
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Definitely down. So that's that sorted.
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I see it as the wheels take the weight of the caravan and the steadies balance it and stop it tipping either backwards or forwards. Putting the jockey wheel down will assist the front ones but not the rear ones.
This is a subject that I've given a lot of thought to as I have the E&P levelling system fitted and was concerned about stresses being put where they shouldn't be. My jockey wheel is either lifted off the floor (or totally removed when at home). Once the
system is deployed, the caravan is as steady as if it was built up on a brick foundation.Am I correct in thinking that the E&P has two main jacks in the centre behind the wheels which take the majority of the weight of the chassis?
yes the E&P system has six rams. Two on axle, that sort out the level across the van and can lift the wheels clear of the ground. They work independently of each other.
Then there is one on each corner, fitted on Alko heavy duty steadies.
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Being a mere woman i do wonder why caravans never had a wheel at each corner and a swivelling hitch like a farm trailer ? They would just seem more stable to me has there ever been one does anyone know? Cheers mrs bc:)
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Being a mere woman i do wonder why caravans never had a wheel at each corner and a swivelling hitch like a farm trailer ? They would just seem more stable to me has there ever been one does anyone know? Cheers mrs bc:)
Enough owners have problems reversing the existing arrangement with the axle in the middle. I shudder to think how most would cope with an arrangement like a farm trailer.
If the jockey takes the load at the front and the steadies only do the job of steadying, how do the steadies at the rear cope when the occupants are down at that end?
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Wonder if not balancing the caravan and supporting it what the purpose of the jockey wheel is other than using it for parking on site. I have caravaned many years and have never encountered any debate on whether up or down on site, Surely down allows for
better levelling and support.for the van. I think my jockey wheel is a better stabalisor than the flimsy steadies.0
