Dangerous and careless
Comments
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It will be a long time before I need to worry about all these checks because I'm on a seasonal pitch and don't need to move the caravan again until November! Our couple of nights away in a tent every 21 days doesn't require all of the op checks! Why make life more complicated than is absolutely necessary?
As your van is sitting still so long Malcolm, what you should do every time you take the awning down (or before you put it up again) is move the van either forward or back a few inches so it is not always the same area of the tyres it is resting on.
Better for the tyres.
Do you keep the handbrake on? It can stick/rust in place if you do.
Write your comments here...Others here on seasonal pitches don't seem to bother. They don't want the extra work of having to take the corners up, pack stuff away in the caravan for moving, hitching it up to the car etc. on top of having to take the awning down. They just do what the caravan club rules require and leave the rest to chance!
Also our workload has doubled since the other driver left. We no longer get any days off. So we have to keep these things into perspective. If for any reason the caravan can't be moved on the departure date, we will simply have to call out Mayday's Green Flag. Best just to relax and leave any faults that develop to the professionals to sort out! They know better than me!
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I check the lights. Dunno why as I wouldn't have a clue how to change a bulb if one wasn't working!
Write your comments here...That's what Mayday is there for!
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Our wheel nuts were all tightened as part of the service that was done in front if us on site by an approved mobile servicing company.
If the caravan is being serviced annually, then you are surely paying the servicing agent to carry out all the necessary work to keep your caravan safe and roadworthy.
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We have TPM on all van wheels and car wheels, but I do check them every so often, not necessarily the day before travel.
Then I have a torque wrench, so check all the wheel bolts every so often, again not necessarily the day before we travel.
We also have the Reich scales that weigh the van, which have given a satisfactory total, plus it can weigh the nose weight, which is within our limit (100kg).
When leaving a site, OH checks lights with me, plus she walks round the van to check all lockers are locked and nothing left on the pitch.
So I think we are complying with the OP's requirements!!!
One other thing OP did not mention......checking the towing mirrors!
We always check them as they are totally essential.
Write your comments here...
Have you ever found a wheel nut to be lose? I knew someone who lost a wheel on their 4x4 about 10 days after new tyres had been fitted. The small print said that he had to check them 50miles after leaving the fitters.
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When I had two front tyres replaced at a local well respected tyre fitter two guys were doing it - one each side. I was sure that one (a new guy) had not applied enough torque. Checked when I got home and found that to be the case. He had not properly grounded
the wheel before tightening.With the caravan I have once after returning from a service and checking torque noticed an almost impererceptable movement on one of the nuts. Very slight indeed.
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With the caravan I have once after returning from a service and checking torque noticed an almost impererceptable movement on one of the nuts. Very slight indeed.
We used to get more movement on our old van. Don't know if it is because our current one has shocks, like you I have hardly noticed anything.
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When I had two front tyres replaced at a local well respected tyre fitter two guys were doing it - one each side. I was sure that one (a new guy) had not applied enough torque. Checked when I got home and found that to be the case. He had not properly grounded
the wheel before tightening.With the caravan I have once after returning from a service and checking torque noticed an almost impererceptable movement on one of the nuts. Very slight indeed.
Something to look out for.
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.... but adjusting them down for a short period on site seems extreme.
It wouldn't if you found yourself bouncing into the nearest field. I once forgot to drop tyre pressures (when I tried upping them to max load pressures for towing), the solo journey on country lanes was ....... interesting!!!!
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I check the lights. Dunno why as I wouldn't have a clue how to change a bulb if one wasn't working!
That's what Mayday is there for!
No wonder recovery premiums are what they are!
Most caravan bulbs could be changed in the time it took to make the call, never
mind waited for them to arrive.0 -
I check the lights. Dunno why as I wouldn't have a clue how to change a bulb if one wasn't working!
That's what Mayday is there for!
No wonder recovery premiums are what they are!
Most caravan bulbs could be changed in the time it took to make the call, never
mind waited for them to arrive.Agree, sometimes in life we have to be responsible ourselves for the most simplest of things
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DD, I don't think the comment meant reducing them for on site use, but rather reducing them to the correct pressure for road use after having been increased for towing purposes on the way to the site!
TF
I don't know what other people meant, but that's exactly what I was talking about. We are always away for at least a week and during that time might do quite a few miles - just going out for days etc. The difference between part-load and full-load tyre
pressures on my car is 33-44 psi - which is quite a big difference. Having the correct tyre pressure not only affects handling and ride quality - but also tyre wear. Over inflated tyres will scrub off the centre of the tyre more quickly and at around £200
a time, I try to get as much mileage out of my tyres as possible although I always bin them when down to 3mm. As I said earlier - each to their own - as far as I am concerned, it's no big deal to change the tyre pressures, so I will continue to do it.0 -
I used to change tyre pressures on-site when it was required, my current car is the same solo or towing. I check nose weight sometimes as my drive at home is sloping it can't be done so if I'm on a nice flat pitch I do check it.
As for lights ect I always check, as a HGV trainer I train pre trip checks and know how important they are, it is also a legal requirement to show some time on your tacho card to prove you have given time to check your vehicle.
I certainly would NOT be checking to see how many of my fellow vanners are doing their checks but I just say am a bit alarmed at some of the lax attitude to safety checks before towing!!
" My cars tyres are checked at service" is one, unbelievable
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We have TPM on all van wheels and car wheels, but I do check them every so often, not necessarily the day before travel.
Then I have a torque wrench, so check all the wheel bolts every so often, again not necessarily the day before we travel.
We also have the Reich scales that weigh the van, which have given a satisfactory total, plus it can weigh the nose weight, which is within our limit (100kg).
When leaving a site, OH checks lights with me, plus she walks round the van to check all lockers are locked and nothing left on the pitch.
So I think we are complying with the OP's requirements!!!
One other thing OP did not mention......checking the towing mirrors!
We always check them as they are totally essential.
Write your comments here...
Have you ever found a wheel nut to be lose? I knew someone who lost a wheel on their 4x4 about 10 days after new tyres had been fitted. The small print said that he had to check them 50miles after leaving the fitters.
Yes, I found a loose one on the car last year, first time ever.
We also suffered a broken wheel bolt on the van while in Italy a few years back. For safety, Red Pennant sourced 20 new bolts and I had to change them all and tighten them correctly. And of course check them all after a short distance.
Our dealer always shows us how the caravan wheel bolts are correctly tightened after a service, and tells us to check them after about 30 miles.
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It will be a long time before I need to worry about all these checks because I'm on a seasonal pitch and don't need to move the caravan again until November! Our couple of nights away in a tent every 21 days doesn't require all of the op checks! Why make life more complicated than is absolutely necessary?
As your van is sitting still so long Malcolm, what you should do every time you take the awning down (or before you put it up again) is move the van either forward or back a few inches so it is not always the same area of the tyres it is resting on.
Better for the tyres.
Do you keep the handbrake on? It can stick/rust in place if you do.
Write your comments here...Others here on seasonal pitches don't seem to bother. They don't want the extra work of having to take the corners up, pack stuff away in the caravan for moving, hitching it up to the car etc. on top of having to take the awning down. They just do what the caravan club rules require and leave the rest to chance!
Also our workload has doubled since the other driver left. We no longer get any days off. So we have to keep these things into perspective. If for any reason the caravan can't be moved on the departure date, we will simply have to call out Mayday's Green Flag. Best just to relax and leave any faults that develop to the professionals to sort out! They know better than me!
Moving the van a little on the tyres every few weeks will mean your tyres last longer, which in turn will cost you less in the long run. Probably something that can be applied to not letting the brake shoes rust/stick on the drums.
Just for financial reasons, you should take good care of things.
Chock the wheels when settled on the pitch, then you can release the handbrake.
Do you have a mover? Very easy then to move the van a few inches. No need to pack stuff away if only moving a few inches. Just lift the steadies a few inches, no need to wind them all the way up.
All that will only take a few minutes of your time.
A few simple precautions could well save you extra expense.
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We have TPM on all van wheels and car wheels, but I do check them every so often, not necessarily the day before travel.
Then I have a torque wrench, so check all the wheel bolts every so often, again not necessarily the day before we travel.
We also have the Reich scales that weigh the van, which have given a satisfactory total, plus it can weigh the nose weight, which is within our limit (100kg).
When leaving a site, OH checks lights with me, plus she walks round the van to check all lockers are locked and nothing left on the pitch.
So I think we are complying with the OP's requirements!!!
One other thing OP did not mention......checking the towing mirrors!
We always check them as they are totally essential.
Write your comments here...
Have you ever found a wheel nut to be lose? I knew someone who lost a wheel on their 4x4 about 10 days after new tyres had been fitted. The small print said that he had to check them 50miles after leaving the fitters.
Yes, I found a loose one on the car last year, first time ever.
We also suffered a broken wheel bolt on the van while in Italy a few years back. For safety, Red Pennant sourced 20 new bolts and I had to change them all and tighten them correctly. And of course check them all after a short distance.
Our dealer always shows us how the caravan wheel bolts are correctly tightened after a service, and tells us to check them after about 30 miles.
Write your comments here...
Thanks for that feedback. It seems as if we don't have to look too far to find someone who has had a problem. A warning to us all to exercise vigilance.
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That's what Mayday is there for!
No wonder recovery premiums are what they are!
Most caravan bulbs could be changed in the time it took to make the call, never
mind waited for them to arrive.Must be quite a long call then. I've just had the light cluster off the back of mine. It is NOT a two minute job, more like fifteen, if you are lucky. Half an hour if you can't get those stupid little grommets lined up.
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Our storage requires you to leave the handbrake on - we did leave it off a few times with the wheels chocked as that is our prefernce, but they must apply it if they see vans with it off as it had been put on when we came back.
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kjeIINN, I understand and accept your point about the benifits of moving the van from time to time to prevent flats on the tyres. But thats not so easy with wheel locks fitted as required by most insurance companies. Certainly in my case & because of the design of the wheels the exercise would involve much more than just raising the steadies and moving the van. Removing and then refitting the wheel lock in the next available section of the wheel is more than just a few minutes work!
TF
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kjeIINN, I understand and accept your point about the benifits of moving the van from time to time to prevent flats on the tyres. But thats not so easy with wheel locks fitted as required by most insurance companies. Certainly in my case & because of the
design of the wheels the exercise would involve much more than just raising the steadies and moving the van. Removing and then refitting the wheel lock in the next available section of the wheel is more than just a few minutes work!TF
I would estimate 5 to 10 mins, depending on if the next section had the inflator in it and on how tight positioning on your pitch / storage compound is. I would not consider this an inconvenience. However, luckily we are able to use our van enough to make
it unnecessary.0 -
For us, it would mean taking the caravan off the levelling blocks, moving it and then having to re-level it all over again.
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kjeIINN, I understand and accept your point about the benifits of moving the van from time to time to prevent flats on the tyres. But thats not so easy with wheel locks fitted as required by most insurance companies. Certainly in my case & because of the
design of the wheels the exercise would involve much more than just raising the steadies and moving the van. Removing and then refitting the wheel lock in the next available section of the wheel is more than just a few minutes work!TF
I would estimate 5 to 10 mins, depending on if the next section had the inflator in it and on how tight positioning on your pitch / storage compound is. I would not consider this an inconvenience. However, luckily we are able to use our van enough to make
it unnecessary.We have the van on the drive, a sloping drive, so I have made ramps that the 2 rear wheels sit on to help with the level and to be able to leave the handbrake off. Sometimes I get lucky with both AlKo locks lining up, other times I have to jack the van.
Having a mover, I can line up one wheel, then jack to fit the second. Over the 8+ years of ownership i have had to do this many times, so can now do it in about 15 minutes start to finish when I move the van.
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For us, it would mean taking the caravan off the levelling blocks, moving it and then having to re-level it all over again.
Not familiar with the site you are on, but presume you are referring to side to side levelling?
We use a long piece of decking board (even 2 pieces if necessary) and it would be very easy to have a piece just a bit longer than necessary, to give you enough space to move the van along it every so often.
Back to front levelling is no problem.
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Our wheel nuts were all tightened as part of the service that was done in front if us on site by an approved mobile servicing company.
If the caravan is being serviced annually, then you are surely paying the servicing agent to carry out all the necessary work to keep your caravan safe and roadworthy.
I disagree with many of the tire fitting professionals (a man in an oily tee shirt and greasy jeans).
Most of them usually buzz the nuts up using a demolition gun then the team leader checks them with a torque wrench which clicks immediately without even turning, thus indicating they are over tight.
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.... Most of them usually buzz the nuts up using a demolition gun then the team leader checks them with a torque wrench which clicks immediately without even turning, thus indicating they are over tight.
I've been on the receiving end of that when I couldn't then remove the wheel nuts of my car ... I was bending the car's wheel brace. Fortunately I wasn't on the hard shoulder of a motorway or in the middle of nowhere so took it back to them for them to remove.
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