Jockey wheel up or down
I have been touring for some years and have seen caravans parked up on sites with there jockey wheels up and some down I ask you all witch is correct up ore down and why
Comments
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Jockey wheel should always be down when pitched, just imagine if taken up after lowering the steadies. The steadies would then have to take the full noseweight plus all the occupants sitting up front, and they would no longer be steadies, but overloaded jacks. The jockey wheel down takes some of the front weight and transfers it to the chassis.
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That is your opinion Dave. Not sure it makes much difference personally. When we pitch we use the jockey wheel to level up, wind down back legs and then the front. The bulk of the loading is probably on the axle. Not sure that the jockey wheel is that critical.
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As Easy says, that is Dave's opinion but I did as requested and imagined the jockey wheel up. I did so whilst imagining lying in the transverse bed with almost all the payload, myself and my wife included, to the rear of the axle.
I know why mine is usually down-I can't be bothered to wind it up but does it make a real difference when, as said, it's the axle that's carrying the weight?
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Of course it's my opinion and everyone is welcome to disagree
but if for instance a family of four where sitting up front their weight would be forward of the pivot point (axle), and with only the steadies to take that excess weight. Weight to the rear is not so critical as all/most caravans are nose heavy anyway.Level sideways, use jockey wheel to level fore and aft, lower rear steadies, lower front steadies, leave jockey wheel as it is, the purpose of the steadies is in the name.
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thank you for all your comments it was very intresting reading I have allways kept my jockey wheel down for all the reasons that you have gave , thanks
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I agree with what you say. I have always thought it strange that in our 4 berth Unicorn, heavy duty steadies are fitted to the rear, but only standard to the front. Although we occasionally have four people round the table at the front, we have never had four in the rear bathroom. So why the difference?
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We always leave the jockey wheel down when on holiday, because of always having been told that the corner steadies were just that - steadies - and not to support the caravan.
I have recently started to wind up the jockey wheel at home - we have a pneumatic one and I think it's a lot of weight to have on it all that time and may be the reason that it sometimes deflates.
But I place a short length of railway sleeper under the tow hitch to support the front of the caravan, then wind down the steadies - so they are again only acting as steadies.
However, as I recall, Alko say there is no problem either way.
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100% agree Dave!
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Can't speak for all but certainly on our van the rear steadies bolt to the chassis but the front steadies only bolt to the floor - given this fact alone there is no way I would rely on the front steadies to support the full (loaded) noseweight of the van which with a fully occupied lounge could easily be several hundred kg.
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It can carry a load, it will actually show you what load it is carrying. However, I seem to recall when we had one the instructions said to leave it unloaded, as continued load would affect the accuracy. So we always left it just in contact, so it would have come into play in the event of a steady failure.
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Many steadies that I have seen are just screwed into the wooden floor. People can make their own decisions but if they had that arrangement and they are living at the front of the van and moving around then surely common sense would dictate using the jockey wheel to take the bulk of the weight at the front.
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Food for thought.
Im sure that as the designers of the caravan have taken into account the loadings that the floor and steadies can manage. If they incapable of supporting the caravan whilst in use, then I would guess that the chassis would be extended and the steadies mounted to this and not the floor.
The jokey wheel also has a weight limit like the hitch, so this could be exceeded if it was to take and more than the static nose weight.
This is my opinion, so I'm not saying that others or wrong.
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I was walking around a Caravan dealer last week and they seemed to have taken all of the Jockey wheels off their caravans and they were open for people to walk around in.
Do you know why they would do that?
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A week or two back I did the Caravan Manoeuvring course - a useful Saturday. The guy running the day mentioned this matter and assured us that the jockey wheel can be left raised as when lowered it does not take any weight. All the weight is on the steadies according to him.
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I agree with the jockey wheel down brigade - for all the reasons stated, and one more......
When I arrive on site and unhitch, the jockey wheel has to be down in order for me to move the caravan and set up. When I leave the site, my jockey wheel has to be down to help me hitch up etc. To raise the jockey wheel at the start of our stay and to lower it again at the end is just an extra job, and I can't see any good reason for doing it. Save time and leave the jockey wheel down!! LOL
David
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I lift my jockey wheel and always have done as I use a pneumatic jockey wheel the load situation isn't the same as the solid plastic.The twisted chassis and lamination of the floor is a lot of twaddle imho. 43 years of "Doing It My Way" as Frank said and never had a problem.
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"Twaddle"? No, just a different opinion as is my thought about your load situation comment, JOTN.
I agree with Metheven's logic and my opinion hasn't changed in the 3+ years since this thread was started 🙂
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PD and AD +1
Pitching a caravan is one of those thing you have to do before you can start enjoying your stay properly and adding an extra task doesn't appeal.
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I have found that if I pitch on soft ground with the jockey wheel down, after a day or two the wheels sink into the ground an inch or two, thereby increasing the load on the rear steadies because the jockey wheel, having a fairly large footprint for the weight it carries, doesn't sink as much. As the lounge is at the back of the caravan anyway, little is gained by leaving the jockey wheel down, so I normally raise it. That way I can at least be sure that the load on all four steadies remains roughly the same, no matter how far the caravan sinks into the ground.
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Do you not put wood under the road wheels when the ground is soft?
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