B P W AXLE DISASTER

[DAVID_5072063]

Has anybody out there had any problems with the stub axle threads on their B P W axle.

After taking our caravan into our local dealer for its third annual service we received a phone call from the dealer to say it requires a new axle. (lots of money)

As this was only the third time this hub nut had been off and that the caravan was still under warranty I was not too concerned.

Why was I surprised when nobody wanted to know about my problem,at this present time we have had three independant reports carried out and are still in communication with the supplier,manufacturer,servicing dealer,warranty provider(which is a joke) and trading standards.

If anybody else has been unfortunate enough to have had this problem would you please let me know as I could do with the figures to back up my case.

 

[tony_5041743]

we recently had awheel shear off on our Compass Omega 2002 caravan (BPW axle) and we've had to have a new axle fitted. 8 months prior to that we had a tyre blowout, which the repair workshop engineer said might have damaged the axle slightly and it gradually got worse, hence shearing the wheel nuts off. Before the wheel came off no problems were spotted with the axle at the annual service 3 months after the blowout (which was 5 months before the wheel came off). Since seeing your message, I'm now beginning to wonder if the problem was a faulty axle? Luckily our insurance company covered the bill - they say it's common for a wheel to come off!!! We've been caravanning for over 20 years and it's the first we've heard of it. We also needed 2 new wheels and asked for replacement steel wheels instead of alloys as the wheel nut studs just pulled through the alloy.

Don't know if this is relevant but it just might throw up a common problem.

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Hi David - I don't know the make or type of axle fitted to my Bailey Ranger van but I have recently experienced the wheel coming off the hub when three studs sheared, the fourth God knows what happened to it and the fifth was still with the wheel which bounced over three cars behind us and over an eight foot hedge. Fortunately apart from the damage to the van there appeared no injury/damage to any other person/property, although two people in the same car have submitted a claim for trauma. the insurance company are at present attending to my claim for the van and other associated matters.

The van was just over two years old and had only been used five times as my wife has recently undergone hospital treatment and therefore the van was laid up for some time.

 

[c_5076386]

With regard to wheels becoming detached, it is very worthwhile for me to point out that if wheel nuts are going to work loose, or wheels becoming detached, 9 times out of 10 it will always be the nearside where there are problems. Due to the direction of wheel rotation in relation to the clockwise thread to tighten the bolt/stud. (The rotation is automatically trying to undo the nuts/stud)

So please correctly torque and regularly re-check.

 

[CliveV]

Agree 100% with comments by "c" above. I mark my trailer/caravan wheel nuts so I can see at a glance any movement. Lorry drivers use bright yellow plastic "arrows". If one wheel nut starts to undo it is immediatly apparent as the "arrow" will point in a diferent direction.

I am concerned at the post that said an alloy wheel had the wheel nuts pulled through it. I mention this because having seen some caravan alloy wheels and been NOT impressed with them I wonder if this problem is related to the alloy wheels?

The standard of manufacture was decidedly poor on those I had a look at.

 

[Award1]

Bailey fit the yellow markers as standard, perhaps other should follow suit. I'm also sure it's not too difficult to invent a similar thing for alloys.

 

[Royston]

Never drive the caravan with wheel covers on,Always have the yellow arrows fitted to three of the four wheel studs Forth being locking stud.Bought them from a caravan dealers, so far never had any movement.

Run on steel hubs, to many problems with alloys, read somewhere that you have a different torque for alloys.

Always have the wheels balanced to minimise vibration on the axle.

Roy

 

[354]

We have fitted Alloys and yes they do have a diffrent torque and also they have diffrent bolts than steel wheels. We check the torque and the tyre presure before every trip and havent had a problem. I havent heard of anyone complaining about alloys fitted to cars so why should caravans be any diffrent?