Heavy footed

[RickStevens]

Hi

The wife and I are quite heavy footed, and we notice this more when we're pitched in the caravan.

I've seen a couple of vans recently with the corner steadys wound down, but the jockey wheel raised off the ground.

Has anyone any experience as to whether this would make the heavy footed movement around the van less annoying?

Cheers

Rick

 

[Damian]

You will get varying answers to this one.

The way I look at it is that the jockey wheel and main axle take all the weight of the van when parked up.

Corner steadies are exactly what they say they are, steadies, and are not designed to take all the weight of a van.

They are there simply to keep the van stable.

If you read the van manual, it states quite clearly not to use the steadies to jack the van, so removing the jockey wheel from contact with the ground is in effect jacking the van.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Richard if you wear slippers in the caravan and leave your and your wifes hob nailed boots in the awning it will also save your carpet :O)

 

[xtrailman]

If you actually look under the caravan you can see that the corner steadies are only attached to the main chassis via a flat plate weld, that is the case with my 2004 bailey, the steady weight is taken up by the wood floor.

The bulk of the caravan should be supported by the axle and the jockey wheel.

I have never understood why some people raise the jockey wheel, perhaps they have seen someone else do it, and so much like lemmings?

 

[SteveW77]

Why does this topic keep rearing its head? Al-Ko the chassis makers state quite clearly that the jockey wheel does NOT have to be in contact with the ground, the main road wheels take all the weight. Why do people argue with the experts, who knows better than the man who designed the bloody thing in the first place.

Steve W

 

[Gafferbill]

....I will give another point of view here.

You pays your money and takes your choice!

I have found that the more weight you put on the corner steadies the less movement there is in the caravan when you move around.

It is only the corner steadies that impart rigidity into the caravan on site.

The wheels will give no rigidity as there is suspension movement and the jockey wheel also gives no rigidity as it is mounted centrally and so will allow side to side movement.

Thus to get more rigidity you simply have to put more weight on the corner steadies.

This will be in an amount that you find personably acceptable and will usually have to be tweaked over time as the steadies settle.

I can actually easily remove my caravans jockey wheel when my caravan is set up and level.

The clamp is used to rigidly attach a Sat dish mast providing this position has a clear line of sight. To the satellite

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Why is there any need to leave the jockey wheel raised or remove it?

Contrary to Steve Ws comment if two people were sat at the front in the caravan I'm sure that the steadies WOULD be taking some of the weight and it wouldn't all be taken up by the road wheels.

ETTO though and I will be a lemming and follow the majority by leaving it down.

 

[xtrailman]

While i agree the corner steadies, steady the caravan, and often need a tweak after settlement, no one, expert or not is going to convince me that not supporting the front A frame with the jockey wheel, is the best practise, raising the jockey wheel only increases that A frame load, if you have use it.

The bulk of the weight is supported by the axle, not the steadies.

 

[SteveW77]

Ray I don't know what your area of expertise is in life, but I think it is safe to assume that it is not caravan chassis design. But whatever it is, I don't think that you would like being told that you were talking out of your backside and that no matter what your experience or quailifications, the end users of your products would completely ignore your advice on how your product should be used. If people ask for help and advise, why would anyone give advice that contradicts the manufacturers stated best practise.

Steve W

 

[RickStevens]

oooerrr I didnt mean to start an argument. I think I will go with the majority here and leave the jockey wheel down. I only asked as we are still relatively new to caravanning, and still trying to pick up tips from the more experienced.

Many thanks for the reply.

Rick

 

[DerekBrad]

oooerrr I didnt mean to start an argument. I think I will go with the majority here and leave the jockey wheel down. I only asked as we are still relatively new to caravanning, and still trying to pick up tips from the more experienced.

Many thanks for the reply.

Rick

Rick, You will very quickly find out that forum contributors in general take things VERY seriously!!!

Good luck with the new hobby!

 

[GeorgeandAde]

My jockey wheel stays firmly on the ground.

If the nose weight of my van is approx.80kilos,i for one do not intend to rest 40 kilos on each front corner steady when sited on a pitch.

Also,the extra weight of say 2 people sat at the front of the van,

the corner steadies would be taking the weight of about 100 kilos each.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

oooerrr I didnt mean to start an argument. I think I will go with the majority here and leave the jockey wheel down. I only asked as we are still relatively new to caravanning, and still trying to pick up tips from the more experienced.

Many thanks for the reply.

Rick

Ummmmm, some do Derek but not all of us ;O)

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Richard you will find the vast majority leave the jockey wheel down. If you do likewise you won't go far wrong. Just make sure you use the steadies what they are designed for and that is as a steady and not a jack.

 

[Guest]

In ye good old days many vans did not actually have a jockey wheel, it was an 'optional extra'. In those cases then the steadies were the only means of stabilising the van. Of course the chassis was made of solid steel and very stiff, so the whole caboodle worked well.

Nowadays we have a lighter chassis which is often composed of sections screwed together so there will not be the same stiffness, which has the advantage of giving a degree of flexibility to the shell and stopping it cracking up. If you take the average nose weight of 75 kg against a total weight of anything up to 2 tonnes, then the jockey wheel is not really doing that much. As mentioned the axle takes virtually all the weight and the steadies are there to stop it flopping about. Unless you wind the damn things so hard you lift the wheels, you are not going to do much harm using them to stabilise the van correctly. All you are resally doing is reducing the 'bounce'on the axle. The mathematical geeks can work out the load on each steady if so much is lifted from the axle, but I am too old and cannot be bothered.

Bluntly, if you are happier with a little more tension on the steadies, then so be it. Just do not lift the van.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

I do agree with you to some point Scotch Lad,but in my way of thinking,when i weigh the noseweight of my van it is approx.80 kilos,which is 80 kilos of the van where the axle does not come into the equation.

When i lift the van off the car,the jockey wheel takes approx.65kilos of this noseweight.

So when the corner steadies are lowered into position and the jockey wheel removed,surely the corner steadies are taking this weight,plus the weight of anyone inside the van,maybe sat at the front.

Sorry if this is wrong and im sure someone will put me right.

 

[dougie_374468830]

For what its worth, each steady is designed to take a minimum of 25% of the maximum weight of the caravan, as required by design standard regulations

 

[Guest]

They are going to take the weight not taken by the axle, which is what percentage? Yes, if you, being a 100 kg heavyweight, decide to jump up and down at the very corner then you could do some damage, but I suspect the floor would give first. You are standing on a very thick sheet of MDF board. This is in turn on top of the chassis rails which will spread the load. Using 4 steadies as well will mean the load on each one is reduced.

Now, I am not suggesting you test it but even when you change a wheel it is recommended you lower the steadies on that side as a safety factor. If the jack did fail then the steadies will hold things up probably for longer than you expect. It might twist things yes, but it will hold.

By all means use the jockey wheel, but use the steadies to do what they are supposed to do, 'steady' the van and stop it bouncing.

 

[xtrailman]

That's right steve, you don't know my area of expertise. Lets just say if you came from the same background, 12 years in the construction industry, and 25 years in maintenance.

Then your jockey wheel would be down, not up.

But you do what you're happy with.

 

[Dustydog]

My JW is centre mounted in the A frame. Thus it is not easy to remove it. If it was to be removed each and every trip I am sure Al-ko would have made the removal easier??

Logically I cannot see any reason that justifies removal of the JW and placement of the addditional weight on the steadies.

Cheers

Dustdyog

 

[Gafferbill]

I can see that the position of ones Jocular wheel is a very sensitive issue...you all take it steadies ;-)

 

[BalintoreBoy]

I can see that the position of ones Jocular wheel is a very sensitive issue...you all take it steadies ;-)

have to agree there GB one poor chap just asked about levelling his van, and the usual know-it-alls were onto bending moments,points of contraflecture etc,etc, the van was not new and must have been out and about unaided by mathematicians for many a trip, probably suffering some abuse without total destruction, but know, levelling staffs were needed and i think i even read of a must for every caravanner, a theodolite! just to make sure you know. be very careful on site. and this one!!!!!!!!

 

[xtrailman]

Scotch lad

I haven't had a caravan yet with a MDF floor, all the MDF boards i know of are unsuitable for wet environments.

Up to date all the caravans i have had used what appears to be marine ply, which is also treated.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Don't worry Richard, you asked a genuine question regardless of whether it had been asked before.

The response of "Why does this topic keep rearing its head"? should be ignored.

We all know that the Search Engine on here is crap, well obviously not all, so there was no hope of you searching for an answer to your query. Also one or two jump in with both feet with their head up their jacksy not even giving consideration that you may be new to caravanning.

Don't be put off with asking any other questions because they will be answered by someone, we aren't all rude.

 

[Soozeeg]

Don't worry Richard, you asked a genuine question regardless of whether it had been asked before.

The response of "Why does this topic keep rearing its head"? should be ignored.

We all know that the Search Engine on here is crap, well obviously not all, so there was no hope of you searching for an answer to your query. Also one or two jump in with both feet with their head up their jacksy not even giving consideration that you may be new to caravanning.

Don't be put off with asking any other questions because they will be answered by someone, we aren't all rude.

Good answer, LB.