How many miles has your caravan done?

[ValA.]

During the NEC Caravan Show Mr Val A and I were talking about the new Bailey Pegasus needing a 're-torque' of the bolts after 3 years. Mr Val A (being an engineer) wondered how they'd arrived at this figure, and whether it was related to average mileage.

We talked to someone on the Bailey stand who stated that they'd tested the bolts after 600 miles and there was no problem and that none required retorqueing. He wouldn't answer a direct question about why they'd picked three years, or what mileage this was based on. Mr Val A reckoned that if they considered 600 miles an average yearly mileage we'd have to retorque our bolts half way through France, and a quarter of the way back home on every trip!

We worked out that our caravan had done more than 5,500 miles per year, over the last ten years, so approximately 55,000 miles! Given that our neighbours in storage only do around 500 miles a year with their van, we have no idea what an 'average' mileage is. Being an engineer, Mr Val A is still interested and it's a question he's asking all our caravanning friends!!!!

How many miles have you done? Perhaps if I can give him some definite answers from experienced caravanners from all walks of life he'll stop pestering our neighbours in the storage site, and get on with some of the jobs we're supposed to be doing whilst we're there!!!!

 

[Gumbo]

Approx 6000 miles in a year for us.

 

[Heethers]

If we take average caravaners that are still in full time employment and say family of two children and they have a 2-week holiday a year, 1 week at some other time and travel from the centre of the British Isles the most they could do is a 900-mile trip on each occasion.

Add too this 10 weekends a year, or long breaks at say 80 mile round trips is 800 miles totalling 2600 miles per year, after 3 years 7800 miles.

l for one wouldn't have thought Mr and Mrs average family would do 2600 miles at, most maybe 1800.

So if Bailey calculates that the Pegasus will average 600 miles a year and after 3 years the bolts need re torquing, l wouldn't buy it has l don't think its fit for purpose.

The only winner is the dealers and Bailey making money on servicing.

When all other industries are trying to make there products go further with out resorting to major servicing or inspections why are Bailey doing the opposite.

Think l will wait until its been around a bit longer before look to change to one

 

[Gafferbill]

.........42000 miles in 15 years with same caravan.

 

[ValA.]

If we take average caravaners that are still in full time employment and say family of two children and they have a 2-week holiday a year, 1 week at some other time and travel from the centre of the British Isles the most they could do is a 900-mile trip on each occasion.

Add too this 10 weekends a year, or long breaks at say 80 mile round trips is 800 miles totalling 2600 miles per year, after 3 years 7800 miles.

l for one wouldn't have thought Mr and Mrs average family would do 2600 miles at, most maybe 1800.

So if Bailey calculates that the Pegasus will average 600 miles a year and after 3 years the bolts need re torquing, l wouldn't buy it has l don't think its fit for purpose.

The only winner is the dealers and Bailey making money on servicing.

When all other industries are trying to make there products go further with out resorting to major servicing or inspections why are Bailey doing the opposite.

Think l will wait until its been around a bit longer before look to change to one

Bailey didn't suggest that was an average - they just said they'd tested after 600 miles, and suggested retorqueing after three years, but wouldn't state whether that was based on mileage or just 'age'.

 

[Dustydog]

About 6000 pa.

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[Allen774]

Nearly 5500 a year.

Allen

 

[Lutz]

If the requirement to retorque is to make sense, whether after a specific mileage or after a specific time period, the worst possible and not average operating conditions should be taken into account. For example, the owner who regularly tows over bumpy, perhaps even unsurfaced roads has the same right to a fault-free product as someone who tows many miles only on relatively smooth motorways. Likewise, screw fasteners can also suffer under temperature cycling in summer and winter, even if the caravan is not towed one single mile. All this makes it very difficult to make a realistic assessment of when a retorque should be necessary and I suspect that Bailey's spec is based on pure arbitrary judgement.

 

[emmerson2]

Between 4 & 5000 every year in France, plus 14 weeks in UK, probably 300 each, so around so between 8 & 10000 per year.

When in its previous ownership, it used to do a rope every year, so its total mileage is probably galactic!

 

[ValA.]

If the requirement to retorque is to make sense, whether after a specific mileage or after a specific time period, the worst possible and not average operating conditions should be taken into account. For example, the owner who regularly tows over bumpy, perhaps even unsurfaced roads has the same right to a fault-free product as someone who tows many miles only on relatively smooth motorways. Likewise, screw fasteners can also suffer under temperature cycling in summer and winter, even if the caravan is not towed one single mile. All this makes it very difficult to make a realistic assessment of when a retorque should be necessary and I suspect that Bailey's spec is based on pure arbitrary judgement.

Mr Val A agrees wholeheartedly, Lutz (he's a structural engineer so knows his stuff). He was trying to talk 'technical' to the Bailey chap, who only wanted to talk in generalities.

It will be an interesting scenario to see how these fixings fare in the first few years. I know our coffee table legs, with similar fixings, used to need tightening regularly, and the coffee table was only ever moved to hoover underneath it!

In the meantime he is seriously interested in 'average' mileages! Interesting that those posting on here seem to do about the same, or more, mileage than us. Our two neighbours on storage do about 500(!) and about 1200 - so considerably less.

 

[emmerson2]

Between 4 & 5000 every year in France, plus 14 weeks in UK, probably 300 each, so around so between 8 & 10000 per year.

When in its previous ownership, it used to do a rope every year, so its total mileage is probably galactic!

That should read " a grand tour of europe every year"

 

[Chrisbee]

That should read " a grand tour of europe every year"

This predictive text is a bu**er isn't it? lol.