Jockey wheel !!

[nadsia]

Hi All,

we have noticed that when some carravanners pitch their vans some wind the corner steadies down then raise the jockey wheel and some leave the jockey wheel down as well.I have always done the latter but am i doing it right or wrong or does'nt it matter!!.Cheers, Kev.

 

[Ian341]

HI Kev

I don't really know what the answer to your question is but, I wind the legs down and leave the jockey wheel on the ground. However if we leave the van for long periods I lift the jockey wheel off the ground to prevent flat spots occuring.

I think it's just one of those things that can be done either way.

Hope this helps

Ian

 

[Damian]

Corner steadies are just that, steadies.

They are not meant to take he weight of the caravan for prolonged periods of time, and in fact the test for each one of them is to support 25% of the van weight for 15 minutes.

In every van handbook and written article on caravans it states quite clearly that steadies must not be used to jack the van up, but in effect, by lifting the jockey wheel, that is what you will be doing.

The design of the chassis is such that it is meant to support the main van weight on the axle and wheels, and the jockey wheel.

 

[nadsia]

Hi Ian,

that well could be the answer mine is a solid jockey wheel not a pneumatic one so yes that prob is the answer.Many thanks,Kev.

 

[nadsia]

Hi Ian,

that well could be the answer mine is a solid jockey wheel not a pneumatic one so yes that prob is the answer.Many thanks,Kev.

Thanks Damian,we bought our van 5 months ago and have read the litterature many times and i can't say i have ever seen anything about corner steadies.So thanks for the info it is much appreciated and so i will leave the jockey wheel down as i do.Cheers,Kev.

 

[Ian341]

HI Damian,

The first thing i will be doing at daylight is dropping the jockey wheel to take the pressure of the legs.

Many Thanks for mentioning this, i really was not aware of this.

Many Thanks again

Ian

 

[WatsonJohnG]

This comes up quite often and results in a split vote every time

I went round and counted on one site after it came up once and it was about 50/50 up or down

I don't really think that the jockey wheel does much when the steadies are down and it only takes 100kg when on tow

Most of the weight is taken by the wheels

If it was vital then at every caravan show they would have them down on the vans but mostly they are removed

Its just down to what you prefer and feel safer with yourself

It usually says level with the jockey wheel and then put the steadies down but I've never seen it stated that the jockey wheel should stay down and with a pneumatic tyre it will give if there is a load on it anyway.

 

[Lutz]

I don't think it's an issue either. In the static condition, the front steadies would, at worst, only be supporting the noseweight. Any additional load, such as when you are moving about inside towards the rear, would have to be taken by the rear steadies anyway, even if the jockey wheel is down. As the same applies when you move to the front, and assuming that the front and rear steadies have the same load carrying capacity, it doesn't make any difference if the jockey wheel is up or down.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Just to show how much interest the humble jocket wheel arouses look here

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/search.asp?search=jockey wheel&searchMode=allwords&searchIn=Topic&forum=8&searchSort=dateDESC&Submit=Start Search

 

[DanPaula]

Why would anyone want to raise a jockey wheel off the groung anyway? After all it was made to support the front of the caravan. The only reason I can think of is if you were on grass and don't want it to sink in the mud.

 

[trucker]

I leave mine down, but this has got me thinking (bad idea)

so I get on site level the van and wind the steadys down if they get wound a fraction too much the weight comes off the jockey wheel and onto the steadys any way, if you wind them down but a fraction less than is needed, the caravan isnt quite as steady as it might be and moves when your inside.

So I guess it doesnt realy matter cus unless you wind the steadys to the exact point the weight is either on or off the jockey wheel.

BTW when we had the storms a few weeks ago the van moved sidways front towards the house and rear away because of the wind buffeting the side of the van, jockey wheel down 1 front and 1 rear steady down with the brake off. I now apply the break if the wind is strong.

Kevin

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I leave mine down, but this has got me thinking (bad idea)

so I get on site level the van and wind the steadys down if they get wound a fraction too much the weight comes off the jockey wheel and onto the steadys any way, if you wind them down but a fraction less than is needed, the caravan isnt quite as steady as it might be and moves when your inside.

So I guess it doesnt realy matter cus unless you wind the steadys to the exact point the weight is either on or off the jockey wheel.

BTW when we had the storms a few weeks ago the van moved sidways front towards the house and rear away because of the wind buffeting the side of the van, jockey wheel down 1 front and 1 rear steady down with the brake off. I now apply the break if the wind is strong.

Kevin

Kev, due to the slope on our drive I leave the brake on all the time with no problems.

 

[trucker]

Kev, due to the slope on our drive I leave the brake on all the time with no problems.

Think I might now as I dont want to dent my pride and joy for the sake of the brake being off

 

[WatsonJohnG]

I thought that it was so that you could move the van and that was why it is a wheel

I always leave mine down with the steadies down of course yet when I come to wind the steadies up with the cordless drill I usually have to wind up the jockey wheel to take the strain off them before the drill can take the load

This would seem to indicate that they have gradually over a week or so been taking more weight than the jockey wheel

So could that mean if concerned a regular regime of relative stress testing each day or more often even??

LB our drive is quite steep but I always chock the wheels and release the handbrake after the brakes stuck on one winter and the van had to be dragged to release them.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

I thought that it was so that you could move the van and that was why it is a wheel

I always leave mine down with the steadies down of course yet when I come to wind the steadies up with the cordless drill I usually have to wind up the jockey wheel to take the strain off them before the drill can take the load

This would seem to indicate that they have gradually over a week or so been taking more weight than the jockey wheel

So could that mean if concerned a regular regime of relative stress testing each day or more often even??

LB our drive is quite steep but I always chock the wheels and release the handbrake after the brakes stuck on one winter and the van had to be dragged to release them.

Wind up as in take more load

 

[DanPaula]

So Watson if it was solely for moving the caravan and not support then why is it at the front?

 

[JTS]

I think Damian has it right on the head. For forty years in caravanning I have always been advised and preached that the weight of the caravan, except when towing, should be firmly on the wheels and jockey wheel. the steadies are the lowered to do as they are called steady the van. I always leave the joackey down and if I am on grass the jokey wheel sits on a 8"x8" piece of marine ply which prevents it sinking. The steadies are wound down till they bite plus half a turn. My van is always steady and I have never had to use the jockey wheel to ease the steadies to use the drill for winding. I always unload the van before I level as this can affect the steady positions. I then release the handbrake. Same procedure at home. Good Luck. JTS.

 

[GrahamSouthBrum]

If it was important to leave the jockey wheel down to take the weight off the steadies, they would have put a jockey wheel at the rear of the van as well to take the weight off the rear steadies.

Once the van is level & the steadies down the jockey wheel plays no part what so ever.

Its sole purposs is to form a tripod (stop the van tipping) to act as a steering wheel when manouvering the van (without the car) & for leveling the van fore & aft

 

[DanPaula]

To stop the van tipping.. Correct which is why the jockey wheel is at the front as the van is front heavy. So you remove your jockey wheel completely and try lifting your van at the front corner where your steady goes. Heavy isn't it? Right so without the jockey wheel thats how much needless strain you are putting on the front steadies before you and ya family get sat in the front window.

Wether or not your steadies can take the strain the question is... Why would you not want to use a jockey wheel just to help spread the weight on that front heavy trailer????

If it's due to fear of creating a flat spot on the tyre should I also park my car on 4 axle stands?

 

[Lutz]

Front heavy? If everyone on board the caravan is standing, sitting or lying in the back, it's most certainly back heavy, and if the rear steadies can take that weight without the help of a jockey wheel, so can the front steadies.

 

[JTS]

Lutz.

Sorry but can not accept your theory.Because for obvious reasons caravans are constructed nose heavy then if two persons were standing to the front of the caravan there would a greater pressure on the front steadies than on the rear steadies if they were stood to the rear of the van but most of the weight would still be supported by the wheels.Good Luck. JTS.

 

[Lutz]

All the caravans that I have seen have the axle only marginally behind the midpoint of the body, so the effect of occupants at the front will be roughly the same as if they were at the rear.

 

[DanPaula]

You're quite right about all occupants on board could easily make a van rear heavy but as you say it will probably take all occupants to do that. I can walk to the rear of my van with no steadies down and it doesn't tip. Therefore my van is still front heavy even with me stood in the back.

But wether or not the steadies are strong enough to take the strain(which I think they would be). Why wouldn't you want to support using the jockey wheel too, seen as most of the weight is in the front(unless 5 of you are all looking out the rear window)?

Surely 7 points of contact means less strain on the other 6.

Dan.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Hi Dan and Paula

This is hotting up more than usual-regards

Its surely at the front because you need to be at the front to hitch on/off the car when using the wheel

I don't agree that caravanners have been instructed for years to leave the jockey wheel down

All the instructions I have ever read in 40+years caravanning say level the van with the jockey wheel and then lower the steadies but don't make any further ref to the jockey down OR up They do say don't level with the steadies because you are straining at one corner etc

As I said in my first posting just do what you are happy doing

I always used to remove my jockey wheel and put the sat dish pole in the clamp but now that I have the dish on the roof and the annoying clamp inside the A Frame I don't bother but I don't notice any difference in stability and as said in previous posting I always have to wind the jockey wheel to take the tension off the steadies after a short stay .

If it was vital caravans at shows would always have the jockey wheels fitted as you get more people in a van at a show than normal

Some people like to raise the jockey wheel to take the weight off the tyre or because they just like the look of it!

In all the times this topic has come up (and its a lot) nobody has ever posted that they have had either chassis damage or jockey wheel damage so like Gulliver in his travels it doesn't matter which end you open your egg (jockey wheel up/down)

Just enjoy the van and happy camping

It would be interesting to hear from someone with a built in noseweight gauge what reading is on the gauge when they wind down the steadies .Possibly bathroom scales under the steady and nose weight gauge to get some definite data

I think that it will be a fine line before one takes over from the other but interesting

 

[WatsonJohnG]

You're quite right about all occupants on board could easily make a van rear heavy but as you say it will probably take all occupants to do that. I can walk to the rear of my van with no steadies down and it doesn't tip. Therefore my van is still front heavy even with me stood in the back.

But wether or not the steadies are strong enough to take the strain(which I think they would be). Why wouldn't you want to support using the jockey wheel too, seen as most of the weight is in the front(unless 5 of you are all looking out the rear window)?

Surely 7 points of contact means less strain on the other 6.

Dan.

Agred but only if they are all taking it the same but as the front steadies are between the main weight and the jockey wheel they will take the strain first so you may need to wind the jockey wheel down further thus taking weight off the front steadies---regards its good to talk