Pneumatic Jockey Wheels?

[PHOENIXFLIER]

At present we have a fairly basic hard plastic jockey wheel, which apart from holding up the front of the caravan is not much good at anything else. It digs in, gets stuck and does not change direction easily. I have read that some people fit a pneumatic version which should make life easier. What are the options, things to look out for etc?. Any advice welcome as always. Simon.

 

[pensioner]

I've been thinking about this very thing for the same reasons so I'll be following this one with interest.

 

[Dustydog]

Simon
I had one once. It punctured often.It's in the bin and was replaced with a wide solid wheel and tyre. Maybe I was unlucky but now it's just one thing less to worry about.

 

[otherclive]

Agreed very good until the tyre loses air pressure and then worse than the conventional jockey wheel. Alko make a jockey wheel that is wider than standard and has a very low aspect ratio tyre/rim, and its solid too. That sort may alleviate the problem.

 

[DaveA1]

Simon
I had one once. It punctured often.It's in the bin and was replaced with a wide solid wheel and tyre. Maybe I was unlucky but now it's just one thing less to worry about.

Same here, wide and solid, still have some minor problems on rough hard standings.

 

[otherclive]

Ah the one I had seen is the Alko 300kg Premium. It has a wider solid wheel but with an integrated load cell its very pricey. My approach if I am on soft ground or rough standing is to place the grip tracks under the nosewheel and move them as the caravan moves position.

 

[PHOENIXFLIER]

Thanks chaps.
Just sent off for one from e.bay with lots of good reviews.
I'll take the plastic one as a spare, as its a 2 min job to swap in the event of a puncture.
(Make note to myself....NO I do not need a TPMS on the jockey wheel!).

 

[Jaydug]

Mine looks like a pneumatic tyre but it's actually solid - so no blowing up. Off ebay.

 

[Gafferbill]

........it's a nose weight thing

All the scientific calculations to get the weight spot on when towing go out the window
Jockey wheel works best with only around 20 kgs on it when manoeuvring
.......get someone to stand / sit at the back of caravan :cheer:

PS What happened to the canary yellow wheel John......I needed sunglasses to look at it :lol:

 

[DaveA1]

Mine looks like a pneumatic tyre but it's actually solid - so no blowing up. Off ebay.

If your jockey wheel looks as clean as the pic what's the rest of your van like B)

 

[PHOENIXFLIER]

Probably less "drag" on the motor mover with a pneumatic wheel as well.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Probably less "drag" on the motor mover with a pneumatic wheel as well.

Once the wheel has aligned with the direction of travel, there should be very little difference. The ability of teh pneumatic wheel to ride over small pebbles will be better, and its load pressure on the ground will be read over a larger area, as the tyre conforms with the shape of the ground more compliantly. When turning the pneumatic tyres tend to offer more resistance, but it also depends on the type of ground you are operating on.

 

[Jaydug]

If your jockey wheel looks as clean as the pic what's the rest of your van like B)

Picture was taken five minutes after fitting.. :lol:

 

[Jaydug]

PS What happened to the canary yellow wheel John..:

It came off worst after meeting a road hump. The rim got twisted. This new one was on the van at El P this last winter.

 

[Bid]

Mine looks like a pneumatic tyre but it's actually solid - so no blowing up. Off ebay.

I'm going to need a new one shortly could you let me have a link to the one you purchased please?

Thanks

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

You need to be cautious of the retracted storage space available if you go for a wider tyre. If the jockey wheel winding post is the type that clamps to the side of the A-frame then you may be OK, but if it is the type that comes up through the centre of the fairing (and within the A-frame) then a wider wheel may not retract fully and will ground on speed bumps and ferry ramps.

 

[Jaydug]

I'm going to need a new one shortly could you let me have a link to the one you purchased please?

It's a year ago that I got it and they don't seem to do it now however, I got it from KetoPlastics Limited. If you put the name in ebay search box, what they have will come up.

 

[GD485]

Hi

I'm a fan of the pneumatic jockey wheel. Mainly due to its immunity to being stopped by small stones and surface irregularities particularly if you are moving the 'van around by hand.

All the solid jockey wheels I've had have not lasted as long as my pump up tyre.
I have had punctures but a bicycle tube repair kit soon fixes it.

Theory is the tyre acts like suspension, the tyre deforms over the surface rather than the solid wheel lifting the whole load when an obstacle is being negotiated. The energy to lift the 'van comes from the force moving it along i.e. you pushing or the motor mover.

The expensive Alko premium jockey wheel with built in nose weight gauge is even better at getting across rough surfaces as the gauge assembly acts like trailing arm suspension plus the pump up tyre.

A light caravan with low nose weight may not benefit from a pneumatic tyre but the average or above 'van would be much easier to push about.

 

[PHOENIXFLIER]

Hi

I'm a fan of the pneumatic jockey wheel. Mainly due to its immunity to being stopped by small stones and surface irregularities particularly if you are moving the 'van around by hand.

All the solid jockey wheels I've had have not lasted as long as my pump up tyre.
I have had punctures but a bicycle tube repair kit soon fixes it.

Theory is the tyre acts like suspension, the tyre deforms over the surface rather than the solid wheel lifting the whole load when an obstacle is being negotiated. The energy to lift the 'van comes from the force moving it along i.e. you pushing or the motor mover.

The expensive Alko premium jockey wheel with built in nose weight gauge is even better at getting across rough surfaces as the gauge assembly acts like trailing arm suspension plus the pump up tyre.

A light caravan with low nose weight may not benefit from a pneumatic tyre but the average or above 'van would be much easier to push about.

Exactly what I am hoping happens with ours. We have to negotiate a bit of grassed common ground when moving by hand, so anything to make it roll a bit easier without resorting to the mover!.

 

[FrintonMike]

I have a twin axle with a mover and changed from a pneumatic to a solid tyre as the pneumatic kept coming of the rim. Alko introduced a premium jockey due to this problem but I have not seen it on sale for some time.
The problem only seemed to affect twin axles with a mover

 

[Martin24]

Ah the one I had seen is the Alko 300kg Premium. It has a wider solid wheel but with an integrated load cell its very pricey. My approach if I am on soft ground or rough standing is to place the grip tracks under the nosewheel and move them as the caravan moves position.

Sounds like the one I went for. Obviously I don't use the weight gauge but the wheel works really well on our deep gravelled drive. For that reason it was worth the money

 

[PHOENIXFLIER]

Ah the one I had seen is the Alko 300kg Premium. It has a wider solid wheel but with an integrated load cell its very pricey. My approach if I am on soft ground or rough standing is to place the grip tracks under the nosewheel and move them as the caravan moves position.

Sounds like the one I went for. Obviously I don't use the weight gauge but the wheel works really well on our deep gravelled drive. For that reason it was worth the money

Virtually the same as the OE fitted, and at £100 a shot, thanks....but no thanks.