Towing a new caravan

[Jadie_374305972]

Please help we need advice. For the first time this weekend we towed our new Avondale

Dart 556/6, this is the first experience of towing and we found it quite daunting. Is it normal to feel the caravan bouncing - we had checked the towing ratio and the caravan was packed very lightly so we where well within the limits. Aswell as this does anyone know the noseweight of this caravan before loading as it was showing a weight of 100 and it didnt have anything hardly in it. Please can someone explain as it is baffling me and i feel lacking of essential knowledge.

Cheers

Jadiex

 

[Del_374232870]

First thing is what is your tow car and what is the maximum nose weight for your car. If your caravan has an ALKO chasis then the maximum nose weight for that chasis is 100kg, however you should not exceed either the cars nose weight of the vans whichever is lower.

An empty van is always unusual in its nose weight, you should load the van, check the nose weight and then adjust to get the correct nose weight. however DO NOT back load the caravan to reduce the nose weight. You should pack the heavy items on the floor in the van above the axle.

 

[Lutz]

If the caravan is bouncing then it probably doesn't have any shock absorbers. Retrofitting them is not a big job and well worth the money. The caravan will bounce less and be a lot less 'twitchy' when towing.

 

[Steve_5090070]

Hi Jadie,

I bought a Dart 556 last year. I had the same problem with the nose weight. To get it down I had to take the front chest off and place it behind the axle. This brought the weight down to the required 75kg for my car. When loading the van I had all the heavy items over or just behind the axle. Regarding towing for the first time, I went on a towing course. It was the best

 

[will2]

Hello Jadie.

You will notice the bouncing more as it was your first time towing. I have an Avondale 510-5. The first time i towed I thought there was something wrong and was checking my mirrors watching the caravan.

Its like everything else the more you do it the less you notice it.

Will

 

[Royston]

Hi jadie,

Driving on roads with lorrie tracks, never took any notice of them prior to towing , but you can on some streaches get the van tyres bouncing up and down within these tracks.

All lorries seem to travel on the same part of the road causing these depressions.

Royston

 

[Jadie_374305972]

Thanks to everyone for their replys we found them very useful. I think a short course in towing will definately help. Hopefully our next trip wont be as daunting.

Cheers

Jadiex

 

[joeby]

If the caravan is bouncing then it probably doesn't have any shock absorbers. Retrofitting them is not a big job and well worth the money. The caravan will bounce less and be a lot less 'twitchy' when towing.

Yes you are right Lutz ,i fitted shock absorbers a year ago ,now i wouldnt be without them ,when we arrive on site every thing is in the exact place as when we started out