Towing issue

Feb 6, 2023
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We bought a coachman xcel 875 twin axel and tow it with a transit van, we load the transit quite full and have found when towing the caravan we experience bouncing and swaying in the winds, has anyone had similar issues? Our previous caravan was also a twin axel but smaller in width and length and we towed that with an X5 but never had any issues. All advice accepted please.
 
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Reactions: chrisbeaner856
Jan 12, 2023
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sometimes if the rear shocks on the van are broken this can cause all the bouncing and swaying my friend experianced it with a freelander replaced them fixed the proplem
 
Mar 14, 2005
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There are two things that need saying, If any outfit feels unsettled SLOW DOWN and then stop as soon as it is safe to do so.

Then you need to check and adjust the loading of your caravan to ensure you have an adequate nose load on the towball. Its especially important to check with twin axle trailers, as the towing dynamics will affect the nose load and stability of the outfit.

The EC Directive 94/20/EC states that the towball height should be between 350 and 420mm with the vehicle in the 'laden' condition. Some commercial vehicles might have difficulty in meeting this criteria, and that could certainly affect twin axle towing stability .
 

Parksy

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Nov 12, 2009
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To start with the basics, check all of the tyre pressures on the Transit and on the caravan.
Make sure that the caravan noseweight is close to the limit without exceeding it.
 
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Jul 18, 2017
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I am, not surprised that you you feel bouncing and swaying in wind as you are towing with a transit van. I would think that is normal as you have the side of the transit that acts like a sail in the wind plus the side of the caravan. The combination of the two can be unsettling! The X5 would have had a lot less of its side exposed to the wind.
 
May 23, 2017
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We used to tow a Lunar Clubman SE (1495kg) with our Transit Custom.If we didn't have at least 95kg nose weight we had the same problem. Once we got the nose weight right, it towed like a dream
 
May 23, 2017
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Don't know what model of Transit you have - our Custom 270 which has a max nose weight of 112kg. Some of the models with heavier payloads are notorious for having a very stiff ride when lightly loaded & can skip sideways with lateral loads.
 
Jan 3, 2012
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Yes the RR will be great for towing so much comfort enjoy your first tow at the weekend and keep us updated
 
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