whwwl balancing

[bill1]

i have had a touring caravan for approx 30 years .mostly new .about three years i had a very bad experiance of a snaking caravan of which i could not find out why .until i was told to check the wheel balancing on my caravan and found them to be way out of balance .since then everytime i purchace a new van i have the wheels balanced .i have just purchased a swift challenger 520 .this time the wheels were so much out of balance they were dangerous .i have contacted swift and they e/mailed me to say that the reason they dont balance the wheels before the vans leave the factory is they are put on and off trailers whitch unbalnces the wheels ?? he also said it is up to the dealer to offer the service .we are talking on 10 pounds to balance the wheels .a small cost when you think it could save lives .. i look forward to your responce .yours truthfullly w.r.farley

 

[WatsonJohnG]

I found the same thing .The wheels were very out of balance.We even had a new Elddis supplied with a factory fitted spare that was not rated for caravan use.

 

[Lutz]

I would like to add that it is all the more important to have the wheels balanced on caravans without shock absorbers. Shock absorbers will provide a limited amount of protection against wheel imbalance but without them, you're lost.

 

[JohnE1]

How does putting caravans on and off trailers unbalance the wheels? if this were the case cars would leave the factory with unbalanced wheels as they are delivered by transporter (trailer) and are often subsequently moved about by dealers on trailers prior to delivery, knocking off or moving the wheel weights would do so but you don't need to put it on a trailer to do this.

 

[VicWildish_5041785]

I think what you've been told is abject "cobblers" and whoever told you this should be fired from their job.

I've always had my wheels balanced more from a wheel bearing wear point of view than stability, but of course the two go hand in hand.

 

[gary]

Stunned that's all I can say for the ludicrous reply you had from Swift, I suppose it is possible that straps used to hold the caravan on the trailer is the cause but as others have said cars don't seem to suffer.

The point is though wheel balance is not an optional extra to be "offered"...it it vital to road safety. Unbalanced wheels will not only cause damage to running gear and reduce tyre life though vibration, but is a main culprit for nearside wheel nuts coming loose and wheels subsequently falling off...to say nothing of your problems

 

[allan_5039807]

I,ve been caravaning since the early 60s had 10 vans,never had the wheels balanced and never had any proglems.