Mud-club

Vehicle & Technical => Defender => Topic started by: M19 ROO on December 10, 2006, 16:30:31

Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: M19 ROO on December 10, 2006, 16:30:31: just seeing if anyone has any ideaas or aythin to help me, just got a little 2berth van to use brought it home 30 mile and all seems fine so far just with the 90 bein a little higher and on 35's the caravan has a right tilt on it and have caught the rear twice already,,

i need a soloution that levels the van out more but also doesnt get in the way off raod :?

anyone else had this trouble?

(http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/9818/10122006cr0.jpg)
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: jimthelandyman on December 10, 2006, 16:43:51: get one of those adjustable towing plates
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: M19 ROO on December 10, 2006, 16:47:41: one of these:?

(http://www.land-rover-parts-shop.com/itemimages/STC50256AA.jpg)
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: landraver on December 10, 2006, 16:47:47: Cut away the arches & put 35's on the van :D

Jeff
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: M19 ROO on December 10, 2006, 16:48:39: already thought of big spacers and bigger muds so they run outside the vans arches lmao :lol:
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: jimthelandyman on December 10, 2006, 16:48:52: yeh one of those
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: M19 ROO on December 10, 2006, 16:58:39: thanking you

lookin around Ã‚Â£90 then from what i found somewhere
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: Litch on December 10, 2006, 17:21:05: Unless you fit it back to front with the slider on the crossmember and remove the drop-plate when not required for towing (then what do you do about the support brackets?) then you will still have the lack of departure-angle problem. What you need is a completely removable drop-plate, plenty of people make them and that solves the problem completely.
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: patroldriver1 on December 10, 2006, 21:21:09: you need a quick release drop plate, i had same problem with suzuki. snapon battery impact gun sorted it
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: M19 ROO on December 10, 2006, 21:44:30: snap on gun aint a problem :wink: just won an adjustable one on fle-bay so see how i go with that when it gets here :P
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: Lee_D on December 11, 2006, 20:21:34: Air bags on the caravan and a compressor on Trug. Quick release connector and your sorted.
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: Andy 300tdi on December 11, 2006, 20:35:30: Ric

I've got an ajustable drop plate if your intrested
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: Littledan on December 11, 2006, 20:57:34: yeah get a drop plate im sure u can find them alot cheaper than that or if u clever u could make one yourself

dan
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: M19 ROO on December 12, 2006, 00:52:03: Quote from: "Dude"
Air bags on the caravan and a compressor on Trug. Quick release connector and your sorted.

seriously tho is it possible to lift the caravan but not with airbags (about an inch maybe two), also do people recon it would mess with the way it handles behind you?

after looking properly today it is pritty low anyway when its level so wouldnt mind it to be a little higher and that would just help the tow issue aswell
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: Range Rover Blues on December 12, 2006, 01:08:56: Older caravans had coil springs, dampers and swing axles. If you find this is what yours has then there will be a pull-rod within the coil itself having a nut on the top, tighten this nut and yes it will go up, be carefull not to induce too much camber though.

The front really needs dropping, the brakes won't work at that hieght either. A removable tow hitch is the best solution, I would not advise using an adjustable that extends below the reach of a standard tow bar as this increases the leverage on the rear crossmember and can lead to severe damage especially in a rear end collision.
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: L90OOK on December 12, 2006, 05:06:28: One of these 8) Can bolt a dropper plate on too.

http://www.southdown4x4.co.uk/DetachableTowing.htm
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: Lee_D on December 12, 2006, 12:53:35: You may also gain a bit by changing the wheels, though remember if it has 13 inch rims now and you put 14 inch on you're only gaining 1/2 inch in the radius.

You'll also be raising the centre of gravity.

Best option is the removable hitch with a dropper on it within reason of course.
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: M19 ROO on December 12, 2006, 19:30:14: Quote from: "Range Rover Blues"
Older caravans had coil springs, dampers and swing axles. If you find this is what yours has then there will be a pull-rod within the coil itself having a nut on the top, tighten this nut and yes it will go up, be carefull not to induce too much camber though.

had another look before and it does have this setup....
altho quite rusty lol

just thinkin could a tow hitch be fabricated on the caravan to raise it?
very crude pic but just to illustrate the idea

(http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/6322/towii3.jpg)
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: muddyjames on December 12, 2006, 19:37:48: I have seen a trailer somewhere with that kind of raised tow hitch. Looks very bodge jobby to me imho
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: patroldriver1 on December 12, 2006, 19:48:54: not recomended, and probably not legal. what about spacers between the caravan tow hitch and the chassis? just have to make sure brake linkage doesn't come into contact with floor or bottle carrier. only 4 long bolts and spacers needed....
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: madmatt on December 14, 2006, 17:21:12: Commercial trailed equipment like chippers and Compressors have adjustable height draw bars but they are single draw bars not the a frame variety on caravans.
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: Rich_P on December 14, 2006, 17:59:47: Maybe fit smaller wheels for towing? :wink:
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: M19 ROO on December 14, 2006, 18:32:14: lol not changing the wheels everytime i pull summot lol!

won an adjustable tow ball on ebay other day thats dropped it about 7-8inch so better then it was!
Title: caravan towing (im too high!)
Post by: Range Rover Blues on December 15, 2006, 17:39:40: Quote from: "patroldriver1"
not recomended, and probably not legal. what about spacers between the caravan tow hitch and the chassis? just have to make sure brake linkage doesn't come into contact with floor or bottle carrier. only 4 long bolts and spacers needed....

That's the safer way to do it, the coiupling head needs to stay in line with the overrun mechanism.