The Axle-less trailer suspension can take the abuse of the world’s harshest trails. Because of this effect side forces cause a trailing arm suspended caravan to sway to a far greater extent. Independent Suspension Why to Upgrade. Deep cycle RV battery powers ceiling fan, LED lights and USB ports. It rolls around a diagonal axis that is at tow ball level (and centred) at the very front that causes it to sway around the ground level at its wheels. Fully insulated walls, floors and ceiling with water-proof undercarriage. First, with so many RV upgrade opportunities, let’s look why you’d want to upgrade your stock 5th wheel or trailer suspension. While normal suspension systems will break down after extended periods of time going off road, an independent load sharing suspension system will last a long time. Double-eye leaf spring acts as part of a trailer's suspension system by providing an attachment point for a 3,500-lb axle. For reasons that relate mostly to marketing, Australian caravanners are led to believe that caravans need independent suspension. Without A Hitch is the place you can turn to for up-to-date information, practical advice, "how to" guides and handy tips for your caravan, trailer and anything else worth towing. Roadmaster Suspension Solutions| Known for the Comfort Ride line of trailer shocks and slipper springs, Roadmaster Suspension Solutions offers RSS Anti-Sway Bars for late-model full-size tow vehicles. How To Make Your Caravan Holiday Accessible, Get the Picture? A few other had too: Lanchester around 1900, and Morgan a year or two later. It is not an engineering issue. Willow RV Chassis and Suspension. They also tramp up and down. If you find this of interest please Link to it on appropriate forums – and do please tell your friends to read it. As a result, many locally-made caravans have soft long-travel suspension that mainly deflects when least needed i.e. US engineers seemed unaware that Lancia had been using independent front suspension for a long time. Such sway can be avoided by using the horizontal arms (as on the front of most cars) – or by using two pivoted full-width beams as in the Track Trailer TVan. INDEPENDENT RUBBER SUSPENSION. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site. We are very pleased with Custom RV’s responsiveness and their assurance that the issues we are dealing with are not unreasonable to repair. In this system there is no transfer of impacts from one side of the trailer to the other, the wheels remain vertical throughout their travel and there is a greater range of movement available. But all take up needed central space. | However, they do suffer from changing wheel camber as either side of the axle rises and falls as the wheels pass through their arc of travel and any change in geometry on one side of the trailer does impact the geometry on the other because of the interconnecting axle, leading to bump steer issues. ), can reach that as it is rated to 150psi, though the dial shows us in the red at 125psi. STi’s custom-made approach allows you to install your suspension without the usual hiccups associated with ill-fitting components that don’t match the existing trailer. • Improved towability & handling • Better protection of trailer, components, & contents from damaging road shock • 5 year warranty • Independent wheel action allows each wheel to walk over bumps For caravans the type mostly used (trailing or leading arms) has a major downside. When it comes to a vehicle’s roll-over resistance the beam/leaf combination doesn’t compare with the best independent designs. Sleeping area includes queen size mattress and overhead cabinets. A pair of high slung spare wheels weighing (say) 80 kg (175 lb) has an effective mass of many times that weight. Conventional trailer suspension consists of one or more axles that are supported by leaf springs. This has three rubber elements fitted within a hexagonal tube which runs across the trailer. The latter has advantages in offering a softer ride but requires regular maintenance and lubrication, especially where used in dusty or wet environment, such as the outback. A US-led wish for softer suspension, however, caused an unexpected effect. The MORryde Independent Suspension System (IS) delivers premium towing performance for 5th wheel and travel trailer owners. Privacy Policy. 2000kg rated with iron man shocks and boss air bags suspension includes... $3,250.00 Add to Cart Terms & Conditions This has three rubber elements fitted within a hexagonal tube which runs across the trailer. Independent suspension also offers greater ground clearance, and permits wheel alignment adjustments such as toe and camber. The major issue now is that the centre of gravity is at much the same height as with as a beam-axled caravan. That's the nature of the independent suspension and not necessarily a bad thing. | Independent suspension for the most part allows greater wheel travel and more ground clearance – as such is known to perform better when taken off sealed roads. Independent suspension and Goodyear Wrangler all terrain tires. Air ride suspended trailers are said to “glide” over the roughest tracks, but having the capacity to modify the ride or height does require an on-board supply of air, either from a cylinder or an air compressor. This is readily seen by looking in the rear-view mirror as a caravan crosses rough going. Any bookshop, whether online or bricks and mortar, can order copies of Why Caravans Roll Over. The centrally located hitch also causes it to adopt a duck-like waggle as it sways. Because torsion axles are designed to work independently, they do not provide equalization between the axles when used in a tandem- or triple-axle system. The opposite is closer to reality. This system reduces stress on the frame and protects your trailer from road shock. About product and suppliers: 2,246 trailer independant suspension products are offered for sale by suppliers on Alibaba.com, of which travel trailer accounts for 56%, trailer parts & accessories accounts for 3%, and other suspension parts accounts for 1%. Hence many to this day (particularly 4WDs) retain beam rear axles. At the time of posting this blog, the prices are: Tandem 7K Independent Suspension and Disc Brakes: $6,499; Tandem 8K Independent Suspension and Disc Brakes: $6,900; Triple 7K Independent Suspension and Disc Brakes: $8,850 Reyco Granning provides suspension solutions such as steer, drive, and tag axles for both RV and Bus vehicles. The caravan‘s springs may deflect – but not by much. Spring flexes to resist shock and also ensures a smooth ride. Go anywhere. For many people towing a trailer of any kind – whether it be a caravan, camper trailer, boat or merely a weekend hauler to take junk to the tip – the suspension that’s under that load behind them is nothing more than a conglomeration of springs, shock absorbers, bolts and bars and does the job of separating the wheels from the rest of the package. As this article explains, travel trailer beam axles are generally better. Featuring the same independent suspension design that has made is infamous, that has been adapted into a dual axle design to help disperse the weigh more evenly and help keep a smoother, more stable ride for safer towing. When one caravan wheel traverses a bump (or depression) the front of the caravan rocks around that hitch. Until 1930 or so most cars had beam axles (typically leaf sprung). Well, no, and having a basic understanding of your trailer’s suspension, what it does and how it does it is a useful step towards appreciating the need to maintain and care for it. All rights reserved. If the Gunbarrel Highway is on the agenda, then a genuine independent suspension with shock absorbers is necessary. It attempts to swing sideways. When traveling down the highway, why worry about protecting your cargo from damaging road shock? Customers are welcome to either pickup or take advantage of our low freight rates. It was also realised that it can only be fully overcome by having the wheels rise and fall vertically. Apart from trivial tyre depression a beam axle caravan‘s chassis always remains vertical to the surface. On a side note – there is a weight difference of approximately 100Kg between the two variations – with independent … Built-In Toughness. Application has been deleted. Whether in the harsh Australian outback or northern Canada, it’s built to last. As this article explains, caravan beam axles are generally better. Essentially a suspension system is designed to connect the wheels and brakes to the body of the trailer and to absorb the worst of the physical blows imposed by the road surface. When a side force is applied the sprung mass rolls around an axis that is about the same height as the tow ball. Toe is when the wheel isn’t aligned quite straight with the trailer, pointing inwards or outwards a touch; and camber is when the wheel is leaned in a bit. Getting to grips with the different types of trailer suspension. Answer: Yes, the ICS is by the Australian made Campaign and manufactured in our Wynnum workshops by Aussie workers. SRE4000™ Leaf Spring System for Tandem Axle (SRE2-733X) by MORryde®. There is thus very little lever effect (Moment Arm) to increase the effect of roll forces. The photos below showcase an onroad Jayco Basestation which our professional team upgraded to an offroad caravan. These are both light and cheap and easy to install but have limits and are not recommended for heavy use. The front wheels swing violently from lock to lock. The Al-KO trailing arm suspension introduces a similar effect but as it has far less movement the sway is minimised. That wheel acts as does a gyroscope. Enhance travel experience with smoother towing These attachment points can be either simple bolts through a bushing manufactured from some durable material such as nylon, or a greasable pin. And independently. It was custom built heavy gauge 7x5 offroad fully galvanized trailer GVM 1600 kg with Al-Ko Enduro Independent Trailing Arm Suspension, 10 inch Electric brakes, Sunraysia offroad wheels, 20 litre water tank, Galvanised checkerplate electrical storage/ tool box, gas and water bottle mountings, spare wheel, seperate easily accessible comp $5,750 My Caravan & Motorhome Book goes into this at greater depth. AL-KO’s Independent Rubber Suspension (IRS) has offered a whole new range of options for those seeking light weight and simplicity in their trailer suspensions, with the manufacturers of a number of lighter caravans now adopting it. Many have dual shock absorbers per wheel – yet towed by 4WDs that cope adequately with only one per wheel. The simplest way is to use the rear leaf springs from a Nissan Patrol or Hilux, minus a leaf or two, and a proprietary hollow section steel beam axle (or I beam). Sadly, however, little work is done in Australia to develop properly engineered beam axle suspension. Light trailers, such as those used to carry waste to the tip, often use what are termed ‘slipper springs’, where the front of the spring set is anchored to a pivot point and the rear of the main leaf slides against the chassis inside a metal box. A core component of any suspension system is a spring. Testing out the new DOT trailer with Independent Suspension and comparing it to a leaf sprung DOT. A car-type strut or transverse wishbone independent suspension has a much lower roll centre (the point about which the vehicle will tip over) than a beam/leaf and most trailer independent suspensions are trailing arm types that also have low roll centres. 1-800-753-0050 Independent suspensions are fairly dear compared to the traditional leaf spring setups. mary 06-07-2020 #2. grambini. Do any of you have feedback on this system? The book retailers set their own prices which can vary substantially. When it comes to suspension performance, it's all about suspension travel. But is it really as simple as that? Explains in detail every aspect of tow vehicle and caravan stability. At the RV Service Centre we offer the leading independent suspension products. (The effect when swaying is not unlike a camel bending both legs on the same side.). You can see extremes of camber and toe on race cars. As the front wheels are connected by a horizontal track rod, if one rises in an arc it causes the other turn likewise. AL-KO International Pty Ltd manufactures, markets and distributes a comprehensive range of products for the trailer, caravan and RV markets in Australia and New Zealand. The HQ19 is the biggest, baddest travel trailer available from Black Series. In recent years there has been a strong movement, especially under higher end caravans and camper trailers, to install coil springs on independent trailing arms, such as AL-KO’s new Enduro Cross Country and Outback systems. The relative merits of independent and non-independent suspension systems – and leaf and coil springs – will not be discussed in this article, but suffice to say, independent set-ups are far more sophisticated in providing more complex movements of the wheels/tyres when subjected to cornering, braking and road bump forces. The chromoly-steel bars are designed to significantly improve handling and side-to-side stability, especially when cornering. The Axle-Less suspension has no through axle. Exterior galley with stainless steel countertop and integrated table This has traditionally been a set of tempered metal leaves bound into a group or a coil spring fixed between the axle unit or an attached arm and the trailer’s chassis, but the advent of air bags and rubber elements as torsional members in a cross-trailer system has opened the game even further. It is not an engineering issue. Independent Suspension System. A Willow RV is designed purely for your enjoyment while travelling and is outstanding value for money, being one of the most highly competitive vans available on the market. We'll aim to keep a selection of the better prices above. you will find it tows like a dream. An independent load sharing suspension system is of the highest quality. This contains several rubber elements that are placed within the hexagon tube running across the trailer. 4. Smooth out your ride with an upgraded suspension system for your fifth-wheel or travel trailer. A variation on the basic trailing arm set-up, in which spring load is born by a metal coil, has been the air ride suspension, with the load being born by a pressurised rubber bag. There is one exception but its spring leaves are really too short for caravan use. Whew! The Axle-Less Trailer Suspension As noted above, and in the image here from eTrailer.com, the Timbren product consists of 2 modules, a left and a right, that attach to a trailer frame and provide independent suspension for a wheel on each side of the trailer. Tandem 7K Independent Suspension: $4,199: Tandem 8K Independent Suspension: $4,899: Triple 7K Independent Suspension: $6,399: Triple 8K Independent Suspension: $7,149: Tandem 7K Independent Suspension and Disc Brakes: $6,999: Tandem 8K Independent Suspension and Disc Brakes: $7,499: Triple 7K Independent Suspension and Disc Brakes: $10,399 All Rights Reserved. It is a complete bolt-on system which requires no later adjustment, it is self-damping so does not require shock absorbers (though these can be installed to assist in control and handling) and thus can enable complete control over the built height of the trailer. A US-led wish for softer suspension, however, caused an unexpected effect. Most use far too short stiff leaf springs intended mainly for garden trailers. MORryde offers four different packages for Independent Suspension depending on which weight you want and how many axles you need. We install and recommend Vehicle Components and AL-KO Enduro Indepedent Suspension which will give you the confidence to go anywhere. Couplemate Trailer Parts sells only the best quality Independent Coil Suspension Kit and caravan spare parts throughout Australia. This effect is even more so at the extreme rear. 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