Damaged danglers?

[Minxy]

Stop it you smutty lot!

I'm talking about MHs that have levelling rams fitted. We've seen a fair few being used by MHers on our trip and made me wonder about their long term use and the effect on the wheels, running gear etc

As the wheels are held off the ground and just dangling, ie continually hanging from the axles etc, can this cause permanent damage to the mechanical gubbings?

It's not something that a manufacturer is likely to have allowed for when designing their vehicles so is using them sensible in the long run?

 

[pappajohn]

If used properly they shouldn't lift the wheels clear of the ground.
If they do then a different, less severely sloping, pitch should be used.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Stop it you smutty lot!

I'm talking about MHs that have levelling rams fitted. We've seen a fair few being used by MHers on our trip and made me wonder about their long term use and the effect on the wheels, running gear etc

As the wheels are held off the ground and just dangling, ie continually hanging from the axles etc, can this cause permanent damage to the mechanical gubbings?

It's not something that a manufacturer is likely to have allowed for when designing their vehicles so is using them sensible in the long run?

Nothing wrong with my danglers…….. they really do retract quite a way upwards, and not necessarily just when cold.

I do keep them well lubricated as per the recommendation from Rachel from SAP Doncaster .

 

[Minxy]

If used properly they shouldn't lift the wheels clear of the ground.
If they do then a different, less severely sloping, pitch should be used.

It appears a fair few people don't know that judging by the number that are well clear of the ground.

 

[Lenny HB]

It appears a fair few people don't know that judging by the number that are well clear of the ground.

Instructions same to keep wheels in contact with the ground.

Also you are supposed to get out of the vehicle when leveling.

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[Brains]

It appears a fair few people don't know that judging by the number that are well clear of the ground.

I dont have them, but like you I've seen a lot of vehicles with a foot of clear air under one set of wheels.

There are many pitches on campsites where that is the only option for the longer Moho's.
(Realistically on that basis the pitch would only be suitable for a short wheelbase camper or MoHo with a decent pair of ramps.)

We had a pitch in Croatia like that.
Our ramps were not big enough, so they just chain-sawed a log diagonally.
We then had big enough ramps (Unfortunately not portable though!)

 

[DuxDeluxe]

It appears a fair few people don't know that judging by the number that are well clear of the ground.

Mine are often well clear of the ground on a sloping pitch

 

[Minxy]

Mine are often well clear of the ground on a sloping pitch

Which danglers?

 

[ManTheVan]

Sometimes you want to face a certain way and the slope of the pitch precludes keeping the wheels in contact with the ground.

Ducatos, Relays and Boxers are all nose down, without load. If a pitch is ever so slightly face down, then levelling will involve a substantial lift to the front.

Our levellers (like most others, I suspect) will try to level on automatic setting. Sometimes, this will lift the entire front end off the ground. So what? Brilliant! We’re completely level, the shower drains, the bed is completely flat and the fridge doesn’t close on you when you’re getting ice out for the G&T/Scotch/wine, etc…

You’re also fully stable and un-rocky, especially if the weather takes a turn for the worst.

Can’t see the issue.

 

[Minxy]

Can’t see the issue.

The issue is whether having the front wheels dangling and thus putting stress on the gubbings in a way they weren't designed for, for a long period of time, causes damage.

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[Two on Tour]

Unloaded and dangling imposes far less load and stress on components and joins than when they are loaded and under compression with maybe towards a tonne on the front wheels and well more than that on the rear wheels when static and well in excess of that when travelling and hitting bumps in the road.
As long as cabling and flexible hoses and such are not being stretched when dangling, then I have no concerns with our wheels off the ground with our levellers for any length of time.

 

[Lenny HB]

Ducatos, Relays and Boxers are all nose down,

Our is almost level, depends on front springs & struts and with a Al-ko chassis the tension on the torsion bars in the rear axle.
Our van has Al-ko chassis and the front springs and struts are VB.

 

[Northernraider]

I've seen vans bigger than mine sitting on those levellers and there's a foot between the ground and the tyre .. sometimes all 4 wheels are off the ground. I've often wondered how safe that is.

Because really it's just like a jack ....without the axle stand.


Personally I'd park on a more level spot lol.

 

[Northernraider]

You would think with the income campsites make they could create a level pitch.


I've not failed to find a level spot wildcampimg

 

[Arthur01]

Not good for us - we are full air & although the jacks will lift - wheels off the ground, we don’t as it looks like the air bags are the only thing holding on to the wheels.
We use the free Truma app which has the Motorhome levelling option, then you can usually move the RV around a bit to find a reasonable level bit of ground to deploy the jacks.
Arthur.

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[BouncyBoatFolk]

Note of caution if you have rear air bags fitted, It's generally advised not to have the axle hanging in free air, and thus the wheels attached to that axle. It can put an unnecessary strain on the air bags themselves as they are elongated by being unsupported.
Mike.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Not good for us - we are full air & although the jacks will lift - wheels off the ground, we don’t as it looks like the air bags are the only thing holding on to the wheels.
We use the free Truma app which has the Motorhome levelling option, then you can usually move the RV around a bit to find a reasonable level bit of ground to deploy the jacks.
Arthur.View attachment 1001229

Arthur can type faster than me!!
Mike.

 

[Steve N Tracy]

The wheels in the air off load are less likely to cause damage to driveshafts and suspension components, then hitting a pothole under load while driving.

 

[Minxy]

I've seen vans bigger than mine sitting on those levellers and there's a foot between the ground and the tyre .. sometimes all 4 wheels are off the ground. I've often wondered how safe that is.

Judging by the angle of some jacks when deployed not very. We saw one which had wooden pads under the jacks to lift it higher with all 4 wheels off the ground, no idea why ... maybe just liked to be higher than everyone else.

Because really it's just like a jack ....without the axle stand.

We saw one the other day and the rams were very thin, they certainly didn't look sturdy enough for the large MH they were fitted to and which had the front wheels in mid air.

Personally I'd park on a more level spot lol.

Us too or use our ramps, at least with them the wheels are still supported.

 

[jdk62]

Nothing wrong with my danglers…….. they really do retract quite a way upwards, and not necessarily just when cold.

I do keep them well lubricated as per the recommendation from Rachel from SAP Doncaster .

I think you should always have a well lubed dangler….

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[funflair]

Having wheels hanging in the air was discussed a few weeks ago, it was explained by somebody that the suspension is essentially sitting in rubber bushes that have a neutral point when the vehicle is on the ground, when the wheels are in the air these bushes are at full twist and don't really like it, I think that would affect the front more than the rear on ours and it's always the front that is in the air

 

[Lenny HB]

New to this game, so far the boss no like the fact that the van doesn't rock or move when she gets in and moves about. The step often ends up far too high.

Nice when you open the fridge door or a draw they stay where they are, so probably worth the £6½k for that.

 

[lorger]

While in Portugal in November a big Concorde turned up, they levelled using the rams then the guy got out and put chocks under the front wheels that were about 6 inches off the ground. I did wonder why he was doing this now I know

 

[DuxDeluxe]

We saw one the other day and the rams were very thin, they certainly didn't look sturdy enough for the large MH they were fitted to and which had the front wheels in mid air.

With the E&P system fitted by SAP the rams are substantial (avoided the schoolboy joke). On an uneven pitch occasionally a wheel will be clear of the ground. Note that the van has had uprated front suspension as well as rear so sits level on level ground

 

[Bill-H]

I can visualise a situation where three wheels would need be off the ground, but not all four.
I'm of the 'that'll do' brigade when it comes to being level. As long as the glasses don't slide about on the table I'm ok with a slope. I would only open the fridge a couple of time of an evening - red wine is best drunk at room temperature and never sees a fridge.
I don't have hydraulic or screw levels but always wind the rear steadies down as I'm in the front drop down suspended bed and my travelling companian is in the rear over-garage bed which is well behind the rear axle and I can feel the movement every time she turns over in the night.

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[Landy Andy]

It's not something that a manufacturer is likely to have allowed for when designing their vehicles so is using them sensible in the long run?

The designer also wouldn’t have allowed for the vehicle to be fully loaded permanently.

 

[Carolyn and Kev]

Whoops! Dont tell Simon !! (Select motorhomes)

......

 

[AdrianChen]

New to this game, so far the boss no like the fact that the van doesn't rock or move when she gets in an moves about. The Step often ends up far too high.

Nice when you open the fridge door or a draw they stay where they are, so probably worth the £6½k for that.

I found that doing the levelling manually I can usually get the van good enough (shower drains - doors stay put) and lower than the Auto system. I've not worried too much if a wheel is off the ground, I haven't seen a warning from E&P not to do it, and they have a few photo's on the site showing wheels off the ground, but don't think I've ever had all four off!

 

[scotzsue]

I'm with Bill-H on the levelling front. Nose down fiat we look for non flat pitches, i.e. those with a slight slope and park accordingly. Not always possible but no big deal.

 

[Minxy]

The designer also wouldn’t have allowed for the vehicle to be fully loaded permanently.

Not all are, we empty out water, waste food etc when we return home so it's not permanently fully loaded, it isn't even when we're using it, even it if was though the suspension etc isn't being stretched in a manner it was never designed for, just compressed.