Van shaking on motorway

[tallulah]

Hi we are actually driving on m25 in our first motorhome and getting used to it all. Just a note to ask is it normal for the van to shake on every slight bump in the road? We were going over the old concrete orange section and the van was bumping so much the top of the radio fell out! The front cab area was really shaking! Only doing 50 /60
It's a 2010 burstener 726g is this normal?!

 

[Lot lover]

If it is as fearful as this on the M25 what will it be like on a "smart" motorway?

 

[SpeedyDux]

Concrete roads have a predicted design life of 40 years, whereas flexible roads (tarmac) about 20 years. If the noise lobby had been more vocal in the 60's/70's we would NEVER have had concrete roads. The Department of Transport were extensively lobbied by the Cement & Concrete Association and capitulated to their demands (in order to appease both sides, concrete verses tarmac).

Concrete roads do, however, have their place.....to spread the load in areas of poor ground conditions, like flood plains and low lying areas. Which is why it's a favourite construction method in parts of Belgium and the Netherlands.

It's now high time that Highways England undo the environmental damage caused by concrete roads (since the expiry of the 40 year design life has now been long been exceeded). The M20 bypass around Maidstone was converted to flexible construction by pre-cracking the existing concrete surface and overlaying with about 200mm of tarmac. New full depth flexible construction was only required at overbridges in order to maintain headroom.

I rest my case, m'lord

My recollection (I worked in the industry in the '80s) is that construction companies who tendered for each section of the M25 could submit prices based on concrete or tarmac road. In some sections tarmac was cheaper; in others it was concrete that was cheapest depending on locally sourced materials.

I agree that the M25 concrete joints cause terrible jolts through the Ducato which I never really noticed in the previous VW T4 with its comfy suspension. The slower you drive the worse it feels.

 

[Jev88]

No idea how truthful this is but an old colleague used to work in construction and said the UK Govt handed out contracts of XX miles of Concrete carriageways to keep and maintain the UK cement industry capability? i.e. a huge building contract comes along and we need lots of concrete/cement etc... we need to have sites capable of ramping up production. Reminded me a bit like the steel industry where if you completely shut down the furnaces it can take a month to get everything fired up again later?

 

[Spriddler]

If it is as fearful as this on the M25 what will it be like on a "smart" motorway?

I've not long got back from Cheltenham, normally about a 2 hr drive. It took me 3 1/2 hours due to miles of hold-ups caused by two separate accidents on the M25 motorway.
Cars were hurtling through dense spray and standing water in the outside lane with no lights and steamed up windows. Others ignored the 'Lane closed' red cross on the overhead gantries and caused havoc forcing their way back into the live lane at the last minute when they saw the accident blocking the closed lane.
'Smart' motorways are an idiotic idea.

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[gus-lopez]

Why they didnt just put a nice smooth layer of tarmac over the concrete base?, maybe it wouldn't last as long as concrete, but it would be a lot quieter,

They've done that on either the A14/M11 or part of the A12 .Unfortunately the concrete joints have still sunk & it is even worse than the straight concrete. Try it in a 30 year old van, absolutely horrendous.

 

[Jewellbags]

Some of the M25 is quite interesting on a motorcycle too - trying to get out of a rut to change lanes for example.

Talking about ruts what about those just coming off the tunnel onto the M20? They are dreadful

 

[Snoopy]

So, Lenny HB which tyres do you think would be better? We are undecided at the moment, due to get 2 new tyres, such a dilemma we have flat chasis. Any help appreciated

 

[Lot lover]

Spriddler - seems to be that the drivers are the idiots. No matter how stupid the motorways they will never overcome that problem.

 

[Lenny HB]

So, Lenny HB which tyres do you think would be better? We are undecided at the moment, due to get 2 new tyres, such a dilemma we have flat chasis. Any help appreciated

I'm thinking about fitting Kumho winter tyres they get good reports.

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[ivorantony]

I have fitted Michelin alpin agilis winter tyres for the last 5 years and found them a massive improvement
On the old Michelin camping tyre in both grip and noise, but the southern section M25 still produces enough
Noise to wake the dead,

 

[Larby]

Who used the A30 between Honiton and Exeter?
Now that was noisy.

 

[gus-lopez]

Who used the A30 between Honiton and Exeter?
Now that was noisy.

It still is.

 

[Spriddler]

Spriddler - seems to be that the drivers are the idiots. No matter how stupid the motorways they will never overcome that problem.

Yep I agree totally Lot lover , but 'we' have to deal with the world as it is, not as it should be.
Even though a hard shoulder isn't particularly safe I'd rather be broken down there than in a live lane.

(I don't recall being on a Smart motorway in France or Germany).

 

[Vipar]

We use the M25 on a regular basis.
The first thing you have to do is to put some strawberries in a jar like the old fashioned ones with clamp type lids add some milk and 6 marshmallows drive 40 miles on the M25 and bingo when you reach your pit stop you have a perfect strawberry milkshake ???????

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[Raul]

My opinion is tyre pressure and type of tyre.
on continentals summer tyre that section of M25, feels like wood wheels at 55f 60r psi.
On maxxis van smart winter tyre, with 55psi all around its a plush ride like a limo. No air suspension, standard VW Commercial.

 

[Lenny HB]

Who used the A30 between Honiton and Exeter?
Now that was noisy.

Who remembers the signs for the Honiton to Folkestone trunk road that was never completed?

 

[suavecarve]

The M25 southern section is renowned for being a bone shaker, plus the scream of the tyres from other vehicles that pass with the rhythmic....... badum....badum.
Its almost like a vehicle rumble & suspension test track, been like it since it opened, but the concrete slabs seem to have opened up, and have been filled in with lines of hot tarmac, which being raised, create the problem, it really is a joke, but not a funny one.

Whats the van like to drive on "Normal" road surfaces? If its OK then just put it down to being the rough concrete sections on the M25.

We travel along The M25 often as we live close to it, I like others watched them install millions of pounds worth of high noise deflecting fences, they have been scientifically designed, we are told,to reduce the traffic noise to properties nearby, but IMHO it just made the noise deflect further out.

Why they didnt just put a nice smooth layer of tarmac over the concrete base?, maybe it wouldn't last as long as concrete, but it would be a lot quieter, and the white lines would be more visible at night, and would negate having to have these elaborate fences in some areas.
Good luck, but yes check your wheel nuts, and front struts for leakages, which should be checked at service time or MOT.
LES

As another user of the stretch from Junction 10 round to 9 it is a joke. As bad as Belgium and a 3 year old transit suffers the same.

 

[TinaLes]

Yes we went both directions east & west on Wednesday M3 to A3 and because of this thread I seemed to be even more observant.
We were in the car, its definitely worse east to west A3 to M3, we were tootling on the inside lane due to speed constrictions with my window slightly down.
I burst out laughing at one point as a 16 wheeler HGV was coming along beside us, just slightly faster than us, and I kid you not it was a dead ringer for the sound of a coach with 6 horses trotting along, clipity, clop, clipity clop.
Les

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

The M25 southern section is renowned for being a bone shaker, plus the scream of the tyres from other vehicles that pass with the rhythmic....... badum....badum.
Its almost like a vehicle rumble & suspension test track, been like it since it opened, but the concrete slabs seem to have opened up, and have been filled in with lines of hot tarmac, which being raised, create the problem, it really is a joke, but not a funny one.

Whats the van like to drive on "Normal" road surfaces? If its OK then just put it down to being the rough concrete sections on the M25.

We travel along The M25 often as we live close to it, I like others watched them install millions of pounds worth of high noise deflecting fences, they have been scientifically designed, we are told,to reduce the traffic noise to properties nearby, but IMHO it just made the noise deflect further out.

Why they didnt just put a nice smooth layer of tarmac over the concrete base?, maybe it wouldn't last as long as concrete, but it would be a lot quieter, and the white lines would be more visible at night, and would negate having to have these elaborate fences in some areas.
Good luck, but yes check your wheel nuts, and front struts for leakages, which should be checked at service time or MOT.
LES

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[Rosemary1]

Thanks so much we stopped and checked wheel nuts seems fine now on m40 north passing oxford and a lot quieter. At 60mph Maybe tyres too high as we are newbies we are listening out for every sound! All your info is really helping us. Have any of of got this type of van ? Burstner 726 g 3 ltrs 2010 4000 kg gross weight?
Must admit we were not expecting this much noise ! But will get used to it.

I was surprised how noisy our first van was (autotrail) especially on certain roads, but put it down to its age. Our next van was just as bad (a much newer Rapido). I spent ages trying to track down the squeaks and rattles and finally gave up as soon as I stopped one a new one would be noted and it just seemed the van was noisy to drive, especially after my lovely quiet smooth car.

Got used to it now