Towing with a heavy drawbar weight

[Hannahandsando]

Hi There,

We have a Range Rover sport 2008 with air suspension. We are wanting to buy a 4WD camper trailer. We have narrowed it down to an Ultimate (which have very good balance - hardly any drawbar weight) or a Kimberley Kamper. We prefer the Kimberley (we think) but it has a high drawbar weight due to length and position of wheels. We are concerned the air suspension could give us problems, partic when towing off road. All of our friends who regularly tow have Toyotas with coil suspension. Any advice appreciated.

[101RRS]

My camper has a 200kg tow ball weight - due to wheels on the camper being set to the rear.

I have no issues when actually towing - car sits fine.

Just make sure your shockies are in good nick.

Garry

[Dougal]

How many kg?

[Geedublya]

What are you concerns with the air suspension?

A lot of people on here tow with RRS/D3/D4 without any problems on-road and off-road.

If the concern is the airbag bursting, it is very unlikely.

Problems I know of are that the dampers/shocks are more expensive when they wear out. The air compressors can wear out and fail and sensors can give problems.

Depending on how much work the car has done the dampers/shocks may be due for replacement.

[gusthedog]

Hi There,

We have a Range Rover sport 2008 with air suspension. We are wanting to buy a 4WD camper trailer. We have narrowed it down to an Ultimate (which have very good balance - hardly any drawbar weight) or a Kimberley Kamper. We prefer the Kimberley (we think) but it has a high drawbar weight due to length and position of wheels. We are concerned the air suspension could give us problems, partic when towing off road. All of our friends who regularly tow have Toyotas with coil suspension. Any advice appreciated.

IMHO the rover will be better in all respects - both towing on road and off road. It will level automatically when you hitch up and be fine offroad. Just make sure your air suspension is in Good nick and off you go. Better seats in a rangie than a 200 series too :p

Don't listen to Toyota drivers or those who don't understand a rover and fear technology. A properly maintained rover will eat them all for breakfast. Toyota is more than 10 years behind rover technology. My 99 disco has similar roll bars (ACE) compared to my folks 200 series (KSS I think it's called). My seats are better too :D And a loaded 200 series will use upwards of 25litres per hundred towing off road. My dad uses 33litres per hundred towing his twin axle off road van with his 200 series when offroad:o

[Sitec]

Hi Hannahandsando.
You say it has a heavy drawbar weight... How much is heavy? If the Ultimate has next to no drawbar weight it might have the habit of snaking... I've always been of the opinion that something with a bit of drawbar weight is better.. If its too much, you could always load accordingly with water, wheels etc at the rear of the trailer..... Let us how you go, and which trailer you settle on.
Cheers for now, Simon. :)

[justinc]

the drawbar weight of the ultimate, t van and kimberley are way under the max allowable for the rrs, you won't have any issues at all.

jc

[Tank]

Go for the Ultimate. so much better than the Kimberly, on and off road, regards Frank.

[gusthedog]

Go for the Ultimate. so much better than the Kimberly, on and off road, regards Frank.

If you want good offroad, the Tvan is far superior than anything on the market. I towed mine to some unbelievable spots. Track trailer design trailers for the military and they have a gal chassis. No stone chipping. And a quick nights stop needs no set up at all. Open the door and hop in :). I had to sell mine last year though :(. Most regrettable

[Cracka]

I just bought a Tvan a couple of months ago. 145kg tow ball weight, loaded. I'm thinking of putting polyair red bags in the 90 as she squats a bit rear and lifts the front. Tows like a dream though I love it :D

[Tank]

Very expensive bed on wheels, independent suspension of any configuration is way over rated IMO, Regards Frank.

[justinc]

Hi There,

We have a Range Rover sport 2008 with air suspension. We are wanting to buy a 4WD camper trailer. We have narrowed it down to an Ultimate (which have very good balance - hardly any drawbar weight) or a Kimberley Kamper. We prefer the Kimberley (we think) but it has a high drawbar weight due to length and position of wheels. We are concerned the air suspension could give us problems, partic when towing off road. All of our friends who regularly tow have Toyotas with coil suspension. Any advice appreciated.

sorry i didn't quite answer the question posed, either camper is a fantastic bit of gear, personal choice is the only thing you need to consider between the 2 in my opinion.
the only issue you may have with a 2008 vehicle is compressor life, and rear struts. if you are considering an extended touring trip, i would replace the compressor and the rear struts if they are still original, before leaving.

use genuine struts, and there is a new upgraded compressor available that is far more reliable by all accounts.

your friends with toyotas will be so envious of your corrugation handling capabilities, and ride quality that it may just convert them to the green oval!:)


jc

[goingbush]

Very expensive bed on wheels, independent suspension of any configuration is way over rated IMO, Regards Frank.

Not entirely so.

We have a Trakmaster Sturt with independant coil suspension, the suspension is so good that on one occasion I left a jaffle iron sitting on the gas bottles at breakfast time, found it there when I went to turn the gas on at lunchtime, a couple of hundred corrugated kms later. The suspension is brilliant.

never had to tighten a screw or loose bolt on the van.

bit different to our old tube axle leaf sprung 'offroad van' where I had to take a screwdriver and bottle of glue at the end of each day to reassemble furniture and fittings.

[Sitec]

Independent suspension on any single axle trailer is a gimmick! Drawbar-Left wheel-Right Wheel = Tripod.... If someone can tell me (without all the crap) what benefit independent suspension can have on a single axle trailer, then I'll change my tune. Granted it may have a few + points on a dual axle trailer, but not many! A rigid axle (where the wheels always track the same whatever the terrain) with soft parabolic springs and the correct shockers is a vastly superior setup. A lot of the 'Off Road' trailers I've seen have a heavyweight leaf spring that's wrapped with 4 bands.. They are way too hard for the job they are doing, and shake everything above them to bits. We had a camper trailer come into work the other day for chassis repairs due to cracking. It had some weird independent suspension arms clamped around a 9 leaf spring which had a solid 50mm bar connecting the two!! It had shaken the chassis and contents to bits. I'd go with the simplest bar axle and leaf suspension you can find, with a decent drawbar length and a 50/100kg drawbar weight. :)

[Mick_Marsh]

Independent suspension on any single axle trailer is a gimmick! Drawbar-Left wheel-Right Wheel = Tripod.... If someone can tell me (without all the crap) what benefit independent suspension can have on a single axle trailer, then I'll change my tune.
In short, for comfortable ride on any vehicle (including trailers), in my opinion, coils are better than leaf and air is better than coil.
Independent or solid axle makes little difference.
My camper has the Track MC-2 suspension.

No, I haven't disagreed with you. I've just offered a different explanation.

[Cracka]

Nice van Goingbush.....

I don't really care whether its independent or otherwise, the fact is it travels well.

There will always be knockers!!

Track Trailer Tvan Military Proving - YouTube

[Tank]

Not entirely so.

We have a Trakmaster Sturt with independant coil suspension, the suspension is so good that on one occasion I left a jaffle iron sitting on the gas bottles at breakfast time, found it there when I went to turn the gas on at lunchtime, a couple of hundred corrugated kms later. The suspension is brilliant.

never had to tighten a screw or loose bolt on the van.

bit different to our old tube axle leaf sprung 'offroad van' where I had to take a screwdriver and bottle of glue at the end of each day to reassemble furniture and fittings.
That's great, but I can't see why you would need independent suspension on what is basically a box trailer, overkill IMO, Regards Frank.

[Mick_Marsh]

Nice van Goingbush.....

I don't really care whether its independent or otherwise, the fact is it travels well.

There will always be knockers!!

Track Trailer Tvan Military Proving - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa4BgNF8eKQ)
Very good. Am I right in assuming the Toyota had leaf spring suspension?

[Tank]

Nice van Goingbush.....

I don't really care whether its independent or otherwise, the fact is it travels well.

There will always be knockers!!

Track Trailer Tvan Military Proving - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa4BgNF8eKQ)
All that video shows is that the piece of crap towing the trailer has stuffed shocks and probably 60p.s.i. in his tyres, Regards Frank.

[Leroy_Riding]

All that video shows is that the piece of crap towing the trailer has stuffed shocks and probably 60p.s.i. in his tyres, Regards Frank.

I always though the independent suspension in trailers was to assist with body roll of the trailer and to increase ground clearance? though that was an assumption.

Ill be sticking with Leave and solid axle myself though. but I would love one of those T-Vans

Leroy

[BigJon]

Very good. Am I right in assuming the Toyota had leaf spring suspension?


Live axles and coils all round. Quite similar to a Early Disco / Rangie / Defender.

[Mick_Marsh]

Live axles and coils all round. Quite similar to a Early Disco / Rangie / Defender.
Oh dear. Maybe there is something to this independent suspension idea.

[goingbush]

Frank...... another Video for you to critique

Trakmaster Suspension - YouTube

[Mick_Marsh]

Love that trackair suspension.

[justinc]

i have a cape york campertrailer, AT35 allterrain hitch and solid axle leaf sprung with shocks. it has loong leaves basically hilux rear heavy duty springs, rides extremely well behind the 110 on rough tracks and at speed on corrugations or highway. the hitch does all the artic, and the long leaves are quite compliant even when empty . i am very happy with its rugged simplicity it has been trouble free and after about 40,000km has just needed shackles greased and u bolts tightened.

i also have this system Vehicle Components - Cruisemaster® Coil (http://www.vehiclecomponents.com.au/products/cruisemaster/cruisemaster-coil)
on our 2.8ton 21'6 semi-offroad caravan. IMO dual axle heavy vans really require independent suspension, single axle CT's not so much, although spring and shock selection is very important to achieve good ride quality and load capability.

jc

[gossamer]

If someone can tell me (without all the crap) what benefit independent suspension can have on a single axle trailer, then I'll change my tune. . :)
i have a Jimboomba camper with independent airbag suspension, the biggest benefit is i can quickly and easily sleep in a level bed :D. simply let all the air out of the high side and lower the other side until its level, then wind down the legs for stability.

[gusthedog]

There will always be knockers!!



Thank god for that :P

They're like pizza - even when they're bad they're good :)

[robbotd5]

My "camper's" ball weight in traveling trim is 210kg's and the coiled (with polyairs) D2a handles it really well. BTW my camper is 23ft long so I don't think you will have any issues with the Rangie;)
Regards
Robbo

[ozscott]

Independent suspension is good on a van etc on the beach. ..nothing to drag. They do ride softer with coils and ind A-arms.

Cheers