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Thread: Jockey wheel, air suspension question.

  1. 8th April 2012, 07:28 AM #1
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    Fred Nerk
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    Question Jockey wheel, air suspension question.

    In my past life, as a Navara driver, if we were stopping for an overnight break on holiday, I would leave the camper trailer hitched to the car. For stability while we slept, I would lower the trailer jockey wheel. The Navara has "normal" suspension.

    I am yet to do this with my D4 and I'm wondering how much weight the car might place onto my offroad hitch and jockey wheel if the car "sags" or auto levels during the night. Is the practice I'm considering best avoided with air suspension or does everyone do it with impunity?

    Does anyone have a cautionary tale to share?
    Last edited by Fred Nerk; 8th April 2012 at 07:32 AM. Reason: To tidy up grammar and punctuation.
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  2. 8th April 2012, 07:39 AM #2
    Graeme
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    I've only used the van's rear supports in case the vehicle lowers even just a little. I think either you don't use any front or jockey wheel support or you unhitch the van.
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  3. 8th April 2012, 08:09 AM #3
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    Fred Nerk
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    You have given me an idea

    I could park the car at normal height.
    Lower the rear trailer supports. They are adjustable, but not when under load.
    Put the car at access height.
    Lower the supports a little more or just put the leg plates under them.
    Return to normal height.

    Thus it should be stable and no problem if it sags while we sleep.
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  4. 8th April 2012, 06:44 PM #4
    TDV6
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    We have a three ton off-road tandem axle van, and do not have a problem with the car or van moving around while still hitched to the car overnight. I do not lower any stabiliser legs or jockey wheel.

    Two things I do are apply the park brake to the van and disconnect the 12 volt supply from the car as the our van has LED's the indicators start flashing after about 20 minutes and also I do not want to accidently drain the starting battery in the car.

    Happy travels.

    Ryall
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  5. 9th April 2012, 08:46 PM #5
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    Same here.

    We camp at horse events, and adjust suspension to make horse float as flat as possible, then leave for two nights. I never bother disconnecting it from the car even with the hitch weight being 340kgs.

    Step on the front of the float and visually no movement.

    Brett....
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  6. 9th April 2012, 09:43 PM #6
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    Blknight.aus
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    only one cautionary tale...

    Dont forget to raise the bloody thing.... they make for very entertaining noises and light shows of a night if you leave in a hurry.
    Dave

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  7. 10th April 2012, 08:40 AM #7
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    Its not pretty if and when the car decides to lower and you have the jocky wheel or front legs down.
    I have had this happen and you just chringe when nearly 1.5 ton of the D3's weight is transferred to the van and the whole thing starts to creak and groan under the added stress.

    If we are just parking over night or somewhere very level I leave the van connected with no legs down and that works fine. Like Ryall we disconnect the trailer plug as I have had the car battery drain overnight because the fridge was left on DC by mistake.

    cheers,
    Terry
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  8. 10th April 2012, 10:53 AM #8
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    gghaggis
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    We generally lower the jockey wheel, then unlock the ball housing and lower the car to access, so that the ball is still in line under the housing. The car can sometimes auto-level overnight, and that can be a bemusing experience if you have it attached to the van!

    Cheers,

    Gordon
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  9. 10th April 2012, 05:09 PM #9
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    Over night stops on the way to somewhere we just try to get as level as possible sometimes with ramps. No jockey or caravan stays are used.

    My ball weight is over 300kg. I find once the car has settle thats it for the night.
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  10. 12th April 2012, 11:00 PM #10
    BobD
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    I have a precautionary tale!

    Trying to unhitch on a very steep horrible site at Yallingup Beach Caravan Park on our March long weekend at 10:30pm I couldn't raise the caravan enough on the jockey wheel so I told my son to unhitch while I lowered the car to drop the ball. I have a Geist with a German hitch and he didn't know he had to lift the handle the last bit to fully release it! I put the weight of the car on the 100kg capacity hitch, bent the insides of the Jockey wheel, pushed it into the ground and jambed everything up really well.

    The moral of the story is be very careful when using the fancy suspension to help with hitching or unhitching a caravan. It is really easy to put a large downwards load on the caravan draw bar, as one of the other posters also mentioned.

    Bob
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