Air ride suspension

I guess that 's what you'd call unjoined up thinking, occasioned by those who must be obeyed.
 
vwalan said:
ah but all m,caravans regardless of weight are class 4 . mot. we must not confuse the issues . each one as diferent rules . used private dont need drivers hours or tacho.s . even up to 7,5ton .but yes a total revue and new laws need to be set .and we try to get a law for m,homes only parking . difficult as that can be classed as discrimination . a m,home is a car . be it light or heavy . may even be a tall/high car. bit like swimming in a bog . all good fun though . cheers alan.
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Certainly if it's used privately a motorhome of whatever weight needs a Class 4 MOT, but one over 3000kg gross that is used to carry goods is classed as a 'living van' and subject to goods vehicle regulations. It doesn't have to be 'constructed' to carry goods, just 'used' to carry goods. More fun...:)

AndyC
 
better to have a mini artic . trailer is a living van up to 3,500kg and the unit forms part of an articulated combination pulling a living van. google v112g on dft site look at classes 13and 35. works for me. do you use your van for display or education . worth reading. cheers alan.
 
vwalan said:
ah but all m,caravans regardless of weight are class 4 . mot. we must not confuse the issues . each one as diferent rules . used private dont need drivers hours or tacho.s . even up to 7,5ton .but yes a total revue and new laws need to be set .and we try to get a law for m,homes only parking . difficult as that can be classed as discrimination . a m,home is a car . be it light or heavy . may even be a tall/high car. bit like swimming in a bog . all good fun though . cheers alan.
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This is point I was making to ***** further European harmonisation may be a fine thing, all the rules may apply equally to all, but the rules themselves may still be full of anomalies, ambiguities, and just as much of a mess as now.
At least with a 2.6 tonne payload they won't get me for overloading.
 
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*****, not necessarily bigger just heavier. Agree with your point about 5vers, the disadvantages when camped up of having to get out to drive away, and the cab not being under easy observation. The only advantage over car/caravan seems to be that old favourite...... Payload.
 
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there are many advantages but this is not the thread to carry it on . but we can if you want.cheers alan.
 
As long as the 5ver setup suits you then thats all that counts of course.
However I think you would have a difficult job finding enough advantages to convince me to change, but I may be wrong, can't speak for those who also have more "conventional" rigs.
 
no mots .if artic.
no need to use a toed.
more usable space than a car caravan for the length. in fact much more room.
if and when you get older a fiver can be made to be driven on a car licence yet have a much bigger payload than a motor home . 9-10 ton train easily .
cheaper car ferries .(cars caravans get special rates)
ease of updating the unit and not changing your living accomodation.
use the unit as a car when back here in uk. saves on insurance and tax costs . extra mot,s .
doesnt hardly take up more space than a big m,home .
good for carrying other items when trailer not hitched up.
is that a bit to go on. as for security they break in to motor homes while you are asleep. i know had it done to us while asleep in trailer last year in spain. so cancels that a little.
 
Can't argue with anything you've written, but I ask myself why I still would not want the 5ver setup.
Be interesting to see if anyone else is convinced that they should change. Perhaps it's a matter of what you get accustomed to, and just can't be hacked with changing. Just try telling a tugger that a motorcaravan is the way to go.
 
mine is a lynton trailer originally 5ton gvw. never use single axles as you get a puncture you dont get a chance. nearly bought one last year though. mine is built to be driven on c1+e .but i can alter it . at the moment it is a proper artic . but beacause of the unladen weight of he unit and the loweree trin can be driven with out a class one .just as well now . beer trailers require too big a unit. mine is 7ft 6 wide 20 ft trailer but only 33ft total length just under actually. tyres are 195 van or 185 van tyres . so cheap to replace. will need upgraded tyres if i alter it not to be artic possibly. 8ft on the stepframe 12ft on thelower deck. the chassis is very thick aluminium u channel ,alum floor walls supports and a fibre glass roof. there is a 30ft on ebay being pulled by a single cab isuzu. needs work but ideal .truck only 3,000ml. or something.
 
its also under 3mt height . the truck is only the size of a transit . no bigger than a fiat. well very close. i have a mazda bongo here andif i put a 10ft caravan behind it its only 9inches shorter.i,m not keen on the american style 5ers as they waste so much space. also using a euro pick up they have big bonnets stuck out .again wasting space. i have alot of space for a small vehicle.
i cant change what people buy /want but as there isnt too many like mine being used many only see the conventional 5ers at shows and get the wrong idea . i can confidently say it goes every where a merc 814 type vehicle goes and possible furter than many frontwheel drive campers . cheers alan.
 
Garth, a few years ago an inner tyre of my rear twinwheels blew one of those bloody under spec. rubber valves. I never realised it had happened and it could have occurred anywhere between Gib and Dover. It ruined the tyre of course, I had only given the tyres a visual inspection on route, and because the van has a near 2 tonnes of spare pay load it looked ok ie the good tyre was taking the whole load without it looking obvious. A quick bit of arithmetic showed that running solo the good tyre was just within load specs.... needless to say lesson learned.
 
Sorry about that ***** must have been thinking of Garth Vader, drat even that's wrong.
 
well done bet you didnt ask if the sv tec certificate was really needed . but you did it .you can rest easy , carry a bit more and save abit on tax. all good. see you in th sun now you saved a few bob. ha ha . cheers alan.
 
yes thursday. was going to be wednesday but they cancelled ferry .big waves in bay biscay. got cancele a few times last year. hope it going to be ok. .and yes they dont put weight on tax disc . just phgv. you will get out one winter much better than here too cold . and never seems to stop raining for more than half a day. better be ok or i might freeze to deasth ,ha ha . cheers alan.
 
dont believe what you hear. i,ve never found any drugs strapped to mine .have visited the riff quite often . been into the farms and seen some of the factories that produce it. but i dont use it. or bring it back. as for stones being thrown . i,ve had it happen in spain. ,can be anywhere. as for thieves they are every where as well could happen anywhere . again most i,ve lost as been in spain. as for experiance you dont get it if you don go. i think ray does his best and caters for alot of first timers . i couldnt afford it. but its easy now not like it was back in 76 my first time .was a real nightmare then. but then we were a bunch of hippies in an old ford thames van. possibly stank of dope and dirty bidies . surf boards on roof looking for sex drugs rock n roll. never found the rock n roll but life was easy. the van had a prop shaft made of scaffold pole with the joints welded on . couldnt go fast or it tried to throw you off the road. still see friends from then . life asnt changed . some have been going back every years since the 70,s . africa is a big place ,been down to gambia through mauratania,senegalnorth and south. . done tunisia , driven a bit in algeria . if you fancy it next year give a shout . no problems to join in and soon you would be haggling with the rest of us . no bribes no bakshish no tip . best tip you can give them is ----off. most are great and have good fun feel like going to visit your own family after a while. anyway glad you got sorted cheers alan.
 
***** said:
hI David.
It is usually only the rear, I have no idea if a kit is manufacturered for the front.
Mine was fitted by the Airide man and he took about one hour to do the whole job. Bearing in mind that he is fitting these day in and day out I would imagine that up to two hours for someone that is a general fitter sounds about right.

It lifts the rear by about 50 mm or 2 inches, sometimes a bit of a pain as you need to pitch on a bit of slopping ground or chock up the front so as to get level.

.
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I havn't found this with my air suspension, surely if its set up properly the van should be level on the flat?
 
well , my A class Hymer has a slight nose down attitude and I have yet to see a motorhome with the airide type suspension which hasn't had this attitude increased ; I suppose that if you need this to increase you load capacity you have to put up with this , but as I personally just want to improve the cushioning and stability I am not prepared to do this

really must get around to fitting my timbren supporters which will maintain the level...unfortunately the weather in the south of france is cold and wet now , so indoors with the central heating on is much more to my taste
 
Sorry..maroc :)

My first triptomaroc was 77/78 in a VW Golf,three of us,was arrested (or taken in) at least 20 times...lol,10 of those times were along the spanish coast,when they were still building or hadn't built,fuengerola and a few 'little' villages spring tomind,then there was Morroco itself, a real eye opener at the time,and we went the wrong way too,not the hippie trail but headed for tunisia,into Algeira ? that place with an A,where police or Army chiefs wore those RED hats (like Tommy Cooper) and smoked huge cigars like (WinstonChurchill) and quoted him,several of them,had our close attention,especially when the ...cells,where so close AND where out of a cowboy film even to the prisoners being 'beaten' in front of us,even the guards shook in front of these guys,with thier portraitshanging behind them,a questionaire to fill out,wether we were rich or from 'private schools' haha yeah right a welsh valleys boy,but did 'bumpinto' the famous 'Boyo' that wrote a book on it and became very famous !!!...he did like his Hassheash :)
I think those days are gone aren't they,so many 'foreigners' buying there now,like the Costas,not the Wild West.....
 
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