Recent trip I have been surprised by the number of folks that pull up, check levels and then just shut down and their camp is set, leaving the van hooked up to the tug as is...
How many say " So what " ..............When I just pull up for an overnighter and stay basically hitched up there is no way I would leave the van hanging off the tug, I drop the WDH bars, pop the hitch lock and fit the jockey wheel and just lift the weight off the tug, chains and cables are still plugged in, well I disconnect the the fridge Anderson just in case.......................
Leaving your tug and van connected as you do when towing is not a great idea................
You are placing a static weight on springs, shackles bushes and WDH torsion bars for a lengthy period, this can in affect be a cold set on the springs and bars, accelerating the sag in springs and bars, putting undue load on the whole hitch set up................A static load will wreck the set up for sure, while your driving down the road the whole thing is working springs, shocks, tyres, shackles and torsion bars, they are all flexing form light to high loadings and staying flexible...............12 hrs with just the same loading will cause them all to loose their ability to work as designed over time, plus it doesn't do the tyres much good and if you don't have greasable spring shackles then the hot rubber bushes will slightly deform every time you do it................of course this doesn't happen overnight it just slowly happens, if you only do it once every so often no drama but regularly like some who stop 5 nights straight every few weeks on a trip then its not doing things any good.
Semi's parked up for a long period will drop the legs to take the weight off the prime mover for same reasons.
Big Mal and The Ute when we pull up for a quick RON, van brake ON, the tow ball is unlocked, block put under jockey wheel and lifted to take weight off hitch and the WDH bars are dropped, we also drop the stab legs but Big Mal is 23ft and even though I'm an old sailor I don't like rocking boats...................
So there you go, something to think about, it just means you need to check a few things before you roll but you will roll for longer before a workshop.......
How many say " So what " ..............When I just pull up for an overnighter and stay basically hitched up there is no way I would leave the van hanging off the tug, I drop the WDH bars, pop the hitch lock and fit the jockey wheel and just lift the weight off the tug, chains and cables are still plugged in, well I disconnect the the fridge Anderson just in case.......................
Leaving your tug and van connected as you do when towing is not a great idea................
You are placing a static weight on springs, shackles bushes and WDH torsion bars for a lengthy period, this can in affect be a cold set on the springs and bars, accelerating the sag in springs and bars, putting undue load on the whole hitch set up................A static load will wreck the set up for sure, while your driving down the road the whole thing is working springs, shocks, tyres, shackles and torsion bars, they are all flexing form light to high loadings and staying flexible...............12 hrs with just the same loading will cause them all to loose their ability to work as designed over time, plus it doesn't do the tyres much good and if you don't have greasable spring shackles then the hot rubber bushes will slightly deform every time you do it................of course this doesn't happen overnight it just slowly happens, if you only do it once every so often no drama but regularly like some who stop 5 nights straight every few weeks on a trip then its not doing things any good.
Semi's parked up for a long period will drop the legs to take the weight off the prime mover for same reasons.
Big Mal and The Ute when we pull up for a quick RON, van brake ON, the tow ball is unlocked, block put under jockey wheel and lifted to take weight off hitch and the WDH bars are dropped, we also drop the stab legs but Big Mal is 23ft and even though I'm an old sailor I don't like rocking boats...................
So there you go, something to think about, it just means you need to check a few things before you roll but you will roll for longer before a workshop.......
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