Burger vans, towing, 4x4s and transits.

[BigMonty]

Originally Posted by c_lee

EDIT: See this also:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFzrWHTG5e8

I think this explains my problem perfectly. All wheel bearings tyres and suspension checked at the weekend and all good. It has to be the weight distribution.
As you can see from the picture, as like most catering trailers I have no weight on the axles, its either one end or the other.

[BigMonty]

Better picture.



As the serving hatch is in the middle it makes it near impossible to distribute the weight over the axle.

[Craigtange]

Originally Posted by dingov70

Ok , here we go . First thing is to weight the towhitch with your van loaded & make sure it does not exceed nose towing weight for your motor normally 50 -75 kg . Check all tyres are at same pressure ( i know you did that first ) . At this point it gets a little more tricky , jack up each side of the van & check you have no play in any wheel bearings , if you do , adjust them until only the slightest movement can be felt when rocking them Burger Vans . Next lower van to ground & attach tow vehicle , leave handbrake ON and try pulling gently forwards with someone looking at the suspension units from behind . The reason for this is due to some units being rubber inserts that wear & allow the pivot arm to move about , allowing the wheel to move forwards & backwards as well as up & down . This can lead to your snaking problem and is your most likely cause . I had one trailer that had these symptoms & the only cure was to replace all 4 tyres with 60 profile tyres of the correct weight rating ( important ! ! ! ! !) , the lower tyre wall height removed any flex in the tyre wall & stopped the snaking immediately . Got that gem from a tyre distributor

100 mile drive to night matches means tea is a burger outside the ground, especially now the chippy on Shoreham Street has closed.

We usually use the one on the corner of John Street opposite the Cricketers next to the Spar but the burger we had before the West Brom game was rank....any suggestions....i know most we be pretty basic!

[Craigtange]

Originally Posted by BigMonty

Right folks, as some of you may know ( Most wont ) I have a burger trailer on an industrial estate. I have to tow it the the 30 mile round trip every day. Occasionally I do events and car boot sales at weekends.
The set up is a 16ft catering trailer towed by a RWD swb transit. On the fen roads it is a bloody nightmare. The first 10 miles of the journey is 25 to 30 mph with brownsville towing. When I hit the main road I can get up to about 45mph before it begins to snake about. I also have an ifor Williams that sits fine at 60mph even with a car on it. What am I missing ?????

Next quandary: The transit isnt really man for the job. Most events I do and occasionally on the industrial estate when on grass the traction is none existent.
So I have decided to go for a 4x4. As I need to mount a generator in the back one of the crew cab ( l200/warrior / nivara ) trucks seem to be a logical choice, but I hate the damn things. Around here you are either a **** or a pikey to run one. So I am stuck. I would love a Xc70, but then we have the generator problem.
Any ideas throw them my way, no matter how daft. ( that's usually where the best ones come from )

I’m looking for a fresh vehicle to tow the cattle trailer. My brothers little Terios is up for swapping soon before he totally destroys it and I’m thinking a second motor fit to pull the 12ft trailer wouldn’t be a bad thing. He’s not madly keen on pick ups as they make the whole rig so damn long. But he might just have to put up with it. Also prefers to drive automatic nowadays (snob) . Does anyone have any suggestions for a vehicle that can legally tow the cattle trailer (3.5t) yet not have a massive wheelbase. suggestions of a Defender 90 won’t be accepted, I want it to work everyday, not spend half its life being rebuilt and the other half trying to shake us to bits! 😉 we’ve served our time in Landrovers and don’t wish to go back there!

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by Craigtange

I’m looking for a fresh vehicle to tow the cattle trailer. My brothers little Terios is up for swapping soon before he totally destroys it and I’m thinking a second motor fit to pull the 12ft trailer wouldn’t be a bad thing. He’s not madly keen on pick ups as they make the whole rig so damn long. But he might just have to put up with it. Also prefers to drive automatic nowadays (snob) . Does anyone have any suggestions for a vehicle that can legally tow the cattle trailer (3.5t) yet not have a massive wheelbase. suggestions of a Defender 90 won’t be accepted, I want it to work everyday, not spend half its life being rebuilt and the other half trying to shake us to bits! 😉 we’ve served our time in Landrovers and don’t wish to go back there!

What's your budget?

Whatever the budget, a Discovery/Range Rover of some sort will be in there, but you will need to be able to look after it.

Other options could be VW Touareg, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Land Cruiser, and there are several Mitsubishi's.

For a farm hack, Land Cruiser is hard to beat, you'd want the SWB version.

[morwenna240]

Originally Posted by axle4

never use a stabilizer to stop a known problem, they are there as assistance only not a cure.

check the vans balance/loading, nose weight and coupling height(van should be nose down otherwise the wind can lift the weight off the rear of the tow vehicle)

Agree. Solve prob, not symptoms.

[classicswede]

Originally Posted by BigMonty

I can get up to about 45mph before it begins to snake about. I also have an ifor Williams that sits fine at 60mph even with a car on it. What am I missing ?????

Next quandary: The transit isnt really man for the job. Most events I do and occasionally on the industrial estate when on grass the traction is none existent.

The reason for the snaking is not enough tow ball weight. If a single axle trailer then simply move some weight forward. If a twin axle it can be a case of moving weight forward or adjusting the tow ball height. It is very important you get that resolved befor causing a accident.

The transit is not much use for towing, not many newer vans are really. A 4x4 does sound a better bet