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Post by ladyvagabond on Sept 27, 2016 22:15:19 GMT 10
Hello! We have recently purchased an 1960s Atlantic and are wanting to know the best gas bottle and spare tyre configuration to fit within the A frame front section of the chassis (if that's you call it). Thanks  |
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Post by Mustang on Sept 28, 2016 19:02:31 GMT 10
Depends on your length, I find two gas bottles an overkill . If you do not have a three way fridge, perhaps a 4kg bottle would do? This is our setup on a 14' :  |
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Post by ladyvagabond on Sept 28, 2016 19:08:31 GMT 10
Thanks for the pic Mustang. It's just what my husband needs. Looks like a great set up and will work in our little van too. Looking forward to getting her up and running soon.
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Post by Roehm3108 on Sept 30, 2016 8:07:04 GMT 10
It really worries me when I see so much extra weight being added to a drawbar. I'm not an angineer, but would be interested to know what the physics are when doing this. I would imagine that for starters, the ballweight would be increased, to say nothing about dragging down the back of the car so that there is less steering/braking control.
I remember seeing an off-road modern caravan at a repairer a few years ago, where the drawbar had simply briken off at the body end of the caravan due to too great a load on the drawbar itself. They were not designed to be used for storage boxes.
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Post by strugglebrook on Sept 30, 2016 12:08:10 GMT 10
Yes and No Ray, It depends on the the van set up. Some of the new camper type vans have a long heavy duty A frame that is designed to carry substantial weight but the tow vehicle has to be up to the task of handling the ball weight. Most older vehicles which a lot of us use to tow our vans even with heavier leaf springs/coils are not up to the task that is why things like dolly wheels came about. I like you have a Hunter Minor which has a short not overly heavy draw bar which would not be advisable to add extras to as they are already nose heavy with the kitchen across the front.
Too many people buy an old car and caravan individually not thinking if the are suitable as a combination which can spoil the fun or at worst be dangerous.
Always best with any endeavor to run the idea past someone with knowledge in that area.
Soap box away.
JD.
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Post by Geoff & Jude on Sept 30, 2016 12:12:39 GMT 10
It really worries me when I see so much extra weight being added to a drawbar. I remember seeing an off-road modern caravan at a repairer a few years ago, where the drawbar had simply broken off at the body end of the caravan due to too great a load on the drawbar itself. hi ray sometimes having the spare on the drawbar can be an advantage. when colin and sue's little viscount valiant broke it's drawbar (at the body end) on the way to the mt. gambier nationals, the spare stopped it sagging and breaking right off when the tyre hit the front of the van. i suppose it could be argued that the drawbar wouldn't have broken if the spare wasn't mounted there but that's only conjecture and wouldn't be admissible evidence in any court worth its salts. geoff 'n (judge)judy |
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Post by Roehm3108 on Sept 30, 2016 12:52:54 GMT 10
Strugglebrook, the drawbar on those camper trailers are speccied up with stronger steel to cope with that extra weight as well as double jointed towballs to reduce pressures on the drawbars.
The only person that I know of who was anywhere near an expert on these sorts of thing is no longer a member here, so we as relative amateurs need to take care with what we say about an area which is so nebulous. Would hate to think that any advice/suggestion I made caused a serious accident.
Ray
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Post by Don Ricardo on Sept 30, 2016 13:45:36 GMT 10
Hi all, I usually stay out of these types of discussions, because the technical aspects of the strength of steel, etc, are not my long suit - or even my any suit. However, my chief concern when I read Ladyvagabond's post was that the van concerned was an Atlantic. The Atlantic was (is) a very small and quite light little van with a relatively short and presumably not particularly heavy duty a-frame, unless the chassis and/or A-frame has been modified. I've seen a couple of Atlantics with a spare wheel fitted on the A-frame - including this one - but I'd reckon you'd have trouble fitting a gas bottle on it as well, and I'd be a bit concerned about the weight factor, along the lines of Roehm's comments. Don Ricardo |
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Post by Mustang on Oct 25, 2016 18:02:21 GMT 10
It really worries me when I see so much extra weight being added to a drawbar. I'm not an angineer, but would be interested to know what the physics are when doing this. I would imagine that for starters, the ballweight would be increased, to say nothing about dragging down the back of the car so that there is less steering/braking control. I remember seeing an off-road modern caravan at a repairer a few years ago, where the drawbar had simply briken off at the body end of the caravan due to too great a load on the drawbar itself. They were not designed to be used for storage boxes. The weight added to this new draw bar & renovated frame is a mere 40KG, engineer approved. |
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Post by Roehm3108 on Oct 26, 2016 11:53:01 GMT 10
Hi Mustang As DonR pointed out, there are many factors involved when adding weight to a drawbar. Yours is new and engineered to the specification to carry the extra 40kg. Adding the same weight to a small van without drawbar reinforcement would, to my mind be folly. Better to err on the side of safety!  |
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