Wheel Coming Off Van

[DaveMiller]

 

Well, it's listed in the Lunar handbook as a pre-use check "wheel nuts for tightness", so does Lunar (and probably all other caravan manufacturers) expect caravan owners to have access to a torque wrench?

lunar handbook. JPG

It's just building an excuse for when your wheel drops off; it's would be interesting to test in a court.

[Lutz]

I agree with your 50 years of experience having had the same. I note that you have said "may have different chamfer angle" It is worth pointing out that when a caravan is supplied with aluminium wheels on the axle and a steel spare, all supposed to be compatible. This issue was debated at length on another forum and it was confirmed that the caravan manufacturer had supplied correct compatible fasteners.

 

True, the issue about the chamfer angle is only one which could contribute to the problem. However, as the steel spare is only designed to be used in an emergency, there is no absolute need to have compatible bolts. A note to the effect that the steel wheel should be replaced at the earliest opportunity and a speed limit imposed if a steel wheel is fitted, similar to a space saver wheel on a car, should ensure that there is a minimum element of risk. Alternatively, a set of extra bolts supplied with the steel wheel would be optimal.

 

I do wonder, though, whether the caravan manufacturer released a wheel design without first consulting the chassis manufacturer.

Edited August 15, 2017 by Lutz

[Chappers]

I have a 2017 Clubman collected a couple of months ago, and I was supplied with a set of bolts specifically for use with the steel spare. Maybe this is new or maybe a previous owner hasn't passed them on?

 

Mike

[Paul_B]

Was the van recently serviced?

Following the service were the bolts retorqued after travelling circa 20 > 30 miles?

 

I've got my car to check as that was serviced last week

[jwa]

I have a 2017 Clubman collected a couple of months ago, and I was supplied with a set of bolts specifically for use with the steel spare. Maybe this is new or maybe a previous owner hasn't passed them on?

 

Mike

Compatible bolts to fit the steel spare have been supplied by Lunar with every new Lunar we have purchased.

 

John.

[Dirkydel]

Can the OP confirm whether the caravan was serviced recently or had any reason for the wheel to be taken off sometime in the past? Very unusual for it to happen on a Lunar caravan.

Caravan was serviced in February, caravan has only been used a couple of times since, we were travelling from Cornwall after been there for a week and had travelled 200 miles from home to Cornwall, unfortunately I did not check the torque on the wheels prior to travelling from Cornwall. ??

Can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone at the moment regarding why the wheel came off, ive already spoken to my service engineer and he can't make any sense of it, but welcome all input - as long as it's decent and informative, I've always trusted the members on here to come along with good info ???

[TinShack]

FWIW we our current van is our first Bailey. Previously although I always checked torque before every trip I never found any tightening required. On this one the recommended torque is a little higher at 130Nm and I find several nuts move on checking for the first 2-3 trips after a wheel off. Makes me a little more*****about checking now. Maybe there is something in the problem being more associated with Baileys - or just coincidence?

[exkiaman]

 

I do after a service, but then I have confidence in the detailed design of the bolting in two cars we have, not to feel a need to revisit them.

On the other hand, I keep a check on my caravan's wheel bolts, as I have not the same level of confidence in the detailed design used there.

 

Me too!! As a 17yr old I collected our Triumph Herald 12/50 from the garage after a service and about a couple of hours later managed to stop just before both front wheels nearly fell off! I am now a 71yr old and have checked wheel nut torque regularly ever since.

[Crannoghome]

I have a 2017 Clubman collected a couple of months ago, and I was supplied with a set of bolts specifically for use with the steel spare. Maybe this is new or maybe a previous owner hasn't passed them on?

 

Mike

 

Our 2017 Lunar didn't come with any and the handbook doesn't mention them, other than a comment on page 27 which says "Special nuts are supplied with alloy wheels and these can be used where a steel wheel is used as a temporary spare". Were your steel nuts provided by Lunar or the dealer?

[Durbanite]

 

Our 2017 Lunar didn't come with any and the handbook doesn't mention them, other than a comment on page 27 which says "Special nuts are supplied with alloy wheels and these can be used where a steel wheel is used as a temporary spare". Were your steel nuts provided by Lunar or the dealer?

All our previous Lunars that had alloy wheels came supplied with bolts for the steel spare wheel.

[Griff]

Came across this the other day.

 

http://caravanandmotorhomebooks. com/wheels-falling-off-trailers-2/

[Durbanite]

One could always invest in one of these kits. See http://www. wheel-solutions. co. uk/ecommerce/ecommerce. html

[ChrisUK]

Came across this the other day.

 

http://caravanandmotorhomebooks. com/wheels-falling-off-trailers-2/

 

Very interesting and important read. Seems very pro shock absorbers, which my Elddis does not have. I always check the torque on my caravan before every trip although I have never found any movement or extra torquing required. I check my car nuts after a service and perhaps 2 or 3 times a year, again no movement. Its a simple quick task, so why not. I was not aware of different bolts (I'm assuming the studs referred to in the posts above, are actually bolts?) for steel wheels, my Elddis certainly didn't come with any, I will investigate, not that I have used the steel spare in 9 years. I am aware that my Elddis is not an Alko chassis but a BPW.

To clarify, to me a stud is fixed to the hub and the wheel is held in place by nuts, like almost all cars that I have dealt with.

Edited August 16, 2017 by ChrisUK

[Griff]

My Discovery has studs located through the hubs with fancy capped nuts securing the wheels.

 

My wife's Mini uses fancy bolts with the hubs being tapped.

 

Studs usually being fixed protruding male threads from hubs.

[Paul_B]

 

I've got my car to check as that was serviced last week

 

Rechecked and 3 on my offside front wheel wanted nipping up, one of those things as I watched him torque them

[Borussia 1900]

Here where I live you need to fit tyres which are appropriate for the prevailing weather conditions so for the wife's car I have a set of wheels with summer tyres and a set of wheels with winter tyres (the caravan and the Shogun both have All Weather Tyres) so I bought a torque wrench for when the wheels get swapped. They really don't cost much and its not rocket science to use one.

I use it before every trip away with my caravan, it's on my pre-holiday check list:

 

1: Collect caravan from Storage

2: Drive to local Petrol Station & Check Tyre condition & pressure (4. 5 bar)

3: Drive to Car Wash and give it a good scrub

4: Check wheel nut torque (Alloys 120 Nm +/- 5 Nm as instructed by dealer)

5: Fill On-Board Water Tank & Toilet Flush

6: Ensure enough beer is in the fridge

7: Let wife use remaining 400 Kg user payload to fill caravan with stuff we will never use.

[JTQ]

Here where I live you need to fit tyres which are appropriate for the prevailing weather conditions so for the wife's car I have a set of wheels with summer tyres and a set of wheels with winter tyres (the caravan and the Shogun both have All Weather Tyres) so I bought a torque wrench for when the wheels get swapped. They really don't cost much and its not rocket science to use one.

I use it before every trip away with my caravan, it's on my pre-holiday check list:

 

1: Collect caravan from Storage

2: Drive to local Petrol Station & Check Tyre condition & pressure (4. 5 bar)

3: Drive to Car Wash and give it a good scrub

4: Check wheel nut torque (Alloys 120 Nm +/- 5 Nm as instructed by dealer)

5: Fill On-Board Water Tank & Toilet Flush

6: Ensure enough beer is in the fridge

7: Let wife use remaining 400 Kg user payload to fill caravan with stuff we will never use.

 

Checking caravan and tow car tyre pressures after towing will lead to underinflation if using the makers quoted cold tyre pressures. Any real running will heat up the tyres and lift the pressures above the cold value, very much so if highly loaded tyres are used on the caravan.

Best checked cold before leaving the storage place.

[Borussia 1900]

 

Checking caravan and tow car tyre pressures after towing will lead to underinflation if using the makers quoted cold tyre pressures. Any real running will heat up the tyres and lift the pressures above the cold value, very much so if highly loaded tyres are used on the caravan.

Best checked cold before leaving the storage place.

From my storage place to the garage is 800m, no fear of raising the temperature significantly to cause any effect there.

[charlieboy2608]

We had a mishap on our caravan whilst travelling to our holiday destination where the wheel (nearside) came off completely from the hub causing caravan to hit the ground, we were lucky when 4 good samaritans came to our assistance and helped us get moving again, all-be-it on 3 studs and on the spare steel wheel, Green Flag then came to the site and checked us over and inserted the other 2 studs tightened the wheels up to 145 Nm.

Firstly has anybody else had this happen and if so what was the outcome and also what are the recommended torque settings for the alloy and steel wheels.

 

Thanks in advance for your replies

You mention studs-as opposed to bolts. ...could you confirm which you have please.

[Keefmac]

Instructing you to check wheel nut torque before use every time is just passing the buck and covering the manufacturer and service department against any claims (as someone's said).

 

I've checked mine a few times with no issue.

 

If they can't design a hub/ wheel combination correctly then passing the buck is the next best thing. .

[JCloughie]

We had a mishap on our caravan whilst travelling to our holiday destination where the wheel (nearside) came off completely from the hub causing caravan to hit the ground, we were lucky when 4 good samaritans came to our assistance and helped us get moving again, all-be-it on 3 studs and on the spare steel wheel, Green Flag then came to the site and checked us over and inserted the other 2 studs tightened the wheels up to 145 Nm.

Firstly has anybody else had this happen and if so what was the outcome and also what are the recommended torque settings for the alloy and steel wheels.

 

Thanks in advance for your replies

 

See my sorry adventures regarding wheel detachment.

 

http://www. caravantalk. co. uk/community/topic/96160-wheel-detachment/

 

In an ideal world checking the torque on a caravan should be no different than on a car. I completely agree. However. You can not argue with the fact. Wheels, (nearside), come off on caravans far far more than on cars.

 

So please check them, it may be you next week.

 

 

 

Compatible bolts to fit the steel spare have been supplied by Lunar with every new Lunar we have purchased.

 

John.

 

Not with my 2015 Clubman. Same bolts should be used.

 

 

John

[Durbanite]

 

See my sorry adventures regarding wheel detachment.

 

http://www. caravantalk. co. uk/community/topic/96160-wheel-detachment/

 

In an ideal world checking the torque on a caravan should be no different than on a car. I completely agree. However. You can not argue with the fact. Wheels, (nearside), come off on caravans far far more than on cars.

 

So please check them, it may be you next week.

 

 

 

 

Not with my 2015 Clubman. Same bolts should be used.

 

 

John

John they supplied alternative bolts for the steel spare wheel on our 2011 Delta TI so maybe they have stopped doing that now?

[JCloughie]

John they supplied alternative bolts for the steel spare wheel on our 2011 Delta TI so maybe they have stopped doing that now?

 

Could be.

 

It's all on page 23 of this.

 

http://www. lunarcaravans. com/uploads/docs/handbooks/21389-Lunar-2015-HB. pdf

 

John

[JTQ]

As I read it they don't supply bolts for either type of wheel they use "nuts"; odd these days IME but I have not had a Lunar.

 

Edit:

If the documentation is wrong at such a fundamental level IMO it is deeply worrying.

Edited September 3, 2017 by JTQ

[JCloughie]

As I read it they don't supply bolts for either type of wheel they use "nuts"; odd these days IME but I have not had a Lunar.

 

I also thought they would be bolts as it is just a standard Alko hub, but I have never had one off so can't be sure. But yes it does say nuts, but that might have more to do with the nutter what (who) wrote it. It's not the best of manuals and attempts to be generic.

 

John