Bushtracker Vans

Motley

We purchased our bushtracker as caravan greenhorns & having researched as much as posssible could come to no conclusion, yea or nay, about stabilisers so decided to see how we went.

In our case we have found that there is no need for down legs, plenty of van stability on the jockey wheel. What we have done however is have the jockey wheel tyre filled with silicon as is done on forklifts etc, cost us about $55. The Bushtracker is pretty heavy so you are looking at a ball weight of 250-300kg so the force on both the jockey wheel thread & spindle and tyre is pretty high. We have taken to using a stand under the front cross member on the draw bar but more to protect the jockey wheel mechanism than for stability.

I have run across Bushtracker Owners who have fitted stabilisers but this appears to have been a decision made prior to purchase rather than need based on experience.

Andy

They do not need it for stability however I have fitted foldup telescopic legs which I made to my 18ftr. If we are stationary for a couple of days I always put them down and also put light car stands up the front. This gives the van rigidity and stops it moving when people enter/exit. It also is safer when subjected to high winds. I load these up using the jocky wheel. The previous respondent said he filled his jockey wheel tyre with silicon which of course in sand. I presume he meant silicone which is an entirely different substance. Most media people seem to think women get sand implants....oh heaven forbid. I have not heard of doing this to the tyre but it seems a good idea to me and will follow it up. Bushtrackers are heavy up the front and mine is more now that I have fitted a toolbox and a twintub washing machine across the A-frame. as well as an automated watertank filling device I devised. On the subject of high winds, last xmas it went through a wild storm which was really a twister which only lasted a few seconds. The roller for the Aussie Traveller annex pulled out of it's container and also some of the wall tie down tags were ripped off. I was in the annex at the time trying to hold it when the twister struck and believe me it was awsome. We had a tarp erected which was the community boose tent and it was demolished. I witnessed a small but heavy table get airbourne like it was on a giant rubber band. I found it later about 100m away and it was a fence what stopped it. The van never moved in all of this. I am currently writing a dissertation on setting up a Bushtracker which is in response to an enquiry from an Aussie lady in London who is returning later this year for their dream vacation round Oz. This document will contain a lot of detail with pictures etc and I will send you a copy if you like to email me. I hope to finish this in about a month.
datahevi@bigpond.com