Load Levellers on camper trailer?

Submitted: Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 14:28
ThreadID: 54299 Views:6413 Replies:8 FollowUps:16
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Would these be beneficial or a waste of money?
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Reply By: MrBitchi (QLD) - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 14:42

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 14:42
IMO a waste of money. Camper trailer should not be so heavy as to need them in the first place. Secondly, they would severely restrict articulation of the trailer hitch in tight situations.

If your rig does drag it's bum a bit, either upgrade your springs or fit a set of polyairs, or both.. ;-)
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Reply By: Steve from Top End Explorer Tours - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 14:44

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 14:44
Perhaps if you tell us what type of C/T you have, the load it will carry what you are towing it with etc, as your question as it stands is quite open.

Cheers Steve.
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Follow Up By: Member - Hayjude (NSW) - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:12

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:12
Sorry.
We have a Cavalier Camper Trailer with 14' annexe weighing approx 750. Towing it we have a 2002 100 series LC. Saw these load levellers on a friends caravan (admittedly it was a very large caravan!) and was just wondering. We are planning on travelling to the Kimerley end of June to beginning of August with another couple.
Ta Judy
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Follow Up By: Steve from Top End Explorer Tours - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:16

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:16
Then the answer is No you don't need them.

My old man uses them on a 23" off road caravan and they are good on that application.

Cheers Steve.
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Follow Up By: Member - Hayjude (NSW) - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:20

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:20
Thanks for that Steve. We were only wondering if there would be any benefit for us.
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Reply By: Member -Signman - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:04

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:04
OK- ready for the flack...
I reckon camper trailers are "a waste of money" !!!!!!


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Follow Up By: Member - Hayjude (NSW) - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:14

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:14
No worries Signman, everyone is entitled to their opinion. We purchased our camper trailer early 2005 after swagging it for years. It suits our needs, is basic, easy to erect and put away and all up cost us less than $10 000.
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Follow Up By: Axel [ the real one ] - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 16:35

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 16:35
Your answer was a waste of time /energy [just like this is ].
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Follow Up By: Moose - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 17:29

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 17:29
G'day Signman
OK - why do you reckon they are a waste of money?

But first I'll explain why I went the CT way. Travelled with a tent for yonks. Roof rack and back of Cruiser packed to the roof line was the norm. Then tried a few years with a box trailer to cart the gear and left the roof rack at home. Knees not as good as they used to be and getting the gear on and off the roof was becoming harder and harder. Then one year we travelled with friends who had a CT. As it happened it was a wet trip. Suddenly being off the ground when it was wet looked very attractive. So we thought - we are towing anyway so why not just get a CT. After much research and trying to get out of it as cheaply as possible we bought a soft floor model. Just couldn't justify the $ being asked for hard floor versions.

Having a CT offers both advantages and disadvantages (some significant ones in the latter camp). Overall I'm quite happy with the way we've gone.

However we still run an annual Easter trip for our club and it is a tent/swag only affair due to the nature of the driving. So I'm not a CT only sort of person. If I ever went back to the Vic high country I'd leave the CT at home.

Signman - I agree with you to some extent because paying more for a CT than a small car is, to my way of thinking, absolutely ludicrous.

So over to you - please explain.

Cheers from the Moose
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Reply By: Andrea11 - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:31

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:31
Hi there,

Friends of ours have a Kimberly Kamper, and an Aussie swag. They don't have levellers on thier trailers, the only time that they used something similar to that was when they all went to Tassie last yr, and felt the levelling blocks they took we very well worth the $70.00 odd dollars they payed.

Hope this helps

Andrea
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Follow Up By: Member - Hayjude (NSW) - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:44

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:44
Thanks Andrea. In the latest Repco catalogue load leveller kits are $179 each. They got out of it cheap!
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Follow Up By: Andrea11 - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:48

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 15:48
Hi again,

The levelling blocks I mean and excuse my ignorance, as this is useually my husbands domain, they are made of a hard Plastic ours are orange in colour and they look like wedges, and they come and you can get the plastic chock blocks, we paid $70.00+ for ours only 3 weeks ago, and that was at a caravan shop here on the Gold Coast.......
But you can try
www.camec.com.au
they might have some.....

Andrea
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Follow Up By: Member - Hayjude (NSW) - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 16:13

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 16:13
Hi Andrea,
These are bars that fit along the A frame of the trailer to stabilise the load. No worries though I know what you are talking about.

Cheers Jude
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Follow Up By: Moose - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 16:24

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 16:24
You're talking about different things - Jude about a device that makes a caravan ride more level whilst Andrea is talking about something you drive onto to level the trailer when the ground isn't level. $70 for that is a rip-off. I made mine from a few bits of scrap timber - cost = a few screws, glue and a bit of my time.

Jude - if the bum is dragging a bit, apart from the already mentioned options, you can try to load it so that the weight is moved to a more optimal position. With mine I actually took the spare wheel off the draw bar and put it underneath. The weight distribution is now much better. The general rule of thumb is to have no more than 10% of the trailer's weight on the tow ball. Mine was impossible for me to lift before I made my mods.

But in answer to your question - never heard of anyone using load levellers on a CT.
Cheers from the Moose
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Follow Up By: Member - Hayjude (NSW) - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 16:28

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 16:28
Thanks Moose. As I said above it was only a query on what others opinions were.
Cheers Jude.
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Follow Up By: Member -Signman - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 16:30

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 16:30
G'day Moose
Why use initiative and knock up a few wedges (as you have done)- when you can go to a Camping Show (or similar) and pay $70 for a few pieces of plastic ??
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Follow Up By: Moose - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 16:35

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 16:35
Hey Signman
I suppose not everyone is as tight as I am:-)
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Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 23:51

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 23:51
Hell, I must be a cheapskate. (Or my Scottish heritage is showing)
Why bother with levelling blocks.

On the rare occasion that the ground is so uneven that levelling is required, I simply dig a depression under the wheel on the high side.

Bill


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Reply By: RovingOz (QLD) - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 18:17

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 18:17
I've never seen them used on a camper trailer.
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Reply By: DIO - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 18:30

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 18:30
I have used stabiliser bars on a Jayco Swan for the past 25+ yrs. They do lift the front of the van slightly. I don't find them a hindrance re manouvreability. I reckon they're worth their weight in offering increased safety and stability. As for a WDH, might be OK if not too much tension applied. Can't really hurt though.
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Follow Up By: disco1942 - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 20:53

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 20:53
DIO

Your camper is hardly comparable with the one that this thread is concerned with. Yours is the weight of a caravan not a box trailer with a bit of canvas with a total weight not exceeding 750kg.

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Reply By: Steve - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 20:27

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 20:27
rear suspension in the 100 series is crap and needs beefing up - nothing wrong with the camper.
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Follow Up By: Steve - Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 20:33

Wednesday, Feb 06, 2008 at 20:33
just to qualify that: it depends whether your concerns are travelling at high speeds on the highway to get there, in which case, some sway bars, which are reasonably priced, will do the job. When you get to the rough stuff, chuck em away (well, don't cos you'll need em on the way home) as you won't need em anyway - in fact, they'll hinder your articulation. Airbags might be the go. Not too expensive and you can give that rear a lift and vary it according to your needs.

enjoy the trip
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Reply By: meandet - Thursday, Feb 07, 2008 at 08:59

Thursday, Feb 07, 2008 at 08:59
We found our Tvan was pushing the bum of our 4Runner down far enough to impact on the headlight aiming, ie we were flashed by nearly everyone when on low beam. We fitted poly-airs and have found them a good investment. They can be pumped up or down depending on load weights

Cheers

Peter
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