If you tow a camper, trailer or caravan, read on!!!

Hi Michael

sounds like you handled it all quite well, no panic and thought things throughlogically. Ditch Optus is my suggestion no matter how much we despise Telstra at times service is superior in many many places.

We are on the road in 3 tonne van and resigned to fact we can't carry everything despite the very remote travl we do at times.

On the trailer bit,,, you could have an endless list,,,,, axle/ stub axles; coupling; cross member; mudguards; shackles; shackle bolts etc etc so we have to do what is reasonable to us as individuals, and on case by case basis.

Inspections can help as you alluded to. I've replaced the floor in a 25 year old box trailer twice and 2 cross members due to rust. Whilst in Adelaide the trailer was used by someone else and overloaded and unknown to me the A frame was cracked on one side. I had a full load for the dump from sister in laws place and jumped on A frame to tie down the load and it felt"springy". A quick inspection revealed it was really springy.

It's off the road waiting for new A frame,,, so you are not alone in having problems.

Best maintained $500,000 prime movers still break down believe me.

Good luck and well done.

Good of you to raise this important subject though.

Hi Michael

We have twice had failures; both times it was spring hanger bolts on our caravan. In 2008 the back bolts broke and the spring dragged (with Simplicity suspension, you don't know). We were 90 kms west of Warburton WA, so fairly remote. We drove back some way and found the brackets, and thought we'd most likely have to go to Kalgoorlie for bolts. Luckily we had the right ones in our bags of bolts. Last year we were in the Davenport Ranges south east of Tennant Creek NT, only this time it was front bolts, which resulted in the spring curling up under the van beyond repair. We needed out satellite phone and patience, while camped on the road for two weeks. We replaced both springs and all brackets and bolts with genuine parts from the Simplicity factory.

Murphy is always lurking out there to get you!

Motherhen

Know all about your problem

2 years ago on way up the Cape we diverted to Cape Melville and on the way back I noticed in the mirror that the r/hand wheel was more visible than usual.
U Bolts had come loose resulting in 2 spring leaves broken.
Had a new spring (as you always do) in the trailer but what I didn't check was the shackle bolt size on the new spring. (yep it was too small and didn't have a drill that big) so ended stripping new spring and rebuilding old one. We would have been well and truly stuck without the spares. Reason it came loose was the U Bolt plate was only 8mm thick and was bending every time I tightened/checked the U bolts. Replaced it with a 16mm plate in Bamaga and have had no problems since. As a bare minimum you should carry a main leaf, U Bolts and plate on off road trips.

Rod

It's just impossible to carry everything and you know the bit you need will be the one you didn't bring. One of my handiest investments is quite a cheap, small gadget called a Clamp-it that can be used to do emergency repairs in an incredible range of situations. I have seen leaf springs temporarily fixed with these. You will find them on the web. The usual "I'm not connected to them in any way" disclaimer.

Hi Michael
I was once told by someone that travelled around the lap that if he had carried all the spares he needed he would have had to take a 5 tonne truck.
The one thing he regretted not taking was his welder to weld up all the wizbang doors of the backpacker campervans parked next to him.
Regard
Ted

Thanks for the replies everyone, This situation caught me out this time. I have a mechanical background and i have always had the thinking that there is always another way, but in this case without help, there was not! I forgot to mention that both springs are bent, (main leaf) and one of the pads that are welded to the axle to keep the centre bolt on the springs in position was only held by 2 small dots of weld, the rest of the weld had been broken for some time , indicated by the rust between the broken weld and the axle. This pad broke off also. I also had a Treg hitch so no damage to the Patrol or Trailer "A" frame.
I think as far as a trailer/caravan goes, a spare spring, a set of U bolts and nuts and 2 centre bolts for the springs would cover most situations with leaf spring suspension failure.. $130 total for the parts may mean repairing the trailer and on your way the same day, waiting a week for the bits or leaving it behind. Regards Michael.

Hi Michael, Looks like it is time for a new undercarriage, you know, springs, axle, seeing as it is bent, and new shackles.

On last holiday (Nov 09) traveling along Thunderbolts Way between Gloucester and Walcha, in fact just 12 K south of Nowendoc I broke a main leaf on the spring on the left back axle on the 2 tonne van which allowed the wheel to rub on the underside of the wheel arch and nearly caused a fire.. No spares of course but that is usually the way. What you do carry is not what you need. Murphys Law!

Luckily I always carry a full set of tools including long bodied sockets. Any way, found a safe place to pull off a fairly narrow road and pulled the spring off and drove 80 clicks into Walcha and had a temporary repair done which got us to Tamworth for replacements. But I have decided to replace all springs because if one went how many more of the four of them are ready to go also.

As you have shown as an example, a cool head can usually get you out of most predicaments, Oh and it helps to have obliging brothers to. I have one also.

Cheers, Bruce.