suspension

hi ronc2
i just googled the top
i asked ----
whats the best suspension for a caravan on dirt/off rd
and it came up with 32900 results
google is your friend and any topic that is dicussed on explore oz usually will come up on google
its just a mater of how you put the question to google
if you use various questions related to the top you will get a variation of different answers enjoy the hours of reading ps im not trying to fob you off e oz
just a helpfull sugestion some poeple dont realize the above
cheers barry

Gooday Ron : bean axle , rocker suspension would have to be the most popular type of suspension set up for carrying big heavy loads i would think . as you say independent my be better but a lot more moving part , more things to brake down on you !!

just as important is how the suspension is welded to the chassis ( engineered )
and driving to the road conditions .

The beam axle type of suspension will work fine in all type of terrain you are talking about here .

good luck with your purchase ......

Hi Ron,


Here is some information which I hope you will find helpful in your deliberations. I do not wish to get into an argument about suspension but Andrew is correct – just because something is commonly used does not mean it’s the most suitable.

The Laws of Physics (Hooke’s Law) identify that are some significant scientific benefits of independent suspension. There are 2 proven general benefits of independent suspension (IS).

(1) IS leaves a tunnel underneath the centre of the van for better clearance – an axle suspension can drag the axle when the wheels fall into a rut and will act like a boat anchor to bog the tow vehicle.

(2) But the most compelling reason to have IS is an engineering one- IS breaks up “harmonic motion”. Harmonic motion means that at a particular speed of travel on ruts or corrugations the “bounce” will build on itself to create a destructive force. This force can (in some cases) be sufficient to catastrophically fail a beam axle/leaf suspension system.

Hooke’s Law states that the amount a spring will be compressed or stretched from equilibrium is directly proportional to the applied force. This is why most IS systems also employ shock absorbers – a device that removes energy stored when the spring is compressed (eg by pothole in road). Normally a shock absorber works by pushing a fluid through a small hole by a piston. As the fluid is pushed through the small hole it is heated thus converting the stored energy to heat which is dissipated into the atmosphere. This allows the spring to return to equilibrium without “overshooting” the equilibrium point.

I researched suspension systems about 12 months ago before ordering a new van (incl a discussion with a friend who has a PhD in mechanical engineering). I am convinced IS is significantly better than beam axle suspension and chose for our new van independent trailing arm coil suspension with 8 shock absorbers. Our brand is Cruisemaster but there are others –G&S, Simplicity, Sugarglider etc. If you do a search on these words in the secord hand caravan web sites you should find some for sale (also try the word independent in searching of course).

Of course whatever van and suspension you get you must always drive to the prevailing conditions. But I noticed on a recent (first) trip on a corrugated road our van sat beautifully level on the corrugations without bouncing all over the place like some we were following.

Good luck in whatever you choose and happy caravanning.
Cheers