|
|
Post by nekochan on May 27, 2015 17:22:19 GMT 10
Hi,
We have a 1976 Viscount Supreme which I believe is 26' long, or at least something close to that (it's a two door model).
Does anyone know how much these weighed when they came out? This example has been fully renovated - bathroom, kitchen with full size house fridge, etc. I'm guessing this would all add at least a few hundred kg, if not more.
Just trying to work out how safe it is to tow. Somebody at a caravan yard estimated that it'd be close to 3000kg all up but I'm a little skeptical as the caravan has old car tyres on it, so surely 3000kg would be well over the load rating of 4 car tyres.
Thanks
|
|
|
|
Post by Mustang on May 27, 2015 17:33:13 GMT 10
I would suspect at the time your van was built, not many vehicles would be able to tow it, so they were generally delivered to a site at low speed.
|
|
|
|
Post by nekochan on May 28, 2015 13:25:03 GMT 10
So these older large caravans were never really intended to be used for holidays, they were more of a permanent site thing even when new?
It's being used as a permanent site now so I'm not concerned about whether or not it can make it around the country (I'm sure it wouldn't!), I was just curious since I've towed it behind a Ford G6E Turbo and had issues with traction (car spinning the wheels when accelerating normally) and swaying even at low speeds. It's clearly way too heavy for that car.
I might be wrong, but I swear it doesn't have brakes either. It definitely doesn't have the type with a spring in the A frame, and I'm fairly sure it doesn't have electric brakes either.
|
|
|
|
Post by doublechevron on May 28, 2015 14:32:57 GMT 10
So these older large caravans were never really intended to be used for holidays, they were more of a permanent site thing even when new? It's being used as a permanent site now so I'm not concerned about whether or not it can make it around the country (I'm sure it wouldn't!), I was just curious since I've towed it behind a Ford G6E Turbo and had issues with traction (car spinning the wheels when accelerating normally) and swaying even at low speeds. It's clearly way too heavy for that car. I might be wrong, but I swear it doesn't have brakes either. It definitely doesn't have the type with a spring in the A frame, and I'm fairly sure it doesn't have electric brakes either. It's probably not very heavy as it left the factory (1.5'ish tons... some of the modern average sized twin axle caravans are getting upto 3tons  ). However if it's been "renovated" with fittings from bunnings for kitchen/bathroom areas it will weigh immensely more than when it left the factory. it will certainly have electric brakes. Car tires == the cheapest things that were black and round to get it off the ground. So long as the renovation hasn't added masses of weights to the ends of it (eg: standard house MDF/chipboard kitchens/bathrooms) at the ends. If the ends are heavy, towed on half flat massively overloaded car tires, hitched to a ridiculously low modern car .... so it way nose down... yeah I imagine it's a handful to tow. Now if you fitted new light truck tires, check that it's not "end heavy", fixed up the electric brakes and towed it with just about any 4wd that brings the caravan up level, and used weight distrubution bars .... I'm sure it would tow quite well  .... Well they managed to tow them around with no problems for the last 40years seeya, Shane L. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 28, 2015 14:49:35 GMT 10
Those Viscounts were made to be towed,
Most people used F100 or Dodge trucks,and then the old Nissans and Landcruisers came along.
In standard form they were light for their time compared to modern vans,it was only later when fuel prices became prohibitive that these lovely old big vans were put out to pasture in caravans parks .
My 16 ft Viscount Royal weighs 960kg,my 14ft1955 Bondwood weighs 960,and my 18.6 new big white box weighs 1680 !
These are all empty weight checked on a weighbridge.
There are no badly towing caravans,just badly set up rigs!
Cheers
hughdeani
|
|
|
|
Post by doublechevron on May 28, 2015 15:18:47 GMT 10
Oh ... forgot to mention .... Don't move that 'van again unless you have a brake controller and working brakes Certainly you need to replace the tires too! As for swaying, I'm going to somehow save up and get myself an "andersen weight disbribution hitch". talk about smart, the exact opposite to the massive level rider bars and hayman reece stuff used in this country www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRoQ_yQZQwQI think I've been banned from the caravaners forum (apparently common sense is frowned upon), but have a look at the last page of this thread. Really interesting feedback: caravanersforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=55161&start=100seeya, Shane L. |
|
|
|
Post by Mustang on May 28, 2015 19:17:23 GMT 10
Wow Shane you have my attention on the "Anderson".
|
|
|
|
Post by Mustang on May 28, 2015 19:20:02 GMT 10
So these older large caravans were never really intended to be used for holidays, they were more of a permanent site thing even when new? It's being used as a permanent site now so I'm not concerned about whether or not it can make it around the country (I'm sure it wouldn't!), I was just curious since I've towed it behind a Ford G6E Turbo and had issues with traction (car spinning the wheels when accelerating normally) and swaying even at low speeds. It's clearly way too heavy for that car. I might be wrong, but I swear it doesn't have brakes either. It definitely doesn't have the type with a spring in the A frame, and I'm fairly sure it doesn't have electric brakes either. So glad its on a permanant site again  |
|
|
|
Post by doublechevron on May 29, 2015 13:26:22 GMT 10
|
|
.... Well they managed to tow them around with no problems for the last 40years 
....