CARAVAN GENIUS
Classy chassis and excellent axles
Ever wondered what goes on underneath your caravan? John Sootheran examines what you’ll find there and how you can best maintain it
Future Publishing Limited, the publisher of Practical Caravan, provides the information in this article in good faith and makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Individuals carrying out the instructions do so at their own risk and must exercise their independent judgement in determining the appropriateness of the advice to their circumstances. Individuals should take appropriate safety precautions and be aware of the risk of electrocution when dealing with electrical products. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither Future nor its employees or agents shall have any liability in connection with the use of this information. You should check that any van warranty will not be affected before proceeding with DIY projects.
IN SIMPLE TERMS, caravans are big white boxes built on a rolling steel chassis, consisting of a steel frame and axle(s).
This very practical design has been around for some 100 years and is a very straightforward, cost-effective solution to the conundrum of creating towable accommodation.
Over the years, chassis design has evolved to maximise safety, towing manners and longevity, and to reduce weight.
The chassis is a steel frame, stretching the length and width of the caravan, onto which the living accommodation is bolted and (sometimes) bonded.
At the front end of the chassis is the hitch head, the A-shaped frame housing the handbrake, breakaway cable, jockey wheel and towball, and connecting the caravan to the car.
Modern caravan chassis are galvanized to prevent or at least minimise corrosion. This involves the steel members being coated with a layer of corrosion-resistant zinc. For caravans, a ‘hot-dipped’ process is employed, whereby the metal chassis members pass through a bath of molten zinc, heated