RV FEATURE
DO I NEED SHOCK ABSORBERS ?
This is a great question for around the campfire because it ’ s bound to start an argument . Shock absorbers do exactly as their name suggests : they absorb the shock generated when a wheel hits a bump or hole by controlling the rebound of the spring . This keeps the wheel in contact with the road , smoothing out the ride .
Leaf springs do have some shock absorption abilities thanks to the friction generated between the individual leaves in the spring pack , so many people say that shock absorbers are not necessary for these types of suspension . In reality , friction cannot completely eliminate the bouncing effect .
Coil springs have no inherent rebound control , so shock absorbers must be fitted to these suspension systems .
While leaf springs are generally reliable , they are prone to snapping . Regular maintenance and avoiding rough roads will go along way to preventing this occurring .
DO I NEED LOAD-SHARING SUSPENSION ?
In order to answer this correctly , it is important to know what loadsharing suspension actually does . The load on any trailer , including a caravan , is generally not distributed evenly , either front to back or side to side . This means the load on each wheel will be different unless the suspension is load-sharing . In trailers with more than one axle , if too much of the trailer ’ s weight is on one wheel , it can affect handling , stability and wear and tear .
For this reason , the Australian Design Rules ( ADRs ) specify that “ all axles in a group must be interconnected by a load-sharing suspension except in a closecoupled axle group where the two axles in a group have their centres not more than 1m apart , three axles not more than 2m apart , or four or more axles not more than 3.2m apart ”.
Where non-load-sharing suspension is used in closecoupled axles , the ADRs go on to specify that the following must apply : “ The individual axles , and the wheels and tyres fitted to each axle , must have a load-carrying capacity at least 120 per cent of the load on that axle with the trailer at its ATM ( maximum permitted load )”.
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