Caravan and Chassis Inspections Identify Pending Disasters
Caravan and chassis inspections should be undertaken by your service mechanic at least yearly or certainly before big trips. Campers and in particular, caravans suffer wear and tear during every trip. The extent of the wear and tear is determined by the roads travelled. Corrugated roads being the worst offender for wear and tear on caravans. Heavier caravans suffer more damage to component parts than lighter caravans.
Caravan Electric Braking Solution
Our testing has found electric drums are not magnetised when an energised magnet engages a drum for several days. However, by turning the drum and applying a magnet to the surface of the drum, a different result is achieved.
Australian Made Campaign Solves Import Shipping Problems
A question was put to the owner by senior management recently, “Will Australian buyers return to their normal purchasing habits once Covid-19 is finished and international travel resumes”?
50mm Cast Tow Bar Receiver – Australian Made
50mm Cast Tow Bar Receiver Couplemate’s 50mm cast tow bar receiver is Made in Australia for Australian conditions. Covid-19 has provided the opportunity to increase Australian Made parts produced by Couplemate. Australian companies have experienced unusually...
Dee Shackles and Safety Chains
Drawbar safety chain attachments should not come into contact with the road surface when the trailer is disconnected. – VSB1. Safety chains must be stamped at least every 4 links.
Refurbishing Brake Caliper Pistons on your Boat Trailer
Whilst it is true that phenolic pistons resist corrosion, they are known to scratch over time and can also sit for long periods. As a result, the hard plastic material becomes hygroscopic. Therefore, reconditioning phenolic pistons is not recommended.
Towing a Balanced Caravan
Towing a Balanced Caravan Towing a balanced caravan is a daunting task for new caravanners. It is hard to tow a caravan. We find a large number of caravanners have been advised to install load levelling devices. Load levellers or weight distribution hitches were...
Improving your Caravan Brake Wiring Ability
Some trailers and caravans are very long and therefore incur more voltage drop than usual. Measure the voltage drop from the battery to the last electric magnet.
IRS Axles and Drop Axles with Thin Drop Plates causing Problems
In our opinion, bearing buddies can cause grease contamination of brake shoes when overfilled. Couplemate has concluded that bearing buddies are unsafe to be used in conjunction with drums brakes and should be immediately replaced with conventional or grommeted grease caps.
How a Bearing Buddy can Destroy Caravan Brakes
Latest News: Bearing Buddys destroy Drum brakes of any type, mechanical, hydraulic or electric. Drum brakes fail when using bearing protectors incorrectly. An overfilled bearing cavity spills grease onto brake shoes and other equipment inside the backing plate.
Caravan Electric Brake Problems Simplified
Caravans and some heavier campers are continuing to experience braking problems in mountainous regions. Overheating drums are a major concern for owners as they strive to improve their braking. Couplemate have deconstructed and simplified electric braking problems.
How to Optimise Caravan Stabiliser Leg Setups
I travelled from Melbourne to Perth in January 2020 visiting camping ground and talking to caravanners. I was amazed to discover the most popular deployment methods of stabiliser drop legs and corner steadies .
What is my Wheel P.C.D.
“I have no idea what PCD is nor do I know how to calculate it?” is an answer we hear frequently from customers. Technically, Pitch Circle Diameter (PCD) is the diameter of the circle that passes through the centre of the wheel studs, wheel bolts or wheel rim holes.
Bluetooth Battery Monitor Check
BatteryCheck enabled travellers to better understand the mystery inside the battery, providing valuable information on it’s health and status.
Caravan Wheel Nut Indicators
Caravan wheel nut indicators help identify loose wheel nuts caused by rough dirt roads. Broken wheel studs are regularity occurrence on open highways around Australia.
How to measure Rim and Tyre Backspace
Wheel backspace is an essential measurement for the manufacture of axle length. The first thing you need to do when building a new trailer is to buy your rims and types.
Alternatively, you could purchase your rims and tyres from us and we’ll do the calculation for you. One more complication, we need to know your chassis width.
Loose Axle U-bolts Cause Highway Havoc
Loose axle U-bolts causes highway havoc for unsuspecting caravaners. The reality of not checking your rig before heading on your family holiday can easily become a nightmare.
Today’s article has been generated from yet another unsuspecting driver who forgot to re-tighten u-bolts after the first 300 kilometres from new.
Broken Couplings and Jack-knife Trailers
Broken couplings and pintle hooks are a result of jackknife trailer. Jackknifing trailers usually occurs when reversing. The driver is unaware the trailer is approaching jack knife angles.
Stretching U-Bolts cause Caravanning Problems
Caravanning problems caused by stretching u-bolts can usually be easily fixed, however, unforeseen issues can have disastrous consequences. An example is the humble u bolt that clamps the spring to the axle. The bond between the spring and the axle prevents catastrophic events at high speed.
Galvanised ElectroGal® Trailer Parts
Galvanised trailer and caravan parts have undergone a quiet revolution. Gone are the hot-dipped galvanising methods that were used in many processes. Hot-dipped galvanising whilst still very popular is being replaced by ElectroGal® or a Mechanical Galvanising process.
How to Auto Calculate Truck D-Value
Calculate D-Value for Towing Equipment on the Truck | Trailer. D-Value is one of the most understood calculations in the truck and trailer industry. We will try and make it easy with a little technology and science.
Easy Steps to Install a Marine Bearing Seal Correctly
Grease is applied to seals and bearings for one reason only, to reduce friction. Friction produces heat, excess heat through incorrect installation destroys bearings. Is it true that 40% of all bearings do not live their full engineering life due to bad installation practices?
How to Align Caravan Wheels
If the tandem wheels are not square, call your service agent for an alignment. It is quite likely that your u bolts have come loose and your rig has sustained some shock loading during your travels, This moves axles backwards and out of alignment.
Hot Joints in Caravan Electrical Connections and Fire
Hot Joints are a common problem to find in electrical connections on your trailers and inside your caravans. A hot joint is an electrical connection that becomes loose over time or connected by only a few strands in the connector ferrule.
Electronic Control Units (ECU) and Towing Looms
This simple ECU has 5 pole or circuits and the main power circuit. It draws power from the battery and powers lights through relays in the ECU. Therefore the car computer does not know it is connected as there is no extra circuitry or resistance that can be detected by the vehicle computer.
Lanyard Breakaway Switch Safety Alert
The Lanyard on your breakaway switch is likely to have been installed without being shortened. A simple adjustment could save your life.
How Electric Drums become Electrically Polarised
Here is a simple test for your electric drums to test to prove polarisation. Point your trailer coupling facing north or south. Residual magnetism can be excess positive ions(North Pole) or excess negative ions (South Pole).
Truck Trailer Pintle Coupling Scales
If you are heavy on the scales, shift weight from the front of the axle set to a more central location. This action will lower the weight on your tow ball, allowing your vehicle to become lighter and therefore brake more effectively.
Why does my Caravan not stop quickly when braking?
Do your car brakes effectively stop your caravan? Back in the day when dad towing our caravan with his Holden, hitch-ups were something dada did and knew about. Truth is, he knew where the fuel when in the car and the coupling had to be attached to the tow ball to haul the caravan.
Bearing Buddy fallen off or stolen?
Bearing Buddy is a machine fit as opposed to a compression fit. Machine fit sizes are not as flexible as compression fits. Unless you are aware of precautions that need to be taken, you may lose your bearing buddy on the first bump in the road.
Video: How can I stop Caravan Sway
Learn why we recommend tow ball weights should be 5% to 7% on a tandem trailer and 7% to 10% on a single axle trailer. The key to significantly reducing caravan sway is knowing the weight of your tow ball.
How to avoid a Towing Disaster
Towing your caravan is not as simple as you would think. Whilst enlarging your existing receiver bar from 22mm to 32mm might not seem a big deal, it will quickly become obvious a this is not a solution for towing your $80,000 rig.
How to Reduce Dangerous Caravan Vibration Fatigue
If Vibration Fatigue can bring down a Boeing 747, you can be sure it will bring down your Caravan too. Boeing has taken precautions against vibration fatigue and so should you. Consider the following article, there may be a few precautions you can take or at least check.
Upgrade Begins with Replacing Broken Caravan Springs
Imagine driving down the highway, listening to Jimmy Barnes on the radio when you notice your caravan feels a little different. Upgrading your rig is not for everyone and certainly not for later model caravans on the roads today.
Why dirt roads destroy Electric Brakes
Learn how dirt roads destroy Electric Brakes. Unsuspecting caravan owners discover their electric braking systems and electric drums are being rendered defective by vibrations transferred to braking systems by corrugated roads.
Why U-bolts May be the Major Cause of Accidents
U-bolts are the only thing holding your entire caravan onto the road. They bind your axle to your springs. Faulty U-Bolt installation can cause major problems with caravans when u-bolts are not checked for tighness..
New Caravans and Weighbridge Certificates
Need a weighbridge certificate. Download a PDF file of Australian weighbridge locations. Note: Call them before arrival.
Can Caravan Overlay Axles be inverted?
Can I invert my Caravans Overlay Axle? Bill asked me a great question on the Couplemate website yesterday. He asked “I want to invert my overlay axle, so my caravan gains extra height. Currently, it hits the top of the mudguard.” So Bill here is our...
Wrong Spring Hanger Location Causes Problems
First of all, go out and measure your hanger measurement and then measure your spring width eye to eye. If your brackets are the same length as you spring measurement then there is only ONE FIX. Are your springs squeaking as you travel down the highway?
This common problem has an easy fix that will surprise you.
Premium Caravan 4WD and Trailer Parts prove a great investment.
Caravan and Trailer parts can be hard to find, not at Couplemate.. Caravan and trailer parts like 635mm short shackle springs can be difficult to find because most stockists do not carry a large inventory of parts.
D -Value for Pintle Hooks
D -Value for Pintle Hooks is critical when selecting the correct pintle hook because depending on your truck and trailer weight, the D-Value is changing.
Dee Shackle Tips to Select the Correct Size
Dee Shackle rating is often too high for your caravan. Learn how to calculate the correct dee shackle size? Your Dee Shackle must be of a comparable size to your safety chain. The only way you can prove comparability is with a rated shackle or a stamped dee shackle.
How to raise a Caravan or Trailer Suspension
A strange, occasional noise was a tyre hitting the top of the wheel arch when a pothole jumped up and smacked it. Creating more ground clearance works a treat, or did I open up a can of worms instead of fixing the problem?
How to Clean your Caravan Air Conditioner
How to EASILY reinvigorate your Caravan Air Conditioner to near NEW. Big Savings off Electricity Bills, Secrets on how to Clean your Caravan Air Conditioner effectively. Easy remedy shocks caravanners with simplicity. Listen carefully and share.
Mag Wheel Nuts and Lug Nuts
Mag Wheel Nuts and Lug Nuts Mag Wheel Nuts and Lug Nuts are just a fancy accessory I do not need. Well, the word RUST may change your mind. Your nuts will lock onto your stud when your studs become rusty. So your rust wheel studs are the culprit. Wheel nuts are...
Why Caravan Bearings and Boat Bearing Fail
Caravan and trailer bearings can be a contentious issue especially when they fail. Seeing a wheel off a caravan on my way home on Australia has triggered this article. I would appreciate it if you could share this with your mates as many folks forget to do bearing checks. Failed bearings can also cause a wheel to come off and roll into incoming traffic with really nasty outcomes.
How does a Pintle Hook work?
“Well, I incorrectly installed my pintle hook and ring coupling equipment, and within one month my equipment is ruined.”
How Long Do Caravan Shock Absorbers Last?
Customers regularly ask, ‘How long do caravan shock absorbers last?’. Unfortunately, the answer is not simple and can depend on a variety of factors. Generally, shock absorbers should last between 50,000km and 100,000km but this is all dependant on...
Video: Vibration Fatigue in Caravans and Boat Trailers
Vibration fatigue in caravans and boat trailers is one of the leading causes of spring failure, axle failure and failures associated with your running gear. Have you ever seen an axle wobble in the middle as its owner drives down the highway oblivious to what is occurring under his rig?