Anyone know anything about caravans?

[adamwatson]

A friend has an old compass citizen 340 caravan. When they were towing it the other day the suspension collapsed. It seems the rubber suspension has gone and someone badly fitted coilovers to it and the shonky welding snapped and the mount fell off. If I can't source a replacement axle is OK to just do the coil over mounts properly? I used to repair crashed race cars so I can build the mounts so they don't snap but I don't know anything about the axles and if they are likely to come apart if the rubber "springs" have collapsed/perished.

They've been quoted £600 to have the axle rebuilt but thats out their price range and not far off the value of the van.

Thanks

Adam

[colnerov]

Hi, those indispension units are a square axle set at 45 degrees in a square tube with rubber in the corners which act as the spring. There is a nylon bush each end to support the rotation of it and there will be a plate fixed on the inner end to stop it coming out. The external boxes rot out and fall apart, so check if the box, end plate and the bushes are OK first.

Colin

[composimmonite]

Look at an alternative caravan axle with similar rubber suspension. The rubber only goes a short distance into the tube so you can safely cut a chuck out of the middle and reweld to narrow to the width you require.

[optimusprime2]

Do some hunting ,lots of breakers in uk .