Hi guys , our Bailey is similar re length and height to that first one pictured We did a half lap a couple of years ago and no issues re approach angles etc in servos etc ,, except one which l gave a miss, short and steep You have to pick your marks when it came to gravel roads and use common sense It handles well on the black top and sure , wind gusts side on can effect speed and stability to a certain degree , same as all vans l guess...the low centre of gravity assists here Ours has an upgraded ATM of 1800kg , kitchens in the centre , dining forward of that and full ensuite at rear Spare is located underneath , rear of axles
We averaged 13.5 litres per 100 ks over 20,000k sitting on a bit bit below highway limits , sometimes on the limit
It's great for what we could afford and tows extremely well , of course not for everyone but works for us As already mentioned here , caravans have to be loaded pretty right of else it's a disaster waiting to happen , we shudder seeing some of the shocking setups some people tow around
Safe travels , cheers
Says it all really, and not from a spectators view.
PeterD said
04:13 PM Jan 26, 2021
Just as well those who are declaring that the axles are in the wrong place don't have to account for their opinions. How many of you have actually run a tape over a van like that? I think anyone pronouncing that the van is "illegal" just bu eyeballing a photo are being stupid. In borderline cases you really need to measure before you pronounce an opinion.
As for "Too low, axle set not far enough rearward," how do you know? Did you weigh the tow ball weight? I have seen (and owned one) Oz built vans where the tow ball would have been overweight if the wheels had not been in the centre. Vans are not built with a uniform weight over their length. Most generally have heavier ball weights after they have been loaded. Vans with kitchens across their front need their axles further back than centre kitchen vans. No one has even proffered what the layout of the van is.
Let us cease all this stupidity about it being illegal. They would not have been allowed in their home country if things were not right.
yobarr said
08:33 PM Jan 26, 2021
7PeterD wrote:
Just as well those who are declaring that the axles are in the wrong place don't have to account for their opinions. How many of you have actually run a tape over a van like that? I think anyone pronouncing that the van is "illegal" just bu eyeballing a photo are being stupid. In borderline cases you really need to measure before you pronounce an opinion.
As for "Too low, axle set not far enough rearward," how do you know? Did you weigh the tow ball weight? I have seen (and owned one) Oz built vans where the tow ball would have been overweight if the wheels had not been in the centre. Vans are not built with a uniform weight over their length. Most generally have heavier ball weights after they have been loaded. Vans with kitchens across their front need their axles further back than centre kitchen vans. No one has even proffered what the layout of the van is.
Let us cease all this stupidity about it being illegal. They would not have been allowed in their home country if things were not right.
Oh dear Peter,you appear to be somewhat confused! Nowhere has anybody said the van is illegal...did you not observe the question mark in the thread's title.I simply was seeking opinions because,to me,this van looks to be ridiculously unbalanced.The LAW is that the LOAD area in front of the rear axis must be more than the rear overhang.The rear overhang,or distance from rear axis to rearmost extremity must not exceed 3700mm.Apart from the fact that this does not appear to be the case with this van,there always is the issue of yaw....with the length of this van,and the apparent rear overhang,combined with a "toy" car,this is an accident looking for a place to happen. The van appears to have a central kitchen,and a rear bedroom area,complete with ensuite,so weight is rearwards. And to suggest that it would not have been registered "if things were not right" is fanciful.....I will not elaborate for fear of offending the faint hearted amongst us.To help with you understanding how laws can be manipulated to help with registering unsafe vehicles,I ask you to observe how the van in my picture has an absolutely useless tray in front of the body,to increase "front load area".Hope this helps you? Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Tuesday 26th of January 2021 10:40:19 PM
Oh dear Chris a simple check with a ruler indicates that your posted pic has a rear length of 98% approx of the front section without the invisible front useless tray. You suggested the van is illegal by posting it in the first place. A central kitchen with fridge and oven would account for the heaviest items in the van over the axles then both ends would be mostly open space, whats your problem.
Alan
yobarr said
10:39 PM Jan 26, 2021
Brenda and Alan wrote:
Oh dear Chris a simple check with a ruler indicates that your posted pic has a rear length of 98% approx of the front section without the invisible front useless tray. You suggested the van is illegal by posting it in the first place. A central kitchen with fridge and oven would account for the heaviest items in the van over the axles then both ends would be mostly open space, whats your problem.
Alan
Alan,might I suggest that you read ,and absorb,the information contained in the first four lines of my post that is above yours? And perhaps you could measure the van that is in my original post? Cheers
Says it all really, and not from a spectators view.
As for "Too low, axle set not far enough rearward," how do you know? Did you weigh the tow ball weight? I have seen (and owned one) Oz built vans where the tow ball would have been overweight if the wheels had not been in the centre. Vans are not built with a uniform weight over their length. Most generally have heavier ball weights after they have been loaded. Vans with kitchens across their front need their axles further back than centre kitchen vans. No one has even proffered what the layout of the van is.
Let us cease all this stupidity about it being illegal. They would not have been allowed in their home country if things were not right.
Oh dear Peter,you appear to be somewhat confused! Nowhere has anybody said the van is illegal...did you not observe the question mark in the thread's title.I simply was seeking opinions because,to me,this van looks to be ridiculously unbalanced.The LAW is that the LOAD area in front of the rear axis must be more than the rear overhang.The rear overhang,or distance from rear axis to rearmost extremity must not exceed 3700mm.Apart from the fact that this does not appear to be the case with this van,there always is the issue of yaw....with the length of this van,and the apparent rear overhang,combined with a "toy" car,this is an accident looking for a place to happen. The van appears to have a central kitchen,and a rear bedroom area,complete with ensuite,so weight is rearwards. And to suggest that it would not have been registered "if things were not right" is fanciful.....I will not elaborate for fear of offending the faint hearted amongst us.To help with you understanding how laws can be manipulated to help with registering unsafe vehicles,I ask you to observe how the van in my picture has an absolutely useless tray in front of the body,to increase "front load area".Hope this helps you? Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Tuesday 26th of January 2021 10:40:19 PM
Oh dear Chris a simple check with a ruler indicates that your posted pic has a rear length of 98% approx of the front section without the invisible front useless tray. You suggested the van is illegal by posting it in the first place. A central kitchen with fridge and oven would account for the heaviest items in the van over the axles then both ends would be mostly open space, whats your problem.
Alan
Alan,might I suggest that you read ,and absorb,the information contained in the first four lines of my post that is above yours? And perhaps you could measure the van that is in my original post? Cheers