I presume that the site was big enough for the road train? (vbg)

Magnarc wrote:

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I presume that the site was big enough for the road train? (vbg)

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 Yes Phil, the site certainly is big enough for a Road train, but I am back travelling in the car for now. Got sick of same stuff every day so chucked it in and left town. There is a huge number of vacancies for Roadtrain drivers, so I may do another stint later this year.

Planned to do Great Central road but a friend who is presently travelling wants to meet me in Perth early November, by which time it'll be getting a bit hot out in Central Oz, so I'll wait until next March-April before setting off on that road.Cheers

 

2trout wrote:

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It's interesting who you sometimes run into when traveling.

We pulled up at a free campsite at Coolgardie last week, which is about 3000 km from home. There was one other van parked there. The owner came out to say gooday. It turned out to be our favorite, "The Great Yobarr". We had a nice chat over a cup of coffee and it turns out that he remembered me from my number plate "2TROUT" as he had sent me some very valuable information about tow weights about 2 years earlier.

Lovely to have met you in person and I look forward to some more valuable feedback in the future.

 

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 Careful Trevor, Yobarrs' head will swell up and won't be able to fit it in his 79 Tojo.

Anyone that helps others is worth time around the campfire. In Yobarr's case I'd enjoy the moment... he could supply the wood as same would overload my SUV. :) . I have cake...

Eaglemax wrote:

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Anyone that helps others is worth time around the campfire. In Yobarr's case I'd enjoy the moment... he could supply the wood as same would overload my SUV. :) . I have cake 

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 Who's bringing the beer? Although sometimes I suspect that your posts are simply baiting me, and are suitably ignored, always I am happy to meet fellow Grey Nomads for a chat, and to compare notes.

Always I offer help with weights, but sometimes someone wants to argue the point over things that they don't really understand. 

This is where trouble starts! Despite our differences your posts suggest to me that you're a man of some intelligence, which is great because I don't suffer fools gladly. 

As far as firewood goes, that should be easily obtained as I carry a chainsaw, a reciprocating saw, a bow saw and a couple of axes, one being a hatchet. Take care. Cheers

 

P.S Sad to see that Mr Toyota has chosen, after 40 years, to spoil the venerable 70 series by offering a silly little 4 cylinder Buzz Box engine and, horror of horrors, a slush-box transmission. Spare me!

You can be sure that I'll be keeping my little V8 until it is my time to make the journey we all will make.

 

               NOT MY 79. 

 

 

-- Edited by yobarr on Tuesday 26th of September 2023 10:57:18 AM

Eaglemax wrote:

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Yobarr, I admit not knowing weights as much as yourself. It's never been about weights nor your knowledge of them, it's your delivery to the responses that I find harsh but helping others trumps all that. But I still doubt you've succumbed to the reality of light vans having light towball weights. 9th paragraph https://rvbooks.com.au/caravan-tow-ball-weight/ Nevertheless we could easily chew the cud over a Cinzano, the only drink we drink unless its someone elses. But we are in SW Victoria but it just might happen one day. You can talk road trains and I can talk about my past professions.... which to date havent been public. When it does you can test drive our NQ5 GT sportage diesel and Jurgens Sungazer... while I drink your beer at cruising speed and I wont spill a drop... Tony

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 Very thoughtful of you! Used to drink VB although now mainly 4X, but not common in WA, so Great Northern or JD. 

My responses may appear 'harsh' but I easily tire of arguing facts with people who think they know stuff, but don't.

When I joined the forum some 5 years ago and dared to show how a WDH really works I was attacked and abused from all sides. Nobody could understand that a WDH increases the weight of a caravan by putting around 30% of the weight that it transfers from the car's rear axle, to the van's axle group.

It does this because a WDH DOES NOT change towball weight, so obviously if weight on wheels increases, so does total weight.

Slowly it has been accepted that this is exactly what happens, as evidenced by several members now posting exactly that in their valuable contributions.

My representations regarding the inability of an LC200 to safely and legally tow 3500kg as a PIG trailer were met with similar disdain until other members came out in my support.  

Among my many files I have kept copies of many of those supporting posts. 

Unfortunately, in my travels hardly a day goes by when at least one of these cars, with a boat on its roof and bicycles hanging off the back of the van, along with jerry cans etc pulls in to the camp I'm in.

And don't they get cranky when this is pointed out to them. Rarely do I approach others in the camp but regularly people visit me to enquire about my Solar setup, and the conversation soon moves to weights when they query the weight of 6x275 watt panels. 

There are a couple of other things that regularly put me at odds with others. C'est la vie! Cheers

P.S What general area are you in in  SW Victoria? Waaay back I once worked at Rosedale. 

 

Eaglemax wrote:

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Rosedale is SE Victoria, I'm in Camperdown between Colac and Warrnambool. I built this house 3 years ago so was 64yo when I did that, too old so paid the price physically but nearly mended. The 2nd house I have built. 

 

People do think they know things when they dont know enough of what they should know. Then, there is the general defiance that grumpy old men have when they get educated. I wrote and article once (one of 300) on that topic "talking to men, some tips". Many women thanked me, trouble was it was meant for men on how to talk to each other often about mental health or safety items/activity. Some men that are spoken to wont take any advice if they feel even slightly humiliated. Sad but true. Giving advice to a caravanner with a tinny on the top and overloaded, the pleasure would be in the likelihood they'll take the advice and save a head on collision. But if they ignore advice because they felt like a boy in a primary school, the objectivity is lost. Women are different especially in the towing game, all that I've met have been appreciative just like the one you assisted recently.

 Regards Tony

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 Small world. I used to operate an excavator in the Otway Ranges, maintaining roads, drains, embankments etc. Based in Colac and drove out to the jobsites each morning, in the freezing cold and deep mud. Not  much fun so I soon got out of there though. Cheers

I thought I was a beerologist.  When I separated from my first wife, I'd make home brew, coopers). Made it in my van annex. Then went to work at midnight. When I arrived back at the van park there was a distinct smell of beer. Overnight half of those bottles exploded. The manager wasnt amused so we came to an agreement. Each time he was on the ride on mower I'd hand him a long neck. Worked out well. But my best brew was Cumquat liquor. Get a sherry bottle, half filled with Cumquats pricked with a toothpick, half fill with sugar and fill it up with sweet sherry... minimum 6 months and ..mmmmm

2trout wrote:

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Hi Eaglemax,

Camperdown eh!

I don't suppose that you have heard of Pomborneit North (state school no. 3898)? Or have you ever fished Purrumbete or Bullen Merri? I love the bakery opposite the theatre in Manifold Street.

Cheers,

Trevor

 

 

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 Hi Trevor,

Only been here 3 years. Came from Euroa before that. Only just taken up fishing as was at Wellington Lake recently and saw fish, large ones jumping out into the air, thought gee, theres dinner right there. Yesterday went to the lake cafe and saw a few boats out there. Bakery is good, nice bread.

Tony

Yobarr - given the risk of starting something that will likely go on forever, regarding your statement that a WDH increases the weight on the trailer wheels, I note that there is no additional weight on the hitch (ball). I have an Anderson hitch, and it functions only as a lever to twist the towball forwards at the top and rearwards at the bottom. all that does is transfer the "moments" forward in the tug which lessens the downward moments on the rear of the tug. No effect on the trailer whatsoever. Tell me how I'm wrong. B Writing from Doomadgee - nobody gives a stuff about the "Voice" here.

Kebbin wrote:

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Anyone who drinks Great Northern deserves a medal & anyone who drinks Great Northern and likes it should see a Beerologist.

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 Totally true but those beers, bad as they are, are a huge step up from xxxx. Nobody, BUT nobody with an ounce of sanity drinks xxxx, which should really drop one of the exes from it's brand name to reveal the nature of it's true ingredients...

Not so, but leave it at that. Neither adds or detracts.

Maybe you could see one in operation and work it

out in your head? It only twists the ball forward at the top

and rearward at the bottom.

 

B

-- Edited by Brodie Allen on Tuesday 24th of October 2023 11:35:34 AM

Brodie Allen wrote:

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Not so, but leave it at that. Neither adds or detracts.

Maybe you could see one in operation and work it

out in your head? It only twists the ball forward at the top

and rearward at the bottom.

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 Surely you jest? The towball is fixed to the shank, a solid bar that is inserted into the receiver in the car's towbar.

It does not 'twist' forward or rearward.

The chains are the only flexible side of a 4 sided figure (rectangle?)  that otherwise has 3 solid sides that cannot have their overall length altered when the 4th side (Chain)  is shortened.

Shortening the chains results in the 4th side becoming shorter and forcing a change of shape of what was a rectangle.

As can be seen, because the bottom side now is shorter there is naturally a downward force applied to the trailer's drawbar.

This downward force on the drawbar naturally applies weight to the van's axle group. 

And that is how a WDH works. Simple stuff. Cheers

P.S Please excuse the messy drawing, but drawing pictures never has been my strong point! Cheers

 

Brodie Allen wrote:

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Not so, but leave it at that. Neither adds or detracts.

Maybe you could see one in operation and work it

out in your head? It only twists the ball forward at the top

and rearward at the bottom.

 

B

-- Edited by Brodie Allen on Tuesday 24th of October 2023 11:35:34 AM

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 If your Tow Ball is "twisting forward" you have a major, possibly catastrophic,  malfunction of your Tow Bar.....stop using now and get its operation checked by a mechanic/engineer - someone who understands its operation. I have seen this a few years back , the owner was  completely oblivious to what was happening and the Tow bar had fractured all of the cars Tow bar mounting points..letting the Ball twist forward .Needless to say the cars complete tow bay plus the caravan were not far from parting company with the car and career off into whatever.  A   WDH  was in place.