I've never watched any of your videos before, but as a fellow caravaner, I am very glad that you came out of that horrendous experience safe and sound and the caravan with surprisingly seemingly very minimal damage! I am going to take a look at your subsequent videos to see if my suspicion that the wheel nuts/bolts (mine has lug bolts) were over-torqued by whomever fitted that wheel. More than that, I am interested to see how much actual damage there was and sincerely hope that it was indeed as minimal as it appeared in this video. That kind of experience is enough to put anyone off towing for life. Hopefully, you will continue.
Same thing happened to us doing 100kms hour. Pretty scary, just pleased the wheel didn't hit another car when it happened. new caravan too so got it repaired under warranty. Glad you're ok.
Take it from an old bloke who spent a while outback in the 60s. Every day at beer o’clock get your wheel brace out and check every wheel on the ground, should take about one stubby!
having had the same thing happen to me ,if at any time you have had a caravan service or tyre repair and think that the wheel has been removed you need to check wheel nuts after 50-100 km ,don't worry about some people saying check every night ,use a torque wrench ,the standard wheel brace will do
Mate, what a shocking experience for you. Thank you for sharing. I would think that if those nuts were tightened with a rattle gun and not properly tensioned it might have started the problem. If one bolt breaks, the remaining bolts share the increased tension and fail also. I really do think a tension wrench is an important part of your kit and regular checks could keep you safe. Good luck with the rest of your adventures.
Overtightened nuts on ally can be a big problem as the all expands more than steel when hot causing studs to let go,have seen this happen on several quality vehicles , not only cheap Chinese brands.
I would never buy a single axle caravan because once you do a wheel bearing your stuffed in every way if you had 2 axles least you can limp in to somewhere to fix the wheel you lost 👍
Not the tyre most likely, the tyre ripping quite likely occurred when wheel ripped off van and tyre was torn from rim. This is most definitely a wheel studs/nuts issue. When changing wheels make sure mating surfaces are clean (this is a big one for wheels detaching from anything), also torque nuts up to spec for alloy or steel wheels. In your case maybe the tyre changing person just overtightened with a rattle gun and stretched the studs (another big one). Also 'every' time you stop literally go around and inspect/kick your wheels and a loose wheel may show at this point. Also use lug nut indicators, they are cheap and give a visual indication of a loosening nut. A tyre pressure monitoring system may also help particularly with a single axle van. Good travels but listen to others more experienced.
Thanks for the advice. I have a TPMS system. It saved me while I was out west a couple of months ago. I haven't heard of lug nut indicators so I'll check them out. A lesson learnt on checking nuts and tyres a bit more regularly
How come nut indicators are not on every van on the road?? I have not seen one gimble user in my algorithm on you tube use them?? Is everyone waiting for a sponsorship???😅😅😅
I'd checked the wheel nuts only a couple of weeks before and didn't drive on any real rough roads since then. The ironic thing was I was booked in for a caravan service 3 days after the incident. I'll definitely be checking wheel nuts more often though after this experience
Wow. You were so lucky. What caused the bolts to snap. Was the van too heavy? Had you hit a big pot hole and cracked them somehow or what? Very worrying to think that could happen.
Some of these trailer wheel studs are not fit for purpose, will kill somebody. Either the studs are rubbish or someone has not had the nuts to the correct torque setting.
Its nothing to do with nuts bolts and tensioning he wheel bearing have failed loosing everything all ways have spare wheel bearing or just don't buy sungle axel caravans 2 axels is the best way to travel if 1 goes you can still get to somewhere safe
Make sure your steel rims are rated for the task. Alot of the steel rims you see on 4wds are rated less than a ton and not suitable for siglngle axle van @IntrepidSouls2024
Have to say we’ve been towing single axle caravans on and off-road for a good ten years without an issue. We run an icheck TPMS these days and wouldn’t be without it. Glad you’re safe 👍
Yes seems people are want likes to the fact they stuffed up,gods sake as mentioned check all wheels daily not rocket science, bad luck maybe, but thinking outside the square 🤔 😉 😀 😜 😕 is mandatory on all travellers if rhs into oncoming traffic the driver towing is totally reasonable for everything 😉 🤔 😀
This right here is why I would never tow a single axle van any distance at any sort of highway speeds. If that was a tandem, you could just ratchet strap the axle up to the chassis, well off the road & limp into the nearest town for repairs without needing a tow truck. How old were those tyres? There’s a manufacture code on the sidewalk which tells you the year made. Anything older than 6 years, replace regardless of remaining tread depth. That was fixable on the side of the road - if you had replacement wheel studs & nuts & a spare wheel etc. Probably not the safest place to have to do so however, makes a lot more sense getting the NRMA tow truck to take it to a safe yard where they have all the gear to do it easily & safely. But this was your one warning, sell the van once it’s fixed and replace it with a tandem axle van, because “next time, could well be your last time”. You’ve had your one warning from the universe, but did you get & heed the message? 🤷♂️😉👍👍👍🇦🇺
Wow, intertesting timing, we also had both wheels, wheel studs fail at the same time luckily the wheels were just holding on and did not fall off the axle. Common issue with single axle caravans that have Chinese made hubs and steel wheels. Apparently it is the owners fault for not checking the wheel leg nuts every day and servicing agents over tightening them....even though in 2018 the manufacturer revised the wheel studs....and engineering of a quality 1/2 inch wheel stud should have a sheer force of 9500Kg One side of our hub the wheel lugs pulled out of the drum. So what did we do, we got AL-KO US Made Dexter wheel hubs....which were recommended by the tow truck driver, who had the same failure with his van....and yes it was a Chinese built chassis and brakes....
They are assembled here. They come in a seacontainer with out wheels attached or electrics. Overall build quality is very good. Single axle is a no no.
The wheel is not a ‘friction fit’ on the hub, instead relying entirely on the wheel studs to hold the wheel on. Typical of so many Chinese systems. Fraught with risk if the nuts come loose. Also I think the tyre was probably damaged by the underside of the caravan when it came loose and was not the cause of the wheel coming off.
I've never watched any of your videos before, but as a fellow caravaner, I am very glad that you came out of that horrendous experience safe and sound and the caravan with surprisingly seemingly very minimal damage! I am going to take a look at your subsequent videos to see if my suspicion that the wheel nuts/bolts (mine has lug bolts) were over-torqued by whomever fitted that wheel. More than that, I am interested to see how much actual damage there was and sincerely hope that it was indeed as minimal as it appeared in this video. That kind of experience is enough to put anyone off towing for life. Hopefully, you will continue.
Same thing happened to us doing 100kms hour. Pretty scary, just pleased the wheel didn't hit another car when it happened. new caravan too so got it repaired under warranty. Glad you're ok.
Thanks for sharing. The tow truck bloke was impressive
Really a trailer that size should have 4 ties on it
Thanks for sharing a difficult experience for yourself.
Can only imagine how you felt controlling that situation, incredibly lucky and well done.
Glad you’re safe! X
Take it from an old bloke who spent a while outback in the 60s. Every day at beer o’clock get your wheel brace out and check every wheel on the ground, should take about one stubby!
I do love a stubby 🍻
Or 2 if you really drag the chain. 😂
Planning on doing some long bush trips next year. Spare studs and nuts were always on my list.
Spares? They should not be breaking. There is a fault somewhere in this equation.
We lost one 2.5 years ago, the hole in the rim didn't match the hub so the studs were carrying all the weight. Check that out.
having had the same thing happen to me ,if at any time you have had a caravan service or tyre repair and think that the wheel has been removed you need to check wheel nuts after 50-100 km ,don't worry about some people saying check every night ,use a torque wrench ,the standard wheel brace will do
Thanks for the advice
Mate, what a shocking experience for you. Thank you for sharing. I would think that if those nuts were tightened with a rattle gun and not properly tensioned it might have started the problem. If one bolt breaks, the remaining bolts share the increased tension and fail also. I really do think a tension wrench is an important part of your kit and regular checks could keep you safe. Good luck with the rest of your adventures.
@@JohnDorward-os4jk thanks for the advice
I agree with you, look's like over tightening to me
Overtightened nuts on ally can be a big problem as the all expands more than steel when hot causing studs to let go,have seen this happen on several quality vehicles , not only cheap Chinese brands.
GREAT TOW GUY. SKILLS
Was it just the wheels studs, drum and step damaged?
@@noahjbarr a couple of other minor things were damaged as well
I would never buy a single axle caravan because once you do a wheel bearing your stuffed in every way if you had 2 axles least you can limp in to somewhere to fix the wheel you lost 👍
I've towed a single axle van for 20 years, never had a problem. Proper maintenance is the key!
Best of luck, that sucks. Hope you get sorted asap!
Thanks mate
Lucky ya didn't cause a Bad Accident.
Not the tyre most likely, the tyre ripping quite likely occurred when wheel ripped off van and tyre was torn from rim. This is most definitely a wheel studs/nuts issue. When changing wheels make sure mating surfaces are clean (this is a big one for wheels detaching from anything), also torque nuts up to spec for alloy or steel wheels. In your case maybe the tyre changing person just overtightened with a rattle gun and stretched the studs (another big one). Also 'every' time you stop literally go around and inspect/kick your wheels and a loose wheel may show at this point. Also use lug nut indicators, they are cheap and give a visual indication of a loosening nut. A tyre pressure monitoring system may also help particularly with a single axle van. Good travels but listen to others more experienced.
Thanks for the advice. I have a TPMS system. It saved me while I was out west a couple of months ago. I haven't heard of lug nut indicators so I'll check them out. A lesson learnt on checking nuts and tyres a bit more regularly
How come nut indicators are not on every van on the road??
I have not seen one gimble user in my algorithm on you tube use them??
Is everyone waiting for a sponsorship???😅😅😅
When was the last time you put a torque wrench on the wheelnuts?
I'd checked the wheel nuts only a couple of weeks before and didn't drive on any real rough roads since then. The ironic thing was I was booked in for a caravan service 3 days after the incident. I'll definitely be checking wheel nuts more often though after this experience
Wow. You were so lucky. What caused the bolts to snap. Was the van too heavy? Had you hit a big pot hole and cracked them somehow or what? Very worrying to think that could happen.
Chin up mate , keep soldiering on.
Cheers mate. All part of the travel experience with a caravan
@@IntrepidSouls2024sorry I cant figure out how this is part of caravanning.
@@johnnyclark4548they’re a mechanical machine which means that parts can fail.
good you are safe .
never tension with a rattle gun.Use tension wrench and check before you embark on a trip,
@@elvin9355 thanks for the advice
Glad that you came away from that frightening experience safely. Can I ask, what make of tyres are on the van, just wondering if they are Adventuro?
Yeah it was
Some of these trailer wheel studs are not fit for purpose, will kill somebody. Either the studs are rubbish or someone has not had the nuts to the correct torque setting.
One word to describe this, starts with "SH" and ends with "T!"
Happened to me 110mph thats why i have dual wheel had bearings done,just befoe,my fault for not checking wheel nuts.
And you were speeding...
Bugger! Cruismaster suspension on the van?
Oz trekker
Its nothing to do with nuts bolts and tensioning he wheel bearing have failed loosing everything all ways have spare wheel bearing or just don't buy sungle axel caravans 2 axels is the best way to travel if 1 goes you can still get to somewhere safe
Chinese tyres and rims? is it a chinese caravan mate?
Not a Chinese made van, but the rims and tyres are/were. Have replaced now with steel rims and Toyo Open Country AT tyres
Make sure your steel rims are rated for the task. Alot of the steel rims you see on 4wds are rated less than a ton and not suitable for siglngle axle van
@IntrepidSouls2024
Have to say we’ve been towing single axle caravans on and off-road for a good ten years without an issue. We run an icheck TPMS these days and wouldn’t be without it. Glad you’re safe 👍
I've seen this happen when the nuts were over tightened
@IntrepidSouls2024
why those particular tyres, please??
Regards, r
That towie done an awesome job , not much fun being that close to the traffic
Got to do something about the audio music is so dumb loud pitty not the same for the audio when your speaking
Yes seems people are want likes to the fact they stuffed up,gods sake as mentioned check all wheels daily not rocket science, bad luck maybe, but thinking outside the square 🤔 😉 😀 😜 😕 is mandatory on all travellers if rhs into oncoming traffic the driver towing is totally reasonable for everything 😉 🤔 😀
Dual axle
Not everyone needs a big van, or can afford one, or has the vehicle to tow one, am i correct??
@robertwilson1827 you are correct, everyone's needs and wants are different
Perhaps you shouldn't be going so fast
Get rid of the crap music mate
This right here is why I would never tow a single axle van any distance at any sort of highway speeds.
If that was a tandem, you could just ratchet strap the axle up to the chassis, well off the road & limp into the nearest town for repairs without needing a tow truck.
How old were those tyres? There’s a manufacture code on the sidewalk which tells you the year made.
Anything older than 6 years, replace regardless of remaining tread depth.
That was fixable on the side of the road - if you had replacement wheel studs & nuts & a spare wheel etc.
Probably not the safest place to have to do so however, makes a lot more sense getting the NRMA tow truck to take it to a safe yard where they have all the gear to do it easily & safely.
But this was your one warning, sell the van once it’s fixed and replace it with a tandem axle van, because “next time, could well be your last time”.
You’ve had your one warning from the universe, but did you get & heed the message? 🤷♂️😉👍👍👍🇦🇺
Wow, intertesting timing, we also had both wheels, wheel studs fail at the same time luckily the wheels were just holding on and did not fall off the axle.
Common issue with single axle caravans that have Chinese made hubs and steel wheels.
Apparently it is the owners fault for not checking the wheel leg nuts every day and servicing agents over tightening them....even though in 2018 the manufacturer revised the wheel studs....and engineering of a quality 1/2 inch wheel stud should have a sheer force of 9500Kg
One side of our hub the wheel lugs pulled out of the drum.
So what did we do, we got AL-KO US Made Dexter wheel hubs....which were recommended by the tow truck driver, who had the same failure with his van....and yes it was a Chinese built chassis and brakes....
chinese single axel vans are dangerous
Highline Caravans came out of Victoria
They are assembled here. They come in a seacontainer with out wheels attached or electrics. Overall build quality is very good. Single axle is a no no.
@elvin9355 yeah I recently had it serviced and he said its well built, good strong suspension. I'll not get a single axle again
The wheel is not a ‘friction fit’ on the hub, instead relying entirely on the wheel studs to hold the wheel on. Typical of so many Chinese systems. Fraught with risk if the nuts come loose. Also I think the tyre was probably damaged by the underside of the caravan when it came loose and was not the cause of the wheel coming off.