Caravanners - Check your nuts!

As the summer draws near caravanners are being reminded to check that the wheel nuts on their caravan are tightened correctly. In times of recession the frequency of dealer servicing drops to save money and this puts caravans in a vulnerable place in terms of losing a wheel at speed.

Phil Holden MD of Caravanwise the caravan insurance specialist said "Occasionally we have an insurance claim from a caravan owner who has lost a wheel. This can become a major problem if the loss occurs while the caravan is being towed at 50 MPH.

If this causes significant damage to the caravan it will lead to a large claim and we may send out a loss adjuster to investigate the cause. We had one recent case where the owner admitted to never having checked the torque of their wheel nuts".

The job of checking that the wheel nuts are tightened to the correct torque should be done when the caravan is serviced, but that isn't often enough. The caravan owner really needs to check them every time they are going to tow their caravan. While the wheel nuts should be tight they shouldn't be over tightened as that may stretch the studs and possibly lead to an early failure.

Most caravanning experts recommend that the caravan owner carries a torque wrench with them, learn to use it correctly and use it to regularly check that their wheel nuts are tightened correctly, particularly after they have had to change a wheel.

If the caravan owner does have to change a wheel there are a couple of things to consider with regard to wheel nut tightness.

1. Tighten the wheel nuts in a diagonal sequence and check that they are to the correct torque before towing the caravan.

2. After having driven for 20 to 30 miles or for about 30 minutes stop and check the torque again.

For caravanners planning to buy a torque wrench it is best to get one that goes up to at least 110 Nm as this is the most common torque setting for wheel nuts on caravans and cars with alloy wheels, for steel wheels 88Nm is most common. The caravan owners manual will have the correct setting or they should ask their dealer for the correct setting for their caravan. There is no need to spend a massive amount on a torque wrench. Machine mart in the UK offer one which is reputed to be of reasonable quality for less than £20. It is 1/2" drive and covers the range 28 to 210 Nm.

It is an easy job to check the torque of wheel nuts and really should be done before any major trip. This will significantly reduce the chance of losing a wheel and the disruption and cost that this will cost.