Jwemmy Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Hi all, I'm new to the motorhome scene, so apologies if this has been posted somewhere else before ! I'm looking at an Autoquest 180 (2011 year). It ticks a lot of my boxes, but has a prominent overhang behind the rear wheels, and I have a steep-ish driveway (average 10% gradient). I've tried asking Elddis direct, and my dealer, whether I'm likely to have a problem, but they seem reluctant to address the issue. Does anyone else have experience in this area / similar problems ? Many thanks in advance for your comments, Jem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I have similar problems with my 7.6 metre Autotrail Savannah, if i load the rear garage/lockers before coming down the drive, the rear towbar acts as a skid and drags on the ground, but at least doesn't cause any damage to the rear bodywork. I now leave loading them until after coming down the drive (day of departure). The high reverse gear doesn't help when reversing up either, clutch smells a bit, but it doesn't judder (2012 model). When you reverse up the first time I would have someone seeing you back, to ensure you have enough clearance, and keep the loading light, ie.empty water/waste tanks, etc., it's a nuisance but nothing more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 You could try making a scale drawing of your sloping drive and a separate drawing of the long cross section of your motorhome chassis to see if there might be a problem. I did a similar thing before I bought my PVC but with a plan outline of the van to see if it would fit in the gap between my house and my garage given the turning circle available. I had to find out the turning circle for front and rear wheels and draw these on the plan to see if the sides of the van were likely to hit anything. I worked out that it should fit, just, and that turned out to be the case although it often takes a few attempts to get it lined up correctly such that the turning circle gets me into the slot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Welcome to the forum. An interesting question which I don't remember being asked before. It doesn't surprise me that the manufacturer/converter is unable to give you a definitive answer as it all depends on the profile of your driveway. My van tends to ground a bit at the rear when using the ferry but at least I'm going forward and the back is just dragging on the underside of the chassis member (not the rear bumper). The problem with a driveway is that at some stage you are going to be reversing and a long overhang will likely dig into the driveway surface. The only satisfactory way of testing if the van will cope with the change in gradients is to carry out a physical test. If this not possible, the only other way is to draw up a profile of the driveway (on graph paper). Then, take the vehicle dimensions (wheelbase, rear overhang, vertical height at overhang) and transfer this to transparent paper (tracing paper will do). You can then move the tracing paper up and down the profile to see if you have a problem. Obviously, you will need to choose a suitable scale, 1 in 50 would probably do. You only need to measure the driveway profile in the critical zone where the steep gradient levels out to a more horizontal area. A long builders spirit level can be used to determine the driveway profile. Finally, make sure the van can reverse comfortably on steep gradients. This can be done during the test drive. Edit, Don636 beat me to it - must type quicker !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Hi Jem and welcome to the forum, Another option would be to fit air assistance to the rear suspension and then 'pump it up' just prior to exiting or arriving on your driveway. Something like http://www.marcleleisure.co.uk/store/dunlop-suspension-peugeot-boxer-x250-062006-p-2011.html would be suitable as I'm guessing the Elddis will be on a Peugeot Boxer chassis. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Keithl - 2016-01-17 9:04 AM Hi Jem and welcome to the forum, Another option would be to fit air assistance to the rear suspension and then 'pump it up' just prior to exiting or arriving on your driveway. Something like http://www.marcleleisure.co.uk/store/dunlop-suspension-peugeot-boxer-x250-062006-p-2011.html would be suitable as I'm guessing the Elddis will be on a Peugeot Boxer chassis. Keith. This would certainly be the best answer. Why not ask the dealer to fit them as part of the deal, not expensive for just a basic setup. Personaly would have an electric pump in the system, more expensive but maybe dealer could be asked to contribute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 If the dealer won't play ball, look elsewhere. Trigonometry will help. If your mathematics are as poor as mine, look on the internet and you will get enough guidance to calculate the gradient maximum overhang for your gradient. You can measure the height off the ground at the rear axle [use the body, not all weight for the measure] and the length of the overhang. Same as using graph paper, just more exact. I can't remember whether I used tangent, co-sine or Pythagoras but it worked for the rear. It's worth doing the calculation because most coachbuilt/A class motorhomes have long overhangs so you may experience the problem if you buy another motorhome. You also need to check the cab end of the van for ground clearance. I enter my drive off a camber in the road. I'm effectively going downhill. My drive slopes uphill. So when I am at the V between camber and drive, I have 2" ground clearance at the cab end [front bumper] when I cross the dropped down kerb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jwemmy Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 Hi all. Thanks so much for your prompt replies and suggestions - which are generally along the lines that I'd been considering (great minds and all that). One of my concerns (that i neglected to mention before) is that as I live on the west coast of the Isle of Man (hence the steep driveway), I can't easily arrange a test drive to take in my home route :) Re modelling, I'd indeed thought of doing a paper exercise, and have provided Elddis with a complete profile and pics of my driveway including slope measurements. I could as one contributor suggests make a paper view and try out the overhang as I now have the van measurements. However, as I've some spare wood about, I'm going to build a scale model of the bottom of the van and walk it up my driveway ! I'll let you know how I get on. I had considered air ride or similar but was told that this would not raise the rear higher than that of an empty van. Any one git real workd experience of this ? Thanks again fir your help and avice. Regards Jem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Hi.. Our previous van, although not overly long overhang wise,would occasionally ground out on our driveway. We found that it wasn't just the "straight ahead" angle that mattered but it was the combination of the slightly diagonal approach and any weight transference and body lean that would catch us out.. I solved ours by fitting Dunlop air assistors(no pump, nor gauges). This photo(if it loads?)is before the assistors were fitted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jwemmy Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 Hi Pepe, Thanks for the pic. I'm erring towards air suspension as a precaution. I've seen that Rhino installs do a kit fitted for around £600 - looks reasonable. Is this the place to go ? Cheers Jem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Hi Jem Your novel idea of making a model in wood of the underside of the vehicle is interesting. Providing the model is FULL size it should work a treat. Hope you've got a spare piece of 6m long timber (say 3.5m wheelbase + 2.5m overhang). You may even need a longer piece depending on the vehicle dimensions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve928 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Robbo - 2016-01-17 12:49 PM Hi Jem Your novel idea of making a model in wood of the underside of the vehicle is interesting. Providing the model is FULL size it should work a treat. Hope you've got a spare piece of 6m long timber (say 3.5m wheelbase + 2.5m overhang). You may even need a longer piece depending on the vehicle dimensions. This is exactly what we did prior to buying our low-slung, long-overhang and wide Bailey 740 as we have approx 300 metres of narrow and twisting track with raised drainage bumps and some steep gradient transitions to negotiate to get to our house. It enabled us to go ahead with some confidence although it was still a heart-in-mouth moment bringing it home for the first time though.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Jwemmy - 2016-01-17 12:22 PM Hi Pepe, Thanks for the pic. I'm erring towards air suspension as a precaution. I've seen that Rhino installs do a kit fitted for around £600 - looks reasonable. Is this the place to go ? Cheers Jem Hi Jem.. Although it's probably not all that clear from that photo, it does show to some degree how, in our case, the approach and resulting "lean angle" could cause it to ground on the one corner... (Something that probably wouldn't be obvious if just making a 2D mock up?) Our air kit, as with most others from what I can gather, only required a decent level of *DIY competence, so they should be well within the abilities of any MH dealers' workshop. ;-) http://www.marcleleisure.co.uk/store/-c-58.html?osCsid=73ed7ee7541d67425d37753d99898265 (* although our Renault Master needed a rigid brake pipe moving to allow the one bellows to be fitted). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Jwemmy - 2016-01-17 12:22 PM Hi Pepe, Thanks for the pic. I'm erring towards air suspension as a precaution. I've seen that Rhino installs do a kit fitted for around £600 - looks reasonable. Is this the place to go ? Cheers Jem You can buy a full kit with suppressor for just over £300, from Dunlop, which someone has already posted a link to. Get the dealer involved as part of the deal. As to your bit about not rising the van above its unloaded state, not sure were you got this from but certainly not correct. Dunlops own site should give you full details but my last van which had a kit fitted certainly did, Even used for levelling up on pitches at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jwemmy Posted January 17, 2016 Author Share Posted January 17, 2016 Hi Stalwart, Thanks for the info. I've done a physical mock-up of the van - not pretty but very functional. Marched it up and down our driveway, and it touches down but only lightly. I reckon 2 / 3 inches further clearance and it'll be fine. I'll go talk to Marcle and Rhino installs about the air-ride kits. If a few hundred quid will resolve things, then I'm all in ! Cheers all. Jem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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