Grounding (1 Viewer)

[Blackrose]

Hi all my BML masterline is now near its first birthday It has suffered
grounding from new Hymers advice fit air suspension to the rear
they suggested Goldshmits wrong spelling but you will know who I mean surprise they don’t make rear. but can sell me full air for about 12000 pounds
I have checked every manufacture and nobody is making rear yet
So I go back to Hymer who have said do not fit skid heels and Al-Ko who have sent me the details of the wheels they advise for this chassis so I have gone with AL-ko yes they touch on boat ramps and raised areas but at least the chassis is not dragging on the ground

 

[Winger]

Not sure of your issue but would reversing onto the boat and then turning around on the deck help?

 

[Blackrose]

Not sure of your issue but would reversing onto the boat and then turning around on the deck help?

This is not possible on a large drive on and off ferry and the chassis crossmember would dig in if you tried to reverse on instead of sliding up the ramp going forward

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[Winger]

Just trying to keep your post near the top mate. There will be a cheaper solution than 12K I’d like to think

 

[bigtwin]

So I go back to Hymer who have said do not fit skid heels

I’m with Hymer; it’s a pointless, and futile, gesture.

To be effective(?), they have to be mounted lower than the lowest point of the chassis. The consequence of doing this is that you will now ground out when otherwise you would not have (i.e. you will increase the frequency of grounding). Furthermore, in a scenario where you would previously have ground out you will now be applying even greater forces through the chassis as it must now deal with a deeper grounding (and be trying to bear a greater proportion of the vehicle’s weight).

Ian

 

[Blackrose]

I’m with Hymer; it’s a pointless, and futile, gesture.

To be effective(?), they have to be mounted lower than the lowest point of the chassis. The consequence of doing this is that you will now ground out when otherwise you would not have (i.e. you will increase the frequency of grounding). Furthermore, in a scenario where you would previously have ground out you will now be applying even greater forces through the chassis as it must now deal with a deeper grounding (and be trying to bear a greater proportion of the vehicle’s weight).

Ian

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[Blackrose]

Thank you I agree with everything you have said but tha alternative is to continue to damage the rear chassis ends and crossmember The responsibility should be with Hymer they have produced a vehicle with a large overhang and using a low profile chassis but they are not providing a solution to the problem I went on and off the ferry very slowly and the wheel contact was very brief no more than when the chassis made contact so I will live with this until a better solution is found.
Thank you for your imput

 

[OldAgeTravellers]

We have grounding wheels on the back of our Hymer which work well to save damaging the chassis on the rare occasions when it grounds. just be careful not to turn the steering wheel when it grounds. I was going across a very bumpy car park and went down a dip while turning and it ripped the tyres off the wheels and bent the wheels. Now fixed and strengthened and am pleased to have them to save the chassis. I rarely have problems on large ferry’s but go very slowly over the transition. The Scottish ferry’s were more challenging.

 

[Blackrose]

Thank you for that yes I will be very careful with these on the tail we live
in Scotland and the ferries can be
challenging

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[Lenny HB]

The early ML's had a similar problem with the waste tank housing grounding only solution was rear air.

I take your BML has the SLC chassis which is probably why rear air is difficult to fit.
I suggest you have a word with Mick at SAP and see if he has an option.

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I take it the price you got for Goldsmittch air was from TW.
Our DL has poor ground clearance and had a very hard ride we had Goldsmittch full air fitted, TW at the time quoted £8,750. I had it fitted in Belgium for £7,150.

 

[The Wino]

It's little different to people who buy a low slung sports car and find out grounds over speed humps the triumph of a design for looks over practicality. Useful to mention it on here as others can give it some thought before buying a similar model I suspect awareness of payload issues is a lot higher than grounding issues both are due to the same cause poor design.

 

[Flairy]

i have had goldsmitt air suspension fitted to rear approx 18 years and wheels on the rear at 8.3 meters I’m shorter but the wheels have worked a treat , when turning down steep slopes etc so I’m very pleased ,had it all done at goldsmitts waldurn germany .

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[houdini]

Have no idea what I’m talking about, so sorry if this is rubbish - but could the ferries provide some sort of planking to temporarily change the ramp angle when necessary? Lots of people must have that problem.

 

[bigtwin]

Have no idea what I’m talking about, so sorry if this is rubbish - but could the ferries provide some sort of planking to temporarily change the ramp angle when necessary? Lots of people must have that problem.

They will usually bring out a plank, or two, to put in front of the rear wheel(s) thereby providing an immediate rise of an inch, or two.

Ian

 

[Lenny HB]

Hymer's since 2018/2019 have a SLC chassis it is totally different to the standard Al-Ko chassis.

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[bigtwin]

I suspect awareness of payload issues is a lot higher than grounding issues both are due to the same cause poor design.

Every product has a design specification and, associated with that, an operating envelope. Operate outside that envelope and unexpected/undesirable things can happen.

Low chassis provide a handling benefit and is a desirable attribute. I have no doubt that the ability to negotiate a particular ramp angle is part of the specification for the MH. Whether or not the defined angle is appropriate/realistic is a fair question.

Ian

 

[Coolcats]

It's little different to people who buy a low slung sports car and find out grounds over speed humps the triumph of a design for looks over practicality. Useful to mention it on here as others can give it some thought before buying a similar model I suspect awareness of payload issues is a lot higher than grounding issues both are due to the same cause poor design.

Low slung sports cars can have issues a mate with a Caterham r500 was overtaking a car on a radius the suspension was compressed slightly and as he started pulling back in a raised cat eye hit the sump and put a hole in it which quickly emptied of oil which coated the windscreen of the car he just over took.

Would have loved to have been there and seen that.

Another guy hit a bag of cement in the road the cool air intake which is at the bottom of the car hooverd up the cement dust…..a new engine was needed so yes low slung sports cars have their challenges.

 

[Blackrose]

they call it progress

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[Blackrose]

even Al-Ko don’t make rear kits for this chassis

 

[Coolcats]

Different materials for sure, for example they do not use solid wood, but do use light weight high performance composite etc. I’m not sure it’s a reduction in quality. But then again I guess it’s all subjective

 

[Blackrose]

It’s the low profile one I think it’s the SLC

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[Folkranger]

Different materials for sure, for example they do not use solid wood, but do use light weight high performance composite etc. I’m not sure it’s a reduction in quality. But then again I guess it’s all subjective

My 2017 Hymer is nowhere near as good quality as my 2002 Hymer was. everything is built for lightness and some of which are simply flimsy. This is more for marketing than real customer benefit as it allows them to sell more to unsuspecting buyers who think they will run at under 3500kg. In reality they would have to live a very frugal lifestyle to achieve this.

 

[OurMoreloLife]

Hi all my BML masterline is now near its first birthday It has suffered
grounding from new Hymers advice fit air suspension to the rear
they suggested Goldshmits wrong spelling but you will know who I mean surprise they don’t make rear. but can sell me full air for about 12000 pounds
I have checked every manufacture and nobody is making rear yet
So I go back to Hymer who have said do not fit skid heels and Al-Ko who have sent me the details of the wheels they advise for this chassis so I have gone with AL-ko yes they touch on boat ramps and raised areas but at least the chassis is not dragging on the ground

Could you please share the Al-Ko skid wheel link?

 

[OurMoreloLife]

It’s ok, I found them

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[Blackrose]

It’s ok, I found them

I am sorry I missed your reply I got mine from LNB Towbars Bristol and working well