I have recently come home from a trip to Scotland and it was 1700 miles of being totally uncomfortable and shaken to bits by rough road surfaces potholes and generally rough. The van Hymer MLI280 has always been very uncomfortable on the road as the suspension is hard and unyielding to any roughish road surface. I fitted air assist to the rear srings and this lifted it off the level where the bump stops were almost touching the axle when stationary but it was still rough as a badger bum on anything other than a billiard smooth road. We crashed and banged along the highland road and some motorways as well (M25 concrete section at Chobham area). Any road humps would crash and bang shaking everything in the van and curdling us at the same time. I considered power boat racing to be a smoother pastime.
Now I am home I checked the front suspension and find that the bumpstops are only an inch away from the front suspension arms. It was always there and I now know that thew chassis was supplied to Hymer as 3500kgs, it was sold to me as 3860kgs and I uprated it to 4200kgs. The in use weight is, still 3650kgs as weighed by SV. but with leeway for bits and pieces in the back
When it is raised on the levelling struts the dampers rise another 6 inches, so we are running on the bottom inch of the suspension, like the rear was before the airbags . I have another 100 kilos when loaded before the axle weight is used up. It is obvious to me now that the standard spring is totally underated and that the weight of the A class body and fitments are too much for it to cope with. Every bump, pothole, or sleeping policeman in the road, hits the bumpstops and jars the whole van to bits.
My proposal is to uprate the front spring with the 5 ton van composite one. Bit dear to do, but it would at least give us some suspension compliance. The van should never have gone out of the factory with the low weight spring , like the plain Sprinter vans have..
Does anybody else have any suggestions as to give it a better movement, it cannot have air suspension on the front, as it has a single transverse leaf only, the heavier rated one have, or can have either two leaf spring or a composite single spring. Had it been made with macpherson struts like the FIAT's then it would be easier.
Any other ideas??????????????????
Now I am home I checked the front suspension and find that the bumpstops are only an inch away from the front suspension arms. It was always there and I now know that thew chassis was supplied to Hymer as 3500kgs, it was sold to me as 3860kgs and I uprated it to 4200kgs. The in use weight is, still 3650kgs as weighed by SV. but with leeway for bits and pieces in the back
When it is raised on the levelling struts the dampers rise another 6 inches, so we are running on the bottom inch of the suspension, like the rear was before the airbags . I have another 100 kilos when loaded before the axle weight is used up. It is obvious to me now that the standard spring is totally underated and that the weight of the A class body and fitments are too much for it to cope with. Every bump, pothole, or sleeping policeman in the road, hits the bumpstops and jars the whole van to bits.
My proposal is to uprate the front spring with the 5 ton van composite one. Bit dear to do, but it would at least give us some suspension compliance. The van should never have gone out of the factory with the low weight spring , like the plain Sprinter vans have..
Does anybody else have any suggestions as to give it a better movement, it cannot have air suspension on the front, as it has a single transverse leaf only, the heavier rated one have, or can have either two leaf spring or a composite single spring. Had it been made with macpherson struts like the FIAT's then it would be easier.
Any other ideas??????????????????
