If you own a UK-built caravan, there's a good chance it runs on AL-KO or BPW Duratorque rubber torsion suspension. It's a simple, reliable setup, but the rubber inside the axle tube doesn't last forever. We've done a few of these re-rubber jobs lately, so here's what to look for and how we fix it.
The problem
As the rubber ages it compresses and loses its spring. You'll usually notice:
The tyres sitting further up into the wheel arches than they used to
The rubber at the ends of the axle looking perished and sticking out further than normal
Eventually, the tyre rubbing on the inner guard while you're towing
Left too long, it's hard on tyres, guards and your caravan's handling.
Perished rubber pushing out of the axle tube. A clear sign the suspension has had its day.
The fix
The axle needs to come off the caravan and have the worn rubbers replaced with new ones. We work with NZ-based re-rubbering specialists who handle both AL-KO and BPW suspension types.
Here's how it goes:
We remove the axle from your caravan
We package it up and send it away for re-rubbering
Once it's back, we refit it, adjust the brakes and road test the caravan
You pick it up riding at the right height again
Axle off, strapped to a pallet and ready to go to the re-rubbering specialist.
The cost
Axle removal, re-rubber and refit: $3,500 incl GST
A couple of things aren't included in that price:
Removing motor movers, water tanks or anything else fitted to the axle
Replacing parts attached to the axle that turn out to be rusty or damaged
Freight to and from the re-rubbering specialist
We'll let you know before we start if any of these apply to your van.
Think your caravan's axle is sagging?
Send us a photo of the wheel arch and axle ends through the enquiry form and we'll tell you whether a re-rubber is what you need. Bookings are essential. Email is quickest, the phone isn't always answered when we're under a van.
