T4 Trident 1993 Suspension

Hello, I'm new to the Forum and new to Autosleepers.  I bought my lovely one a month ago.  It is in spectacular condition, no leaks, not much rust, new exhaust, all sorts of things.  My mechanic gave it the once over and said it needed new shocks - that was obvious, driving it was like being in a boat on a rough sea.  The shocks have now been replaced and the oscillation has stopped.  However, and this is my real questions: I can't get past the feeling that the van is going to tip over when we drive around bends or corners.  Is that possible?  Ought I to have the springs looked at? My mechanic is good with oldies and I thought he would have said, but I don't think he has worked on many of these vans.  
Do short wheel based, high top vehicles ever topple over?  or does it just FEEL like they might?

I guess if you take your cornering to far enough extremes it would be possible to put one on its side/roof - but I expect it would be hard to do on standard tyres/wheels, as they will tend to lose grip first - so you would be more likely to slide off the road first (and then possibly topple over).

However... if you're used to the handling of modern cars, the amount of body roll on an older van can feel a bit alarming, even when everything is working as it should!

If you are concerned that it seems too much, it may be worth reading and/or asking on the T4 Forum. It seems that some or all T4's use torsion bars instead of springs, and these can deteriorate without showing the "sagging" effect which you get with ineffective springs. Apparently you can get different ratings of torsion bar and also different ratings of anti-roll bar, so it would seem you have options if you wish to stiffen up the suspension.

[Incidentally - have you checked the tyre pressures are correct? As delivered from the dealer my T5-based van felt a bit alarming, and it turned out that the pressures were at least 10PSI low all round...]

You Don't Say The Age Of the vehicle ? There is more to suspension than the shocks. Springs can also go weak. 

But all motor homes will feel a little top heavy as in essence they are like a heavily laden van. 

Our AS Kemerton is nearly new with few miles but still feels a little top heavy. I've driven vans in my business for many years so the feeling was expected and not alien. 

I bet it's just fine and you will soon get used to it. 

Hope you enjoy it !!

Thank you, Mojo.  Is the T4 forum connected to this owners forum?  I will ask the same question there.  New to all this, not sure which group would be the most useful.  T

Charleyfarley, you might be right.  I may get the hang of it.  My van is 1993 High Top VW Trident.  T

Treesha wrote:Is the T4 forum connected to this owners forum?

Sorry - I forgot to post the link. It has no connection to this forum (that I'm aware of):

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

It's a very good forum with lots of helpful people (plus a few p***takers, like any other!).

No it isn`t connected to this forum, I am a member of the T4 forum as I have one, my second one, when I first had one I found it was affected by wind and lorries, as it was higher , which can be a bit unnerving, I expected this after towing a caravan, on corners take it wider than you would in a car, take your time it isn`t a racing car and you drive a motor home different than you do a car

.Some  say that they have found the ride  too soft I haven`t any issues how it drives and I haven`t altered anything on it all to affect the ride as I am happy with it.

If you are worried have it checked out to put  your mind at rest and then enjoy your van and new adventures,take it easy and relax.


Best regards,
Margaret

Thanks, Margaret

Treesha wrote:do short wheel based, high top vehicles ever topple over?  or does it just FEEL like they might?

They just feel like they might
You are not alone. We had the same when we bought our Trident. I replaced the shocks with uprated gas filled which dramaticly improved the handling. The originals were totally shot.
Whilst doing that I replaced the front anti roll bar bushes and drop links purely because it was easy to do with everything strpped down.
Although the ride was improved I felt unhappy with the cornering ability. I considered fitting air bags inside the rear springs or fitting a rear anti roll bar as fitted on VW T4 ambulances.
Both these options weren't cheap.
I purchased a rear anti roll bar from VW with all the retro fittings and fitted it myself. This improved the cornering ability.
However I think we have to accept that if we are driving a vehicle that's as aerodynamic and stable as an upright housebrick we need to adapt our speed.
I find roundabouts the worst, the nearside front seems to dive down even at very low speed, I 've mentioned it to my passenger and they don't feel anything, but I clenching my buttocks. It's possible that the front torsion bars may be weak with age and it's possible to upgrade ( at a cost),
The only problem I can see is that if I stiffen the suspension up to much to get rid of bodyroll it could affect the road holding capabilities.
I'm still experimenting with tyre pressures at the moment as there aren't any recommendations for a hightop camper.

I think that if the Trident was my everyday drive I would just get used to it.

Finbar

Finbar, I'm most grateful to hear of your own experience.  
I may have the torsion bars looked at, however, I have to keep in mind that this could be one expense after another if I am not careful.  It may be cheaper to get used to it.  
My husband has often thought of buying a sail boat, but the people he sails with say it is akin to pushing ten pound notes down the toilet. On that basis, I got the van purchase passed - well, lets hope it was the right choice!  At least he can't sail it down to the coast in the winter.
Treesha