do winchcombe's have rear shock absorbers -?

do winchcombe's  have rear shock absorbers -? a quick look and only found anti roll bars ?

Yes, the Winchcombe is based on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis cab and is certainly fitted with shock absorbers on the rear suspension.

ok thanks - its seems reasonable to expect but i had a look the other day and was damned if i could find them .. i will look harder
at the risk of sounding stupid - have you physically seen them or are you just assuming like me that they must be there - if so WHERE exactly ?

Alko chassis have torsion bars, Merc chassis have shocks.  Is it possible that is has an alko chassis?

well its a merc van but i can see anti roll bars on the back wheels for sure

I’ll see if I can post a photo tomorrow.

So Road Warrior. You can see the near side lower shock mount hanging down in front of the anti roll bar mounting in Ploughlin’s photo. Yours will be the same.

Thank you , I will do the shocks first, but I can't help but feel I will be fitting air bags as well and upping the payload. Am i right in thinking the new winchcombe is something like 4100 now ?
I will be out there today looking harder, because of my sloping drive the one rear corner I have on a ramp and it was that one I looked at and so couldn't see it where I expected to find it. 

Mine is a 2017 model ‘technical up-plating’ to 3880kgs GVM & 5880kgs GTM by SV Tech.
You can’t increase the plated weights of the vehicle or payload just by adding air bags or changing shocks. In my opinion the Winchcombe already has a very generous payload. People add air bags for an ‘improved’ ride quality or help with body roll. Thicker, stiffer anti roll bars are a available to help reduce body roll. It would assist if you mention what you are looking to achieve. However the first reply answered your initial question.

ok, shocks found , that all good, thats first job, yes i have already upwighted my previous autotrail 634 which has aweful payload, as i say after the shocks i will probably have air bags fitted using dunlop bags and SV Tech, my thinking being that if i do have bags fitted on the rear for stability i may as well get SV tech to uprate it to finish the job.

Living on the edge of the Peak District and having a Lotus Elise and MX5 for comparison, I've had my Malvern on a Sprinter since new for eleven years and can't imagine how anyone could improve on the standard suspension.

I often use the van to carry my bike into the heart of the Peak District and wouldn't be much faster in either of the cars.

Not to mention the Winchcombe’s generous payload. From my recent MOT brake test with a full tank of fresh water I still have 200 kgs available. But, the Sprinter coachbuilt’s do suffer a bit of body roll. Doesn’t bother me, as you mention Peter the ride quality is excellent.

The body roll is up to about 5 mph and doesn't affect ride but on the longer vans the steadies are a must in high winds when pitched.

Not sure what you mean? I’m talking about cornering body roll. Maybe not as prevalent on a PVC. Certainly exists on my Wincombe, but it’s not a racing car. Coming from a rock solid when pitched caravan with E&P hyd levelling, a motorhome on tyres and suspension in wind takes some getting used to. Hmm, next upgrade….

My Malvern is the same size, weight, etc as your Winchcombe but a little older. If you drive very slowly over rough ground the body rolls significantly from side to side. The same happens when pitched if exposed to a strong wind or as you move round/get in and out of the van. There are wind down steadies on the rear corners of the van that if deployed, when pitched, minimise the roll (they dont stop it as the front suspension still moves). Under normal driving conditions the suspension is super and the roll does not occur. The van is also the most stable I've had when being overtaken by a large vehicle at high motorway speed.

On the subject of stability, I believe the 2016 Winchcombe will probably have sidewind assist as standard, if yours doesn't then get it. Our 2012 Worcester which is the forerunner didn't.  Seems to be a simple software upgrade, our local Merc dealer did it for us for free as it is the first one they had done. Guess they wouldn't have done that had it been a big job!!
Agree with Peter about the wind down legs, we were parked in France recently in a strong sidewind and without the legs down we were rocking, one of those things you may only use on rare occasions but when you need them, you are glad they are there.

Agreed, the stabilisers help and so far only one very windy stay at Trewethett Farm were they completely useless, where I am certain that hyd jacks would have eliminated any movement (at a price, of course).
No issues with sidewinds or passing trucks so perhaps I already have the “side wind assist”.

Regardless it seems we all agree that the Mercedes suspension is amongst the best and shouldn’t need much by way of upgrade to answer the OP.

Almost certainly on a 2017 you will already have sidewind assist, you will know as a light will flash on the dashboard if you are hit with a sudden gust and it kicks in.

Yes it's a strange phenomenon rocks like aship at sea at lower speeds but is fine when on the move at normal road speeds. I imagine it's because the sprinter van is narrow but the motorhome is wide. Anyway shocks wil be fitted next week and will go from there. What does sidewind assist do or maybe HOW does it work ?

A brief web search shows it works with the ESP (Electronic Stability Programme). In other words it operates each brake independently to keep the vehicle on course. Apparently Mercedes did not activate this on chassis cabs since they could be fitted with various bodies not so affected by cross winds. Interesting, in the US many owners requested for it to be deactivated, being fed up with the repeated warning flashes on the dashboard.

There is a YouTube video on it.

thank you gents - shockers fitted, that have to be the easiest shocks to fit i have ever done, just crawled underneath - didnt even need a jack ! - although i wont know for a couple of days when i go out in it, but my gut instinct is no differance as i found no problem with the ones i took off sadly, so may have wasted my money - although i fitted KYB, so i might notice something and the outgoing ones will be 6 years old, so ..

so now - following the theme we come to  DRUM ROLL  - tyre pressures !
its accepted the front on a winchcombe and similer is about 54 psi - but the rear ?
i have yet to take it to a wieghbridge but im guessing it will be similar to other auto sleeper's with the same wieght capacity, so what pressures do we run at the back - im running continentals 235/65 16 which have a max of 76 psi but i run at 65 psi currently

I run the same as you on our 3880kgs Worcester 65rear but increase to 68 when fully loaded. Seems to be perfect at that and tyres have worn evenly with life left in them at 30,000 miles. Will change them in the Spring purely on age grounds 10 years plus. Fronts are set at 55psi.