Continuing his series on caravan wheel alignment, John Hughes calls on the expertise of Big Wheels Truck Alignment general manager Paul Whiting and explains how alignments are carried out using state-of-the-art specialised equipment.
I have written a couple of articles lately about caravan wheel alignments. With help from Andrew Phillips from the RV Repair Centre, the first article (DIY column in issue 657) explored how a DIYer can do some simple, old-school checks to see if their van may need a proper wheel alignment.
While Andrew gave some handy hints, his recommendation was that if the van showed any signs of misalignment, you should seek the help of a specialist caravan wheel aligner. It is worth noting that most regular tyre shops do not perform caravan wheel alignments. The second article was about different caravan suspension types and their pros and cons (issue 658). One of the observations was that some suspension types have more wheel alignment adjustability than others.
In search of further enlightenment for this article, I drew on the perspective of an industry expert and break down how he goes about conducting a wheel alignment using state-of-the-art specialised equipment. I enlisted the help of the general manager of Big Wheels Truck Alignment, Paul Whiting. Obviously, the business name tells us these guys align trucks. However, I sought his input as I have firsthand experience with his caravan expertise. In a former life, I was responsible for overseeing the after-sales service function of a local caravan manufacturer. I can tell you this brand has a national network and most of its branches are geared up to handle caravans. When we needed help Big Wheel was our go-to company.
Advice from the experts at Big Wheels Truck Alignment
Positioning the van over the inspection pit
What exactly is caravan wheel alignment?
Put simply, wheel alignment is how your wheels are positioned under your caravan. Performing a wheel alignment is the process of checking and adjusting the wheels to ensure they are positioned correctly. According to Paul, proper alignment helps wheels roll smoothly and straight behind your vehicle, minimising uneven wear and protecting against unsafe towing experiences.
Imagine your caravan’s wheels like your shoes. If your shoes aren’t properly aligned with your feet, walking becomes uncomfortable and tiring. Similarly, misaligned wheels make towing harder, causing premature tyre wear and potentially dangerous sway.
Caravan alignment differs from car wheel alignment primarily because caravans typically have fixed axles. This means alignment focuses solely on adjusting angles to ensure straight rolling, whereas in cars steering responses also need to be addressed.
Inspecting the tyres for wear
Inspecting the running gear
Why wheel alignment matters
Paul emphasises the numerous benefits of correct alignment. Properly aligned wheels optimise the tyre contact patch on the ground and distribute the caravan’s weight evenly across each tyre. In contrast, a misaligned wheel can have more load concentrated in a certain section of the tyre, causing accelerated and uneven tyre wear. Optimising tyre contact with the ground also increases safety as it gives you the most traction under braking and swerving. Safety is further enhanced when your wheels are positioned correctly to help the caravan track in a straight line and follow your tow vehicle precisely. This accuracy is particularly critical during highway/higher speeds or emergency manoeuvres.
Misaligned wheels create resistance, forcing your tow vehicle to work harder, which reduces fuel efficiency. Correct alignment means easier towing and improved fuel economy. Misalignment stresses suspension components, potentially causing extensive damage over time. Proper alignment prevents these issues, keeping your caravan structurally sound and providing a comfortable towing experience without vibrations or wandering.
Setting the tyre pressures
Key alignment angles simplified
There are three angles to measure and adjust. The first is called toe, which describes whether wheels point slightly inward (toe-in) or outward (toe-out) when viewed from above. Paul likens this to someone who walks pigeon-toed (toe-in) or duck-footed (toe-out). Toe-in means the front edges of the tyres are closer together than the rear edges, which helps stability at speed. Toe-out, on the other hand, means the front edges of the tyres are farther apart than the rear edges, which can cause wandering and rapid tyre wear. If wheels aren’t pointing straight, tyres can scrub or drag sideways, wearing out faster.
The second angle is camber, which describes how much the wheels tilt inward or outward when viewed from the front. Wheels leaning inward at the top have negative camber , while wheels leaning outward at the top have positive camber. Both extremes cause uneven tyre wear and reduce grip, so generally, a balanced, neutral camber is the objective.
Finally, experts also check what’s called the thrust angle, ensuring the axle is straight and at right angles to the centre line of the caravan. A skewed axle means your caravan might ‘crab’ sideways, with the body slightly offset from the tow vehicle’s path. This misalignment creates towing discomfort, reduces fuel efficiency and causes uneven tyre wear.
Mounting the wheel clamps
Signs your caravan needs an alignment
Misalignment can be caused by components that are worn or damaged by impact such as hitting a pothole or gutter at speed. Paul suggests looking out for several key indicators. Uneven tyre wear, such as balding edges or uneven tread depth, clearly indicates alignment issues. If your caravan consistently pulls or drifts, causing constant steering corrections, this could also signal alignment problems. Feeling wheel vibrations or unstable handling, like excessive sway during towing, often points to misalignment. Additionally, if you notice increased fuel consumption without other obvious causes, it may mean your caravan wheels aren’t properly aligned.
Attaching a reflector rod to the front of the chassis
Attaching a reflector rod to the rear of the chassis
Suspension type and impact on wheel alignments
Here’s a quick summary of the differences between the most common suspension types and how readily wheel alignments can be performed.
Leaf spring
Leaf spring suspension is simple, durable and cost-effective. It consists of multiple layers of curved metal strips (leaves) attached to the chassis. In turn, a solid beam axle is secured to the leaf springs with U-bolts. The wheels are connected at either end of the axle. Leaf spring suspension systems typically have limited capacity to correct camber angle and toe misalignments compared to other systems. Incorrect camber can be attributed to worn/collapsed leaf springs or damaged bearings/hubs. Investigation begins with inspecting and replacing these parts where necessary. However, camber and toe misalignments are often caused by a bent axle or spindle. Misalignments might be able to be corrected with axle straightening by an engineering specialist. Alternatively, the axle may need to be replaced. Thrust angle can be corrected by loosening the U-bolts securing the axle to the leaf springs and repositioning the axle.
Torsion axle
Torsion axle suspensions feature an axle that connects directly to the chassis. The ends of the axle have short trailing arms to which the wheels are connected. The beauty of this system is the suspension components (rubber cords) are contained inside the axle. As the wheels move up and down the rubber cords compress and decompress to smooth the ride. Alignment issues can be caused by the failure of rubber inside the axle which can be addressed with ‘re-rubbering’. Bent or damaged trailing arms can also be the cause which is remedied with replacements. As with leaf springs, some misalignments can be caused by bent axles and corrected with straightening the axle or ultimately replacing it.
Trailing arm
Trailing arm suspension has independently moving arms connected to the chassis in the form of a pivot point. The wheels are then attached to the ends of the trailing arms. Coil or airbag springs and shock absorbers are mounted to the trailing arm and chassis to control the ride. Wear and tear of wheel bearings/hubs and suspension components can cause misalignment as can nuts securing the trailing arms at the pivot point becoming loose. Trailing arm suspensions usually have specific mechanisms making it much simpler to correct misalignments. Generally, camber and/or toe can be corrected by loosening the nuts on the trailing arm pivot bolts and rotating a cam with a spanner. This repositions the angles of the trailing arm and in turn tyre contact on the road. Thrust angle issues are less prevalent in trailing arm suspension as the wheels are not connected to a shared axle. However, thrust angle can be corrected with appropriate toe adjustments.
The camera captures infrared rays from the front and rear reflector panels
Wheel angle readings are taken
Single/twin axle and impact on wheel alignments
Axle count also affects wheel alignment. Single-axle caravans are lighter, simpler, more manoeuvrable and easier to align. Alignment focuses on keeping the axle at right angles to the centreline of the caravan. Twin-axle caravans offer greater stability but involve more complex alignment. The principle is exactly the same — keep the axles at right angles to the caravan centreline and the wheels on the correct angles. However, more precision is required to ensure both axles and all wheels are parallel and centrally aligned. Misalignment between the axles can exacerbate handling and tyre wear problems.
Initial corrections are made by rotating adjustment cams with a spanner
Dispelling common alignment myths
Paul addressed several common misconceptions about caravan wheel alignment. One common myth is that only cars need alignments. In reality, caravans need alignment just as much — possibly more, due to heavy loads and road stresses. Even minor alignment issues significantly affect towing safety and tyre life.
Another misconception is that new caravans come perfectly aligned from the factory. Surprisingly, many caravans leave factories slightly misaligned. Paul advises new caravan owners to have alignments checked early to avoid premature tyre wear and to optimise safety.
Some people also believe that if the caravan feels fine, alignment isn’t needed. However, alignment issues often aren’t immediately obvious but gradually cause damage. Regular alignment checks prevent costly repairs later.
How often should you check alignment?
Paul recommends conducting alignment checks annually or every 20,000km. If you frequently drive on rough roads or offroad conditions, alignment checks every 10,000km can be beneficial. Regular checks also enable technicians to identify potential suspension or tyre issues early, helping you avoid further expenses down the road.
“Caravan alignment isn’t just about tyres — it’s about ensuring safety, improving the towing experience and protecting your investment,” Paul said. “Regular alignment checks might seem minor, but they make a huge difference to your travels.”
Wheels are jacked up to eliminate tyre friction on the road for further tuning
How does a professional conduct a wheel alignment?
Paul was kind enough to step us through the wheel alignment process at a Big Wheel centre using a single axle, trailing arm suspension caravan as an example.
“We ask the customer bring the van in loaded as it would be for a usual trip,” Paul said. “This enables us to set the van up as per the angles the suspension will typically sit at. If the van is delivered to us unladen we need to make a judgement call on how it is likely to sit loaded. We position the van over our pits and inspect for tyre wear and any signs of deterioration of running gear. If we find any mechanical failures, we address these before conducting a wheel alignment.”
The tyres are then set at the recommended pressures and the process is started. Specialised clamps are mounted to the wheels and reflective panels to the chassis. The reflective panels are mounted at right angles to the chassis to allow wheel angle measurements to be taken relative to this reference point. The wheel clamps are equipped with technology that emits and captures infrared light via cameras. The infrared light reflected back by the panels enables angles to be measured with extreme precision. The measurements are transmitted to the system computer through Bluetooth so the results can be observed and recorded.
Initial baseline readings for toe, camber and thrust angles are taken. Incremental adjustments are then made based on these measurements checking computer readings continually. The process involves making an initial adjustment and then raising the wheels to remove the friction of the tyre contacting the ground. Further adjustments are made, and the wheels are lowered again for checking. The ‘jack and drop’ procedure is repeated until correct alignments are achieved.
Camber and toe adjustments can be made
“We adjust toe angles by turning cams on the suspension arm pivot points” Paul said. “Typically, we set the wheels with a slight toe-in to improve stability. Adjusting camber is a similar process of rotating cams at the suspension arm pivot points. Manufacturers commonly specify a slightly negative camber (0° to –0.5°), meaning wheels lean slightly inward at the top.
“If the van is supplied to us unladen we will aim for a slightly positive or zero camber to compensate for the shift when the van is loaded. Next, we verify the thrust angle is straight on all axles relative to the axle chassis line, ensuring no sideways drift or dog-tracking occurs during towing.
“After adjustments, we torque all adjustment bolts to the recommended settings and remove the clamps and panels. We finally generate a detailed alignment report, and perform a brief towing test if possible, confirming smooth, stable tracking and optimal caravan handling.”
The wrap
Wheel alignments on your caravan are all about setting your wheels on the correct angles to optimise tyre contact with the ground and to ensure the van tracks in a straight line and offers a smoother ride. Regular wheel alignments are a good investment to increase the longevity of your van tyres, improve fuel efficiency, protect against premature running gear wear and most importantly improve your safety on the road.
Special thanks to Paul Whiting, general manager of Big Wheels Truck Alignment for his expert insights.
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Related articles:
Caravan suspension systems explained: What you need to know
A guide to caravan towing dynamics and how to stay safe: part one
Expert advice: Caravan wheel alignment explained