Improved ride when loaded - is ballast a thing?

[CJW]

Good evening all

My T32 was a PV and is now a camper. It’s ex-fleet and was British Gas. The rear was kitted out for carrying heavy tools and equipment but that’s all now gone and the fit out I’ve gone for is our Cascade U-shaped seat and bed.

I’ve noticed when loaded up for holiday that the van handles a lot better, the ride is better and it feels ‘connected’ to the road in a way that it just doesn’t when unloaded. I assumed it would take a lot of load to feel like that but a couple of days ago I carried a mere 70kg above the rear axle and the ride was massively improved.

Without spending any money, I wondered if carrying 35kg ballast on each side of the rear axle was a good idea. The U-shaped bed has a compartment in the right place where I could hide / secure the load. I’ve read stories online one of people putting sandbags in the boot of their car to stop suspension topping out when otherwise unloaded.

Has anyone else tried this?

It’s too dark, wet and mucky on the ground to see the stripes on the rear springs, but I can see that they are the progressive springs with a variable cross-section.

I appreciate extra load would effect acceleration and fuel consumption mildly.

Someone else online suggested reducing the tyre pressure slightly on the rear wheels.

 

[DaveD]

These are commercial vehicles and it's worth remembering that unlike a car they have to be just as capable of driving around with no load as when we've got nearly a tonne in the back, that has to involve compromises.
I have a Kombi and often it's completely unladen and I don't even have the rear seats fitted most of the time, other times I carry a few hundred KG's.
Like you, I prefer the ride of it when there's a bit of weight in the back, and as you say, even 70KG is enough to make it feel a bit more planted on the road.

 

[Crazymind]

Why not upgrade suspension to something more comfortable when unladen?

 

[DaveD]

Why not upgrade suspension to something more comfortable when unladen?

That's what I did, I went to Cannock and had Koni Active shocks fitted. They are a massive improvement over the factory shocks but it still rides better with a bit of weight in the back. I've driven many commercial vehicles over the years and they all did.

 

[CJW]

Why not upgrade suspension to something more comfortable when unladen?

If money was no object then I would definitely upgrade the suspension. However the ride's actually quite good when there's a bit of weight in the back, and in the current economic climate, I'm trying to do more with less.

 

[CJW]

That's what I did, I went to Cannock and had Koni Active shocks fitted. They are a massive improvement over the factory shocks but it still rides better with a bit of weight in the back. I've driven many commercial vehicles over the years and they all did.

That's interesting - and kind of what I'm getting at, that I suspect that any spring / shocker combination that is capable of dealing with a 1200kg load delta is going to struggle at the extremes.

 

[Crazymind]

I d personally invest in more food for the family, put more weight on and get on with a better ride quality in a few months from now

 

[CJW]

I d personally invest in more food for the family, put more weight on and get on with a better ride quality in a few months from now

Fattening the family up for Xmas - great idea! Evenly distributed load.

 

[Bav]

Fattening the family up for Xmas - great idea! Evenly distributed load.

That's probably a more expensive "solution" than a suspension upgrade.

 

[Crazymind]

when I Was a child I used to believe Transporter were for family of obese people. My neighbours had a transporter and they could barely fit 5 of them inside.
I realise now why their Transporter felt so comfortable on the school run.They kept talking about how car like it was (T4 Velle).

 

[DXX]

Cheapest option is to accept it’s a van. When it’s loaded it’s fine and when it’s not loaded it’s still OK.

 

[CJW]

Cheapest option is to accept it’s a van. When it’s loaded it’s fine and when it’s not loaded it’s still

That’s the thing though - my last vans *were* OK unladen - this one is harsh without a little weight in the back.

 

[CRS Performance]

Good evening all

My T32 was a PV and is now a camper. It’s ex-fleet and was British Gas. The rear was kitted out for carrying heavy tools and equipment but that’s all now gone and the fit out I’ve gone for is our Cascade U-shaped seat and bed.

I’ve noticed when loaded up for holiday that the van handles a lot better, the ride is better and it feels ‘connected’ to the road in a way that it just doesn’t when unloaded. I assumed it would take a lot of load to feel like that but a couple of days ago I carried a mere 70kg above the rear axle and the ride was massively improved.

Without spending any money, I wondered if carrying 35kg ballast on each side of the rear axle was a good idea. The U-shaped bed has a compartment in the right place where I could hide / secure the load. I’ve read stories online one of people putting sandbags in the boot of their car to stop suspension topping out when otherwise unloaded.

Has anyone else tried this?

It’s too dark, wet and mucky on the ground to see the stripes on the rear springs, but I can see that they are the progressive springs with a variable cross-section.

I appreciate extra load would effect acceleration and fuel consumption mildly.

Someone else online suggested reducing the tyre pressure slightly on the rear wheels.

The Recovery industry ( RAC AA ete ) had a habit of fitting really heavy duty rear springs . If you still have these in the ride will be bad

Put a set of T 30 rear springs and some spring distance spacers to tweak the height to where it needs to be , You will be much happier , This would take 30 mins at our workshop and you can have the springs for free !!

 

[Gavinda]

The Recovery industry ( RAC AA ete ) had a habit of fitting really heavy duty rear springs . If you still have these in the ride will be bad

Put a set of T 30 rear springs and some spring distance spacers to tweak the height to where it needs to be , You will be much happier , This would take 30 mins at our workshop and you can have the springs for free !!

@CJW That sound like an offer you can't refuse.

 

[CJW]

Put a set of T 30 rear springs and some spring distance spacers to tweak the height to where it needs to be , You will be much happier , This would take 30 mins at our workshop and you can have the springs for free !!

Thank you so much @CRS Performance - as @Gavinda says - an offer I can't refuse. It's dry on the ground today so I'll have a butchers at the markings on the springs and PM you. Cannock is a doable drive. Thanks again.

 

[CJW]

Just for reference for future viewers of the forum going through a similar experience, my springs have a single grey daub.

 

[Keeff]

I fitted t30 rears to my t32 kombi soon after I got it.Even with all my plumbing tools in the back it was a bad ride but the t30 made a big difference. I can’t remember the colour markings but the spring was much thicker. The rears are very easy to fit as well as the shocks so could be worth fitting all new on the rear as it sound like it done some hard work before you got it.

 

[CRS Performance]

I fitted t30 rears to my t32 kombi soon after I got it.Even with all my plumbing tools in the back it was a bad ride but the t30 made a big difference. I can’t remember the colour markings but the spring was much thicker. The rears are very easy to fit as well as the shocks so could be worth fitting all new on the rear as it sound like it done some hard work before you got it.

Putting a quality performance shock will be the best money you can spend in this instance , Buying new VW shocks will not improve things
Happy to send you a brand new set of rears for free to prove the point .

 

[CJW]

Bit of an update on this. On the advice of a mechanic friend who drove it, the ride has improved massively from replacing the front suspension arms and bushes. Now feels like other vans I’ve driven / owned and the front feels very smooth and compliant. Feels 80% the way to perfection. Going for new shocks and springs on the rear soon and I reckon that’ll get it to 100%.

Bonus : what I thought was a power steering-related low speed judder on turning has also been proved to be worn bushes. Smooth-as now.

 

[DaveD]

Bit of an update on this. On the advice of a mechanic friend who drove it, the ride has improved massively from replacing the front suspension arms and bushes. Now feels like other vans I’ve driven / owned and the front feels very smooth and compliant. Feels 80% the way to perfection. Going for new shocks and springs on the rear soon and I reckon that’ll get it to 100%.

Bonus : what I thought was a power steering-related low speed judder on turning has also been proved to be worn bushes. Smooth-as now.

I'm glad you've got it driving much better, it's frustrating when you know it's not right but can't pin down why it's not right.