Do you tow an Elddis Affinity 550? Stability?

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. Yes we've made sure the towball is clean and the friction pads were specifically checked out ok at the service in April. We're due for a stay near Warwick later this month so will try moving weight around again for the journey.  We've always travelled with the bed in 'day mode' in the past so will try pulling it right out this time.

We too have struggled to keep the nose weight down with this van and usually travel with a noseweight of around 90Kg. Hit & miss this one as there's no guidance in the manual about what to do with the bed. I'm happy that the car sits level with its new heavy duty springs.

We had an Elddis Supreme 550 which is a special edition from Preston Caravans, 2015 model on an Alko chassis.  Towed with an E class 220 Estate and had no problems at all, even in very high cross winds when in Northern Spain in winter 2016.  A little wiggle here and there when being overtaken by a speeding high sided white van, or when we were overtaking a lorry on a motorway - but generally pretty solid.  This van was up-plated to 1500 kgs.  So I wonder if the 320D is simply not heavy enough for what you ask of it

We previously owned a 2015 Affinity and towed with a BMW 330d saloon. I found it a great match even though we had a 87% match ratio. Rarely fell it wiggle around and was able to maintain 60mph on the mway without any fuss up and down the country. I only had 1no 4.5kg bottle in the locker and loaded all food / heavy items over the axle and bulky items (chairs etc) under the bed, along with all clothes in the rear wardrobes. When travelling with the awning, always put it in the boot. It is a shame you are not having the same experience as I really found it a good match. Are your tyre pressures ok on the van? Tyre tread ok on the car?

That's interesting, thank you.  Yes we're coming to the conclusion that our problem is simply down to the weight of our 320D.  We feel that we've acted on everyone's advice yet the issue isn't going away. 

This is also interesting thank you.  Yes the van tyre pressures are to manufacturer's spec. (58psi). New Michelin tyres on the rear, increased in pressure for full load.  ESP switched on, ALKO ATC fitted and working ok.

We really do seem to have exhausted all the possibilities and are now reluctantly looking at replacement cars.

We towed our Affinity 550 with a 330d which I think is heavier than the 320d. Maybe this made the difference?

An update, for those who commented.  We took your advice!

We've finally taken the plunge and bought a 2013 Landrover Freelander SD4 GS automatic to replace our 13 year old BMW.  The Landy will provide us with a weight ratio of 80% and a tow bar limit of 150Kg.  The engine has a power output of 190 BHP so it should easily cope with our Elddis for our next holiday in the Lake District later this month.

Thank you once again - we're now looking forward to some stress-free touring!

Helen & Steve

Good luck Helen and Steve. Hope the change of car solves your problem and you can enjoy the journeys.

I tow with a BMW X3 no problems at all with stability, the car is equipped with the factory fit t/bar , very happy all round.

Too late for the original poster but my previous car was a BMW320 touring, the only time it went wonky was after a pair new rear tyres were fitted. A change of wheels front to back cured the problem. That vehicle also had a factory fit t/bar and with that comes heavy duty rear springs as standard.

I believe that tyre choice makes a remarkable difference. My car tows well and hence I always choose to match original tyre