Entering hitched caravans

The floor is laid on the chassis, what advantage other than steadying would dropping the steadies give.

We seldom bothered winding down steadies if we pulled up for a short break with van on back. You just learn to tread lightly, not thump around. Occasionally we have slept for a break in our van on way dow to SW, would lower back steadies then.

Some MHs have steadies, helps with onsite stability. We have never used ours.

I've never heard that but could be true, but the main reason for lowering steadies (or one) when hitched is the turning effect or moment caused by your weight. If you all stood at one end of the van you could exceed the nose weight or start to pull the car up.

If it's just one person going into the toilet then one or two steadies, if you're having a sit down meal then all of them.

Simply as possible, enter van get food from fridge , eat, tidy don’t forget to lock door as we leave.  Don’t make it more complicated than needs be.

We never did with our caravans. But a friend and I went to clear out her van prior to it's sale, it had been moved to storage by someone else, we didn't check the steadies and we both moved towards the back in unison to retrieve things. There was an almighty bang as the van hit the ground, unknown to us there was also a steep drop at the rear.  We thought it was going to be an expensive repair before the sale. Luckily all was ok and the van found a new owner. So tread carefully....

We used to lower, at least, the rear steadies when we stopped en route. Mind you it always used to worry me that I might forget to wind them up!!! I suppose one of the simplifications of changing to a motorhome is that you don't even have to get out of the vehicle to have lunch.

David

If the van is unhitched from the car then you shouldn't go in it unless the steadies are down - for exactly the reason you describe!  Or if you do go in stay in front of the axle!

+1

As the toilet is at the rear of the van, I always drop at least one of the corner steadies. Saves a lot of rock n roll from any vehicles passing too!

Making a mountain out of a molehill, some are talking of one/two person(s) and another saying 'all of you'. Obviously if a family of four are going to prance around and hold a disco then drop'em, but one or two using the toilet or having a snack then other than stability in the van, no harm will be done.

Additional weight on the cars hitch will be less than the persons weight anyway, as they will be at some point mid way between axle and hitch, plus traversing bumpy roads would most likely add more additional weight to the hitch.

Stability is the only concern, no harm will come of anything if the steadies are not lowered for one/two persons.