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The topic of camping is booming and extremely multifaceted. The spectrum ranges from motorhomes to caravans to tents or roof tents. In any case, the shock absorbers of the respective vehicle are faced with major challenges: in the camper it is the heavy built-in components, in the caravan it is the vertical load as well as tensile and lever forces that place extreme demands on the vehicle. Even those who are just camping often put too much strain on their car when they arrive: the trunk is completely full and there is usually a transport box or a roof tent enthroned at the top, so that the center of gravity of the vehicle is unfavorably shifted. If there is also a bike rack on the trailer hitch, things get really tricky. In all of these cases, chassis manufacturer BILSTEIN offers camping fans a solution: In addition to the BILSTEIN B6 for towing vehicles, heavy loads and external loads, which has been available for some time, the high-performance BILSTEIN B2022 Camper and B6 Camper Advanced shock absorbers for mobile homes have also been available since summer 6.
Shock absorber series BILSTEIN B6
Like all BILSTEIN high-performance dampers, they were adjusted on the test track in Papenburg and optimized over several weeks. BILSTEIN tested them with a wide variety of vehicles and under extreme conditions - for example at high speed, on uneven ground and when driving over edges. Both converted panel vans and semi-integrated vehicles based on the Fiat Ducato (from 2006 model year) benefit from the new camper products. Well over half of all motorhomes in Europe are based on this. All identical Citroën and Peugeot vehicles are also taken into account. Depending on the version, conversion is only necessary on the front axle (Ducato/light/35 L) or on both axles (Ducato Maxi/heavy/35 H/40 H). The standard springs can be reused in all cases.
BILSTEIN B6 campers
Mobile homes that are based on transporters usually also adopt their unchanged chassis. The result can be a lack of travel comfort, poor stability when cornering or annoying noises. The advantages of the improved standard replacement shock absorber B6 Camper, which is registration-free, include an increase in safety in crosswinds and in curves thanks to optimal road grip and a more intensive driving experience thanks to high traction and precise handling. At the same time, campers can look forward to a more comfortable driving experience: The reduction in driving noise through better damping contributes to this, as does the optimized rolling behavior on cobblestones and at level crossings.
BILSTEIN B6 Camper Advanced
The BILSTEIN B6 Camper Advanced, which is also registration-free, goes one step further and has the innovative DampMatic® technology as a further advantage. This ensures amplitude-selective damping. With this purely mechanical technology, a control piston reacts to the vibrations transmitted by the road and automatically selects one of two characteristic curves. In the "soft setting" the damper oil flows through both the main piston and a special DampMatic® bypass. In the "tighter" setting, the latter is closed, so the flow is reduced. The DampMatic® further improves the rolling behavior in terms of comfort, since you have two running gears in one. This can be felt, for example, on bridge edges and cobblestones. In addition, the control over the vehicle increases enormously, for example in curves and when changing lanes.
BILSTEIN B6 for towing vehicles and heavy loads
The BILSTEIN B6, which has been available for some time for cars and vans without a mobile home conversion, is the ideal gas pressure shock absorber for anyone who wants to improve the standard driving behavior without sacrificing comfort. A spring change is not necessary, so that the conversion remains entry-free. The plus in damping power of the B6 pays off in particular on bad roads, with a heavy load, when towing a trailer or in combination with external loads such as transport boxes, roof tents or bicycle racks. In all of the above cases with increased loads, the damping force of the series shock absorbers is often no longer sufficient to ensure safe, comfortable and agile driving behavior.
An “under-cushioned” car can sway dangerously or react much too sluggishly, especially when evading quickly or in changing curves. "Regardless of whether you have a caravan or a bicycle carrier: Due to the high vertical loads, tensile and leverage forces that occur on the trailer hitch, the standard shock absorbers quickly reach their limit in dangerous situations because they were not optimized for this load," explains Rainer Popiol, head of the BILSTEIN Academy: "But additional roof loads or, in general, high weight can also have an extremely negative effect on driving safety, agility and comfort." optimum traction and precise handling. In addition, the B6 was not only tuned on the computer, but specifically in the BILSTEIN road test for each individual vehicle application.
Of course, that wasn't the end of it!
tuningblog has many more news around the topic Camping and RV at the beginning. Do you want to see them all? Just click HERE and look around. Our focus is especially on converted Campers & mobile homes. This means that you will find fewer reports on classic standard motorhomes here, but much more we try to present specially modified specimens that show that the topic is also Tuning is represented in the camping & RV scene. Below is an excerpt of the last campers and mobile homes.
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Even for campers: The BILSTEIN B6 shock absorber series is worthwhile for all camping fans
Better driving behavior for campers, caravans and co.
Photo credit: ThyssenKrupp Bilstein GmbH
