Caravan anti-roll bars, sometimes referred to as an anti-sway or stabilizer bar, are an important component in your caravans suspension system that can greatly improve your towing experience. 

In this CruisemasterClass, we'll go over the basics of suspension components, anti-roll bars and the benefits of having them on your caravan setup. 

Cruisemasterclass Episode 4: Anti-Roll Bars

What are Caravan Anti-Roll Bars?

Caravan anti-roll bars are an optional suspension component that greatly assist in the reduction of a vehicles body roll during cornering or over irregularities in the road. 

They work by connecting opposite wheels (left/right) through the use of a torsion spring to increase the overall roll stiffness of the suspension system.

Benefits of Caravan Anti-roll bars

Having anti-roll bars fitted within your caravans suspension system provides many benefits when it comes to towing, these include but are not limited to:

• Increasing your caravans suspensions roll stiffness
• Help prevent caravan sway
• Reduces vehicles body roll when cornering or on road irregularities
• Work with independent suspensions

Types of Caravan Suspension Components

There are three major components that look after the motion of the wheel and the van body in a caravans suspension system these include the Spring, Shock Absorber & Anti-Roll Bar.

Caravan Suspension Spring

Springs hold up the weight of the caravan and provide the primary ride characteristics, these will affect how soft or stiff your caravans ride will feel.

Caravan Shock Absorbers

Shock absorbers assist in controlling the release of energy from the spring and help ensure that the wheels are always in contact with the ground. They also help handle the bodies movement when maneuvering and the rate at which it rolls.

Caravan Anti-Roll Bars

Anti-roll bars, are less common and are not often fitted on caravan suspensions, However these can be a particularly effective tuning device to ensure you are getting the most out of your caravans suspension.

They are made out of a cylindrical steel bar which is mounted onto the chassis and feature D bushes and clamps, attaching to the suspension arm with a simple drop link.

How do anti-roll bars work on caravans?

Anti-roll bars work by joining the two wheels together to a certain degree, so that when one wheel goes up in a roll, it reacts on the other. This helps control the van's movement when turning into a corner or driving on a rough and undulating road. 

Anti-roll bars do not affect your ride like a stiffened spring or shock absorber would, as it only acts when the van is in a rolling motion.

Installing Anti-roll bars to your Caravan

The easiest way to install an anti-roll bar is at the point of first manufacture when ordering your caravan. If you're interested in installing an anti-roll bar to a caravan after it's been manufactured, installation constraints such as water tanks can make it more difficult. 

Below is an example of an anti-roll bar fitted to a Cruisemaster XT suspension system.

If you are looking to do an aftermarket installation, it's recommended to give the team at Cruisemaster a call for assistance to make this process as smooth as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need Anti-roll bars on my caravan?

Although anti-roll bars are an optional extra for a caravans suspension system, it is recommended to have an anti-roll bar on your caravan if you want to get the most out of your caravans suspension system.

Do Anti-roll bars work with independent suspension?

One of the most common concerns is that an anti-roll bar will affect the independent motion of your caravans suspension. While this is true, roll bars are designed to minimize that effect so that your independent suspension still works as originally designed.

For more caravan and towing tips, make sure to keep an eye out for the latest episodes of our Cruisemasterclass series by subscribing to the Cruisemaster YouTube channel and following us on Facebook & Instagram.