TWANG and the suspension is gone! Berlingo camping fail...
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ก.พ. 2025
- Our second folding camper trip was going so well! Then it rained, the tarp ripped and then things got even worse... We stayed at Wayside Camping, near Craven Arms, Shropshire. The suspension collapse was typical Berlingo it seems, likely a snapped torsion bar.
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Well irrespective of the unfortunate event - I really enjoyed the journey and its so lovely to see you both enjoying basic quality time together. I really loved the wonderful atmosphere you both brought to the experience and the dogs made it very nice indeed. Jolly well done.
It’s ok little Citroen, last time I did the squats I never got back up either.
"When it rains sometimes it pours", as the saying goes. It started so well. A great break in the 'thing' you bought recently (trailer tent, that is really nice actually) and some good times away learning about the caravan cabriolet then it rained. And now Bella is poorly. I hope Bella's up coming surgery goes well and doesn't cost too much, she's definitely worth fixing as the HubNutters (along with us unruly subscribers to the channel) have clearly bonded with her. Take great care of both Bella and Bob and keep us updated how the surgery goes, Hopefully the sun will come out again soon.
This is why I am always cautious, if I go to buy a car and it has a tow bar fitted, you never know how much extra strain the frame and running gear have suffered.
This and the age of it too, most of these will be wanting a new rear beam, due to the age. My 306 had just turned 19 when the beam bit the dust. Got stefs axles to build me a replacement unit and me and my mate had it swopped over with in a matter of hours. Cost a bit, but that was a full rear setup that stef done for me, so it was just basically undoing the four bolts in the boot floor and removing the other odds and sods on the axle, and swopping them over.
I had this with a Jag X300. The rear bushings were quite worn, though the rest of the suspension was fine and the gearbox tramission oil serviced every two years.
Tow bar or not that Berlingo is a rationally great, yet utterly boring vehicle. Big problem for used car buyers, it has that rear axle which cannot be serviced to last. So if you plan to run your Berli for years: add one grand to the purchase price for the axle (in time), teach yourself structural bodywork and buy a good drivetrain from a wreck. And you're up for years of active and low-price motoring.
I had Xsara and brother had Berlingo, neither had tow bar but rear axle failed on both ones. (Eventhough wheels went wobbly and nothing happened to torsion beam)
@@Tegelane5 it's really a big issue on all Peugeot and Citroën cars for at least 20 years of production.
You need to rebuild that rear suspension every 15 years or so.
Drilling to fit grease fittings can be a good idea to prevent water filling the entire "tube" and rust the bearings.
It's a squatted Berlingo 😂 Annoying and inconvenient, but maybe a good chance to upgrade the torsion bars as you talked about in a previous video.
Watching Mr. H struggling to get it up is surprisingly entertaining.
Like the 60 section erection and at ‘my age’ I’d struggle even with that!
Is an attempt at erecting a shonky fabric caravan in under a minute a Crapton Factor Challenge?
He seems to be getting much quicker at getting it up though
It's the best bit 😆
There’s a bloke on my regular dog walk route that’s just done a rear axle swap on a P reg Berlingo van. Poor bugger did it at the side of the road in the 40 degree heat last week. For such an old van it’s in amazing nick!
Hope Bella doesn’t give you much grief £££ -wise, it’s still a cracking car though, and a full suspension refresh will work wonders I imagine.
Always fix your Berlingo, or you'll regret it. Any other option costs more in the end. ( except of course a free Berlingo from a friend or relative )
This is a remarkable time as the world of Hubnut synchronises with mine. Buy a Berlingo. Tick. Fall in love with Berlingo and decide that it’s probably a keeper. Tick. Begin camping with Berlingo. Tick. Need to replace rear axle. Tick. (small difference, mine hasn’t failed, just noisy and my fingers are crossed that it will hang together for another week and a bit when I’m booked in for the mot and will order a reconditioned unit.)
Really enjoying the adventure in this genuinely wonderful and joy-giving car. All the best everyone.
Ours was creaking on occasion, a sound I recall from my BX days. Didn't expect it to fail but sadly it did. Keep an eye on your wheel camber...
Teething troubles, won't be long until you have a perfect camper setup there. Loved the stoic look on your face as Miss Hubnut was talking about the Multipla, as a man who has lost more that his fair share on cars I understood!
Perfect day in the English/Welsh countryside. Pouring with rain, wet tent, car with broken suspension. But viewed from my comfortable armchair - very enjoyable. One thing about Conway/Pennine campers is that they're very strongly built - good in the sense they will last forever, bad in the sense they weigh quite a lot. Bob is going to expose any weaknesses in a smallish, oldish, tow-car. However, you're a handy guy, I'm confident you're up to the challenge of fixing it.
I love it when it rains whilst in a folding camper - the sound of the rain drumming on the canvas sends me to sleep in about 30 seconds! Nice to see the Hubmutts enjoying themselves as well! Two tips for you - if you have to pack the camper away wet, get it opened as soon as you can when you get home to dry it off, and as for re-proofing, Fabsil is a brilliant product for that job.
Rain on a metal roof is nice too.
Arti.
If your folding camper is a Dandy it doesn't matter if you put it away wet.
The PVC palaces are very sturdy.
It’s exactly the same in a tourer caravan. Because the body is so thin too save weight you get a lovely sound of rain. I’ve got a tourer caravan and when away camping I love it when it rains at night, especially when we’re all tucked up nice and warm in our pyjamas, usually snacking, playing cards and having a few beers. Just can’t beat the cosy feeling🙂🛌
I like Mrs H doing all the talking. It's enthusiasm and it's genuine.
Totally agree, she's a keeper!... she's a "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" kinda girl, it's a valuable trait.
Patience of a Saint is Ian. These things come to test and try thee.
Camping and getting away is so addictive great to see you both happy on your travels
After we bought our “pop-up” (tent) trailer we immediately went on holiday, and the first 3 times we set it up, it was in the dark!
Hope Bella makes a full recovery, and congrats on your excellent adventures!
Love the camping, something we can't do any more, so vicarious enjoyment a plenty. Fingers crossed for the repair.
When I was parking at work yesterday (I work at a motorway service station) I saw someone towing a blue Conway Cruiser!! (With a new-ish Kia Sportage)
I know we dont talk about these things on this channel…..but im gonna say it, Ian, you and Ms Hubnut are looking really good these days….dear I say that all this family life is just what you needed
I know about drying canvas. Can guarantee that it will always rain on the morning I need to pack up my air tent even if it's completely dry before that for the rest of the weekend! Have to then assemble a 6 man air tent in my garden. I like the fact you get all the amenities in your folding camper and a very cosy bedroom
Amazing how big inside that folding camper is. A very clever piece of kit.
Thanks for sending my 2x stickers out so quickly too.
Poor Bella, she's certainly a sturdy old steed, for £750 and the trips you've already been on with her is impressive in itself. Seems Bob got the better of her! She's a great character and an awesome addition to the Hubnut fleet!
8:53 Dog in the fridge? Well, he won't be a *hot dog* then! (hold the mustard! woof-woof!)
Bad luck on that. These videos are very very enjoyable. The dogs of course were the stars of the show, as always!
They feel like a nightmare at the time these things but years later they become cherished memories. We had the bearings seize on our Leyland DAF 400 series camper while away, ended up camping on the inside of a garage while it was on axle stands. Aside from this problem I love seeing how Ian has gone from seeing the camper as a big mistake to finding he is loving camping life! You can tell you've had a really nice time of it up till then.
That was delightful (except for the less than ideal ending, obviously). I watch these videos and I swear I feel like leaving the sun and warm weather of southern Europe, all the rainless days and ideal ice cream conditions, to go back home and camp in the drizzle. I mean it! Britain really is beautiful
Miss Hubnut is so right about this beautiful little green island of Great Britain. We have so much unique culture that can change within a few miles or villages. Each county has its own unique dishes, accents, ways of doing things. I love going abroad too see and experience other cultures, but I think us as Brits don’t appreciate what we have on our own green, Lush island🙂
What a bummer HubNut's, that was the last thing you wanted more expenditure, at least you're all safe.
Spin the fridge shelf around so the upturned lip is at the front.
I concur
I concur too. The upturned lip is supposed to top things sliding off into the door when your travelling. Glad the shelves fitted.
The camping part looked so idyllic and chilled, you have a new path to follow and you look so content 👍
Never a dull moment guys. 👍👍🇬🇧🏴
It looked like you had a great time away, even with the suspension issues. I'm looking forward to seeing you, in a future video..
A Wimbury is a Bilberry, a native relative of the larger American Blueberry. We picked them on the Pennine moors as kids and mum made pies, lovely!
Ohhhh no and you were all having so much fun. Hope it gets sorted soon and these troubles soon dwindle.
Go to a sail makers with the tonneau cover, you will probably be surprised at how cost effective it is, they see a job like that as pretty trivial.
I am loving your journey into the joys of owning a folding camper! Could I recommend getting a Cobb for your barbecue needs - I have used one for over 15 years. Yes, they are relatively expensive to buy, but as far as I am concerned, they are the absolute mutt's nuts. Totally safe to use and very energy efficient.
Oh no, I'm really sorry for you both. I hope it all works out okay and I hope the dogs weren't too distressed. Good luck
Bless you both, was a cracking video, I enjoyed seeing you both camping and having fun, shame about bella, hopefully can be sorted without being too expensive.
Hubnut getting down with the kids in the decked Citroen! Seriously through hope you can get her fixed so she can pull Bob again, a great little camping adventure again and love how you are enjoying them alongside Miss Hubnut.
I used to go wimberry picking as a kid (sometimes called bilberries) - gorgeous tiny little berries that turn your hand violet (with the juice during picking, not some kind of Willy Wonka punishment for eating them!). I don't think I've ever seen them for sale, but they make great pies!
My annual summer business as a kid was collecting Wimberries, it is very time intensive and back breaking work down on your hands and knees all day, i am sure my parents sent us out knowing we would be gone all day! I then used to sell them from my old Quality Street sweet tins to our neighbours for 50p per half pint. I loved Wimberry Tart a true classic. Hands and lips would be stained purple for days, i think Wimberry is a type of Loganberry.
Well I am glad that you had another great holiday together and that you are enjoying the freedom that it also brings along with it. I am sorry to hear that Bella's rear end has broken. Here's to getting her levelled up soon & back on the open road.😊👍👍
Not a happy ending for you in the vid but hey thanks for an upbeat vlog despite the torsion bar. Keeps my dream of running a van alive. Thanks.
I am glad you both enjoyed the new adventure the dogs seem happy as well hope you get the suspension fixed for your next event
Sorry that this happened, hope the fix isn't too expensive. Your camping trips are a great addition to the channel. This would have been a lot worse if it had been in Holland!
It's good to see your persevering with the folding camper.
For the first time I will be at FOTU so I may see you there.
Hi that was a good video, ups as in tent erection and hills, downs as in down pours, tarp split Valleys and finally poor Bella collapsed from all the work, this video had it all good luck on getting Bella fixed quickly. Thanks for the video 🙂👍
It's what happens on holiday, too much food and drink, piles on the pounds and pushes the limits too far on the Belingo. Hope you guys work it out 🔨
Great video. Clun is very local to me being about 10 miles away, very pretty villages in that area, hope you get the car fixed
Same lovely weather here in Norway now. Wish you all the best on the suspension and tarp fixes.
Exiting times! :-P
You could use Betty but you would need to change the socket for the towbar wiring from NZ to EU 7 pin
Brilliant video Ian 👍 that's such a shame hope she gets fixed soon
Fantastic video. Lovely how the camper went up. Looks super cosy inside too. It will be interesting to see how things pan out with the weekend event fast approaching. I can't wait. I'm hoping it won't be too serious or indeed costly to sort Bella out. Good luck.
Pity the suspension incident.
Again a really good road trip diary entry. Bob and Bella are probably the best buys in your collection. Both of you seem to enjoy them greatly.
Good Bob held up in the rain. As a previously experienced camper; Do dry out the roof before storing Bob for a long time. It will prevent mould forming and prolong the lifespan of the tent material.
Love it. Especially your mutual hunor.
Keep them coming.
Carly did superb camera work.
Enjoy your camper freedom 👍🏻🤎
I'm sorry to hear you had such a sad ending to a nice break. I'm sure you can get her back on the road as long as you can get the bits in time. I also wanted to say the HubMutts are wonderful!
YES! You have the aussie stance going on with the Berlingo! Wicked cool m8!! Fully tuckin the rear yeeeeew!
Trailer tent looks amazing. So much better than a caravan with all that extra drag when pulling.
Hope you get the car sorted soon. Will be fixxed and almost as good as new.
I had broken the exact same thing with our berlingo with a caravan behind it .left rear spring , put a block of wood between them and drove for a week .when we were back home there was a used rear axle mounted.
Aww it was all going so well, Bummer..! Ya little campervan was doing it.
Miss H.N. was in Loving it, bad Belingo went 'Nope..!'
Not playing..!
Sorry guys you looked so Happy..!! What a Downer..!
( no dig intended...!)
Cheers All, kim in Oz. 😎
Oh dear a Bertwango! Camping looks fun in Bob none the less.
A very enjoyable video. Thanks for sharing. You make a great couple. Sorry about the Berlingo.
Memories of a holiday to Tenerife, stopped part way up Mt.Teide in a monsoon type event in a Berlingo. The rain hitting the roof sounded as if we were being fired upon. Made a great holiday car though and being the 1.8 petrol, it was almost nippy.
Shropshire is nice, we stayed at a caravan site in Wem when our children were younger. A vehicle breakdown when towing is quite a stressful experience, had a gearbox fault when we were in Devon but fortunately we were near our destination and able to get the problem sorted during our stay.
Despite the breakdown we had some enjoyable holidays when we had our caravan, hopefully you’ll have many more happy times away in your camper.
Used bicarbonate of soda to clean the aquaroll. Leave it overnight, run through the taps etc then leave again overnight then flush whole lot with fresh.
Brutal end to the trip, hope you get it sorted without too much drama 🍀👍
Get a sewing awl for the the seam.
Consider getting an easy up awning for outside that way you won’t be confined to the camper when it rains and you’ll have shade from the sun as well. A mr. Heater will take care of any chill in the camper as well.
It’s like looking back at the absolute pinnacle of my childhood, Austin 1300 loaded to the gills, 3 kids in the back, ‘roof rack’ which was some kind of grate thing holding a bag with bungee ties, which loosened and one bag fell off.
The campsite was ropey and our tent blew down in a force 8 gale. We sheltered in a neighbours camper and believed we’d gone to heaven.
Meanwhile my dad (RIP), was outside trying to tie down the tent.
Trailer tent??? Luxury!
If it has a water heater (pretty sure it doesn’t) then use Puriclean rather than Milton. But if no water heater Milton would suffice (doesn’t clean off biofilm though, so go for Puriclean if you can).
I once sat in a ridge tent on a campsite in Norfolk with thunder lightning and rain all around at 3 o clock in the morning. A friend and I shared a bottle of whisky. If we were going, we weren't going sober!
It's always very nice to watch how you both enjoy your camping holidays. Maybe the repair of the Berlingo becomes not too expensive. In the 90ies I saw often people using Berlingo Diesels for towing midsize caravans and when I talked to those people on a camping sight they were mostly very satisfied with that car as a towing vehicle. Until last year I used a Mazda 5 for towing my 1.200 kg Dethleffs 460 T from 1994. When I got that car new in 2009 I als should have installed stronger springs in the back or a niveau lift. Always the back of the car was hanging down when it was loaded and the caravan was connected. I took always care that the caravan was balanced when I was loading it. With my Mazda 323F and the 626 I havn't had that problem so much. Now the Sorento doesn't care at all when the caravan is hanging behind.
Maybe you can take Betty next time as your towing vehicle. As I can remember it has a towbar too. I can imagine that Betty would be strong enough and comfortable to tow your trailer. So thank you for this nice new camping video.
Hi Ian, as a suggestion to keeping the beds dry buy some plastic tarp sheets to cover the inside when you need to decamp whilst it is wet. They are cheap enough to buy as you don't need HD tarps and you may be able to find some at your local Poundshop. I always think that to have a few spare is a good idea and I have been camping for over 50 years.
As for repairing splits in the tarps get some material that you can make patches from, if Miss HN can sew them, get some fabric glue and glue where the seams will be, after that is dry then sew the joints for extra strength. Look for water resistant glue probably at Wilkos or at a camper/caravan outlet, or even online, but I find it preferable to see the product first
hand.
The hob can either be replaced or why not buy one of those single burner type that come inside their own frame and run off gas canisters that look like a big aerosol? Asda or Tesco sell them and they are not expensive. You can also use them outside, I have one that cost me under a tenner 30-35 years ago, still works perfectly.
Good luck and enjpy your camping.
Oh no! That’s ridiculous! Well, I hope the next instalment brings better news!
😂 9:57 Ian looks like a pirate with a very small dog on his shoulder instead of the customary parrot
I'm glad you're an expert Mr Nut.
Who said that?!
Hi HubNut. As the Berlingo at the rear utilizes the Peugeot 405 platform, witch by and large is the same as the Citroen BX's, you could fit a BX rear subframe in stead of the Peugeot 405 unit the Berlingo came with. Mayby Mr UpnDown is the guy to talk to about the hydraulic bits.....
15:23 Rear wiper operating when front wiper engaged? Yep! That's happened with my BF Falcon station wagon. The *"body control module"(computer)* has shit itself. It also caused my reversing lights to stay on, even after I shut off the engine. Had to remove the bulbs lest they exhausted my car's battery. Time to save for a replacement vehicle!
The fridge shelves need turning around so the lip is facing out. Keeps Mrs H’s wine from rolling out. Milton is good but go the extra mile and get some specific caravan steriliser but do what you said and pump it through the pipes or your pipes my notice 🤢. Tons of options regarding retreating the canvas but go with what the owners club says, they know best. 👍🇬🇧
I don't know how prevalent understeer is on diesel Berlingos, but if you're upgrading the torsion bars, don't go too aggressive, as the high rear roll centre will lead to even more prodigious lift-off oversteer. It's a common upgrade, so I bet there's lots of available advice
Oops. Glad it never happened at motorway speeds and you are all ok. I used to tow with my Picasso and found that would drag its ar$e when fully loaded. I then installed a pair of MAD Springs as sister springs and it transformed the ride while towing. Was a little more harsh when not towing but well worth the sacrifice. Best £160 I have spent. Probably a bit dearer these days.
Sorry to hear about the coilspring. Not easy, especially with a towed tent.
Was a surprise to see a minibus I used to drive, for the best bus company in mid wales right at the end
A trick I used to do when camping for drying the canvas part is bringing a small leaf blower with the camper
How unfortunate Ian...especially given how well it served you in Holland..granted you wasn't towing anything.
Rear axel the achilles heel of the Berlingo..luckily lots of axles out there.
Great content as usual. 👍
Nothing to say other than here’s hoping it’s quick to put back together. Have loved the camping series and Bella is fast becoming a fleet fave.
Yay!! Fridge shelves are sorted!!! :D
Well, at least with new torsion bars/a rear subframe fitted, you can be confident that it'll last a bit longer in the future, just a shame it had to happen on such a grotty day... :(
With the rear wiper going with the front ones, maybe worth checking that your reverse light isn't constantly showing (in some cars one you put in reverse with wipers on it puts the rear one on). Happened to me in a different car where when I pressed the brake with the wipers on the rear wiper would come on. Worked out I had a short and every time I pressed the brake the reverse light came on.
I sympathise with Bella as I am falling apart as well!
Hopefully sorted for next weekend.
I'm glad both of you are enjoying camping; also look into camping clubs to which you can join and enjoy discounts (at least I think you can!).
Definitely have Bob the camper thoroughly looked over, and definitely have the canvas soaked in water repellent. You definitely don't want mould!
Keeping fingers crossed 🤞 for Bella!
Poor Bella hope its an easy fix. The Hubnuts were eagerly watching Miss Hubnut sorting the fridge.
Hope you get the berlingo sorted, if you keep the camper use a garden sprayer filled with Fabsil every 1 year (do it on a fine day when on first day pitched) keep it nice and rain proof, also your fridge they make no noise when connected to the mains, they heat a coil in the rear of the unit that transfers opposite to chilled in the fridge, they take several hours to be noticeably cold.
Nice campsite, that one. Stayed there a few months back. Good walks and pubs in the area.
Poor Bella,
Everything seemed to be going very very well - until ... disasters
( but I saw on twitter the parts are already there and probably she'll even be better driving afterwards)
Sorry to see Bella doing a permanent wheelie after what looks like a very nice time with Bob. Hope it's not too expensive to fix and hope to see it back on the road very soon...but you must admit its very HubNut 😀
Hope you get it sorted as soon as possible so that you can resume your adventures.
Congrats on getting to 90K subs. Onward and upwards to six figures.
I find myself using the word "hubnutty" to describe things I see that are, well, a bit hubnutty. You're changing the English language now!
Hope you and misshut are ok and hubletts
Awwwwwww poor bella hope she can be repaired
another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts 👍
Designed for a 306 in the early 90's. That suspension is already working hard just with the van on it. Add doors, windows, seats and its being pushed. Then chuck on a trailer and a load of weight in the back.
I'm just amazed it lasted as long as it did.
Good excuse for an upgrade though.
Assumed it was the same as my old 306 and possibly just a minor variation. Went to have a look at the Haynes BoL to see if it had anything that would be a clue as to how/why a torsion bar would fail but there's just a section on removing and refitting the entire assembly with no disassembly. The 205 manual covered a full overhaul IIRC but that's long gone.
@@Graham_Langley from what I could tell they are almost the same. From the ones I took apart they certainly look the same but I never had them side by side. Torsion bars do snap sometimes. Like springs they use the flex in the metal to achieve their bounce and also like springs if you go too far too many times they give up. I've had three failures on this kind of system over the years and it was always a shear of the torsion bar just to the outside of where its clamped to the van.
They're easy to swap unless they spin the splines.
@@siraff4461 That was what I was expecting as machining splines on the end was bound to be a stress raiser. Can't remember if the torsion bars were made thicker at the end to allow for this.
Gutted about Bella’s suspension woes hopefully you get it sorted soon….. as for the waze issue if you go into settings navigation and then set unpaved roads to don’t allow it limits the amount of single tracks it routes you down it’s not perfect but certainly improved the type of roads when I lived in Cornwall
There are an estimated 250, 000 words in the english Iang Ian.
YOu have to talk about guts?
The multispace is softly sprung, you can get a recon back axel. Mine was done for £650 fitted, had to do both front springs as well but honestly a super reliable car in the 17 years I owned it
Upgrades at the ready! I'm very intrigued now and I have been looking for a way to make family camping trips a bit more comfy for not too much money. Looks like you have a great time with it. Mechanical maladies are a risk we take for character lol
The Berlingo isn't alone in having these rear suspension problem, I remember it being an issue on the 405 and other Peugeot/Citroën cars.
Saxo's/106's had back axle problems as well.
@@jaggass The trailing arm/torsion spring rear suspension design goes back to the 205 (early 80's) and has always suffered the same failure points.
I've seen a Citroen C3 with collapsed suspension like this too.
I thought that Berlingos had the horizontal coil springs under the floor like the 305 estate. I'm not 100% sure though.
Nope. Torsion bars.
Just noticed the fridge shelves. The upright lip goes on the outside edge to stop things falling off the shelf whilst in transit. Just take them out, do a 180 and shove ‘em back in!
Graham stoodley , love the hubnut roll of the dice , Belingo with Conway , ( were branded differently in AUS ) and the mystery engine ? What could go wrong , chance to have coils and airshocks ? , don't know belingos , Had a mk2 escort P Van with the set up , simple beef up ? Hope you got home with not to much grief .
the treatment