Alu Tech - how Bailey tested the trailer

The British brand Bailey decided to develop its own caravan design, different from the one that has been used by manufacturers for the last 30 years. The introduction of the Alu-Tech system was preceded by intensive tests.

Already in the 1980s, the concept was born, according to which the body of a caravan has several layers. To this day, "sandwich" constructions, most often using plywood elements that are not very resistant to moisture, are used by many manufacturers.

The era of fiberglass

Bailey concluded that 30 years is enough time for technology to move forward. The company started working on a new structure, which was to be more resistant to weather conditions (inside it should be dry and warm as long as possible), more durable, more aerodynamic and stable at the same time. It was also important that the design changes did not negatively affect the weight of the caravan.

After extensive research and testing involving the University of Bath and Millbrook Proving Ground Bath, Bailey decided to put the developed structure into mass production. In the construction of the trailer, extruded aluminum (without external joints between the elements) and glass-fiber reinforced plastics (GRP) were used . No wooden elements were used in the entire body structure.

Without going into the complexities of a technical nature, it is worth emphasizing that the structure obtained the 3rd degree of heat resistance according to the British classification, and the manufacturer decided to provide a 6-year warranty on the tightness of the body .

Before the Alu-Tech trailers were put into production, however, they were subjected to very strict tests.

Survival school for the trailer

Advanced performance tests were carried out at the track in Milbrook. The car towing the trailer moved on various surfaces at different speeds. It was driven on cobblestones, on potholed roads, along humps and transverse bumps, but also on a highway-like road at high speed. As a result, approx. 1000 kilometers were driven in highly varied conditions, which simulated a 3-year service life of the trailer .

Another important test was carried out in a cold store. The first is the thermal performance test . The trailer, which was 20 degrees Celsius, was placed in a chamber where the temperature was -15 degrees. Then the heating in the trailer was turned on, so that the interior warmed up to 20 degrees. In such conditions, the supply of fresh water was also checked.

The second was the thermal efficiency test . In this case, it was checked what power consumption is needed to maintain the temperature of +20 degrees inside the caravan for two hours. It was still -15 degrees outside the trailer. An electric heater (2 kW) was used during the test. The manufacturer claims that gas heating could be used, but electric heating is more efficient. The maximum allowable value for this test can be 1.2. In the case of the Bailey Pegasus trailer, a score of 0.96 was achieved, which indicates much lower energy consumption than allowed by British standards.

Alu-Tech trailers were also subjected to other tests. The torsional stiffness test showed that the trailer based on the new design was less prone to bending while driving. Tests have also shown that the new trailers are 5% more stable compared to a conventional trailer. It was possible thanks to the center of gravity located in the central part of the vehicle.

Last but not least, Bailey did his own stress tests , putting his own employees and a Ford Mondeo on the roof of the new caravan! There were no casualties or damages, which means that the British construction coped with the challenge.

Motorhomes were also tested

Similar tests were also carried out for motorhomes, but in this case they were enriched with crash tests at 50 and 80 km / h. On the basis of the obtained results, the arrangement of some elements was changed so that they would not endanger the safety of passengers in the event of an accident.