Message Forums

As I have mentioned before on this forum, when I collected our used Pathfinder from Gosport, I had a steadily increasing swaying while passing a tanker (not downhill) at about 55mph on the M27. It didn't recur, even all the way up the A34 past lots of lorries. But when we unpacked it all when I got home, it was loaded wrong, with a fair bit of weight aft of the axle. He sold it to us with loads of extras, including even a small vacuum cleaner. Pots, pans, crocks & cutlery, it was all there, so we can't complain. Since then, we have redistributed the weight and left a good few things out, like the winter cover. I took it up the road for a test of the mirrors I had bought, and it was a different animal, very stable (mind you, I had fitted a bulldog stabiliser) The point about the sink & hob storage is a valid one though; when I get the camper out again I will be selecting my own method of distribution to keep all the heavy bits over the axles. Our Rover has a good nose weight, and we will be getting this up to the max. I have Graystons fitted (were on when I collected it) but, shame on me, I hadn't increased the car's rear tyre pressures. I did this when I took it out again to test the mirrors and stabiliser, and it seemed just fine up to the limit (infinity.... and beyond...)

Pete 

Hi Guys - time to join the debate.

We had a challenger for a few years at it towed brilliantly behind our Rover 400. In fact you could forget it was there.

When we got our Cruiser I made sure the noseweight was correct and that items were over the axle where possible - not that easy. We have had very little problems and the unit tows great behind out Touran with a Thule Atlantis box and 2 bikes on the roof, two bikes on the rear, one bike inside + dog + 3 kids + wife etc.

Yes, I am anal about the way the trailer is loaded and balanced - but I don't get the grief towing.

Ray.

Quote: Originally posted by corpogreen on 18/9/2008

---

I still think snaking has alot to do with the tyres.Radials have flexible walls and are made so that there is more comfort to the vehicle and more tread on the road, but why does that matter to a trailer? Crossply tyres, on the other hand ,are much more stable as their walls are solid,and i believe have more tyre pressure and will stop a trailer snaking.

---

Good point that. So is there a tyre that would be 1) suitable while 2) not invalidating one's insurance?

Pete

Quote: Originally posted by richosimon on 14/9/2008

---

With our old Pathfinder we found nose weight was critical. It needs to be as close to max as possible. We allways used to run with at least 70KG on the nose and it was as steady as a rock .(unless you are driving well over the speed limit)

---

Just read on another website (http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/towing.shtml) that the nose weight should be 7% of the laden weight of the trailer. (That'd equate to a laden trailer weight of 1 tonne.)