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Subject Topic: Reducing nose weight
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PersonTheHeadGardener
02/3/2016 at 10:32am
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Quote: Originally posted by DTH58 on 01/3/2016
I will exchange the propane bottles for Calorlites at the weekend.




I changed our 6kg bottles for CalorLites recently.

The local supplier charged me a few pence over £23 for a CalorLite, and the regular (heavy) steel one would have been £20. So in the great scheme of things, no price penalty at all.

Great weight saving though - when full, a traditional 6kg Calor bottle weighs 16kg. The Lite seems to be about half that, although I've not put it on the scales yet.

Good luck with reducing your noseweight. I have a similar struggle with a Lunar Quasar and Subaru Forester. I'm aiming for 75kg which is the car limit.


Personfreeatlast
02/3/2016 at 5:10pm
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Do you need to take 2 gas cylinders?


PersonDTH58
02/3/2016 at 5:58pm
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Quote: Originally posted by freeatlast on 02/3/2016
Do you need to take 2 gas cylinders?

Good question. Probably not. I suppose we always carried 2 in the old van. It was always a case of not having to worry if it run out in the middle of making dinner.


Personnavver
02/3/2016 at 7:44pm
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Our little Pursuit is made to have 1 x 6kg propane and 1 x 3.9kg.

The idea is to use the 6kg and only use the 3.9kg as a spare while the 6kg is replaced.


PersonHairywol
05/3/2016 at 11:19am
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Be careful about balancing out heavy weights at the front of your 'van with similarly heavy weights at the rear. This will create a pendulum effect and make the caravan unstable, especially on motorways when dealing with slipstreams from lorries.


-------------
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PersonDTH58
05/3/2016 at 1:04pm
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Hi. I've spent the Last few days putting in Calorlites gas bottles and I still can't reduce the noseweight. The caravan is level front to back but quite uneven axle to axle. The height I am weighing at is probably 2 - 3 inches above the tow bar but I don't understand the significance of weighing at towbar height on a twin axle. The caravan company I purchased the Pegasus from have offered to take it back in and test on their scales as they say I shouldn't be getting a reading of 115kg.
Trying to even the weight up by putting awning etc in the back of the unit doesn't make any difference. I just don't know what I'm doing so wrong?


PersonSkoda Bob
05/3/2016 at 1:18pm
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Wind the jockey wheel so that the van rises slightly, place scales inside tow hitch, let break off, lower van until the jockey wheel is off the ground by around an inch or 2, take reading, if van moves while doing this place something behind one of the wheels to stop it moving.


PersonOpensauce
05/3/2016 at 1:21pm
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Are you weighing on firm level ground, ie tarmac or concrete & you need to weigh caravan at towing height. Weighing on different surfaces can give different readings & this is not the exact science that caravanners seem to think it is.

115kg sounds near enough so be happy with that, I would. This is the trouble with forums, they create problems that many caravanners are not even aware of. Anybody with any sense will know that a caravan must be loaded reasonably evenly & I'm sure that works for most.


Personcheckley1973
05/3/2016 at 1:23pm
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Quote: Originally posted by DTH58 on 05/3/2016Hi. I've spent the Last few days putting in Calorlites gas bottles and I still can't reduce the noseweight. The caravan is level front to back but quite uneven axle to axle. The height I am weighing at is probably 2 - 3 inches above the tow bar but I don't understand the significance of weighing at towbar height on a twin axle. The caravan company I purchased the Pegasus from have offered to take it back in and test on their scales as they say I shouldn't be getting a reading of 115kg.
Trying to even the weight up by putting awning etc in the back of the unit doesn't make any difference. I just don't know what I'm doing so wrong?


HI,

If the height your hitch is higher than your tow height this will significantly increase your nose weight reading. Caravan suspension is very crude, not much more than a rubber bung and shock absorber. If your hitch is higher than your tow height the rear wheels will create downward pressure on your nose weight gauge as you are pushing against the suspension.

To be honest I don't weigh mine, I just check I can lift the jockey wheel off the ground, if I can we are good to go.


PersonDTH58
05/3/2016 at 1:31pm
 Location: didcot
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HI,

If the height your hitch is higher than your tow height this will significantly increase your nose weight reading. Caravan suspension is very crude, not much more than a rubber bung and shock absorber. If your hitch is higher than your tow height the rear wheels will create downward pressure on your nose weight gauge as you are pushing against the suspension.

To be honest I don't weigh mine, I just check I can lift the jockey wheel off the ground, if I can we are good to go.

Hi. Thanks for the response, which makes complete sense. My wife started our concerns after reading about noseweight issues so I decided to sell the bitch and keep the caravan. (Only joking)
I'm off to saw down the wood to tow hitch height


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PersonDTH58
09/3/2016 at 7:58pm
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Hi

So I have reduced noseweight to 105kg but still need to reduce a further 10kg.
Although I'm satisfied I'm weighing at the height of my towbar I'm conscious the caravan storage area is on uneven ground and therefore the twin axle is uneven wheel to wheel. Will this create a significant difference from weighing on level ground axle to axle ?


Personcheckley1973
09/3/2016 at 10:51pm
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Quote: Originally posted by DTH58 on 09/3/2016
Hi

So I have reduced noseweight to 105kg but still need to reduce a further 10kg.
Although I'm satisfied I'm weighing at the height of my towbar I'm conscious the caravan storage area is on uneven ground and therefore the twin axle is uneven wheel to wheel. Will this create a significant difference from weighing on level ground axle to axle ?


Hi
Yes it does make a difference. Very important to check it on level ground. Bailey were known for heavy noses which is why they moved the gas locker to the side on the later models.


PersonSkoda Bob
10/3/2016 at 6:51pm
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Quote: Originally posted by DTH58 on 09/3/2016
Hi

So I have reduced noseweight to 105kg but still need to reduce a further 10kg.
Although I'm satisfied I'm weighing at the height of my towbar I'm conscious the caravan storage area is on uneven ground and therefore the twin axle is uneven wheel to wheel. Will this create a significant difference from weighing on level ground axle to axle ?


We did mention this on earlier posts, find a level area and weigh it again,



PersonNickH
11/3/2016 at 11:10am
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Quote: Originally posted by Opensauce on 05/3/2016
115kg sounds near enough so be happy with that, I would.


If the tow bar/ball on the car is rated at 100kg (and also probably the Alko hitch on the caravan) how can 115kg be OK?

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Nick

2017
April - New Forest(9)
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PersonOpensauce
11/3/2016 at 11:54am
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Because noseweight is never exact, weigh it on a different surface & you will get a different reading. towbar load will vary constantly as you tow, hit a pothole at speed & you will get a much higher loading. Towbar rating allows a very large margin for extra weight so near enough is good enough.


PersonNickH
11/3/2016 at 11:58am
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Not sure the police/insurance company would agree with you in the event of being stopped/accident. Should be 100kg or below on flat, level, hard ground.

-------------
Nick

2017
April - New Forest(9)
May - Dorset (9)
August - Camping Le Pin Parasol, Vendee (18)
October - East Mersea (8)
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