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Subject Topic: Reducing Nose weight advice, please Post Reply Post New Topic
PersonSoftguy
27/5/2016 at 3:28pm
 Location: NORTH CORNELLY SOUT
 Outfit: Bailey Pursuit 550-4 View Softguy's Profile View Profile   Reply to Softguy Reply   Quote Softguy Quote  
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Being born again caravanner I'm a lot more cautious than when I was 15 years younger (having never considered towing weights let alone nose weights! )

We have a Peugeot 3008 2.0 hdi Auto with max nose weight of 70kg, and Bailey Pursuit 550-4 max weight 1370kg.

After having the Pursuit serviced it was fairly empty,   (in fact both front lockers were empty) and decided to check the nose weight, to my surprise it was 89kg. Trying to reduce the nose weight I took our awning out of our garage and moved it directly above and behind the axle which helped but could only get the nose weight down to 81kg. I am totally surprised by this considering there is not a front locker on the Pursuit. I understood that it is not good practice to have most weight to the rear of the axle as this may cause snaking.
I wonder what the nose weight of it completely empty.

Any advice on safely reducing the nose weight will be greatly received.


PersonJuanHuNose
27/5/2016 at 5:28pm
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: Volvo V60 & Swift Challenger 565 View JuanHuNose's Profile View Profile   Reply to JuanHuNose Reply   Quote JuanHuNose Quote  
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If you have nothing up front and still exceed your noseweight limit, the only thing left to do is to back-load.
Any weight must be as low down and as near to the axle as possible, but whatever you do isn`t going to be ideal. Basically, you are suffering as a result of really bad design courtesy of Bailey.


PersonRob and Tina
27/5/2016 at 6:49pm
 Location: Royal Forest of Dean
 Outfit:  Swift Major 4SB View Rob and Tina's Profile View Profile   Reply to Rob and Tina Reply   Quote Rob and Tina Quote  
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When we picked our 550-4 up it had the mover fitted already, I put the battery in and an almost empty Calor Lite. I checked the nose weight when I was hitching up and it was 73 kg.

I am aiming for a 75 kg nose weight and so far I have achieved that without any trouble.

Rob


Persontango55
27/5/2016 at 8:50pm
 Location: Lichfield
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I have exactly the same problem as the towball weight limit on my Volvo is 75 kgs. but when I check the caravan noseweight with leisure battery and 2 x Calorlite gas cylinders it weighs in at 84 kgs. If I empty the hot water tank I can achieve a better noseweight but I don't want to keep emptying and re-filling it every time so I had counter-balance the payload inside. My 2 berth caravan is relatively short in comparison to some 4 berth caravans so I won't have a severe pendulum effect if I load towards the rear end, however, you have to use some common sense regarding stability and do things by trial and error. Having the end washroom layout, the shower cubicle is a space that can be fully utilised so I put the Wastemaser, 2 water barrels and 2 folding chairs in there. The two EHU leads and 2 ton bottle jack go low down in a compartment inside the wardrobe which contributes to achieving exactly 75 kgs. as needed.


PersonSoftguy
28/5/2016 at 2:46pm
 Location: NORTH CORNELLY SOUT
 Outfit: Bailey Pursuit 550-4 View Softguy's Profile View Profile   Reply to Softguy Reply   Quote Softguy Quote  
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Quote: Originally posted by Rob and Tina on 27/5/2016
When we picked our 550-4 up it had the mover fitted already, I put the battery in and an almost empty Calor Lite. I checked the nose weight when I was hitching up and it was 73 kg.

I am aiming for a 75 kg nose weight and so far I have achieved that without any trouble.

Rob


If you ever feel like a break you're welcome here to safely load my 550-4


I just noticed where you're located, there's a Guy that sells American RV stuff in your area. If interested that's where I got the concertina dividing bedroom door for our 550-4 from.

Post last edited on 28/05/2016 14:56:03


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Personfreeatlast
28/5/2016 at 9:24pm
 Location: Teesside
 Outfit:  Mitsubishi ASX4 View freeatlast's Profile View Profile   Reply to freeatlast Reply   Quote freeatlast Quote  
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Quote:
I wonder what the nose weight of it completely empty.



Look at the plate in the gas locker. The weight under "axle 1" is apparently the empty nose weight. Our 430/4 is actually quite light at the front and I have to load it under the front seats.

If your battery is near the front you could change it for a smaller one if you have a 110ah battery. An 85ah one is considerably lighter.



PersonRob and Tina
29/5/2016 at 7:28am
 Location: Royal Forest of Dean
 Outfit:  Swift Major 4SB View Rob and Tina's Profile View Profile   Reply to Rob and Tina Reply   Quote Rob and Tina Quote  
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I think Softguy has just given me a new business idea, I'm going to travel the country loading caravans to achieve the ideal nose weight!

So far we haven't had a problem with getting it around 75 kg but I'm sure that after a while we will have started getting more "essential" junk that we "need" and the weights will all start creeping up again.

I am thinking about getting a divider for the bedroom so I would be interested in the supplier and the price.

Rob


PersonOpensauce
29/5/2016 at 9:18am
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For a caravan of that weight you may need more than a 70kg noseweight. It depends how well it tows. Caravan can be loaded heavy at the rear end to get noseweight down to 70kg but if tow is not stable then you would need to increase it.

80-90kg would be better for that weight which is why the empty caravan has that noseweight designed into it. Correct even loading of caravan as it should be will maintain that design weight.

In practise though noseweight can vary according to lie of land on which you weigh caravan. Actual weight would be with caravan on flat level surface like tarmac carpark with hitch weighed at tow height.

Max towbar weight for car will have plenty of margin so so exceeding weight by a few kgs will be of no consequence.


PersonSoftguy
31/5/2016 at 4:47pm
 Location: NORTH CORNELLY SOUT
 Outfit: Bailey Pursuit 550-4 View Softguy's Profile View Profile   Reply to Softguy Reply   Quote Softguy Quote  
Joined: 09/8/2015

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Quote: Originally posted by Rob and Tina on 29/5/2016

I am thinking about getting a divider for the bedroom so I would be interested in the supplier and the price.

Rob


Somewhere on this site I mentioned supplier of dividing door directly to you Rob & Tina. If I remember correct there is an American RV parts supplier near Gloucester (where I got ours from). Bailey Parts supply a door for £82 and for extra cost can be fitted by a dealer. I fitted my own and was so easy to do, literally minutes



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