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Subject Topic: Nose Weight Gauges
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Personrobin613
12/8/2017 at 10:35am
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Hello we picked up our first caravan last week, a 2016 lunar Quazar. This was originally sold as a Highbridge caravans special and branded "Lunar Conquest".
I asked the dealer to check the nose weight and it showed 110kg. I was a bit concerned as the max for my car a Mitsubishi asx 1.8 diesel is 70kg. At the time we had two gas bottles and a hook up in the locker, and some items that we had bought stowed in the caravan forward of the axle. We took out the gas bottles and tried a different gauge, this time it was showing 100kg. The dealer then got a digital gauge from the shop and tried that. This time 78kg.
The caravan is parked on a slope at home, so on our first trip I didn't stow anything in front of the axle except the gas bottles and the hook up, all the things we bought were either over the axle or in the car. When we got to site I checked the nose weight with a new £16.00 gauge. 100kg. So has my Lunar got a massive built in nose weight, or is there a massive variation in the accuracy of commercial nose weight gauges. Interestingly the digital gauge was the tow ball type so that would have been working g at tow hitch height.


PersonHumberWolf
12/8/2017 at 12:59pm
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The accuracy of some of the commercial noseweight gauges has always been regarded as unreliable and you are probably just as well off using some reliable bathroom weighing scales. Make sure the caravan is on level ground, take the handbrake off and measure the weight at the same hitch height as it would be when it is attached to your car (I use a piece of wood between the scales and hitch). If you know your scales are accurate you can check your noseweight gauge against this.

Your Quasar may have a high ex works noseweight, and it can vary enormously with different models within the same range. This is more of a problem when towing with a car like yours which has a lower noseweight limit than most 4x4s. and requires careful loading.


Persontango55
12/8/2017 at 1:48pm
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I have used 4 different noseweight gauges over the past 12 years with poor performanceas they either broke or were totally unreliable giving different readings. I finally decided to splash out and buy a Milenco one because they are reliable and calibrated to precision and have been using it for the past 5 years without any issues.
This is the information stateted by Milenco: This is the only Noseweight Gauge approved and calibrated to the British standard for these instruments. It offers calibrated precision, accuracy, reliability and technical superiority over other Noseweight Gauges. It has a clear large scale to ensure the precise and safe loading for this safety critical area, to ensure caravan stability when towing.
The link below provides further information to the above.


Milenco Noseweight Gauge


The advice is to get the right noseweight gauge for accuracy first then move objects in the caravan afterwards to achieve the correct noseweight.


PersonColin21
12/8/2017 at 2:28pm
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I am always a bit wary of claims such as that made by companies like Milenco, often when their product is very much more expensive than the competition. Surely there are standards that have to be complied with for any kind of measuring instrument, and anyone supplying wildly inaccurate equipment would leave themselves wide open to claims under the trades descriptions act? I am sure Milenco are good, but there are almost certainly others out there that are just as good, and very much cheaper.

I am sure there are many people who don't even bother to check their nose-weight, relying instead on the good old eyeball. If it looks right, then it probably isn't far out. If the headlamps are illuminating passing aircraft, there is probably something wrong. I know that when I check my nose-weight and set it right, the car and caravan look right too.

-------------
Best Regards,
Colin


Persontango55
12/8/2017 at 3:54pm
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Colin21: I am sure Milenco are good, but there are almost certainly others out there that are just as good, and very much cheaper.

       _________________________________________________


If you read my post I did say that I had tried 4 different noseweight gauges in the past that were useless. In my view I could have saved a few bob if I had just gone and bought the Milenco one in the first place so I personally do believe their claims on quality.


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PersonCrypto
13/8/2017 at 7:22pm
 Location: Sussex
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It's so much easier, cheaper and more reliable to use an old fashioned bathroom scale and a couple of bits of wood.
I am careful to place two bits of wood on the ground so that the scales sit level without distortion. I then make sure to place a piece of wood large enough to span over the weighing platform of the scales, again to avoid distortion of the scales framework. Then a short length of wood up to the towing hitch.
I generally look for 70kg +/- 5kg which gives me reliable towing stability.

It's quick simple and safe :)


Persontango55
13/8/2017 at 8:25pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Crypto on 13/8/2017
It's so much easier, cheaper and more reliable to use an old fashioned bathroom scale and a couple of bits of wood.
I am careful to place two bits of wood on the ground so that the scales sit level without distortion. I then make sure to place a piece of wood large enough to span over the weighing platform of the scales, again to avoid distortion of the scales framework. Then a short length of wood up to the towing hitch.
I generally look for 70kg +/- 5kg which gives me reliable towing stability.

It's quick simple and safe :)



It may be cheaper but correct me if I'm wrong as 1 x set of bathroom scales plus 2 pieces of timber equals 3 pieces of equipment in comparison to 1 x noseweight gauge which takes up less storage space. It may do the job in hand but in my view the cheaper alternative doesn't seem to make sense at all to me.



PersonGrampian91
14/8/2017 at 5:38am
 Location: Midlands
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And when you break the bathroom scales the cost is everlasting.

You wont be allowed to forget.

As already mentioned only buy the calibrated ones. The cheaper ones are not that accurate and do not last long.

I was going to get the cheap yellow one, until a guy at the caravan storage couldnt get 2 identical readings.
He turned it over to see if something was snagging and it fell apart.

That made my mind up not to buy one of those.

Although the cheap bathroom scales i broke turned into a more expensive set which i dare not use.


PersonCrypto
14/8/2017 at 7:51am
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Got my bathroom scales from a charity shop for £2.

As for storage, I always carry short lengths of wood of differing thickness for levelling or under the steady pads so 1 flat bathroom scale doesn't take up much room at all


Personmorepints
14/8/2017 at 6:56pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Colin21 on 12/8/2017
I am always a bit wary of claims such as that made by companies like Milenco, often when their product is very much more expensive than the competition. Surely there are standards that have to be complied with for any kind of measuring instrument, and anyone supplying wildly inaccurate equipment would leave themselves wide open to claims under the trades descriptions act? I am sure Milenco are good, but there are almost certainly others out there that are just as good, and very much cheaper.

Following the link, the Milenco gauge is calibrated, and meets BS7691:2004. Even the Reich digital gauge is careful to state their device is not calibrated.


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PersonBERTIE
15/8/2017 at 11:37am
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Bathroom scales for me but not the digital ones :-)


Personfreeatlast
16/8/2017 at 9:19pm
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Quote: Originally posted by tango55 on 13/8/2017
Quote: Originally posted by Crypto on 13/8/2017
It's so much easier, cheaper and more reliable to use an old fashioned bathroom scale and a couple of bits of wood.
I am careful to place two bits of wood on the ground so that the scales sit level without distortion. I then make sure to place a piece of wood large enough to span over the weighing platform of the scales, again to avoid distortion of the scales framework. Then a short length of wood up to the towing hitch.
I generally look for 70kg +/- 5kg which gives me reliable towing stability.

It's quick simple and safe :)



It may be cheaper but correct me if I'm wrong as 1 x set of bathroom scales plus 2 pieces of timber equals 3 pieces of equipment in comparison to 1 x noseweight gauge which takes up less storage space. It may do the job in hand but in my view the cheaper alternative doesn't seem to make sense at all to me.




Surely you don't need to bother EVERY time you hitch up? I make sure we stow everything in the same place each time, then the weight coming home will be the same as when we left home give or take just a couple of kg.

Bathroom scales do me fine.

Incidentally Robin, do you need 2 gas bottles and electric? One gas bottle lasts us ages. Also do you have Calorlite bottles? That will make a huge difference.


Personblueexpo97
17/8/2017 at 7:47am
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Nose weight what's that.

-------------
XVI yes?

As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.


Persontango55
17/8/2017 at 11:36am
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Quote: Originally posted by blueexpo97 on 17/8/2017
Nose weight what's that.



I didn't think that experienced caravanners needed educating.   


Personrobin613
16/9/2017 at 1:24pm
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We have now changed a tow car to one with 100kg max nose weight so hopefully we have plenty of capacity.
I was talking to a chap who has been towing since 1976, and he said that he has never checked his nose weight.


PersonOpensauce
16/9/2017 at 6:17pm
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Bathroom scales work for me. I only check noseweight at home & only once in a while. It's not an exact science as the op has found. As long as it's about right then ok. I'm sure plenty never check it they just load caravan sensibly & it does the job.



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