Quote: Originally posted by alex on 05/6/2016
I use an axle stand on bathroom scales (handy to keep in van in case of wheel change). I also have an old plastic chopping board to make an even base for the scales. Then just use the jockey wheel to lower onto stand.
I tried the just lift it method and could not reliable tell 70Kg. Also didn't want to do myself an injury.
If you do measure the weight on the jockey wheel you may need to do some maths to work out the real nose weight (which will be less). Depending on the distances it may be between 80% and 90% of the jockey wheel weight.
Good point ...and, I don't see how comparing lifting 16kg of water bottles is going to help 'gauge' (say) a 75kg noseweight ...
Quote: Originally posted by Johnnie Boy on 04/6/2016
I use bathroom scales and lift the front up slide the scales underneath the jockey wheel, bought a nose weight gauge and it was reading a mile out when I double checked it against the bathroom scales.
Also saves faffing on with a piece of wood.
using the scales under the jocky wheel will give a wrong weight reading as the jockey is nearer the wheels .It would even make a difference depending on whether the jocky wheel is in the fore or aft position
I guess all the jockey wheels with the built in gauges are a load of junk then ?
We use a calibrated Milenco nose weight gauge.
NW checked before starting every journey
------------- Nick
2017
April - New Forest(9)
May - Dorset (9)
August - Camping Le Pin Parasol, Vendee (18)
October - East Mersea (8)
and five nights in the one man tent!
the answer to that is yes many of these jocky wheels fitted with a so called weight gauge have been proved to be as inaccurate as the cheap Noseweight gauges
Quote: Originally posted by alex on 05/6/2016
I use an axle stand on bathroom scales (handy to keep in van in case of wheel change). I also have an old plastic chopping board to make an even base for the scales. Then just use the jockey wheel to lower onto stand.
I tried the just lift it method and could not reliable tell 70Kg. Also didn't want to do myself an injury.
If you do measure the weight on the jockey wheel you may need to do some maths to work out the real nose weight (which will be less). Depending on the distances it may be between 80% and 90% of the jockey wheel weight.
Good point ...and, I don't see how comparing lifting 16kg of water bottles is going to help 'gauge' (say) a 75kg noseweight ...
There's a surprise. You try and be helpful and someone has to criticise. It was a simple way of gaining nothing more than an approximation. If you can lift a known(ish) weight and it doesn't matter what it is, then compare with how the van lift feels. If you can't tell whether or not two things feel about the same weight, considerably heavier or lighter then it's probably best you stick with a gauge. Most people would struggle to lift 75kg safely. That does raise another point, whatever method you use to lift / gauge / weigh do it in a controlled and safe way. The last thing you want to do is knacker your back in just prior to heading off on your hols!
Can I ask a simple question? when you check your NW every time you set out is there any difference and why is there?
I load my van exactly the same every time, well to be exact, my van is loaded with the exception of extra socks and underwear, OH the same. Last time we checked the vitals we had to take some of the tea bags out as we had so many in the van. So just a pint of milk in the fridge and some other stuff which is always there??
We check the level of the Pimms and other important fluids and thats it. Now, we use our van pretty much every month, and I know most of you can't find the time for this kind of vanning, after all a couple couldn't even find the time to read my original reply all the way through (the bit where I said to try the scales method) but if you regularly van why do you take so much different stuff and why do you put stuff in different places to last time you went out?
------------- Just saying
If all is not lost where is it then?
Quote: Originally posted by Acornis on 10/6/2016
Can I ask a simple question? when you check your NW every time you set out is there any difference and why is there?
I load my van exactly the same every time, well to be exact, my van is loaded with the exception of extra socks and underwear, OH the same. Last time we checked the vitals we had to take some of the tea bags out as we had so many in the van. So just a pint of milk in the fridge and some other stuff which is always there??
We check the level of the Pimms and other important fluids and thats it. Now, we use our van pretty much every month, and I know most of you can't find the time for this kind of vanning, after all a couple couldn't even find the time to read my original reply all the way through (the bit where I said to try the scales method) but if you regularly van why do you take so much different stuff and why do you put stuff in different places to last time you went out?
Since it only takes a minute to measure the nose weight there's no harm for piece of mind. Once you get on the motorway and the car starts bouncing or the van snaking it's not easy to stop. You might want to try different loading to see what's a better combination. If your toilet is at the back of the van a full or empty flush tank could make 10kg difference.
------------- First van bailey ranger 550/6
Now the proud owner of a coachman amara
Every trip in the van is different depending on the weather and destination, so different equipment/entertainment/toys. 2 adults, 2 kids....
Every trip we learn something new, realise we took too much stuff we didn't use and forgot a load of stuff we could have really done with!
Sometimes we take food, sometimes we buy when we arrive depending on times/time off work. The amount of food also changes depending on the length of stay. We leave home with clean clothes and come back with an assortment of washing (dirty clothes don't go in the same place as clean clothes).
On the way back from France there are several extra kilos of french goods that do not have an equivalent on the journey down.
For me the caravan is an adventure every time, if it was the same every time, it wouldn't be an adventure.
Quote: Originally posted by Johnnie Boy on 04/6/2016
I use bathroom scales and lift the front up slide the scales underneath the jockey wheel, bought a nose weight gauge and it was reading a mile out when I double checked it against the bathroom scales.
Also saves faffing on with a piece of wood.
It would be! this is a completely false comparison, and could easily give a 20-30 kg difference.
You can put the scales under the jockey wheel, but have to make a correction to the indicated value:
1 Measure the distance from the contact point of the jockey wheel on the ground to the ground contact point of the main caravan wheel.
2 Multiply this value by the measured weight (the JW must be in the same place)=X
3 Measure from a point direct below the centre of the hitch to the same caravan wheel point=Y
4 Divide X by Y to give the true load at the hitch
Doing the job on level ground has been mentioned, but the hitch weight must be measured at the running height of the top of the towball on the car. This is especially true of twin axles
We use our van for longer holidays/long weekends, at different times of the year and different countries. What we take with use depends on the above - body boards in central England in March are not much cop, but great in France in August!
Takes about 30s to check NW before hitching up
------------- Nick
2017
April - New Forest(9)
May - Dorset (9)
August - Camping Le Pin Parasol, Vendee (18)
October - East Mersea (8)
and five nights in the one man tent!
I guess all the jockey wheels with the built in gauges are a load of junk then ?
The ones that came with elddis vans the maths was already done to account for the % discrepancy from moving the measuring point back from the nose
------------- 2022
North and West wales grand tour (in T5)
Matlock (in T5)
New forest and IOW (in T5)
New Forest
La tranche sur mer
jevea (Valencia)
2023
Cotswolds
Tenby
(added a Compass Rallye to crew)
Royan
La tranche Sur Mer
2024
royan
La tranche
I don't see that a 'load of junk' is apt at all. My description was for the ALKO Premium jockey wheel, and the correction calculation is provided by ALKO, and universal, whatever the chassis.
A pre-calculated wheel could be fitted, but it would have to be specified to be oriented to one position only - having the wheel 180 degrees out fore/aft would give totally different readings for example.
Reading this thread with interest as i am off on my first ever trip with our van next weekend, so have been testing all the bits and pieces and loading a few things.
I have loaded all the stuff i need for a weekend, apart from any food. will put clothes in the car.
Checked my nose weight and it was 70KG which I was delighted with as my limit is 75KG
I used a millenco gauge. Ive taken a photo on my phone to remind me of where I put everything !