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hi folkes can i get some ideas i have a 2008 xplore 474 (end fixed bed) we have problems keeping the nose weight down to 75kg for our citroen C5 which tows the van great so i dont want to change the car yet. we are getting to the point where we need to fit a mover on the van so this is going to mean more nose weight as i cant mount the mover behind the axel as the spare wheel is in the way also ill need to beef up the battery that is mounted under the front bunk.

My idea is to fit a battery box under the fixed bed just behind the axel then wire it to the control pannel via a sutable breaker mouted next to the battery.

Is this to simple or have i missed somthing

Chris

I hear a lot of folks saying i should be able to get the nose weight down without having to take drastic mesures but the facts are 1x 7.5 kg gas bottle in the front locker 1x 85AH battery in the side locker all inside lockers forward of the axle empty and everything stored under rear bed and awning on the floor behind the axle still gives me anose weight around 75kg but its solid as a rock (more stable than my old compass which didnt have nose weight problems) and no i dont think ive just been lucky it did the round trip stafford to vendras this summer and was as good as gold thats 1800m plus about 1000 miles through the rest of the season so if it was going to play up i think id have seen it by now

Hi Chris

I had a similar problem with my xantia coachman530/4 combination. I moved the battery back about 3 feet  by fitting it inside a plastic battery box under the front bench seat. I used some 16mm cable I already had to extend the battery  connectors to the new battery position.  It worked ok. I always intended to move it further back under the fixed bed with a new externaly accessed batery box but never got around to it as I changed my tow car to one with 100kg nose weight.

I hope there isn’t a problem with fitting a battery aft of the axle as I have just bought a Pegasus 534 which has the battery fitted under the fixed bed behind the axle.

Incidentally I contacted powrtouch about their recommended battery capacity and was advised that the best one from their perspective was an 85amp hour one. From what I can recall this was because it will recover quicker from being discharged back to an operational voltage.

happy new year

John

Measure the horizontal distance from centre of wheel to centre of [battery]  Say 1m

Measure the horizontal distance centre of wheel to [towhitch] Say 3m

Multiply battery weight by [battery]  and divide by [towhitch] and that will give you the noseweight attributable to the battery. 

Assuming 85AH battery weighs 20kg

20 x 1 / 3 = 6.66kg.

The problem is caused by weight much nearer the front of the van such as the gs cylinder.

If this video is your van it shows the battery already fairly close to the axle.

http://www.caravanfinder.co.uk/08/video_xplore_08_474.html

hi john thats a good idea

thanks

chris