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Our Europa 460 is very nose heavy and I'm struggling to keep it down normally and since adding a mover I reckon it'll be worse, plus I think I'll need to upgrade my battery to a bigger amperage, hence even more weight. I've reduced to one small Propane bottle and carry very little in the front locker.

Anyone else with a similar Europa experiencing the same problem?

I think I'll remove the battery from it's normal locker and fit it into a 'travelling box' which will go inside (secured of course) to balance things up a bit, reconnecting when we arrive at our destination.

I don't know what age your Europa is but we have a 2010 Swift Jura which is based on the Charisma of the same layout.

With a reich mover in front of the axle, one lightweight 6kg gas cylinder, battery in its locker, various bits and pieces in the gas locker and wet locker and clothes in the wardrobe my noseweight is reading between 70 and 75Kg.

Are you measuring it with the 'van level?

I had similar problems initially on our Europa 460 and the Eccles Topaz. You do have to spread the load including using the wardrobe for clothes. I assume it has an underslug spare wheel carrier. If you have not done so already swap gas bottles for a lighter variety.

David

Yep, all of the above have been tried, from one small lightweight gas bottle, redistributing gear, centre loading the floor for foodstuffs, in fact all of the things we've been doing for the last 20 odd years.

I'm on the borderline of 70kg with just the gas bottle in the locker, along with plastic levellers, empty water bottle and toilet filling spouty can and hoses, a lightweight plastic crate to keep the bits and bobs in which consists of four wee wooden jack pads, a puncture foam tube, mallet, extra bungies for tying down awnings ect, some spare pegs and a jack brace. That's before we add the weight of the mover just fitted.

We weighed it up for a check when the van is completely empty, on level ground and at the correct towball height, and it reads at 71kg with a set of digital bathroom scales and between 65 and 70kg with the approved noseweight guage.

Quote: Originally posted by jeepster on 01/2/2010

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I never travel with gas in the front locker, so much easier to get the van balanced without them, also safer imho!

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We have a 2 berth Swift (sandymere) and had a problem with nose weight, it was way to heavy. Did'nt think of nose weight when we brought caravan just looked for a caravan that would be within the 85% of our car weight, I thought nose weight was what you made it, how wrong was I. 75kg for our towball weight when i weighed noseweight with bits and oeaces in front locker it was as near as dammit to 100kg. I stripped everything out back to as it would have come out of factory and it was still 85kg. As for moving stuff behind axle it just made it see saw to much even slightly behind axle. Had to swap car in the end. I did contact Swift who responded quickly but they coud not help, they did'nt admit they had had a problem with that model but they did'nt deny it either. Hope you can find a solution I know how fustrating it is.

 Agri

Aye Agri, Swift won't ever admit they've built a van wrong, and as far as I'm concerned it's a piece of sh*t, given the troubles we've had with it, allied to the fact that the supplying dealer couldn't care less.

I persevere though, as we're too far down the road to do anything else since we'll lose too much selling it.

Sorry for the expletive! I'm not happy with our Europa, as you'll understand if you read our post regarding the problems we've had from the day we got it.

Quote: Originally posted by Rune Caster on 01/2/2010

Quote: Originally posted by jeepster on 01/2/2010I never travel with gas in the front locker, so much easier to get the van balanced without them, also safer imho!

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Curious...

So where is a safer place to carry the gas bottles when traveling other than in the designated place for gas bottles?

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