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Hi i know Michael owns a Ranger 500/5 and i'm sure a few others will,

My question i've ordered a nise weight gauge but its not arrived yet so i need some advice asap as were away this weekend..

Ok in front locker i have, 1x 5kg calor bottle 1x3.9kg calor bottle both half full, spare wheel and groundsheet for awning...what do you think noseweight will be? I know you can't be spot on but what do you think it might be? All i have in the front of van is awnig under one seat and poles under the other... Awning is a full size inaca sands....

Please help me out Guys!!

Quote: Originally posted by bobsbabes on 25/5/2011

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personally I would move the sparetyre to over the axle do you have some bathroom scales that you could use to check the nose weight ?

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I would move the spare wheel but i'd worry about it damaging the inside of the van!!

Would it help if i move awning and poles over axle do you think?

Quote: Originally posted by kevtore999 on 25/5/2011...

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I would move the spare wheel but i'd worry about it damaging the inside of the van!!

Would it help if i move awning and poles over axle do you think?

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Quote: Originally posted by G7ACU on 25/5/2011

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Quote: Originally posted by kevtore999 on 25/5/2011...

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I would move the spare wheel but i'd worry about it damaging the inside of the van!!

Would it help if i move awning and poles over axle do you think?

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I have a 2007 500/5 and the spare sits in the front ok with minimum other bits, but you gotta move that awning out and over the axle. I have two Calorlite's in the front and a few other lightweight bits and pieces and achieve just a tad below 75kgs noseweight. There have been occassions I've thrown the wheel inside the van too and it doesn't go anywhere, so no chance of damage.

I've tried several noseweight guages and not found any that are reliable to be honest (they constantly vary, unless you fork out for a pretty decent model). I find the bathroom scale trick has always been fairly consistent.

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Thanks Paul!!!

Thanks Michael, I don't understand why Bailey and others make there caravans so nose heavy... I'll move awning and spare wheel over the axle then i should be ok...

Yes my max nose weight is 75kg..

Thanks

In my front locker I have lightweight foldable chairs, the hitch lock and wheel lock, and only a 5kg gas (1/2 full(i hope!)) EDIT: and the spare wheel.

I normally load the rest of our bits in the floor of the rear dinette, with empty water conatiners in the bathroom and if i take the awning it goes over the axle.

This seems to balance out well. but i am yet to check it with the scales...

In the summer in France I filled up out fresh water roller from the house and carried that in the bathroom - it seemed to make no difference (if anythign it may ahve improved the experience)

Baileys DO have a weighty noseweight, even when empty.

Our Ranger (albeit a 550-6) was 70kg empty....

We fitted a wheel carrier behind the rear axle which helped the noseweight and saved space, carried only 1 4.5kg gas bottle and only lightweight tat in our front locker. Even then, the weight was around 80kg.

When we frst picked the van up with the spare in the front alongside a 7.5 gas bottle, the back of the car was sooo low it looked dangerous.  Never went out like it again.

I agree with the bathroom scales gauge though - so easy