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 Topic: Noseweight confusion
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31/7/2014 at 12:49am
Location: North West England
Outfit: Lunar Apollo 462 Caravan
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I'm confused about the noseweight/load on the towbar. I have a 1998 2 berth that has a MIRO of 850kg. My car is the new 2.0 passat estate-85kg noseweight
We don't take a lot in the van. Front locker:
2x6kg gas bottles, spare wheel, empty water container (not aqua roll), waste container, corner jack, 25m hook up and some bits of wood for steadies.
Van (all over the axle)
Weekend awning not heavy canvas type
Two chairs
Table
Portable charcoal bbq
Waste aqua roll and step.
In the car with seats flat goes the clothes, food, Hoover, TV, usual stuff and the dog (32kg in the boot). When you hook the van, the suspension is way down on the car.
I don't understand/know if I'm over or if the suspensions low because the stuff in the car. The van does push the car down when you attach it but I didn't think I had a lot in it?
Can you help?
Thanks
Mark
Post last edited on 31/07/2014 01:18:55
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31/7/2014 at 6:47am
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On the tow bar will be a plate which shows max download weight.The easiest way to check caravan nose-weight when van is loaded is with bathroom scales.
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31/7/2014 at 9:17am
Location: East Midlands
Outfit: Coachman VIP 575.Santa Fe
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The car, the tow bar and some caravan chassis have a max nose weight. The main way to adjust the nose weight is by careful loading. You may also be able to move the van's spare wheel back a bit or even move a motor mover from front of wheel to behind the wheels. Lightweight or smaller gas bottles would also help especially if in front locker. Even moving hook up cable to the rear of the van would help a bit. It decreases weight at the front and increases at the back of the axle. You should get a nose weight guage or use bathroom scales to check accurately
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Mister G
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31/7/2014 at 9:19am
Location: Royal Forest of Dean
Outfit: Motorhome
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What is the actual nose weight when loaded? Two gas bottles, spare wheel and a hook up lead is quite a bit of weight up front, I only have one gas bottle up front with the spare wheel behind the axle and hook up lead over the axle to achieve 75kg. Obviously every caravan is different but you really need to check the noseweight.
Rob
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31/7/2014 at 11:11am
Location: Midlands
Outfit: Mondeo Avondale Gram
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Your 6kg gas bottles probably weigh around 16kg each when full. That is a LOT!!!
Plus the spare and the jack etc.. You seriously need to check the noseweight with an accurate calibrated gauge.
Everything forward of the axle will increase the noseweight but the closer to the axle the less effect it will have.
Add 32kg of gas to the front hitch and its adding the full 32kg. Move that to over the axle and it adds nothing to the noseweight. Move it forward about 3 feet and it will probably be less than the weight of one bottle.
The holders are probably designed for the 4.5kg bottles.
How much weight do you have to play with? Dont forget the van may weigh more than the plated unladen weight. But you still cannot exceed the gross laden plated weight.
If your loading limit is around 200kg that 32kg of gas is a lot.
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31/7/2014 at 11:45am
Location: Royal Forest of Dean
Outfit: Motorhome
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We had a Lunar Solar Eclipse 462 which would have been similar to your outfit. We only carried 1 Calorlite gas bottle, we put the spare wheel in the caravan over the axle and we managed to get the nose weight down to about 75kg.
You really need to check the noseweight, you may get quite a shock. Also check that you are not exceeding the weight limit on the hitch itself.
Rob
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31/7/2014 at 12:59pm
Location: North West England
Outfit: Lunar Apollo 462 Caravan
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Grampian91, the caravan is 850 unloaded max allowed 1200kg. We have a spare bottle to stop problem of running out of gas as it kept happening mid holiday. What do you suggest I do with the spare bottle. Surely it isn't safe just put inside the van over the axle?
weight in the van is an awning (8.5kg) two chairs (10kg), table (6.5kg), dbl sleeping bag (5kg)', bin (1kg), waste master (5kg), pillows (1kg), step (3kg), TV aerial and mast (3kg). Some plates and cutlery but all are plastic (3kg). That is all we have. Everything else such as tv, clothes all go in the car. So with the two gas (35kg), spare wheel (17.5kg) some wood and piping for waste (3kg), steady jack (2.5kg) and two waste containers (2kg) all in only comes to just over 105kg
Rob and Tina, where did you put your spare wheel, just on the floor over the axle? What about when you got to site? How do you find out the weight on the hitch?
Thanks
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Some men see things as they are and say why, I dream things that never were and say why not.
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31/7/2014 at 1:09pm
Location: West Mids
Outfit: Swift Ace Statesman & X-Trail 2.0
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Without seeming rude, the main important question hasn't been answered yet, despite being asked.
What IS your current measured noseweight, irrespective of all the other weights you've quoted.
You need to measure the un-hitched noseweight and provide this figure.
If you don't have a noseweight guage, use a set of bathroom scales. Cut a length of wood to support the hitch at towball height and sit the wood vertically on scales and into hitch. Caravan must be on level ground.
You are basically measuring the downward force of the hitch.
Provide this weight in kgs.
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Paul
Every day's a school day!
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31/7/2014 at 2:25pm
Location: Royal Forest of Dean
Outfit: Motorhome
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Check the max limit on the tow bar itself. We have had cars with a 90kg limit but the tow bar that was fitted only had an 80 or 85kg limit so check with the bar manufacturer as well as the car manufacturer. Obviously you must stick to the lower of the weights permitted. The car's limit may be in the driver's handbook, it's usually hidden on a very difficult to find page about towing.
The caravan hitch usually has the max weight written on it somewhere, I think it will be 100kg for an Alko stabiliser hitch.
We placed the wheel on the floor over the axle, checked the noseweight and if neccessary moved the wheel slightly to get the correct weight. When we arrived on site we pushed the wheel under the caravan out of the way.
When you check the noseweight don't forget to wind the corner steadies up first! I know it seems obvious but we have seen somebody leave the front steadies down and wonder why the noseweight was so low.
Don't forget to let us know how you get on.
Rob
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31/7/2014 at 2:37pm
Location: Royal Forest of Dean
Outfit: Motorhome
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I've just checked my Passat brochure and it gives a tow ball limit of 90kg. It'll be interesting to see what the car handbook says.
What make of towbar do you have? Is it a detachable one?
Rob
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31/7/2014 at 2:54pm
Location: Royal Forest of Dean
Outfit: Motorhome
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If it is a Witter tow bar then the S value is 85kg not the 90kg of the car. Other makes may vary,that's why I asked what make the bar was. The Alko ball may well have a max of 150kg but as it can be fitted to any flange type tow bar you have to go by the weight allowed by the car or the tow bar (whichever is the lower figure).
I don't know why letting the hand brake off would alter the figure but I always chock the wheels and let the brake off when I check the weight.
Rob
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31/7/2014 at 4:40pm
Location: Harrogate Yorkshire.
Outfit: Skoda Octavia 4x4 & Compass Omega 482
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Check your car handbook under weight / loading capacity (cars payload) I have 600kg.
For my Skoda it states:
passengers
all items of luggage
roof loads
when using a trailer hitch, the corresponding nose weight (75kg max for my car) which is now part of the car payload / gross vehicle weight.
Post last edited on 31/07/2014 16:47:25
Post last edited on 31/07/2014 16:47:59
Post last edited on 31/07/2014 16:49:00
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Skoda Octavia Estate 2.0TDi 4x4 (2012) towing a Compass Omega 482 (2014)
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