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Topic: Not enough weight

HeathnShell

27/7/2016 at 6:53pm
Location: Lancashire
Outfit: Bailey Autograph 79-

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Is there such a thing as not enough weight in the Caravan to cause a little instability.

navver

27/7/2016 at 8:32pm
Location: West country
Outfit: Mondeo

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It certainly can cause an empty small trailer to bounce around. My mirror dinghy did on its trailer.

I can't see it being a problem with a caravan. Weight makes stability worse. A caravan is pretty heavy even empty.

You do need adequate noseweight though for stability.

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tango55

27/7/2016 at 9:15pm
Location: Lichfield
Outfit: Coachman Amara 450

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I notice a difference if I don't carry the awning in the caravan as it seems to bounce a little more on uneven road surfaces. It's like any vehicle though, it may make it a little more heavy but can increase stability providing the weight is low down and not top heavy such as in a roof box.

freeatlast

28/7/2016 at 2:28pm
Location: Teesside
Outfit: Mitsubishi ASX4

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Quote: Originally posted by navver on 27/7/2016
It certainly can cause an empty small trailer to bounce around. My mirror dinghy did on its trailer.

I can't see it being a problem with a caravan. Weight makes stability worse. A caravan is pretty heavy even empty.

You do need adequate noseweight though for stability.

I think you also need adequate weight in the caravan, correctly loaded of course.

Grampian91

28/7/2016 at 4:56pm
Location: Midlands
Outfit: Mondeo Avondale Gram

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My little ERDE trailer bounces when empty... Even going slowly over a speedbump ive seen it in the rear view mirror which means it must have left the ground slighty.

HeathnShell

28/7/2016 at 9:09pm
Location: Lancashire
Outfit: Bailey Autograph 79-

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Thanks for your replies.
We have have been caravanning for quite a lot of years and last October bought a new van and car. They are a 78% match and the caravan is loaded correctly heavier stuff on the floor over the wheels, we have checked the nose weight and it is fine but when we get upto 58-60 MPH on the motorway it feels like it is starting to snake.
I asked the question about not having enought weight because in the past years we gave taken full awnings, bikes and everything else that comes with kids but now we have very little in the caravan.

Ray Clayton

28/7/2016 at 9:23pm
Location: Ilkeston. Derbyshire
Outfit: Disco 4 Unicorn Barcelona 4

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Hi
What nose weight are you running at.
And what is the max of the cars tow bar nose weight.

I ask because i had this once going up to Blackpool on the M6. But i now put my nose weight as close to 100kg

I was advised to back load but that can make it even worse

-------------
Cheers
Ray

Discovery 4 & Bailey Barcelona 4

Rob and Tina

28/7/2016 at 9:50pm
Location: Royal Forest of Dean
Outfit: Swift Major 4SB

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Have you checked the tyre pressures? The tyre pressures suggested by the manufacturer are for when the caravan is loaded to the MTPLM.

Our caravan has an MTPLM just under 1400 kg and the tyre pressure listed is for a caravan of 1500 kg which is the maximum allowed on that chassis, as we only load to 1350 kg the caravan does bounce sometimes. I found a tyre pressure chart mentioned on an earlier thread and according to that I could lower the pressures considerably but so far I have stuck with the manufacturers figures.

Rob

tango55

28/7/2016 at 10:34pm
Location: Lichfield
Outfit: Coachman Amara 450

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Quote: Originally posted by HeathnShell on 28/7/2016
Thanks for your replies.
We have have been caravanning for quite a lot of years and last October bought a new van and car. They are a 78% match and the caravan is loaded correctly heavier stuff on the floor over the wheels, we have checked the nose weight and it is fine but when we get upto 58-60 MPH on the motorway it feels like it is starting to snake.
I asked the question about not having enought weight because in the past years we gave taken full awnings, bikes and everything else that comes with kids but now we have very little in the caravan.

When you say you have checked the noseweight and it's fine doesn't clarify what the vehicle towball weight limit is or if the noseweight has been checked with a gauge. Whatever the vehicle towball weight limit is you need to aim the caravan noseweight to that specific target weight but not exceed it as it contributes to caravan stability.
Can you be a little more specific regarding the above please.

Johnnie Boy

29/7/2016 at 10:39am
Location: Cleveland
Outfit: Swift select 164

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Quote: Originally posted by navver on 27/7/2016
It certainly can cause an empty small trailer to bounce around. My mirror dinghy did on its trailer.

I can't see it being a problem with a caravan. Weight makes stability worse. A caravan is pretty heavy even empty.

You do need adequate noseweight though for stability.

My xplore 302 is only light.. very stable but it is nose heavy

naturlist123

29/7/2016 at 7:28pm
Location: Southport
Outfit: Adria Adora Premium Yeti 4x4 run about

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Do you have shocks on your van if so they need renewing if not you need to fit.
All my vans since 2003 have had shocks and I have never had any probs with bouncing/ stability, but you need to get your nose weight correct and keep all heavy gear put in van over axle.

HeathnShell

31/7/2016 at 4:33pm
Location: Lancashire
Outfit: Bailey Autograph 79-

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Thanks again for your replies.

As Sod's law goes we have been away this weekend and everything has been fine.

The noseweight limit for car and caravan is 100kg, we are going to check again the limit for the tow ball. When we measured the noseweight it came in at 85kg with gas bottle, waste master, electric cable and a few other bits in the front locker.

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