am i right or wrong or just totally confused

[dbspider]

Ok today as part of a safety upgrade I fitted a new alko aks3004 stabiliser hitch to our bailey discovery

now here is the big question that has got my head in a spin :

Our tow car has a nose weight limit of 100kg and the towbar has a limit of 140kg now the bailey had/has a nose weight of 70kg but am I right in thinking this was due to the old hitch that was fitted to the van and now I should aim for a nose weight of around 90/100 kg as the alko aks3004 has a weight limit over the 100kg limit

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

I'm not 100% sure but I think a caravan nose weight is defined by the chassis, not the coupling.

 

[Dustydog]

I'm not 100% sure but I think a caravan nose weight is defined by the chassis, not the coupling.

The chassis, hitch and brake over run system should have some max loads stamped somewhere I think.
So although I have no proof today there are other important factors as mentioned that are equally important in answering the op.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Ok today as part of a safety upgrade I fitted a new alko aks3004 stabiliser hitch to our bailey discovery

now here is the big question that has got my head in a spin :

Our tow car has a nose weight limit of 100kg and the towbar has a limit of 140kg now the bailey had/has a nose weight of 70kg but am I right in thinking this was due to the old hitch that was fitted to the van and now I should aim for a nose weight of around 90/100 kg as the alko aks3004 has a weight limit over the 100kg limit

Hello dbspider,

Changing the hitch coupling should not change the nose load requirement. You should always aim to have a stable tow that does not require the use of a stabiliser to make it towable. All stabilisers should be used and considered in the same context as the seat belts, basically only there in case the driver gets it wrong.

I think you may be labouring under a serious misconception. 'Nose load' is not a fixed unchanging value set by manufacturer. If they quote a nose load, then that is an ex works value for when the caravan is empty.

As soon as you start to load items into your caravan, where you store them within the caravan will affect the nose load. In fact you should be using this balancing process to trim the caravan to produce your chosen nose load. There are limits to what the nose load can be; both the caravan manufacturer and the car,s towbar manufacturer will have provided maximum static values. You must always trim your nose load to be under the lowest maximum value.

You only need as much nose load as is required to keep your outfit controllable, whilst it is generally accepted that ' bigger nose loads are better' that doesn't necessarily mean you have to use all the available allowance. The caravan industry suggests aiming for a value of between 5 & 7% of MTPLM. The EU regulations expect you to use a minimum of 4% of MTPLM. It's important to understand that none of these recommendations offer any guarantee of providing a good or safe tow.

Check out the loading guides in practical caravan webpages.

 

[Damian]

What van and how old is it?#

 

[Raywood]

The figures you give are simply maximums and not a target. You need a weight that is right for the outfit. You should not however exceed the cars nose weight limit as that would be illegal and could be dangerous..

 

[dbspider]

What van and how old is it?#

the van is a 1996 bailey discovery bourdex

thanks I have always read that our towcar "Ford Kuga" tows best at around 100kg

 

[ProfJohnL]

What van and how old is it?#

the van is a 1996 bailey discovery bourdex

thanks I have always read that our towcar "Ford Kuga" tows best at around 100kg

Such a generalisation is totally useless, as each car and caravan is loaded differently. you need to choose a nose load suitable for for your particular outfit.