I agree with OC. Before the Seville we had a Pegasus 462 for 6 years and that was amazingly nose heavy. We loaded as we had done our previous Pegasus S5 Majestic and end up with 126Kg on the nose!!
In the end we bought I think three large Really Useful Boxes which fitted and stacked nicely in the wardrobe in the rear bathroom. We took it all over the UK and in B, NL, D, Lux and F in Europe and never had a moments issue with stability running 84Kg on the hitch. Towed with two Passat Estates 2L TDi 140 CR
In the end we bought I think three large Really Useful Boxes which fitted and stacked nicely in the wardrobe in the rear bathroom. We took it all over the UK and in B, NL, D, Lux and F in Europe and never had a moments issue with stability running 84Kg on the hitch. Towed with two Passat Estates 2L TDi 140 CR
- Mar 14, 2005
- 18,669
- 3,924
- 50,935
You seem to fixated on the " legal side of the limit." There is no" legality" associated with the manufacturers stated limit for nose load. But it is foolish and unwise in the extreme to exceed them from a mechanical perspective.
It might affect your warranty on the car if it were determined you had exceeded the manufacture nose load limits.
The EU construction protocols tell car manufacturer the minimum load rating on the tow hitch should 4% of the cars rated towed weight limit. 4% of 1800kg is 72kg. So the car is compliant with EU rules.
Last edited:
- Jan 31, 2018
- 1,783
- 850
- 5,935
Buy the car buy the caravan andadjust the caravan nose weight to 75kg ,simples. It'll be fine am sure and ignore the forums of course it's possible. They do the same about the Bucaneer which can be 140kg but with only one gas cylinder and nothing heavy in the front locker it's far less.
Thanks everyone. The suggestion to look at the user reviews on towcar.info was most enlightening.
Lots of people towing with far less satisfactory matches than mine works out.
Makes me feel a lot happier that I can make the weight.
Lots of people towing with far less satisfactory matches than mine works out.
Makes me feel a lot happier that I can make the weight.
- Jul 18, 2017
- 15,084
- 4,624
- 50,935
The Buccaneer has a rated nose weight of 150kg and many people load the Buccaneer to achieve an actual nose weight of 120kg. Ours is at 140kg. I am sure that you should be okay as the 75kg is about 5.1% of the nose weight guideline which is between 5-7%.
The other question is can we assume that you have a B+E driving licence as the combination will take you over the 3500kg limit foir a B licence?
The other question is can we assume that you have a B+E driving licence as the combination will take you over the 3500kg limit foir a B licence?
- Nov 11, 2009
- 23,532
- 8,078
- 50,935
Now AH is more relaxed about noseweight on the BMW it’s necessary to consider payload. Many of the more modern 2 berth higher spec caravans have a payload around 125 kg. The MIRO includes such things as one gas cylinder, EHU cable, step, owners documents, water pump if not pre fitted type. They don’t include battery, mover, water in tanks or anything the previous owner or dealership fitted after manufacture such as a solar panel, or air on etc. After fitting the battery and mover it’s surprising how rapidly the remaining payload is used up. So if the MTPLM is not to be exceeded the Towcar needs to be able to accommodate the remaining items plus anything else like dogs and grandchildren etc. Perhaps one reason why nowadays I seem to see more couples with higher spec caravans using roof boxes.
- Jul 18, 2017
- 15,084
- 4,624
- 50,935
We used a roof box even though it is difficult for me to access. Awing and windbreak go in there. Awning is easy to get out as sort of roll it out and wife catches it. Loading the reverse and need to be careful not to scratch car.
- May 7, 2012
- 8,596
- 1,818
- 30,935
If you exceed the car manufacturers nose weight then the rear is overloaded and you are liable to prosecution, although I have never heard of anyone being charged. There are checks carried out at random around the country but they seem to just make you move things to get it right. Possibly if you cannot do this for any reason then you may be forced to stay until you can sort it out. Overloading the tow bar could also negate the guarantee if the car is still within it and if it could be shown to have caused an accident, invalidate your insurance.
Trying to correct the problem by moving things back is only possible if you are near the nose weight limit or the outfit could become unstable. The idea that most caravans are around 100 kg is simply not true though, but if you have the relatively low 75 kg limit you do need to check this. I would not rely on internet searches to find the nose weight of the caravan though, this will vary even with the same models, the only way to be sure is to check it either yourself or get the seller to do this.
We live with an 80 kg limit which we have had no problem with, but have managed 75 kg with a variety of caravans, although not the one you quote.
Loading heavier items in the centre as Otherclive suggests is the best way and moving them slightly back behind the axle should work and if you took out a rear bunk you could compensate for that by loading the equivalent weight there.
The tow car reviews will have them loaded within the makers tolerances so if you can get within these the car should tow well.
Trying to correct the problem by moving things back is only possible if you are near the nose weight limit or the outfit could become unstable. The idea that most caravans are around 100 kg is simply not true though, but if you have the relatively low 75 kg limit you do need to check this. I would not rely on internet searches to find the nose weight of the caravan though, this will vary even with the same models, the only way to be sure is to check it either yourself or get the seller to do this.
We live with an 80 kg limit which we have had no problem with, but have managed 75 kg with a variety of caravans, although not the one you quote.
Loading heavier items in the centre as Otherclive suggests is the best way and moving them slightly back behind the axle should work and if you took out a rear bunk you could compensate for that by loading the equivalent weight there.
The tow car reviews will have them loaded within the makers tolerances so if you can get within these the car should tow well.
- Jul 18, 2017
- 15,084
- 4,624
- 50,935
Doesn't the legislation refer to the weight on the rear axle and not the nose weight of the car?
I cannot remove rear bunk as it is a 2 berth.
The only thing I can do is move all of the cushions to the bathroom, along with EHU lead and as someone suggested plastic crates full of the other stuff.
I will check with seller if I can do a measure beforehand.
The only thing I can do is move all of the cushions to the bathroom, along with EHU lead and as someone suggested plastic crates full of the other stuff.
I will check with seller if I can do a measure beforehand.
- Mar 14, 2005
- 18,669
- 3,924
- 50,935
Your post suggest's you have not understood your problem. You have been telling us the nose load of the caravan exceeds the cars ball load capability (75kg). Therefore you need to be loading the caravan to reduce the caravans nose load. This means shifting the balance of the load towards the rear of the caravan, to reduce the load on the hitch.
- Nov 11, 2009
- 23,532
- 8,078
- 50,935
“The idea that most caravans are around 100 kg is simply not true though, but if you have the relatively low 75 kg limit you do need to check this. I would not rely on internet searches to find the nose weight of the caravan though, this will vary even with the same models, the only way to be sure is to check it either yourself or get the seller to do this.”
It’s a bit confusing here. The 75 kg limit is the OPs car towball load. The 100 kg started off as a reference to the fact that a lot of caravans have a limit if 100 kg when hitched which is a chassis limit specified by the makers when hitched and ready for towing. Although some larger caravans do have hitch limits above 100 kg.
My caravan when empty has a hitch load above 100 kg if it’s not on front steadies and if I go inside and move forwards that goes well above 100 kg. But the caravan isn’t being subjected to the loads associated towing so it is not at risk of any damage.
The caravan owners manual will give its chassis maximum static load for towing or the makers website/ technical department.
- Jan 3, 2012
- 10,532
- 2,376
- 40,935
Exactly - if the car is unladen it's possible to exceed the noseweight limit without exceeding the axle limit - but of course the noseweight limit also reflects the strength of the rear chassis to support those stresses involved.
Yes, my combination says noseweight will be 80kg. This is what started the whole debate!
Only one user review with a 330. His also comes out at 80.
I do understand the problem Prof. Hence moving things to the bathroom!
The bit about removing the rear bunk was someone else suggestion to create storage space to load with heavy items.
Last edited:
- Nov 11, 2009
- 23,532
- 8,078
- 50,935
Yes I removed my rear bunks as they were not likely to be used as the most we would sleep would be three people. They allowed an increase in payload but also sent noseload the wrong way but it wasn’t difficult to readjust it downwards again.
I did like/ find amusing your post about the noseweight altering when you move through the van! Maybe I could strap my wife to the loo!
- Nov 11, 2009
- 23,532
- 8,078
- 50,935
You may have to do that if you get stuck in a muddy field. Ask the copilot to go in move backwards to take a lot of weight from the nose wheel and take it out backwards using the mover.
Be grateful that you don’t run with a 140 kg noseweight which would require a certain degree of diplomacy when first suggesting the procedure.
How to measure and adjust your caravan's noseweight
Having the correct noseweight is vital to towing stability. Here's a video guide on how to measure and adjust your caravan's noseweight.
www.caravanguard.co.uk
A good guide on how to measure your nose weight.
But I put it on here because there are some
very interesting posts from people with cars who are unable to achieve the correct nose weight.
- Nov 11, 2009
- 23,532
- 8,078
- 50,935
Some useful info on how to measure noseweight, but some of the comments are a bit way out. One mentions Calorlite bottles are essential. Presumably he didn’t do any caravan touring prior to Calorlite being on the market. There was life before Calorlite.How to measure and adjust your caravan's noseweight
Having the correct noseweight is vital to towing stability. Here's a video guide on how to measure and adjust your caravan's noseweight.
A good guide on how to measure your nose weight.
But I put it on here because there are some
very interesting posts from people with cars who are unable to achieve the correct nose weight.
Why is two foot behind the axle so sacred. What constitutes a heavy item. Multiple small items count also.
When we change anything such as car or caravan I set up everything to align with specifications and on its first tow I take it gently to get a feel for the way the outfit feels, and like a test pilot gradually extend the performance envelope, until I am satisfied it feels okay.
- Mar 14, 2005
- 18,669
- 3,924
- 50,935
Nose load is the stationary static thrust the hitch of a trailer exerts on the tow ball of the tow car when the out fit stands on horizontal ground and the trailer is free to rotate about its axle.How to measure and adjust your caravan's noseweight
Having the correct noseweight is vital to towing stability. Here's a video guide on how to measure and adjust your caravan's noseweight.
A good guide on how to measure your nose weight.
But I put it on here because there are some
very interesting posts from people with cars who are unable to achieve the correct nose weight.
Because of the geometry and weight distribution of a trailer, the nose load developed by a given trailer will vary dependant on the vertical height of the coupling head.
The height of the hitch when it is coupled to the tow vehicle and ready to roll must be matched by the height of the hitch when it is measured. This is even more important with twin axle caravans as the interaction of the suspension on both axles makes the change in load with height even more dramatic.
You cannot guarantee the measurement height using the compressed spring type gauges as they change their length with load.
Bathroom scales are perfectly adequate, but don't put them on the floor, raise the scales up to support the hitch at the correct height - use the caravan step and some magazines to trim for the correct height.
- Nov 11, 2009
- 23,532
- 8,078
- 50,935
I have used bathroom scales on the drive. Then followed with a noseweight gauge which in effect calibrated the bathroom scales. After that I can use the simplicity the noseweight gauge for future measurements on the drive or when away.
Facebook
Twitter