My car has a towball limit of 75kgs how do I get caravan noseweight down from 100kgs.? Gas locker has one bottle, 110amp battery in battery locker and motor mover fitted. Aquaroll and waste containers just behind axle. About 20kg pots/pans plates etc around axle line.
Car tow ball limit 75kgs,noseweight 100kgs.
- Thread starter clackerbox
- Start date
I had a similar problem and just had to juggle the payload for its full load, not just the items you mention. At times I would place a tool bag, 10 litre water container and 4 litres between cassette and flush tanks. Clothes in wardrobe, bedding on beds and tv on rear bed. Dog food in low locker just behind axle etc. 20 kgs seems a lot for pots, pans and plates. You need to place more weight into the caravan behind the axle. I had to do that and tge caravan stilled towed very well as the cars weight was high.
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A balancing act in more ways than one. How to reduce nose weight but without adding any more payload.
For me I always ensure that the hot water tank at the front is empty and in the early days I used to fill the toilet flush tank at the rear with some water to lift the nose.
These days I can balance things out without adding any ballast. The further back you put things, the more the nose will lift. I put the steps and electric cable in the doorway which is towards the back. Same with water and waste containers on the other side from the door ...more towards the back than just behind axle.
Awning goes over the axle.
For me I always ensure that the hot water tank at the front is empty and in the early days I used to fill the toilet flush tank at the rear with some water to lift the nose.
These days I can balance things out without adding any ballast. The further back you put things, the more the nose will lift. I put the steps and electric cable in the doorway which is towards the back. Same with water and waste containers on the other side from the door ...more towards the back than just behind axle.
Awning goes over the axle.
The same as Sam, ensure the water heater, if it is at the front is empty, 10 to 15 liters of water, so 10 to 15 kg might decrease your nose weight by 7 kg.
EHU cable 5 kg, good for changing balance.
Do you have anything heavy in the front cabinet inside the caravan ?
EHU cable 5 kg, good for changing balance.
Do you have anything heavy in the front cabinet inside the caravan ?
Can you move your front seat cushions to the back of the caravan? If they are anything like mine they weigh a fair bit and won't come to any harm on the floor behind the axle.
Don't forget, The effect of moving items in a caravan is like a see saw, If you take 1kg off the front, then the load on the hitch reduces, but if you then relocate that 1kg to the rear of the caravans, it also further reduces the nose load. so be relocating items so the overall weight of the caravan remains the same, but you can adjust the nose load.
Mel
Moderator
Where do you store food and booze when towing? We only have 75kg noseweight and find that pulling the awning towards the rear of the axle does the job. But if we are not taking an awning then a box of tinned food and one or two ( or more 😊) bottles of wine , just behind the axle ( instead of in the car) will work.
Mel
Mel
Stick 2 - 25l water containers just back of the axle, this should lift the nose enough
also uncouple the gas bottle and pop that in as well.Maybe, but it's not quite so simple ........
If you moved 1kg from the hitch and placed it the same distance behind the axle then yes, the nose weight would reduce by 2kg. The problem is the 1kg weight is going to be somewhere between the hitch and axle so it isn't adding 1kg to the nose weight, and the counter ballance effect will depend how far behind the axle you can place it.
True, it is a simple matter of having a nose weight scale and adjust the weight accordingly until the idea weight is reached, some velcro might be useful to keep the items positioned whilst being towed
Not precisely, because its governed by the the torque calculation of mass x distance from the fulcrum. as the caravan has an A frame the the lever length dilutes the effect of a mass inside the caravan. But moving a mass from one sid to the other of a fulcrum does improve on the effect of simply removing a mass.
Also worth ensuring that whatever you're using to weigh the noseweight is accurate! My elderly Milenco noseweight gauge was reading over by around 15kgs.
You do have to be careful adding weight at the rear as going too far can cause instability. Some caution at first when towing this way is needed to check this.
Possibly uprating the rear suspension might help, but if you do tell your insurer and explain why.
Possibly uprating the rear suspension might help, but if you do tell your insurer and explain why.
The additional weight at the rear needed to cause instability would have to be quite considerable. About 10kg would be neither here nor there.
I don't quite understand what uprating the rear suspension has got to do with the noseweight limit. That limit is determined by structural constraints and not by suspension rates.
I agree with Lutz, looking at it from a slightly different point, if a caravan needed 10kg additional load at the rear and that made the outfit unstable, then the chances are very high the caravan without the 10kg would also be unstable of very very close to being unstable so much so it should not be considered a safe outfit to use.
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