We have a 2010 Citroen C Crosser 2.2 SUV and we tow a Bailey Senator Series 5. When the caravan is on the back of the car, the front wheels of the car appear light on the road. I've checked the nose weight of the van and it appears to be around 65kg, give or take a bit for the inaccuracy of the nose weight gauge I have. According to the book the maximum tow ball weight of the car is 100kg. I am aware that this doesn't always mean very much, but I reckon that the weight on the tow ball is not excessive. I've tried rearranging the payload on the van, and even ditching stuff to make the van lighter overall, but without making any difference. I considered spring assisters, but after reading a bit about them, I came to the conclusion that they would be of no real benefit. I am now looking at fitting heavier springs, or progressive springs to see if they will help. However, looking at several reviews and and other discussion websites, I'm really not sure what to do. Advice please? It would really be appreciated. Thanks.
Citroen C Crosser suspension
- Thread starter GreenBaron
- Start date
Hi. That is rather a tricky one!
If the 65kg is accurate, then given the car's good reviews as a tow car I would be suspicious there is something wrong or worn with the car's rear suspension otherwise many others would have the same issue.
I think I'd verify the nose weight another way, such as the bathroom scales method. I've seen complaints about nose weight gauges being gloriously inaccurate in the past, sometimes by 30kg. (I've never used one)
Something I remember my grandfather doing years ago was measuring from the ground to the top of the front number plate (or other reference point), then putting the van on, and comparing the measurement. Things have moved on somewhat as I think he then added bricks to the engine bay until the effect was negligible (!) - the van was a brand new Abi Monza and the car was a Lancia Beta, so that dates this! I don't expect that test would really help, but it came to mind as a way of determining the effect of the van on the front of the car.
Hope you can make some progress! BTW you might want to post this again in the general or tow-cars section as not everyone frequents the new members areas and there are some knowledgeable folk about that I am fairly certain would comment on this.
If the 65kg is accurate, then given the car's good reviews as a tow car I would be suspicious there is something wrong or worn with the car's rear suspension otherwise many others would have the same issue.
I think I'd verify the nose weight another way, such as the bathroom scales method. I've seen complaints about nose weight gauges being gloriously inaccurate in the past, sometimes by 30kg. (I've never used one)
Something I remember my grandfather doing years ago was measuring from the ground to the top of the front number plate (or other reference point), then putting the van on, and comparing the measurement. Things have moved on somewhat as I think he then added bricks to the engine bay until the effect was negligible (!) - the van was a brand new Abi Monza and the car was a Lancia Beta, so that dates this! I don't expect that test would really help, but it came to mind as a way of determining the effect of the van on the front of the car.
Hope you can make some progress! BTW you might want to post this again in the general or tow-cars section as not everyone frequents the new members areas and there are some knowledgeable folk about that I am fairly certain would comment on this.
GreenBaron said:
Hello GB
I hope it is fairly obvious that if you apply any load to the car behind its rear wheels it will be countered to some extent by the load on the vehicle's front wheels becoming a little lighter. If you are noticing a change to the steering then its either the car is over loaded in some way or perhaps you are noticing it even though its within the car manufacturers limits.
It is fairly obvious that the the nose load from the caravan will act behind the tow vehicles rear wheels, but you must also consider what load you may be carrying in the boot or the car.
Most manufacturers will have specifications that tell you what your maximum loads are for the boot (when towing and not towing), roof, passenger cabin, and of course the tow ball nose load limit. - You need to be sure that none of these are exceeded, and ultimately the rear axle has a limit which broadly speaking is the culmination of all these additional loads.
So as well as being more careful with your nose load measurement you may need to look at what else you are putting in your car. It may not be obvious, but if you measure the trailers nose load at anything other than its actual working height when coupled to the car, the reading you get will be different. This is even more imperative if you have a twin axle caravan
To be as accurate as possible with your nose load measurement use the following preparations.
Load the car and the caravan as if you are ready to set out on your holiday with all luggage and people. (The load in the car affects the cars suspension and thus the height of the hitch.) Don't forget to check the air pressure in the tyres which may need a higher pressure when fully loaded or towing - check the manufacturers hand book for pressure data. Ths can ofetn be found on a label attached to the car in the glove box, a door jamb or the fuel filler.
Drive onto a horizontal (no slopes) surface and pull up straight.
Arrange to get the vertical height of the hitch coupling from the ground measured - you will need this measurement later.
Chock the caravan wheels front and back and Do not apply the hand brake. Uncouple the car and move it away. (if the ground is horizontal the caravan will not roll away)
Arrange your nose load measurement device under the hitch. Make sure the caravans jockey wheel and steadies are not touching the floor so the caravans whole nose load is on the measuring device. Adjust the device so the caravans hitch settles at exactly the same height as when it was coupled to the car. Then take the reading.
Most off teh shelf gauges do not allow you to adjust the hight, and most are notoriously inaccurate. For better accuracy I suggest using a set of bathroom scales, with magazines underneath and on top of the caravan step to adjust the top surface of the scales to support the hitch at the right height.
If the nose load is out of range, you need to re position some of the items in your caravan to bring the nose load into range. Technically you need to repeat the measurement process in full to be accurate.
Others may tell you this degree of precision is not necessary, but especially in your case where you have detected a steering difference, you need to be fully assured of your readings.
No standard car where the trailer is within the cars specifications should need any changes to the springs. Changing the springs does not increase the cars carrying capacity which is set by legislation and based on the original specifications.
If the car is or appears to be too low on ride height, have the car's suspension and tyres checked for wear or damage.
Incidentally its not the total weight in a caravan that determines the nose load, but it the way that weigh is distributed throughout the caravan. So its not the dead weight of the caravan that will cause and steering issues its how much nose load has been trimmed by positioning the load in the caravan.
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