Loading a car/caravan

[Laughsatcats]

Evening!

I'm currently finding out about nose weights, loading and scary things like snaking etc. and I am wondering the following:

Is it easier, if your car has a large boot to put everything heavy (staying within limits) in the car and only clothes and light things in caravan?

This will increase vehicle weight and reduce percentage of weight versus caravan weight?

Good idea/bad idea?

 

[Hutch]

Laughs, yes your getting there. I tend to put the awning, beer, wine, kojack for the caravan and small toolbox in the car , plus the dogs etc, wheel clamps anything heavy, but we do fill the van with clothes and the good lady fills the fridge with food, I try and keep the nose weight up to our max minus 10kg, using bathroom scales, lots of threads about this though. And try to keep the weight low in the back of the van.
You might have opened a can of worms here again.
Regards
Hutch.

 

[Pauljw]

As Hutch says , You've got the right idea and if Your new to towing Caravans , take Your time and keep the speed slow just to get used to it . You'll be fine , I have been caravaning just 3 years , prior to that , I had motorcycles and when the law changed in the mid 80s I was maybe the 5th person to tow with a motorcycle , yes I learned a lot from that

 

[Raywood]

It is a good idea to put heavy items in the boot but do be aware the cars back axle will have a maximum weight limit. If there are two of you then large things like an awning might be better between the seats to spread the load between the axles. Most cars are front wheel drive and again too much weight at the rear can take weight off the front wheels reducing grip.
Basically you need to beware of too much weight in the front locker as that hits the nose weight and after that try to balance things. Any heavy objects should be over the axle on the floor if possible.
If you are on the road and feel the outfit is not as stable as you would like slow down and stop when safe and readjust the loading.
You can buy nose weight gauges to get that right although the bathroom scales method should work reasonably well.
Most people will never suffer snaking so while you must be aware of correct loading it is not something you should worry about too much.