Maypole Nose Weight Gauge

[Mel]

I view my bathroom scales with distrust and suspicion as they consistently refuse to cooperate with my “get fitter” plan.
Mel

 

[borderbilly]

We have the Milenco calibrated gauge that we will be selling and it can weigh nose weight up to 400kg. I wonder how accurate the £8 Maypole one is?

how much?

 

[Oscarmax]

I view my bathroom scales with distrust and suspicion as they consistently refuse to cooperate with my “get fitter” plan.
Mel

My bathroom scale a serial liars

 

[ProfJohnL]

how much?

Buckmans comment that says his nose load gauge is "calibrated" is quoting the manufacturers statement about the device. As far as I can establish, the act of "calibration" simply compares the gauges ability to consistently display the result of various compressive loads applied to the device.

The device works simply by the applied load compressing the internal spring until the resultant spring reaction matches the applied load, with the gauge settling to a length which points to a load scale.

Fundamentally , the gauge changes its length under load. This means the applied hitch will settle at a different height depending on the load it imparts on the gauge.

For reasons that are to complex to explain in this reply, the nose load actually produced by a trailer varies if the height of the hitch is changed. This fact is recognised by the the regulations that cover towhitches, and why the regulations tell you that the measurement of nose load must be carried out with the trailer hitch set at the same horizontal height above the ground as when it is hitched to the tow vehicle.

None of the commercially available compression spring nose load gauges meets this standard as they dont include the adjustment of the settled measurement height to match the tow vehicles load hitch height.

It would be purely serendipity if a particular gauges did settle at the actual towing height for a particular towing outfit. Consequently none of the commercially available gauges would be considered fit for purpose especially if there was a legal case, where both methodology of the measurement and the device used would have to meet a scientific requirement for calibration would both be very important to the courts.

Is there a real concern about this, In general It seems not, but the use of most of these gauges only provide "ball park" indications of nose load, and at bets are better than nothing. However the worst example can be highly inconsistent and inaccurate.