Maypole Nose Weight Gauge

[borderbilly]

The above gauge is now £8.19 reduced from £18.99 , 57% reduction on the Big River website, if anybody is looking for one.

 

[Buckman]

The above gauge is now £8.19 reduced from £18.99 , 57% reduction on the Big River website, if anybody is looking for one.

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?

 

[Dustydog]

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?

Can the Milenco and Maypole be used on both SA and TA?
My Reich is designed for TA . They do a different model for SA.

 

[Buckman]

Can the Milenco and Maypole be used on both SA and TA?
My Reich is designed for TA . They do a different model for SA.

Ours could probably could be used for both? The normal Milenco only read up to 120kg, but on the Buccaneer the nose weight could be up to 150kg. We found 140kg to be ideal for us.

 

[Dustydog]

Ours could probably could be used for both? The normal Milenco only read up to 120kg, but on the Buccaneer the nose weight could be up to 150kg. We found 140kg to be ideal for us.

I can’t recall the exact reasons but way back the difference was discussed. There is a difference and this is reflected by Reich producing different gauges for the SA and TA.
I don’t know about the Maypole or Milenco

 

[birdman101]

Trusted Bathroom Scales for over 50 years,never a problem

 

[ProfJohnL]

I can’t recall the exact reasons but way back the difference was discussed. There is a difference and this is reflected by Reich producing different gauges for the SA and TA.
I don’t know about the Maypole or Milenco

Because the Reich system uses a device that clips to the cars tow ball, it raises the trailers tow hitch above the true towing height, which affects the nose load the trailer will produce. Consequently to get the device to display a more accurate reading, the device has to incorporate some either computational correction factor or a mechanical compensation system.

However becasue the of the difference in the mechanical geometry of a Single Axle 9SA) and a Twin Axle (TA) trailer the dynamic effect of changing the hitch height when measuring is very different, and you should use the correct device for SA and TA trailers.

At best both these systems are still making some assumptions about the geometric arrangements of the trailer, and cannot be considered to be 100% compliant compared to the official methods of determining applied nose loads. But they are a lot better than nothing.

 

[Buckman]

Does anyone really worry whether they are 1 or even 10kg over the towball limit? When travelling the nose weight on the towball will definitely exceed 100kg limit at times.

 

[otherclive]

Does anyone really worry whether they are 1 or even 10kg over the towball limit? When travelling the nose weight on the towball will definitely exceed 100kg limit at times.

Whilst not bothering about 1-2 kg over my cars’ nose weight limits I wouldn’t consider 10kg over to be acceptable. Although all my caravans were 100kg maximum. But doesn’t it relate to the car’s maximum and the caravan’s maximum. If the car is 70kg going to 80kg isnt such a good idea. But if the car and caravan are like your Jeep/Bucanner combination then 10 kg is a much smaller percentage overshoot.

The car and caravan noseweight limits are static limits and the car and caravan will obviously exceed them when towing but the makers will have factored in the dynamic loads in the design.

 

[Buckman]

Whilst not bothering about 1-2 kg over my cars’ nose weight limits I wouldn’t consider 10kg over to be acceptable. Although all my caravans were 100kg maximum. But doesn’t it relate to the car’s maximum and the caravan’s maximum. If the car is 70kg going to 80kg isnt such a good idea. But if the car and caravan are like your Jeep/Bucanner combination then 10 kg is a much smaller percentage overshoot.

The car and caravan noseweight limits are static limits and the car and caravan will obviously exceed them when towing but the makers will have factored in the dynamic loads in the design.

Not sure how you can say they are static weights when they will vary by a huge amount. Is there actually an offence for exceeding the maximum weight on the towball as I think, but may be wrong. the legislation refers to the weight on the rear axle of the towing vehicle? Happy to be corrected.

 

[otherclive]

Not sure how you can say they are static weights when they will vary by a huge amount. Is there actually an offence for exceeding the maximum weight on the towball as I think, but may be wrong. the legislation refers to the weight on the rear axle of the towing vehicle? Happy to be corrected.

The noseweight specified for the car and caravan is a static weight. They cannot be anything else when you are setting them up can they? My second paragraph acknowledges that when towing the loads on the tow ball and hitch are dynamic loads.

Legal, or not legal never bothered me as I aimed to set them up noseweight to meet the specification of car or caravan, whichever took precedence based upon respective makers specifications.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Does anyone really worry whether they are 1 or even 10kg over the towball limit? When travelling the nose weight on the towball will definitely exceed 100kg limit at times.

Well if you don't concern yourself with overloading, then you should. As Oc has explained you can only realistically set up the nose load under static conditions.

There is a concern with the dynamic loading, because they dynamics are essentially generated through the inertial loading caused by shock loads and vibrations. Such loads are expressed in terms of their equivalence to the force of Gravity where the static load has the equivalence of 1G. If the shock load creates a 2G load that means every 1kg of mass acting through the point will actually have the equivalence of 1kg x2G = 2Kg.

I have previously reported on some testing we did a MIRA back in the 1980's where we measured some of the G forces acting on various parts of a caravan, and we saw typical values whilst towing values of around 5G with a few peaks around 8G and the rarest being about 12G These were usually peak values of vibrations, rather than sustained loads.

The upshot is the "impact load" imposed on hitch would affected the same multiple of any overload you set up under static conditions, and at peak load conditions the overload might exceed the safe dynamic limit of the hitch.

Its always foolish to push any specification limit of a car or trailer, whether or not there is a offence connected with it.

 

[Buckman]

Well if you don't concern yourself with overloading, then you should. As Oc has explained you can only realistically set up the nose load under static conditions.

There is a concern with the dynamic loading, because they dynamics are essentially generated through the inertial loading caused by shock loads and vibrations. Such loads are expressed in terms of their equivalence to the force of Gravity where the static load has the equivalence of 1G. If the shock load creates a 2G load that means every 1kg of mass acting through the point will actually have the equivalence of 1kg x2G = 2Kg.

I have previously reported on some testing we did a MIRA back in the 1980's where we measured some of the G forces acting on various parts of a caravan, and we saw typical values whilst towing values of around 5G with a few peaks around 8G and the rarest being about 12G These were usually peak values of vibrations, rather than sustained loads.

The upshot is the "impact load" imposed on hitch would affected the same multiple of any overload you set up under static conditions, and at peak load conditions the overload might exceed the safe dynamic limit of the hitch.

Its always foolish to push any specification limit of a car or trailer, whether or not there is a offence connected with it.

Worrying about over loading never bothered me as I always made sure we stayed within a reasonable parameter.

I doubt if many people towing caravans ever bother to check the nose weight or whether they are exceeding the MTPLM as long as it looks "right". It is only us on caravan forums that seem to know better.

 

[Oscarmax]

I used to have a reich nose weight gauge, take on reading, take another a couple of minutes late it always gave a different reading.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Worrying about over loading never bothered me as I always made sure we stayed within a reasonable parameter.

I doubt if many people towing caravans ever bother to check the nose weight or whether they are exceeding the MTPLM as long as it looks "right". It is only us on caravan forums that seem to know better.

You're first paragraph is an oxymoron of a statement! if you comparing with a particular parameter you are checking that is "bothering". whether you using a sensible parameter is another matter.

Some people do try to check nose load and other criteria witnessed by comments already posted on this and other threads on the subject, However whether their methods are practical, sensible, safe or accurate again is open to debate.

It is never wise to exceed specifications whether legal or just advisory limits.

 

[Dustydog]

Years ago on a CAMC towing course my wife said a lot of time was spent discussing and explaining the crucial safety reasons for nose loads, loading , tyre pressures etc.

I’d like to think the majority of caravanners on the road appreciate the significance of “loads”.

 

[Buckman]

You're first paragraph is an oxymoron of a statement! if you comparing with a particular parameter you are checking that is "bothering". whether you using a sensible parameter is another matter.

Some people do try to check nose load and other criteria witnessed by comments already posted on this and other threads on the subject, However whether their methods are practical, sensible, safe or accurate again is open to debate.

It is never wise to exceed specifications whether legal or just advisory limits.

We checked the nose weight at beggining of season never bothered again as load stayed the same within the parameters of the towball load.

 

[Dustydog]

We checked the nose weight at beggining of season never bothered again as load stayed the same within the parameters of the towball load.

Thank goodness for Slimming World😛

 

[Oscarmax]

We check the tyre pressure on both the car and caravan (we have Tyrepal sensors for both) every time prior to setting off for holiday, we check both wheel nut torque and the nose weight every journey. Strangely a lot of our friends never bother carrying out an safety checks.

 

[Buckman]

We check the tyre pressure on both the car and caravan (we have Tyrepal sensors for both) every time prior to setting off for holiday, we check both wheel nut torque and the nose weight every journey. Strangely a lot of our friends never bother carrying out an safety checks.

I thought the Suzuki Across had its own built in TPMS so no necessity to add Tyrepal sensors onto it?

 

[Oscarmax]

I thought the Suzuki Across had its own built in TPMS so no necessity to add Tyrepal sensors onto it?

It does but is buried in the system, it only informs you when the tyre pressure goes below a certain point, the Tyrepal solar system lets you monitor the tyre pressures (and probably not accurately) tyre temperatures via its display screen.

And before you ask yes I am a bit over the top my friends thinks I have a screw or two missing

 

[otherclive]

It does but is buried in the system, it only informs you when the tyre pressure goes below a certain point, the Tyrepal solar system lets you monitor the tyre pressures (and probably not accurately) tyre temperatures via its display screen.

And before you ask yes I am a bit over the top my friends thinks I have a screw or two missing

I’d have thought it would have a similar menu to my RAV4 which is not that difficult to access from the steering wheel controls. But admittedly not as easy as two Kia’s where they had dashboard buttons.

 

[Mr Plodd]

I have a Maypole hitch gauge, accurate isn't a word I would use I relation to it ! Guesstimate is closer.

 

[borderbilly]

By

I have a Maypole hitch gauge, accurate isn't a word I would use I relation to it ! Guesstimate is closer.

By how much do you think it's out 🤔

 

[Mr Plodd]

10-15kg when compared to bathroom scales which agree with calibrated scales at Mrs P's weigh loss group.