Nose weight how important

[Brian_374468337]

How important is nose weight when choosing a vehicle

Let me explain my question

We are looking to purchase a towcar and caravan

got my head around the 85% tow weight recomendation

but it seems to me that nose weight can be altered by

the way the caravan is loaded ?

what nose weight should I be looking for in a vehicle that

will tow a caravan with a totally loaded weight of 1300kg

Brian

 

[Lutz]

In most cases, the higher the noseweight the more stable the outfit. (There are a few exceptions which can only be determined by trial and error on a case-by-case basis). However, the limit to which noseweight can be increased is the lower of the two specified for car/towbar and caravan, respectively. Most caravans have a 100kg limit. Very many cars, other than larger 4x4's, have a 75kg limit. In that case, 75kg is as high as you can go. You may have to jiggle around with the load distribution in the caravan a little bit in order to achieve this value, but make sure you don't exceed it. If you stay a few kilos below the limit you should be alright.

 

[marlot]

For a caravan of 1300Kg, I would have thought that a car capable of 75Kg noseweight would be fine.

It is worth checking before buying - some cars have a 50kg or 60kg limit which would be a bit light for your caravan.

My 1500Kg caravan towed OK at 75kg but is even better at 90-100Kg.

 

[Brian_374468337]

Thaks for the advice guys

will start the search with a little more info now .. Brian

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Brian,

You are absolutely right, the nose weight is generated by the way you load the caravan, and you trim the nose load by adjusting the position of the items in the caravan.

As Lutz says, it is generally accepted that the greater the nose weight the better the unit will tow, but there are upper limits that are set down by the car and the caravan manufacturer.

You must always check the specific limits for both the car and the caravan with their respective handbooks or by obtaining the information from the manufacturer. Do not rely on hear-say or any third-party web site (even this one) as their data may be flawed. It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure their outfit is road legal.

In general most caravan chassis are limited to 100Kg nose weight, and a large proportion of cars are only 75Kg. You have to use which ever is the lower for YOUR car and caravan as your limit.

How you measure the nose load is also very important. It may not be immediately obvious, but for any given loaded caravan, the nose load it produces is affected by the height of the hitch when it is measured. For accuracy:-

The caravan and car must be on level horizontal ground.

You should measure the height of the hitch above the ground when it is connected to the car with all the passengers and luggage loaded.

Un-hitch the caravan, and support that hitch on the load measuring device so the hitch is at the same measured height.

You must not exceed the limit for your outfit.

The cheapest and probably the most reasonably accurate device is a pair of bathroom scales with a cut broom stale and a foot of some sort to spread the load across the scales to avoid damage to them.

Incidentally, EU regulations now require that the distance from the centre of the ball to the ground when hitch must fall between 350 and 420mm. This applies to all private cars, but some 4x4s and other commercial vehicle are exempt from this clause - I cannot tell you which models are exempt.

 

[Lutz]

John L has correctly stated that some 4x4's are exempt from the requirement regarding towball heights. To be exempt, the vehicle must be classified as off-road type.

According to EU Directive 2007/46/EC, an off-road vehicle is defined as follows:

4.1.

Vehicles in category N1 with a maximum mass not exceeding two tonnes and vehicles in category M1 are considered

to be off-road vehicles if they have:

- at least one front axle and at least one rear axle designed to be driven simultaneously including vehicles where

the drive to one axle can be disengaged,

- at least one differential locking mechanism or at least one mechanism having a similar effect and if they can

climb a 30 % gradient calculated for a solo vehicle.

In addition, they must satisfy at least five of the following six requirements:

- the approach angle must be at least 25 degrees,

- the departure angle must be at least 20 degrees,

- the ramp angle must be at least 20 degrees,

- the ground clearance under the front axle must be at least 180 mm,

- the ground clearance under the rear axle must be at least 180 mm,

- the ground clearance between the axles must be at least 200 mm.

4.2.

Vehicles in category N1 with a maximum mass exceeding two tonnes or in category N2, M2 or M3 with a maximum

mass not exceeding 12 tonnes are considered to be off-road vehicles either if all their wheels are designed to

be driven simultaneously, including vehicles where the drive to one axle can be disengaged, or if the following

three requirements are satisfied:

- at least one front and at least one rear axle are designed to be driven simultaneously, including vehicles where

the drive to one axle can be disengaged,

- there is at least one differential locking mechanism or at least one mechanism having a similar effect,

- they can climb a 25 % gradient calculated for a solo vehicle.