Noseweight for Swift Challenger 560 (2009 model)

[Trevor_374529031]

Can anyone help with telling me what the correct noseweight for my swift challenger 560 should be as my dealer can't and I can't get it to a reasonable weight either laden or empty. My noseweight gauge goes upto 100kg but the van flattens it!!! My car can take 117kg. It doesn't matter how we load the van it makes no difference.

 

[Lutz]

Nearly all caravans of recent years have a 100kg noseweight limit and I doubt whether yours is an exception. Your statement that no matter how you load the van it makes no difference is a bit strange. By shifting payload forwards or rearwards there must be a change.

 

[trucker]

Trevor, I find that my Swift group van(2009) and my previous (2006) are front heavy and loading correctly is crucial.

My vanis a 2 berth with the bathroom at the back inc wardrobe we hang the clothes in the wardrobe and put the bedding in the batroom as well. all heavy stuff on the floor over/just behgind the axal and only minimal stuff in the front locker.

Our car noseweight is only 75k so we got to get down alot from an empty van being nose heavy.

Make sure you are measuring it on level ground and that the hight is the same as on the back of the car (nomally nose down slightly) you will have to play with it moving stuff rearward untill your nose weight is at an accepable level, but not too low!!

Kevin

 

[Trevor_374529031]

Nearly all caravans of recent years have a 100kg noseweight limit and I doubt whether yours is an exception. Your statement that no matter how you load the van it makes no difference is a bit strange. By shifting payload forwards or rearwards there must be a change.

Thanks for the advice

 

[Trevor_374529031]

Trevor, I find that my Swift group van(2009) and my previous (2006) are front heavy and loading correctly is crucial.

My vanis a 2 berth with the bathroom at the back inc wardrobe we hang the clothes in the wardrobe and put the bedding in the batroom as well. all heavy stuff on the floor over/just behgind the axal and only minimal stuff in the front locker.

Our car noseweight is only 75k so we got to get down alot from an empty van being nose heavy.

Make sure you are measuring it on level ground and that the hight is the same as on the back of the car (nomally nose down slightly) you will have to play with it moving stuff rearward untill your nose weight is at an accepable level, but not too low!!

Kevin

Kevin,

Thanks for your advice I will try moving stuff further back

trevor

 

[Hamer_5041128]

Trevor,

Just a few thoughts. Did your caravan come with a spare wheel on a carrier at the rear of the axle, and if so have you removed it for any reason?

Is your hot water heater at the front of the caravan and if so is it full of water?

Are you sure your noseweight gauge is giving a correct reading?

You could try measureing your noseweght with a set of bathroom scales, as i do, making sure your hitch is at the same height as it would be when hitched.on your caravan.

Have you tried putting your awning under the island bed and as near to the axle as possible, not at the rear of the bed.

From looking at the layout of your caravan, you seem to have only the island bed and two wardrobes of any significance behind the axle. Your fridge is slightly in front of the axle, plus heavy bunking at the front.

Therefore you will have to load under the island bed, and both wardrobes to stand any chance of getting your noseweight below 100kgs.

If your loo is behind the axle you could half fill the flush tank.

Hamer

 

[JohnKS]

We have got a 560 too and can't get the nose weight right so now we don't bother and the van tows well anyway.

 

[trevor11sqdn]

Our 560's nose weight should be 100kg, but we also struggle to obtain that weight, but with careful loading we do come very near to it. Our tow car has a very high nose-weight limit so is no problem.

(Another Trevor).

 

[Lutz]

To exceed the permissible noseweight is, strictly speaking, an offence and could lose insurance coverage in the event of an accident. I don't quite see why it should be impossible to achieve 100kg max. with appropriate ballasting, though.

 

[JohnKS]

The only way we can get the nose weight lower than 100kg is too put more in the bed at the back. This then causes the tail to wag the dog. It is only slightly over anyway.

 

[Gafferbill]

..... it is not the only way!

You can remove weight from the front of your caravan and put it in the boot of your car.

Do you have anything in the front locker that does not have to be there?

 

[trucker]

John just because you put things at the back does not mean the tail will wag the dog. You need to load correctly and that includes the nose weight. It is difficult with some vans yes but it can be done and done safely, we did it with a fixed bed van and were doing with a 2 berth now as well

Saying its just a bit over anyway is like saying the match for the car caravan is not suitable but dont wory is only a bit over!!!!

You cannot afford to be a bit over, if you have an accident and it can be proved you had a higher nose weight than legal for your car your insurance will not pay out.

Kevin

 

[Mel]

Had the same problem with our Swift 490. Flattening the noseweight gauge. We now have only the fixtures and fittings and one gas bottle in front of the axle and almost everything else behind it, but not right at the back. Heaviest stuff just behind the axle (the cadac is good for that), awning, tinned and heavy food in a box, all this on the floor and wedged to not slide and then lighter stuff behind that either in the rear dinette seat boxes or on the floor. This does the trick and brings it down to the 89kg towbar limit. Haven't had a problem with tail wagging (yet!).

mel

 

[ProfJohnL]

John,

There is absolutely no way I can condone your attitude about nose weight. If you are towing a trailer that exceeds any limit set by the tow bar manufacture or the caravan chassis, then you are illegal.

It makes no difference to the offence whether you knowingly do it or whether it is an oversight, but the scale of any judgement against you may be affected by the premeditation of the offence.

I have never yet come across a manufactured caravan that cannot be trimmed to give a nose weight suited to the tow vehicle. You must review your loading strategy to get the nose weight within the limits.