Noseweight - previously posted to Technical forum

[rob and jen]

I have previously towed a Sterling Europa 540 with my Toyota Landcruiser and all has been fine. I have just sold that van and purchased a twin axel Abbey Spectrum 620 and again have had no problem towing. However, only recently I decided to check my noseweight of the van as I also use a pendle cycle carrier(towbar mount) whilst towing and wondered what weight I was putting on the ball - My car noseweight is 130kg.

My problem is that the noseweight reading (using scales and wood) for the caravan alone is coming out at 120kg... This alarmed me and have been trying to find out if twin axles are heavier on the nose. My van when empty with two 7kg bottles in front gives the 120kg reading and I am obviously concerned that with the bike on to this takes me over the 130kg restriction.

Does anyone have experience of this with twin axle vans?

 

[RichardS1]

Hi Rob, I cannot answer your question on noseweight on twin axles, but check the handbook for your Abbey as the noseweight limit for the Alko hitch is usually 100kg.

 

[Lol1]

Generically speaking, the answer would be, "No, not all twin axles are heavy on the nose". We have a Senator Wyoming and I can leave my gas bottles and a fair bit of equipment in the front locker. Like single axle caravans, the layout makes all the difference to nose weight. It is also more critical to measure the caravan on level ground for a twin and measured with the hitch at the same hight as it will be on the tow car. I would have thought that careful loading of the van might allow you to lessen this loading and provide for mounting the bike. As Richard points out, it isn't just the loading on your tow ball that matters, Alko have a maximum figure for their tow hitch that shouldn't be exceeded.

 

[rob and jen]

Generically speaking, the answer would be, "No, not all twin axles are heavy on the nose". We have a Senator Wyoming and I can leave my gas bottles and a fair bit of equipment in the front locker. Like single axle caravans, the layout makes all the difference to nose weight. It is also more critical to measure the caravan on level ground for a twin and measured with the hitch at the same hight as it will be on the tow car. I would have thought that careful loading of the van might allow you to lessen this loading and provide for mounting the bike. As Richard points out, it isn't just the loading on your tow ball that matters, Alko have a maximum figure for their tow hitch that shouldn't be exceeded.

Thank you for your feedback.

Looks like the hitch takes a max of 100kg and with this in mind that would leave me with say 20kg for bike carrier - the bike carrier is fitted to the tow bar not the A frame and the tow bar/car capacity is 130kg.

So looks like i need to distribute weight in the van to get the noseweight down to less than 100kg....

 

[JimC]

I also have a twin axle Lunar Lexon EW, which is very nose heavy. I can usually stay below the Alko Hitch limit of 100Kg with one 6Kg gas cylinder plus spare wheel in the front locker.When Im not carrying my awning and poles which can be used as ballast just to the rear of the twin axles, I have to reorganise my equipment to stay below 100Kg. I am running at the moment with 95 Kg on the nose.

Jim

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Rob,

As with single axle caravans, the nose weight of a twin axle must be measured with the car and caravan on level ground, and the tow hitch at the same height as the tow ball when the caravan is hitched. It is even more critical with a twin axle as the interaction of the suspension of both axles causes the imposed load on the tow hich to vary dramatically with only a small change in height.

You must keep the imposed nose load within the manufactueres limits.