Please Advise if you can

[John_374564913]

We have placed an order for a Bailey GT60/620-6 and expect delivery the first week of June

Have asked for the Alko Trailer Control to be fitted and the twin axle mover together with satellite dish and solar panel.

We will be towing it with a new Mercedes Benz C220 CDI/AMG

I have the following questions if anybody can help

What is the nose weight of our new caravan

When towing the caravan should we tow in comfort mode or sport mode

Any other advise would be appreciated.

 

[Danny_374561559]

hi john, i posted this in your "new members post" literally 5 mins ago.haha

with regards to what mode you should tow your caravan in its up to you really, in sport mode all it does it speeds up gear changes, stiffens the suspension etc, in comfort mode i would expect it does the opposite, i`d suggest trying each one of them. but also in comfort mode the suspension will absorb more bumps, holes in the road etc

with regards to nose weight on your van i dont know, best thing though would be to buy something like this:

http://www.towsure.com/product/406-Nose_Weight_Gauge
we got one so before we leave we can always check that the nose weight is right, better safe than sorry ey..

hope its of some help to you

Danny

 

[John_374564913]

Thanks Danny for the reply I have ordered the nose weight gauge thanks

with regards to gearbox setting have contacted Mercedes they said start in sports mode because comfort mode starts in second gear then when rolling switch over to comfort mode.

it seems to make sense will see and let you know

john

 

[Danny_374561559]

yes the whole comfort mode is just what it says on the tin, when you first set off you dont get the whole head jerk in the back of your seat

the nose weight gauges are very handy so even if you know the nose weight of your van with nothing in, only you have gas bottles etc you can check and make sure your not over

good luck when you get your new van, bet your counting down the days, let us know how you get on

Danny

 

[John_374564913]

I will indeed let you know when it arrives

However I must admit getting a little fed up now. we ordered it second week of February and the Dealer said he should have it in May he then needs time to fit the Motor Movers, Semitronic satellite dish and solar panel. so he anticipates first or second week in June.

Hope its not late as we have booked our holidays to Croatia first week in July and would like to take a test trip before then.

As soon as I know more will drop you a line

Thanks

John

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello John,

Some manufactures will tell the Exworks nose weight, but that has absolutely no relevance, because it will change when you add items to the caravan.

What I would say is that it is very important to measure the nose weight in the correct way, and especially so with a twin axle.

The car and caravan must be on horizontal ground, Both the car and caravan must be loaded ready for the journey, and with all passengers in their seats.

The caravan should be coupled to the car, and the height of the hitch measured (ground to the centre of the ball). The measured distance must be between 350 and 420mm (legal requirement for private cars)

The caravan should be un-hitched and and the nose load measuring device set to support the hitch at the exact same height as the when the hitch was on the car. The measured nose load should be taken with the jockey wheel and all the steadies raised off the ground. (bathroom scales and a support for the hitch are pretty good for this and cheaper and more accurate than many proprietary gauges.

The nose load must not exceed either the limit set by the caravan manufacture for the hitch, or the maximum load set by the towball manufacture. (Which ever is lowest)

It is generally accepted that the nose load should be towards the top of the available range, but must not exceed the limits noted above.

Do not forget that the nose load will be different for each journey.

If the towball is too low when hitched, then this is a likely sign that the car is over loaded and or the nose load is too great, or something is broken.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello again John,

Just quite an important thought, My usual sources do not list a maximum towing weight for the AMG version of the Class. The absence of the BTW and being a specialist sports vehicle, it may not be approved for towing.

You must check with your dealer or manufacturer if it is approved. If it is not approved for towing you will be seriously breaking the law, and the guarantee conditions for the vehicle.

 

[Martin24]

You could go for the tried and tested lifetime of caravanning rule, if you can lift the front your okay and if you can't it's too heavy. Not approved of by most of the GOGs on here but it works just as well as the scales and guages, not always advisable for the hernia though!

 

[John_374564913]

John

I have spoken with Mercedes and they said it was ok to tow a braked trailer up to 1,800 kilos so I am well within the limit.

Secondly I checked on the tow sure site who said the car would have no problems other than running at around 97%

In order to be comfortable I have ESP on the car with integrated (TSA) Trailer Stability Assist also we have purchased the Alko Trailer Control System and as standard it has the Alko Hitch.

I think therefore I have covered as best I can most area's.

Also in a substantial Caravan Magazine they tested three caravans one being the Bailey GT60/629-6 and said it is one of the most light weight twin axles on the market and they towed it with a Skoda superb

If I am careful with the noseweight every trip then I should be ok and to cover that point I have purchased a roof box to stow a few extras removing weight from the caravan and add ballast to the car.

Other considerations are is that the 97% is based on six people with luggage and extra's for the six and we will only being using it for two people

John

 

[RayS]

The reply from MB saying you could tow up to 1800kg is only half the story. What you also need to know is the maximum weight you can put on the towball. With a c class saloon I shall be surprised if this is anything above 75kg. which may mean you are down around 4% ratio - a bit low unless you are quite experienced - which you may well be in which case many apologies.

As has been said the AMG versions may or may not be approved for towing, and the body kit may not help the fitting of the towbar.

I tow a 1500kg van with a W211 Eclass 220cdi auto which also has a towball limit of 75 kg. I use the C (comfort) setting on the transmission rather than S (sport) as this holds the ratios too far up the rev. range for sensible towing.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Martin,

The nose load on towballs' is covered by a number laws and regulations. It is highly irresponsible to suggest a method of assessing nose load that is so subjective and unreliable. Using your suggestion will definitely lead some people to run an outfit that is illegal and if detected would lead to prosecution and points on the drivers licence.

Signed

Senior but safe Grumpy old Man