Rear locker storage when towing

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Aug 27, 2020
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We have a lunar quasar 6 berth with a rear dinette, with two storage lockers under each of the rear twin long seats. I'm aware that heavier items should ideally always be placed over the axle. However is it ok to still use the rear lockers for medium weight items? Been doing this for over a year without any snaking whatsoever towing with a volvo v6o. But I'm now wondering if its actually safe and we've just been lucky! OK so we store a cadac 2 (just the top parts) which is fairly heavy, 2 folding cheapo camp chairs, elec cable reel, pegs, a table and the wheeled grey water waste carrier. I'm guessing that cumitively this is possibly unsafe? Should I get rid /move bbq etc over the axle?

Secondly, inside over the axle there's cadac 2 (lower part), a 250 air awning (pretty heavy) a child's bike, a child's scooter and two reclining camping chairs. I'm now thinking this lot in total is overdoing the max allowed weight. (plus 1 15kg gas bottle and other various doodads in nose storage, plates pots, avtex tv etc, and often forget to empty the water tank, eek! ). I don't has a weighstation nearby or inclination to use one really but I could go through ditching, then weighing everything I suppose to check against the max permitted, balance what's essential. But does it all sound way more than a "normal" van load?
 
Jan 3, 2012
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Have you done the match on Towcar. info of your outfit
What goes in the car because it seems the caravan has alot of stuff
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Hello Joelmb,

You haven't told us what you car and caravan is, so all we can offer is general advice.

The fact that you haven't experienced a towing problem is a good starting point. No one can tell you if your caravan is over loaded, that can only be established if it is weighed. But you may get a better idea if you were to weigh all the items(using bathroom or luggage scales) and add the results. That is how some people manage it. The process also makes you more aware of what you are carrying and you might reconsider leaving some unnecessary items behind. Its always best to try and run your caravan as light as possible.

It is generally good advice to avoid loading heavy items at the extreme ends of the caravan to keep yaw inertia ( a technical term) to a minimum. But that doesn't mean you can't use the end storage areas, just its better to only put light items (like duvet's and pillows) and keep all the heavier stuff near the axle.

The other thing you have not perhaps considered is the nose load, Both your car and the caravan hitch will have their own limits nose load limits (S value) and obviously you have to the lowest limit if there is a different between them. You trim the nose load by adjusting the loading of the caravan fore and aft of teh axle, and you should aim to set the nose load to produce value towards the top of your available S value.
 
Aug 27, 2020
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Have you done the match on Towcar. info of your outfit
What goes in the car because it seems the caravan has alot of stuff

84% match but it does say to increase the payload as stability is low. I added payload weight to both caravan and car and it got much better. Hmmm.

In the car, clothes bedding food booze spare wheel, drill (for stabiliser legs) . 2 adults 1 child
 
Jan 3, 2012
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84% match but it does say to increase the payload as stability is low. I added payload weight to both caravan and car and it got much better. Hmmm.

In the car, clothes bedding food booze spare wheel, drill (for stabiliser legs) . 2 adults 1 child
It might be a 84% match but what the payload for your caravan then you can work out if you are carrying to much stuff i always carry medium/ heavy stuff over the axle .not in the rear locker storage .
You might have to put more stuff in the car seeing there only 2 Adults &1 child
 
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Nov 11, 2009
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You don’t say what the payload for the van is or it’s MTPLM. But from your description I think you might be overloading it. My payload is 190 kg which gets close at times even without awning, bike, scooter, Cadac. etc. I only carry one Calorlite 6kg bottle which when full weighs 10 kg. Do you know what a full 15 kg butane bottle can weigh? 23- 35kg depending who supplies empty bottles to Calor.

What about aqua roll, wastemaster. I guess that you also have mover(s) and battery too which if the battery isn’t included in MIRO by Lunar will between them weigh around 55-60kg approx. Some Lunars Quasar 6 berths could have a 100 kg payload upgrade. Is yours upgraded?

You seriously should start a weight check Be interested to know the outcome.

I weighed everything using bathroom scales and then put it into a spreadsheet. Surprising how quickly it all adds up. We even include fridge food allowance too. Then when you think you have got it within MTPLM take it to a weighbridge for a check.
 
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Mar 14, 2005
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84% match but it does say to increase the payload as stability is low. I added payload weight to both caravan and car and it got much better. Hmmm.

In the car, clothes bedding food booze spare wheel, drill (for stabiliser legs) . 2 adults 1 child
Hmmm... Have you given us the the complete and accurate statement from the matching site?, as it seems very unrealistic to be told to increase the payload in a caravan to improve stability. The exception would be to generated a better nose load but that is not adding load, its redistributing it.

I always have misgivings about using these matching services. It is vitally important the data they use is accurate. There have been a a number of contributors to this forum who have reported that the sites don't always have their specific vehicle or caravan in their databases, or the details are wrong. You cannot even rely on using data about similar models, As with any formula if any of the data is wrong, the answer cannot be trusted.
 
May 7, 2012
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It depends what year your caravan is as to the MTPLM. Lunar did reduce this near the end of the old company and if you have one of these then I suspect you are over the MTPLM. Older ones had higher limits and you might be safe there, but the only way to find out is a visit to a weighbridge.
The caravans could normally have the MTPLM upgraded, but given what has happened I am not sure this is possible if you wanted to do it.
It is easy enough to check the caravan noseweight using bathroom scales and a length of wood cut to weight at the height of the tow ball. If it is out then you can then adjust the weight by moving things towards or away from the front.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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You have raised three issues:-

The first is you want to know how to use the rear lockers - see my first response.

Your second concern is if your outfit is safe?
Again no one can give you a copper bottomed answer about safety, there are so many factors that affect it, but you can take some confidence by the fact you haven't so far detected a safety issue.

Thirdly your concerned in case you may be over loaded. The only way you will know if you are over loaded is by weighing the caravan and comparing the result to its MTPLM. That is the test the authorities would use if you are stopped.

It is always sensible to keep a trailer as light as possible, so avoid taking things that are not essential.
 
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