Towing too low

[jerry4]

Hi there, wonder if anyone can help.

I have recently bought a Honda CRV (2.2 diesal 2002-2007 model) to tow my Bailey Ranger 540/6 and the front of the caravan looks a bit low (as does the tow ball to the ground). I've tried moving things around inside the caravan and this has helped a bit (by moving some weight backwards), but I don't want to lower the noseweight too much for obvious reasons.

I have just bought a noseweight guage so I can check the weight but my gut feeling is that it is probably about right.

I think the issue is more with the the car and the positioning of the towball. I bought the car with the towbar (a witter standard I think) already fitted but it looks like somebody had a detachable ball on it before and I have now put the fixed ball back on which seems to extend down towards the ground quite a bit. I wonder if the detachable ball might be better as they seem to angle up a bit more. Or perhaps spring assisters would be a better idea?

The problem with putting a detachable ball on is that I don't think the bracket for my leaf spring stabaliser will then fit on the towbar.

The van seems to tow fine except that I did manage to destroy my jockey wheel at easter going over a rough entrance to a caravan site because it was low to the ground.

Any thoughts/comments, particularly if you have had similar problems would be great.

 

[Manuel_374563143]

Is it of legal height?

I'm new to the hobby but in my reading noticed that towballs had to be between X and Y if it's between the legal limit is it your personal preference to have it higher?

 

[Nigel196]

I used to tow my Bailey Ranger with a Honda CRV (55 plate) and yes the towbar is very low. Certainly my caravan always very nose down.

Mine was a Witter towbar - but with a fixed ball (same basic fitting as the detachable).

I suspect part of the problem is that the towball cannot obscure the number plate, plus I found it needed to be low to clear the spare wheel on the back door.

Sorry I don't think there is an easy solution.

 

[Lutz]

Whichever towball is fitted, whether detachable or not, the centre of the towball should be between 350 and 420mm above the ground when the car is fully laden. If it is below that, then there is something wrong with the towbar (perhaps the wrong one was fitted).

 

[jerry4]

Thanks for the replies.

Might be something I'll just have to live with.

I didn't realise there was a legal height for towbars though. I'll measure it to make sure it's ok

 

[BobC]

I had same problem my CRV; nose weight is low at 50kg, so you have to be careful with balancing things out, or packing heavy items in car. When fully loaded now, it is pretty level. That's with detachable ball, BTW.