Why worry about nose weight?

Apr 6, 2017
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Due to coronavirus boredom I was browsing some USA stuff.
They call nose weight tongue weight, so I checked out my car. It’s a 2015 Tiguan and I the uk the nose weight is 100kg (220lbs) in the States the same car is rated at 675lbs.
The question is why can this be so much higher than the Euro spec?
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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I suspect because there they fit an appropriately designed towbar.

Remember, you can't have it both ways as the axle designs, if not identical in both markets will be similar. If you hang too much on the hook, then you have to ease off elsewhere to keep to the GVW and individual axle's max loadings.

In the European market, they need to offer a product for the trailers of that market, the same goes if they approve towing with it in other markets, offer the best they can for its market.
 
Jun 26, 2017
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Due to coronavirus boredom I was browsing some USA stuff.
They call nose weight tongue weight, so I checked out my car. It’s a 2015 Tiguan and I the uk the nose weight is 100kg (220lbs) in the States the same car is rated at 675lbs.
The question is why can this be so much higher than the Euro spec?

I think you’ve perhaps misread or been misinformed regarding the tongue weight figure of 675lbs GD.

A quick google search returns posts from US forums quoting 220lbs ?
 
Nov 11, 2009
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It’s not unusual for US towing specs to be different to EU and Oz. My Subaru SJ XT has the same petrol turbo engine as the US and chassis, tyres etc but the US tow load is less than my UK load. 1500 lb compared to my 4400 lb (2000kg) The US towbar is a much different construction and lighter gauge and fixings compared to the U.K. equivalent.
Ive never really fathomed out why US tow loads are often so much less for ostensibly the same vehicle. Some say it’s due to a Chicken Tax trade war back in the 60/70s to protect US light truck makers. Others say it was protectionism from truck makers via the SAE standards bodies. But whatever they are different for Subaru and were fir my Gen 3 XC70 too.
 
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Mar 14, 2005
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Due to coronavirus boredom I was browsing some USA stuff.
They call nose weight tongue weight, so I checked out my car. It’s a 2015 Tiguan and I the uk the nose weight is 100kg (220lbs) in the States the same car is rated at 675lbs.
The question is why can this be so much higher than the Euro spec?
Ask VW.
 
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Nov 16, 2015
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Prof, They probably don't know, It's only by chance you manage to get hold of a youngish inquisitive bloke in tech advice. Who knows a mate working for VW in the States, that you will get the answer, or of course an old Wrinkly in the VW Tiguan forum, that knows everything down to the part Numbers of the bits that hold valve springs to the valve stems.
 
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Hutch
Only VW would be able to give you the complete technical reason for the apparent difference on that model. Whether they would be prepared to discuss the matter is another mine field.

There is a distinct possibility VW produce models with regional differences that might affect the mechanical construction of the towing system, so it might be an entirely moot question.

I seriously doubt there would be many if any forum members who have the complete knowledge on the difference between to approvals of the l USA and EU models, yet alone have the authority to make such information public.
 
Jul 15, 2008
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.......no vehicle produced for use by a private market is going to be able to carry upwards of a quarter of a ton on it's towbar.
You would be looking at agricultural, commercial or industrial equipment to be able to carry such a weight.
 
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I seriously doubt there would be many if any forum members who have the complete knowledge on the difference between to approvals of the l USA and EU models, yet alone have the authority to make such information public.

In EU, noseweight and towload limits are subject to type approval. In the USA they are not. Over there, manufacturers only have to self-certify limits for product liability purposes. The criteria that the manufacturers apply to determine these values are also different between USA and EU. I'm not 100% sure, but I think the USA standards place more emphasis on ensuring engine cooling performance on very long inclines whereas in EU, structural constraints feature a lot more strongly.
 

JTQ

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.......no vehicle produced for use by a private market is going to be able to carry upwards of a quarter of a ton on it's towbar.
You would be looking at agricultural, commercial or industrial equipment to be able to carry such a weight.

Well, no, our Discovery 4 when used in Australia, has according to our makers Handbook, a rating of 350 kgs [770 lbs], over a third of a ton let alone a quarter!
Done I expect because there, the legal minimum nose weight is 7% of any trailer weight.
 
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Probably because they have to for their trailer market...

The smallest lightest caravan for the US market made by Airstream, is the Basecamp. https://www.airstream.com/travel-trailers/basecamp/ They say its for Mid-Size SUVs. The UK equivalent is for hatchbacks.

It has a max weight of over 1500KG (similar to my Sprite) but a nose weight of, as per some review I found, of 185KG. It seems that all US caravans/travel trailers are nose heavy due to the wheels being further back.
 
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The suspension of the Australian market Discovery probably has a beefed up suspension to cope with the conditions there.
 

JTQ

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The suspension of the Australian market Discovery probably has a beefed up suspension to cope with the conditions there.

Not according to the accredited axle maximum loadings, these are not continent specific, just a common value everywhere. But just Australia rated at very much higher "S" value, with it seems zero detail changes to the chassis, or cross member that receives the towbar.
 
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The Australian home market produces caravans with often heavier noseweight than we are used to and their hitches and vehicles are built accordingly.
These hitches are much more robust than we are used to.
It is widely recognised by users there that this creates problems which then have to be mitigated and often restricts the use of imported vehicles as tow cars.

There is widespread use of weight transfer systems to correct what some there see as the bad caravan design.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-eDumHwYo8
 
Mar 14, 2005
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The Australian home market produces caravans with often heavier noseweight than we are used to and their hitches and vehicles are built accordingly.
These hitches are much more robust than we are used to.
It is widely recognised by users there that this creates problems which then have to be mitigated and often restricts the use of imported vehicles as tow cars.

There is widespread use of weight transfer systems to correct what some there see as the bad caravan design.

The use of weight distribution hitches, as shown in the video, is illegal in Europe because such systems are not type approved. They apply a torque to the towbar which is not taken into account in the underbody design of the vehicle. For that reason car manufacturers would be unable to accept any liability for their product if such a weight distribution system were used.
The vast majority of caravans in Europe are towed by saloon or estate cars so the manfacturers have to take that into consideration in the design of their product. As relatively few cars in the whole vehicle population are used for towing, one can understand why manufacturers don't provide any structural means, i.e. additional reinforcements, in the base vehicle to take care of extra loads encountered when towing. They would only increase weight and unnecessary cost. Therefore, the manufacturer has to make do with the conditions as they exist.
 

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