My virtual Caravan Site
My
virtual Caravan Site
Caravan Weight Issues
Noseweight
| Caravan
Club Recommendation The recommendation for the noseweight is that it should be between 5-7% of the caravan's maximum weight. What is noseweight? Well It is the amount of weight pressing down on the car towball by the Caravan hitch when the outfit is at rest and the Caravan and Car are level. It is important as the correct noseweight gives a more stable tow and is the figure the Manufacturer has used in stability tests etc. There are three important factors to be taken into consideration when considering noseweight. 1 For an Al-ko hitch it must not be greater than 100Kg 2 It must not be more than the Car Manufacturers maximum stated loading (typically 75Kg but you must check) 3 it should be, if possible taking into account the above constraints, between 5-7% of the Caravan manufacturers stated maximum weight (MIRO) So an example for my outfit Car: Land Rover Discovery manufacturers noseweight limit 150Kg Caravan: Bailey Senator Oklahoma manufacturers MIRO 1500Kg 5-7% = 75-105Kg So the 7% figure is over the Al-ko limit hence the maximum noseweight for my outfit is 100Kg and anything between75-100 is acceptable. How to measure it? You can buy various devices for measuring noseweight and some Jockey Wheels have a gauge built in. However I use a simple and fairly accurate method. Bathroom Scales and a piece of wood! You need a piece of wood, I use a piece of 25x25mm with one end 'rounded' slightly, or an old broom handle is ideal. The length of it is worked out as follows. Measure the height of the towball top from the ground, car normally loaded but caravan not attached. Measure the thickness of the Bathroom scales and take this measurement away from the towball height. This is the length of the piece of wood needed. Wind up the steadies and raise the hitch height with the jockey wheel. Place the scales under the hitch with the piece of wood inserted into the hitch recess and raise the jockey wheel until the noseweight of the caravan is being supported by the piece of wood onto the scales. The reading on the scales gives you the noseweight of the Caravan. Remember, in old money! 75Kg is 11.8 Stones 100Kg is 15.8 Stones 1500Kg is 236 Stones or 29.5 Cwt. |
