You mentioned that you stick most of the stuff in the car, why not load the van to near its max instead, then check the nose weight, and go along to a weigh bridge.
I would have a good guess that the van weight even with your belongings is still to light
Mondeo's are renowned for wearing rear subframe bushes, even in a relatively new car.
If they are even slightly worn, the van will exacerbate this and you will experience a slight shimmy at higher speeds.
I would forego replacing the van in favour of an in depth check of the rear bushes. If found worn, consider replacing with uprated poly bushes which will produce a slightly harder ride, but will last longer and less movement of the subframe.
Quote: Originally posted by Taylor56 on 01/11/2014
Do you know anyone with a caravan you could borrow to take out for a test drive or ask them to tow your van as a process of elimination.Most modern outfits are stable to fairly high speeds so having to stick to 55 mph is not really the answer.Did you get the van from new ? if not it could just be down to bad tyres or pressures.
Yes from new. We think it's the shape of the van .its not very aerodynamic .
I have towed my sisters pastiche 524 I think it's the one with side dinnette we wouldn't buy this model because of weight and size . . I towed it quite a long way to have it repaired from her dealer.
It was fine. Empty but towed fine. They used to tow with the same car as mine but a 2:0 ltr engine .
My service place ( not where I bought it ) said they think it needs loading more in the front this has been advised on here before so I have been trying with a slight improvement.
When towing to the Netherlands last year we stopped a few times at services to adjust things by adding more to the back or front . I just say the centre over wheels didn't work also to slightly to the back.
So I need to try more to the front .
I just wondered if I am too over sensitive to the movement when I'm towing.
You talk of moving more weight to the front? Several posts on this thread have asked you what noseweight you are running & you have not responded to these. Have you actually checked noseweight? Noseweight is the weight caravan puts onto car tow hitch. Your Mondeo allows a noseweight of 90kg & your caravan will need to be around this figure.
To check noseweight you need a weight gauge from your caravan shop or you can use bathroom scales & a suitable length of thick wood. With caravan unhitched & standing on firm level ground on just wheels & jockey wheel, place gauge under hitch & wind up jockey wheel until caravan stands just on wheels & gauge. Weight reading should be around 90kg, if not, adjust load inside caravan to achieve this weight.
No sorry I don't know the nose wright . I will need help to find this out . I don't understand how this works . ( sorry I am jot very bright . ) I know my car is good and capable of towing our van . We load mostly in car and are very careful what we carry , this is what we have always done through . 25 years of caravanning . And never had a problem , I know this may should stupid hut we are cautious .
May be I will reading our dealer when next in for its service..
Checking noseweight is essential & something every caravanner needs to know how to do themselves as a matter of course. Some will check every trip, others once they have got basic load distribution in caravan correct will just check it from time to time. it does not have to be correct to last kg but for your caravan it needs to be around 90kg which is maximum that your car will allow.
It is fair to say though that many caravanners do not check noseweight & just rely on sensible loading. Obviously this has worked for you in the past but as you have a problem with this specific caravan you need to at least try to get noseweight at correct figure & see if this does cure swaying.
I have described in my previous post how to check noseweight, if you have any questions then do ask, but you do need to learn how to do this. You can buy one of these or similar from your local caravan shop. The picture in the link shows gauge in place with jockey wheel raised off ground & caravan needs to be standing just on its wheels with steadies wound up as described in my previous post. If your driveway is not reasonably smooth & level then weigh it in a car park.
Thank you for all the help . Re reading my post some have been miss typed some replies .
I will ask my service place to check the weights for me and show me how this works. I have decided to wait for another season to see how things go ,
The reason for my heading " lady towers " was that I thought maybe it was me being over sensitive to the motion of the caravan on the back of the car.
Quote: Originally posted by kazo2014 on 07/11/2014
also I have just checked out your towing set up and if its the same as in your gallery pic then your running at 94% according to whattowcar,
Ok I'm not replying any more thank for all your help and replies but this might have been in Dutch or French I don't understand 94% is this good or bad.
I'm starting to feel embarrassed about this whole post .
94% is fine for an experienced tower as it is at the upper level of what is permitted. It essentially means your caravan is almost as heavy as your car and this in my opinion will cause movement in the car from the caravan. Some say the optimum level is no more than 85% of your car for the van which would mean you buying a lighter van next time.
Sorry but if you have been caravanning for 25 years I would have thought you would know about the 85% rule,it also sounds like you are loading your car up and having the noseweight at maximum.
Its got to be unstable and possibly dangerous to you and other road users.
the 85% is not a rule Taylor its an advisory, but if you are to go over that then expect this kind of situation to arise, and it certainly wont be as stable a tow
Call it what you like.
from The Camping and Caravan Club
The 85% rule in more detail...
If the unit being towed registers more than 85% of the towing vehicle kerbweight, the unit could become unstable, putting you and other road users at risk of a nasty accident.
The 85% rule is not a legal requirement, but it is a very useful guideline to help you stay within a limit that is safe and that suits your car and towing ability. Most caravanning and camping organisations recommend that anyone towing a caravan or trailer follows this rule; particularly those who have limited experience of towing.
To apply the rule you need to correctly calculate 85% of your car’s kerbweight:
• Identify your car’s kerbweight
• Identify the maximum towing weight for a braked trailer
(You will find these figures in your car’s handbook, or on the manufacturer’s website).
• Take the lowest figure, then divide it by 100 and multiply by 85.
• This will give you the 85% target.
If you choose a caravan with a ‘Maximum Technically Permitted Laden Mass’ - i.e. the caravan’s weight, plus the weight of all your caravanning gear - with the same value, you will be able to tow safely.
In perfect driving conditions - i.e. no crosswinds, no uneven surfaces, no air turbulence from lorries and no other hazards, 100% of the towing capability of the car could be applied for all caravanners. However, these road conditions are very rare, so it is wise to be cautious and apply the 85% rule. After all, safety should and must always be paramount when taking to the open road with your caravan in tow.
Remember that if you are stopped by police with a mismatched outfit, you could be fined, obtain points on your licence, and your insurance will be invalidated.
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Topic: Lady towers
