Hello. We have just bought a new full air awning to replace our too small porch awning. Now at just ove 31Kg, the new awning is about twice the weight of the porch job. I am a bit paranoid about weight, our Lunar Conquest has a nose weight that I struggle to get below 100Kg, so all the stowage has to be over the axle. The gear that we normally stow over the axle when we are on the road weighs about 28Kg, that includes the poles for the porch awning, the awning it's self we carry in the car.
The car also has the dog, cool box with drink, clothes, tv, electrical gear chargers tablet ECT, hitch lock, dog food, towels, and a few other smaller items.
If I was just to replace the porch awning in the car with the air awning I would be increasing the weight of that item by about 50%, there would also be a weight decrease in the van by about 7Kg because we won't be carrying the awning poles.
So my over all weight increase is about 15Kg, do I add that to the van or the car.
As long as you are not exceeding the manufacturer's recommended loads in either vehicle, or the recommended nose weight, then it probably doesn't make much difference (safety-wise) either way.
How it feels, when towing, under each distribution may be the answer.
Al-ko advise not to exceed 100 kgs. on any of their stabiliser hitches anyway so if you need to decrease the noseweight then you can shift the awning to just rear of the axle and test with a noseweight gauge till you get the balance right. That's what I have to do because the towball weight limit on my car is only 75 kgs. and don't want to increase the weight on the car's suspension but having changed from a lightweight porch awning to an air awning recently I understand what your dilemma is.
Do you know what the towball weight limit is of your towcar?
If you don't then provide the year of manufacture and any other related information and I can check to see what the towball weight limit is.
The nose weight limit of our car is 100kg. That was a deciding factor in buying it.
I try to load as far back as I think is safe. I think what I will end up doing is increase the weight evenly between car and caravan, fortunately the awning is in two hold all's.
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Topic: Car Or Caravan
