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Quote: Originally posted by misterg on 19/4/2011

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See also "Sale of Goods Act - Return of Van" for more info about nose weights but mainly Bailey Unicorn.

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Noseweight isn't an exact science. Once you have the noseweight right (measured correctly) and you set off to drive, gear in the van can move about and if it rolls forward the noseweight goes up. Bouncing along can increase and decrease noseweight. The tyre tread and pressure plus the state of your rear axel suspension can affect the weight applied to the rear axel of the car with a van in tow. All these factors need to be checked.

Thus the "experts" have investigated the science and come up with so many variables that they have concluded that a noseweight between 5% and 7% of the vans fully laden weight will accommodate these variables to produce a safe tow.

Now the "Glazing over" bit from the CC handbook.........

The height of the centre of the coupling hitch should lie in the range of 395 mm and 465 mm above ground level with the caravan level, front to back.

Research and experience show that for good dynamic stability a static noseweight of around 7% of a trailer caravan’s Actual Laden Weight (ALW) is required, giving values typically in the range 50 to 80 kg. A load equalising stabiliser reduces this, and so they are particularly useful when a caravan has an inherently high noseweight. It is far safer to reduce noseweight to the correct value by fitting such a stabiliser than by placing heavy weights behind the caravan axle. Far better still is to choose a car and caravan combination with compatible noseweight figures in the first place, but establishing the actual noseweight characteristics of a caravan prior to purchase is often difficult.

There are two main categories of trailer stabiliser: first those which are designed only to reduce yawing, and secondly those which act both horizontally and vertically. This dual action type therefore reduces pitching as well as swinging, by introducing a link between vehicle and trailer which helps to reduce sinking at the hitch. This is referred to as a load equalising stabiliser. In the case of the Scott Stabiliser it is claimed for an average outfit that the effect is to take about 10 kg from the vehicle's rear axle, placing 6 kg of this on the front axle, and 4 kg on the caravan axle. This explains the otherwise puzzling claim that a stabiliser "reduces noseweight". Because of this effect care needs to be taken in using such a stabiliser.

Personally, Travelling out I like to load the inside gear in the van in crates as I have found that they don't move about. Coming home the outside gear goes in the van (and remains when we drop the van off into storage.) I find that the water hog moves forward so everytime I stop I check the van. My max nw is 75Kg and I aim for 70 to give me a margin. I find the van tows very well at that. Check the nw on level ground. If I can't then I have to guess the variables that sloping ground may give. Slope to the rear and too light a reading; slope to the front and too high a reading when compared to level ground reading. Get to level ground when hitched and if the van/car look right we carry on. If it looks odd then its time to check on level ground. Not come to that yet!!

All caravanners can do, I think, is to give it their best shot, with the tools available, following the relevant guidance. Once on the road then probably instinct will tell you if its wrong.

Phil

as allready said. the noseweight of the caravan should be measured with the van hitch at the same height as the loaded car (assumng that the towbar is fitted correctly)  useing a noseweight gauge make sure that the height at the top will be the same as the loaded car ball when the gauge is/would be showing the correct weight.

normaly noseweight guage's are too short,so that the caravan hitch is nose down & an incorrect reading is shown

using bathroom scales be sure that the total height of the broomsick & the scales = the car tow ball height