Losing noseweight

catherinef
catherinef Forum Participant Posts: 647
edited April 2016 in Caravans #1

We have collected the new van and got it pitched without a problem this year.  A question though,  I do need to loose some Noseweight.  It sits well on the car but I know I need to loose around 15kgs.  The Alko wheel lock and hitch Lock will be moved to
the car on the way home and the spare Jockey wheel has been returned back to the house.  I think the water heater had already been emptied before we left so that's not an option.  The aqua roll will travel in the shower cubicle which is behind the axle next
time.  

Can anyone else give me some tips.

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Comments

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #2

    Not sure what bottle(s) you are using for gas, but lightweight will lose about 7/8kg per bottle and if kept in front locker.

  • catherinef
    catherinef Forum Participant Posts: 647
    edited April 2016 #3

    Have a full CalorLite.  So just carrying 1 bottle 

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #4

    What is the noseweight currently?

  • catherinef
    catherinef Forum Participant Posts: 647
    edited April 2016 #5

    Well

  • catherinef
    catherinef Forum Participant Posts: 647
    edited April 2016 #6

    It was 95 and I've made some changes so will need to try and check again on Monday and make changes if needs be hence your advice is appreciated.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #7

    What is your tow vehicle and tow hook load, 95kg is heavy,for what you say is in the front of the van, what make is it?the coupling has a max load of 100kg,

  • catherinef
    catherinef Forum Participant Posts: 647
    edited April 2016 #8

    Audi Q3 and 80 kgs hence I need to loose around 15kgs.  I think I've lost about 10 so far.

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #9

    It seems the caravan is inherently nose heavy, its a case of moving whatever you can out of the locker, ideally into the car or just rear of the vans axle.

  • asda160
    asda160 Forum Participant Posts: 87
    edited April 2016 #10

    I found our new caravan to be the same after we had transfered all our stuff from one caravan to another I had 90 kg showing and I could only have 75kg on the bar.

    Didn't take long though once Mrs Asda had "dressed" the bed as she calls it ( read as placed many cushions and colour coordinated throws and heavy duvet on rear bed )combined with our clothing and footwear for the trip in the rear wardrobes and I had  managed
    to get 70kg.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #11

    ....  The aqua roll will travel in the shower cubicle which .....

    I think that carrying my Aquaroll in the shower tray cracked it Undecided

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #12

    ....  The aqua roll will travel in the shower cubicle which .....

    I think that carrying my Aquaroll in the shower tray cracked it Undecided

    ...You are expected to empty them firstWink

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #13

    Don't worry playing about with loading will soon crack it - not the shower tray!  Awning in car? 

  • catherinef
    catherinef Forum Participant Posts: 647
    edited April 2016 #14

    We don't have an awning.  Weve put less weight in this van than the Lunar Quasar 2 berth we p/xd.  In all fairness this is the 1st Noseweight guage we have had, so for all I know the Lunar could have been over 80kgs.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #15

    ....  The aqua roll will travel in the shower cubicle which .....

    I think that carrying my Aquaroll in the shower tray cracked it Undecided

    ...You are expected to empty them firstWink

    Why didn't I think of that ...... Tongue Out

  • handsj
    handsj Forum Participant Posts: 117
    edited April 2016 #16
    Hi, we have a similar issue.  After many years of worry-free caravanning with our elderly Avondale Mayfly we felt the need to upgrade so chose a new van at the October NEC show.

     

    We collected our 2016 Elddis Affinity 550 from York and towed it back home, unladen, to Wiltshire.  We noticed that the caravan was noticeably nose-down so decided to perform some checks. 

     

    The unladen car towball measured 400mm from ground while the caravan hitch was 440mm, so not a good start...!!  We then bought a new Reich noseweight gauge which showed 106Kg unladen!  The only extras fitted were the leisure battery in the compartment provided and one half-full gas cylinder in the front locker box.

     

    Naiively, we had never imagined that the unladen nosweight of a new caravan would be so heavy when the Alko max limit is 100Kg.  We've written to Elddis for their advice.
  • catherinef
    catherinef Forum Participant Posts: 647
    edited April 2016 #17

    Can someone remind me how to post pictures?  I thought it was done via a photo hosting account?

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #18

    I fgound my old Avondale Dart was very nose heavy. Manufacturers don't seem to give enough thought to calculating basic noseweight, bearing in mind that heavy items like batteries and gas bottles are invariably added to the front of a van.

  • KENNYG
    KENNYG Forum Participant Posts: 215
    100 Comments
    edited April 2016 #19

    Picked  van up from having a service checked nose weight while empty bang  on 100 Kg that is what I need for my sarento I have yet to load everything back in.

  • catherinef
    catherinef Forum Participant Posts: 647
    edited April 2016 #20

    It's quite concerning isn't it.  I never checked the nose weight on our Lunar.  I know in the front locker of that van there was everything I have moved over to the new van, plus a full steel calor cylinder, plus an empty calorlite.  

    By the time I've finished tomorrow all that will be in the front of the new van will be a 2 litre bottle of toilet fluid, about 1 litre of thetford pink and a fullish calorlite.  If that's still over weight goodness knows where I go with it all next.  If
    someone tells me how to upload photos, I'll be able to show you how the outfit all sat with the nose weight exceeded.

     

  • catherinef
    catherinef Forum Participant Posts: 647
    edited April 2016 #21

    Hhhmmm well copying and pasting isn't working!

  • HarleyDave
    HarleyDave Forum Participant Posts: 150
    edited April 2016 #22

    Think you need to use Photobucket

  • catherinef
    catherinef Forum Participant Posts: 647
    edited April 2016 #23

    I've done that Dave, following some quite excellent instructions from another member - it didn't work.

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #24

    Isn't it ridiculous that they make caravans that are so difficult to achieve the correct nose-weight out of the factory?

    You would think that they would arrive with the nose-weight a bit light, so that the buyer can add things as necessary to the front locker to make it right for their car.

    Is it just a case that the axle needs to be a bit further forward?

  • catherinef
    catherinef Forum Participant Posts: 647
    edited April 2016 #25

    It's hard to say Ian but if you look at what is foreward of the axle it's not surprising.  Tall Fridge/Freezer, 80% of the kitchen,  battery, alde water boiler!

    The biggest surprise however is not the noseweight, it's that their marketing materials show the following weights.  

    MRO 1492 

    MTPL 1648

    Of course these all say estimated, but lets be honest when buying a brand new model they are the figures you go on.  

    The actual delivered van.

    MRO 1515

    MTPL 1671

     

     

  • ChrisRogers
    ChrisRogers Forum Participant Posts: 435
    edited April 2016 #26

    I get 75kg nosweight with no problem, the caravan seems to be well balanced, fridge over the axle, to the rear of fridge the sink and hob / oven, Aldi heater at front, travel with it empty. On the other side battery just in front of axle, microwave behind, when I collected it from the dealer empty the nosweight was just under 70kg. Compass Omega 482.

    Use flickr to get photo's into your post.

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,585 ✭
    1000 Comments 250 Likes Photogenic
    edited April 2016 #27

    I've managed to remove a total of 17.5 Kilos from the total weight of the van.  16.5 Kilos of this was in the nose of the caravan.  In the morning, I'll probably be able to loose another 3 kilos of overall weight give or take in the morning. Oh and of course
    I'll drain the hot water system down. It really is amazing how everything adds up.  

    Sounds as though you have got it down enough. Once you are down to the cars maximum nose weight I would stop as nose weight aids stability.

  • catherinef
    catherinef Forum Participant Posts: 647
    edited April 2016 #28

    Well......

    We towed it back to the dealer for warranty work to be done.  The weather was horrendous, but I'm pleased to say that he noseweight and overall diet appear to have been very successful.  It tows marginally better on the motorway than the 400 Kilo lighter
    Lunar we p/x'd!

     

  • martindf3
    martindf3 Forum Participant Posts: 65
    edited April 2016 #29

    We have collected the new van and got it pitched without a problem this year.  A question though,  I do need to loose some Noseweight.  It sits well on the car but I know I need to loose around 15kgs.  The Alko wheel lock and hitch Lock will be moved to
    the car on the way home and the spare Jockey wheel has been returned back to the house.  I think the water heater had already been emptied before we left so that's not an option.  The aqua roll will travel in the shower cubicle which is behind the axle next
    time.  

    Can anyone else give me some tips.

    My VW tiguan handbook states ..Tow at Maximum nose weight for towbar 100 kg in my case , Audi one might say the same thing . Van is far mor stable at 100 than 80 , I tried it . Every experienced caravaner including engineer from Stockpor caravans confirmed
    the same thing .

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #30

    Losing noseweight - get a good plastic surgeon.

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited April 2016 #31

    Yes Martin you are dead right.  I tow as near 100kgs as possible with my Tig - very stable.  Cyber, was waiting for your amusing response!!

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