Nose Weights

L3G
L3G Forum Participant Posts: 1
edited June 2016 in Towcars & Towing #1

I am new to caravanning and towing so am really trying to understand all the weights. For the legal weight of my caravan, I feel the best thing to do would be to load it with all the stuff I am hoping to put in there and get it weighed at a weigh bridge-then
by the sounds of it, unload a lot of stuff!!! So I am left with the nose weight to work out. I have a Kia Sorennto (2016 model) and in it's manual it says the Tow Ball weight is 100kg. So, if I load my caravan with all the stuff I'd like to put in it, then
take my Milenco nose gauge and weigh the nose weight, it should not be over 100kg? Or should it be less than 100kg? Or should it be spot on 100kg?

Comments

  • chrisn7
    chrisn7 Forum Participant Posts: 72
    edited June 2016 #2

    Welcome to the world of caravan weights - an awful lot has been written about noseweight! There are 3 weights to establish:

    1)Your car manufacturer will specify the maxiumum noseweight in the handbook.

    2)The towbracket manufacturer will specify the bars maxiumum load either on the bar, or the detachable towball if this applies.

    3)The hitch manufacturer will specify the maxiumum load the hitch itself can take. This will be in the hitch instructions, or embossed in the metal on the hitchhead.

    Of these, work to the lowest value then you will be safe.

    Remember that the hitchload counts as part of the load on the cars rear axle (which itself has a specified limit)

    Measure hitchload with the van level, and the towball at its normal running height i.e.when attached to the car

  • commeyras
    commeyras Club Member Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited June 2016 #3

    The CC Handbook gives a lot of advice about noseweights and, importantly, loading.  Heavy stuff centre and low down.  Run as near as possible at the highest noseweight permitted, probably 100kgs, my max is 100kgs and I aim for 90 - 95 kgs noseweight.  A
    higher noseweight will will give stability and a safer tow. Your caravan also has a maximum noseweight; if you have an Alko hitch it will probably be 100 kgs but check your handbook. A lot of us put the awning (probably the heaviest thing you will take) in
    the car to reduce the weight in the caravan.  You are asking the right questions to give you a safe towing experience.

  • Trini
    Trini Forum Participant Posts: 429
    edited June 2016 #4

    Hi and welcome L3G. We are changing to a Sorento in a couple of weeks as I always carry what I can in the car rather than the van so when we arrive it we dont have to unload awning etc especially useful if its bad weather.

    Fortunately only the wife and I to travel so lots of free space in the back.

    Enjoy what is a great way to spend your leisure time

  • MrGarval
    MrGarval Forum Participant Posts: 120
    edited June 2016 #5

    As previously mentioned you can obtain the various weights from the makers of car, caravan and towhitch. In my opion it is best to tow with as much weight as is permissable in the car and with the max allowable noseweight. I tow with a Sorento and the noseweight
    of the caravan when towing is around 90Kg. 

  • Multiplamicky
    Multiplamicky Forum Participant Posts: 4
    edited June 2016 #6

    Hi, load your caravan and use the Milenco to confirm when you have moved the weights around to achieve your 100kg nose weight. The take caravan to the weighbridge, nip in the office and tell them you need to drop the caravan to confirm the noseweight, unhitch
    with the nosewheel on the bridge but the caravan wheels off, drive OFF the weigh bridge and get your noseweight ticket from the office, rehitch up and drive home. Now your Milenco has been checked against a pukka weighbridge and you can use it's calibration
    (either over or under ) when weighing in future.

  • xtrailman
    xtrailman Forum Participant Posts: 559
    edited June 2016 #7

    Very few weigh bridges will accurately weigh the nose weight. Having worked with weigh bridges for 25 years in industry.

    My advice is not to over complicate NW just experiment with the various NW for your particular car, but stay within the limits.

    Having had two cars with a NW limit of 100kg, one was fine at around 85kg, and the other needed 90 to 95kg to improve stability. Towing a 1333kg caravan.

    My present car tows near the max NW of 88kg, usually 80 to 85kg, but that's mainly because the caravan is very nose heavy. My caravan has a MTPLM of 1565kg.

    The advice is to aim for 5 to 7% of MTPLM.

  • roylovelock
    roylovelock Forum Participant Posts: 20
    edited June 2016 #8

    i will add my experiance here.

    The original nw gauge i got was miles out, it would say the nw was far heaver than it actually was. This made towing a nightmare.

    We then decided to invest in milenco nw gauge, this prooved the original was way out. 

    original gauge would show much more weight - when i loaded to the deacent gauge the van was a dream to tow.

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