Question for Lutz

NutsyH
NutsyH Forum Participant Posts: 534
edited August 2016 in Towcars & Towing #1

Hi Lutz

There have been many threads regarding caravan weights and towball limits, but something I'm not quite sure on.

My van is plated at 1800kg

My towball limit on the car is 140kg. Now I know that the alko hitch is limited to 100g, and I normally tow at around 90kg.

My question is:

If I have 90kg on the towball, does that mean the van can actually be loaded to 1890kg? (Not that it evr is, just curious).

Paul

Comments

  • Chris Ardis
    Chris Ardis Forum Participant Posts: 55
    edited August 2016 #2

    Your MPTLM of 1800 Kg includes the noseweight.  I know its annoying.  

    My caravan has an axle rated @ 1450 Kg on its attached plate and Al-Ko drawbars are rated  @ 100 Kg making a possible fully loaded weight of 1550 Kg.  But Bailey have an MPTLM of 1450 Kg which they will not increase.  So deduct the 75 Kg noseweight I run at from the axle weight and you get an axle load of 1375 Kg. Much less than its plated design weight. 

  • xtrailman
    xtrailman Forum Participant Posts: 559
    edited August 2016 #3

    You are confusing the cars towing limit with the caravans MTPLM.

    Lutz will confirm, he has always said that if your cars towing limit was say 1750kg, then you could tow your caravan of 1800kg provided the nose weight is 50kg, (using round figures to explain.)

  • NutsyH
    NutsyH Forum Participant Posts: 534
    edited August 2016 #4

    Thanks for the clarification. 

  • Lutz
    Lutz Forum Participant Posts: 1,564 ✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2016 #5

    I was driving all the way from London to my home here in Germany today so I've only just now had opportunity to read this thread, but the other respondants have answered your question well, so I really have nothing to add.

  • weedkiller
    weedkiller Forum Participant Posts: 38
    edited August 2016 #6

    re xtrailman's explanation

    I can understand the noseweight being added to the tow car weight when checking the towing capacity  but I do not understand how nose weight affects the trailer weight calculation .

    Can some one please enlighten me

  • Lutz
    Lutz Forum Participant Posts: 1,564 ✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2016 #7

    re xtrailman's explanation

    I can understand the noseweight being added to the tow car weight when checking the towing capacity  but I do not understand how nose weight affects the trailer weight calculation .

    Can some one please enlighten me

    The total weight of the caravan is the sum of the towed load, which is the caravan's axle load, and the noseweight.

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