Nose weight jockey wheel Al-ko premier @ £77?

Terry111
Terry111 Forum Participant Posts: 2
edited March 2016 in New to Caravanning & Touring #1

I have only started caravaning this year since retiring though in a past life I towed car trailors without this issue ever being raised.  

I am totally baffled by the nose weight calculation issue and wonder if the purchase of a nose weight jockey wheel may help once someone explains the basics of nose weight and how to arrive at the correct figure.

 I understand the logic/principle of largest weight over the axle and moving other items further to the rear in order to lift the front but I do not understand how to arrive at what the nose weight should read.

Can anyone assist please?

Comments

  • catherinef
    catherinef Forum Participant Posts: 647
    edited March 2016 #2

    I've just bought a nose weight guage today as we have a new caravan coming.

    In our current caravan handbook we need a minimum nose weight of 50kgs and the car has a maximum of 80 kgs.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited March 2016 #3

    About 4-7% of the caravan's MTPLM is recommended. You can find out the noseweight by using a short block of wood under the hitch on a set of bathroom scales without resorting to buying a fancy guage. Adjust your loading of the van to get a figure suitable
    for your van/car.

  • Toro
    Toro Forum Participant Posts: 48
    edited March 2016 #4

    I use the bathroom scales with an old piece of a brush-shaft cut so that it is the same height as my car's towball. I reckon this gives me as near an accurate weight as is possible. My unknown factor is how accurate are my bathroom scales

  • Terry111
    Terry111 Forum Participant Posts: 2
    edited March 2016 #5

    Thank you Catherine & Cyberyaught?

    I will have to study this subject in greater depth. 

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,581 ✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments Photogenic
    edited March 2016 #6

    Your car will have a maximum noseweight so you need to keep within this but otherwise I go with what has been said.

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