tow ball height on XF Jag
Towball Height.
I’m new to caravanning and would appreciate some advice from fellow members and/or fellow XF drivers.
I have just picked up my new Lunar Clubman SI ( MTPLM = 1465kg) which I tow with my 3 Litre XF jag. 63 plate.( kerb weight 1850kg)
All of my pre-checks with the towsafe website and others suggest that this was an ideal match at something less than 80% with the only minor comment/mention being made on the manufacturers recommended tow ball weight limit of 75kg.
My car does sit quite low to the ground but I suspect it’s no different to any other XF.
The ball of the detachable swan neck towbar sits at 360mm in the un-laden position but reduces to 330mm when the car is loaded (but not fully loaded either ) and this reduces even further when the van is hitched.
The hitch height of the van is 440mm and is documented as having an un-laden nose weight of 104kg.
As a result of my low towbar the caravan does ( in my view) sit in a noticeable nose down position but I understand that this isn’t neccessarily an unsafe set up.
I have however, on my first few outings, had strikes of the underside of the swan neck towbar when going very slowly over typical speed humps.
I’d be grateful for any advice which anyone can give me in respect of the following points;
1. Will this nose down position impact negatively on the overall handling/performance of the outfit?
2. Is the 75kg towball limit on my car something which should concern me?
3. Is there anything I should consider doing to my tow car to stiffen the rear suspension and endeavour to get the tow ball back to a more compliant level?
4. Should any attempt be made to favour the rear of the van when loading to reduce the nose weight coming on to the car or would this create a less stable/less safe scenario?
Thanks in anticipation .
Stewart
Comments
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Is your caravan noseweight really 102kg, have you weighed it with a noseweight guage...??
If so, then in my opinion it is too heavy for your car if that is rated to 75kg on the towball...
We have had the same problem over the years with caravans resulting in me twice buying Landrover Discovery's...(which had much heavier towball ratings).
( That also solved the nose down look as well....)
If you load heavily at the rear of the caravan you will reduce the noseweight but you risk creating an inherently unstable pendulum type effect......
Can you reduce the noseweight, is that with two large gas cylinders in a front locker...??
Have you ever fancied a 4x4...???...
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you are correct, the nose weight of 104kg was a figure I picked off the Tow Safe assessment paperwork but it was an estimate by them, the reality from my most recent trip was somewhere between 85/90kg .
I do like 4x4s but I've just bought the jag on the basis of all the good reviews I've read.
does my picture look very much nose down to you ?
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Regulations state that the centre of the towball shall be between 350 and 420mm from the ground when the car is fully laden. Of course, the noseweight limit as specified by the manufacturer must not be exceeded in that fully laden condition.
Note also that the plated rear axle load limit must not be exceeded, either.
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Thank you Lutz.
Any fellow XF drivers out there who must have the same issue of low towball?
I will make sure my next trip this weekend I have a 75kg nose weight and see how that goes.
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Thanks JVB66,
sorry that nose weight was incorrect (see above ) the reality is closer to 85kg
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On a YETI forum someone had a nose up, not a nose down problem and cured it by swapping the detachable part of a westfalia bracket on a YETI to a TIGUAN one. Problem solved.
FYI my van is very much nose down but tows perfectly. Just a pity about the speed bumps
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from my limited experience of towing I'm sure my outfit performs really well. My main issue was the striking of the underside of the tow bar going over speed humps .
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