Newbie question about nose weight

[Jayne]

We've finally taken the plunge and I'll be collecting our new (to us) caravan in the next few days.

 

As the van will be empty when I bring it home from the dealer I guess I'll be running close MIRO, not anywhere near MTPLM and that the nose weight will be light.

 

Is this going to adversely affect the towing?

 

It would be relatively easy to add extra weight to the front locker with a couple of water containers.

 

This will be my first tow of a caravan (I have towed small trailers) and it's over 100 miles from home, I'd appreciate some advice from those more experienced please.

Thanks in advance :-)

[Brian Kirby]

Why not ask the dealer to check the noseweight and let you know what it is in its present trim? As you say, you know roughly the MIRO of the van (could even get the dealer to check that, as well, if it is a concern), so can then see if the noseweight will be below the normal recommendation of 7% of actual weight. If it is, you may need to ballast the front locker, but don't get too hung up on being exact as all these figures are a compromise. More than 7% is OK (for example the French work on 10%), but obviously subject to the noseweight limit for your vehicle/towbar.

[Jayne]

Brian, thanks for taking the time to reply. I did as you suggested and spoke to the dealer. His feeling is that the gas bottles will add sufficient weight to the front and that it is better to be under nose weight.

 

Now if only this wind would blow itself out before Saturday :-)

[Brian Kirby]

Well Jayne, the dealer is telling you the opposite of what the Caravan Club recommends, which is that a minimum of 7% of the van's actual weight should fall onto the hitch. The advent of stabilisers, both mechanical and electronic, has enabled that figure to be reduced to, I think, about 5%. However, all experience gained before their use was commonplace was that 7% was the minimum required for stability (subject to not exceeding the towbar downforce limit), particularly if in windy conditions and/or when descending hills. I had the present windy spell in mind when making the above post. IMO, the benefits of stabilisers of all types should be seen as further enhancing stability when loaded to 7%, rather than as a means of compensating for caravan with inherently low noseweight.

 

It seems the dealer is disinclined to place a noseweight balance (which he presumably sells as an accessory), under the hitch to see what reality, as opposed to his feeling, says (to be fair, possibly because he has done so before, though it doesn't sound as though he said that). If you are a CC member, why not ring their technical department to see what they advise? Their recommendation may have changed since I last caravanned, about 10 years ago. Good luck.