Trailer nose weight

[Poly]

Originally Posted by jonp

100kg on the hitch is only like having one average sized person these days sitting in the boot or two bags of cement.

Its not! Not withstanding the fact that an average man is 83.6 kg (in the UK, 2010) having the weight in the boot (probably directly over the rear axle) is rather different from having it positioned on a lever perhaps a meter behind the axle. Perhaps even more importantly passengers or cement are sitting pretty still in the boot, whilst the tow ball load is dynamically changing as the trailer passes over bumps etc. Of course the manufacturers spec assumes you also have your car loaded - which in many cases with people going away for a long trip it will be! It is unusual to find "family cars" in the UK rated to take 100 kg nose weight, even though they may well be rated to pull 1600 kg.

Ultimately though, even if the car can take it without the handling being affected you can expect that if it falls under scrutiny (either by an insurer or the authorities as the result of an accident or a random* stop) then being massively over the manufacturer's stated nose weight limit isn't going to be good.

Finally from a purely practical point of view anything too heavy becomes impossible to lift on and off the ball which makes you reliant on the jockey wheel (which we all know are liable to jamming under excess load) and harder to manage when moving around without the aid of a vehicle.


* And having a car that appears to be sitting low at the back because of a heavy trailer is a good way to get selected 'at random'.

[Pikey Dave]

Disco 4 can tow 3500kg, max nose weight as stated by LR, 150kg.


.....sh1t happens.......

[9D280]

Generic recommended stuff is well dangerous.

Your vehicle will have a max hitch load. Over here in sunny Europe it's usually 75kg for your average "family saloon / hatchback / estate". The key point is "max".

Let's pur this in perspective. How am I supposed to get 75 kg nose weight on a laser dinghy which clocks in at 58 kg. ?

My rib hovers around the 45kg mark. The whole trailing load is approximately 75 kg......

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by 9D280

Generic recommended stuff is well dangerous.

Your vehicle will have a max hitch load. Over here in sunny Europe it's usually 75kg for your average "family saloon / hatchback / estate". The key point is "max".

Let's pur this in perspective. How am I supposed to get 75 kg nose weight on a laser dinghy which clocks in at 58 kg. ?

My rib hovers around the 45kg mark. The whole trailing load is approximately 75 kg......

HIGHLIGHTED an important word....

[jonp]

I wonder why the Uk has much lower ratings than the US and Aus, my light 4x4 has a tow rating up to 2500kg and a towball rating of 250kg. As for getting heavy loads onto a tow ball simply back the vehicle to the hitch then lower the jockey wheel.



easy guide to help when backing up alone



easy guide flipped and locked to stop theft and chains crossed incase of boat coming off the hitch somehow, we also have to have d shackles with ratings on by law

[Hightower]

Most manufacturers of cars put a recommended nose/tongue weight of a trailer in their handbook, so I doubt you'll have to calculate anything your self.

I would look at moving my trailer wheels back to get the desired nose weight. That way I keep my trailer longer and keep a more flexible arrangement for the future.

If you need to shorten the draw bar then using scales you can jack at various points along its length to measure nose weight and decide where the chop needs to be made.

Of course another option you have is to have an internal depth transducer. Obviously this doesn't work if you have a speed paddle wheel version.

[jonp]

Seems that every site I look at backs the aprox 10% and the RACQ claim the light weight limits on European cars can cause the trailer to become unstable RACQ - Trailer and tow vehicle specifications | Cars & Driving

http://www.caravanworld.com.au/featu...they-all-mean/

[Poly]

Originally Posted by jonp

Seems that every site I look at backs the aprox 10% and the RACQ claim the light weight limits on European cars can cause the trailer to become unstable RACQ - Trailer and tow vehicle specifications | Cars & Driving

http://www.caravanworld.com.au/featu...they-all-mean/

Your own Racq link says often around 10% but can be much lower or higher. That is rather different from should be 10%.

It's remarkable that with all these unstable trailers across all of Europe that we manage to manoeuvre our cars around the inevitable carnage! I have certainly seen trailers crashed, but I've also seen that in the USA.

[A1an]

Originally Posted by Poly

but I've also seen that in the USA.

Seriously? Who would've thought it eh? Sheesh!

[jonp]

Originally Posted by Poly

Your own Racq link says often around 10% but can be much lower or higher. That is rather different from should be 10%.

It's remarkable that with all these unstable trailers across all of Europe that we manage to manoeuvre our cars around the inevitable carnage! I have certainly seen trailers crashed, but I've also seen that in the USA.

You cant compare with the likes of the US or even Australia both have a much higher trailer boat community.

Statistics found online state approximately 50000 power boat owners for the entire UK. New South Wales (one of 6 states an 2 territories) also my home state has 215000 registered power boats. Given most of us don't have boats on moorings most of these are trailered. Boats that dont travell over 10 knots and sailing vessels dont need to be registered so dont show in those figures.

Given we have more trailered boats Ive yet to hear of any tow ball issues, I also works as a marine rescue volunteer and have owned boats for 38 years, would of thought in that time I would of heard of the odd problem.

I do find that when anyone asks for any advice on this forum there seem to be people waiting just to dissagree and post the even when they are shown links etc backing the claims. Opinions are like assholes we all have them.

[beamishken]

I do find that when anyone asks for any advice on this forum there seem to be people waiting just to dissagree and post the even when they are shown links etc backing the claims. Opinions are like assholes we all have them.[/QUOTE]

But this is a predominantly uk forum why do Australians & Americans try to say how much better stuff is in their country when a poster asks for advice and gets advice relevant to their country we have our own rules & regs & you guys aren't going to change them so why interject when someone is getting location specific good advice
Sometimes opinions like assholes are best kept to oneself

[bmb779]

Looks like I've started WW3 and all I did was get the best advice on how to rejig my trailer,moved the rib and axle back and all is good easier to reverse as well.

[jonp]

Im from the IOW currently living in Aus where Ive learnt more about boating than I ever could of back there. Worked on commercial boats from the IOW from the age of 12 and also trained as a boatbuilder at the IOW college. Living over here has given me an income to trial and test plenty of gear which I would of only dreamt of back home. Sharing and trying to help out is a way of life out here, bickering and complaining seem to still be the way back there with some!!.....ever heard the term whinging poms

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by bmb779

Looks like I've started WW3.......

Nah! you just gave us an excuse for a good old fashioned "Discussion" In fact a discussion, that actually has a lot of relevant information, presented in an engaging & entertaining way

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by jonp

Im from the IOW currently living in Aus where Ive learnt more about boating than I ever could of back there. Worked on commercial boats from the IOW from the age of 12 and also trained as a boatbuilder at the IOW college. Living over here has given me an income to trial and test plenty of gear which I would of only dreamt of back home. Sharing and trying to help out is a way of life out here, bickering and complaining seem to still be the way back there with some!!.....ever heard the term whinging poms

Jon, don't take it to heart, we all get a bit of stick now & then. I thought you held your corner well tbh

[bedajim]

Emailed the people in your link about the 10% on their web site

Many thanks for your enquiry. Please note that all specifications And compliances are set by the Manufacturer of the Motor Vehicle.
We just manufacture the towbars according to there requirements.

Kind regards
Customer Service Representative
Cequent, a division of Horizon Global Pty Ltd

The picture of your tow bar showing the 250kg etc could be the tow bar manufacturers max weight for that unit and not the actual truck allowed hitch load?


I run a Ford Ranger ball hitch max load is 225kg, my old Nissan Navara was only about 120 kg

[ncp]

Originally Posted by beamishken

But this is a predominantly uk forum why do Australians & Americans try to say how much better stuff is in their country

I don't recall anyone saying "I/we are better" - I recall people commenting that these are way thing are done here. That's it. It's good to debate these things. There's no law in the US that says 7-10% of trailer weight on the tongue - it's just the accepted norm. The discussion should be why does one place do it one way while another place does it differently? Car size? It would be interesting to see if the LR3 is rated differently in the US?

As to your comment to anyone outside of UK that should keep to themselves, I'll just peacefully disagree.

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by ncp

I don't recall anyone saying "I/we are better" - I recall people commenting that these are way thing are done here. That's it. It's good to debate these things. There's no law in the US that says 7-10% of trailer weight on the tongue - it's just the accepted norm. The discussion should be why does one place do it one way while another place does it differently? Car size? It would be interesting to see if the LR3 is rated differently in the US?

As to your comment to anyone outside of UK that should keep to themselves, I'll just peacefully disagree.

My point was that the op asked a UK specific question which was answered by several uk posters which was then questioned by none uk posters which tends to confuse the info for the op
Uk trailers ,roads & vehicle specs are quite different to us & auz. Our trailers are in the main rubber sprung rather than steel & therefore have no height compensation capability as per compensated leaf springs therefore hitch height on multi axle trailers is far more critical possibly accounting for the lighter nose weight charecteristics.
our vehicle braking systems are often quite different too therefore uk posters are far more aware of the trailer regs in our country
It maybe hasn't been said in this thread but I've seen many deteriorate into an 'our engineering is better than yours' debate
I'm not saying one is better than the other only they are different & if you don't have experience of the systems as a whole then probably better to not post advice specific to other countries

[Xk59D]

we need a "like" button :-)

cheers

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by Poly

I have certainly seen trailers crashed, but I've also seen that in the USA.

To be fair, a lot of that is the way US drivers drive. At least once a trip, I have someone who bypasses a half mile of open road behind my trailer, brakes and cuts aggressively in front of me, and dives for the highway exit, all because being behind a trailer for a bit means they're being slowed down.

jky