Towing questions.

Redwood Nomads 256 · Member

Towing questions.

gooba53 · Guru

Hi Steve and Glenis

welcome from my husband and myself. We've only had 12 weeks on the road, so there will be others more able to answer your queries. Just wanted to say hi.

Cheers Dianne and Stuart

Keith19837 · Senior Member

Your weights sound fine. Just remember though that (in Vic at least) you have to add the weight of all passengers, fuel, water tanks, luggage, bed linen, foodstuffs, extra tyres and gas bottles etc. Having said that you seem to have a decent amount of 'leeway'.

For what it's worth.

Bunkerbob · Senior Member

Go direct to a Reece Towbar Authorised Dealer. They will be able to check out your tow bar, supply the correct Weight Distribution System (Bigger and heavier is bettered) as well as giving useful advice. Not affiliated with Reece at all, but they are the best for very good reasons.

PeterD · Guru

Bunkerbob wrote:
(Bigger and heavier is bettered)

This is not so. You should go for the correct size bars. Too small and you are wasting your money. Too large and you could crack up your drawbar.

You should weigh your ball weight with the van fully loaded and in its towing attitude. You then select the appropriate bars. As you are in BNE you could try Caboolture Caravan Repairs. (At least give them a call and check their opinion. If Barry is there have a chat with him.)

Baz421 · Guru

PeterD wrote:
Bunkerbob wrote:
(Bigger and heavier is bettered)
This is not so. You should go for the correct size bars. Too small and you are wasting your money. Too large and you could crack up your drawbar.
You should weigh your ball weight with the van fully loaded and in its towing attitude. You then select the appropriate bars. As you are in BNE you could try Caboolture Caravan Repairs. (At least give them a call and check their opinion. If Barry is there have a chat with him.)

I second Peter's advice ref correct bar selection,,,, CCR are good as they provide good advice also.

oldbobsbus · Guru

I may open a tin of worms here but back a few (lots) of years ago when I manufactured trailers for a living the rule of thumb then was to have your tow bar 14" above the ground on a level area and to have 100lbs on the tow ball for a perfect balance and tow..
Now it seems to me that the makers and resellers are telling us we can change that and load our units as we like then use their products to compensate for the way we have loaded our trailers..
Maybe it is time to get back to basics.

Keith19837 · Senior Member

oldbobsbus wrote:
I may open a tin of worms here but back a few (lots) of years ago when I manufactured trailers for a living the rule of thumb then was to have your tow bar 14" above the ground on a level area and to have 100lbs on the tow ball for a perfect balance and tow..
Now it seems to me that the makers and resellers are telling us we can change that and load our units as we like then use their products to compensate for the way we have loaded our trailers..
Maybe it is time to get back to basics.

You're dead right Bob. Collyn RIVERS (the ex engineer turned writer, turned nomad) has a lot to say re this (and other) issue. Well worth a read on his articles.

D and D · Guru

Collyn Rivers' articles can be found here: http://www.caravanandmotorhomebooks.com/articles/index.html

PeterD · Guru

oldbobsbus wrote:
back a few (lots) of years ago when I manufactured trailers for a living the rule of thumb then was to have your tow bar 14" above the ground on a level area and to have 100lbs on the tow ball for a perfect balance and tow..
Now it seems to me that the makers and resellers are telling us we can change that and load our units as we like then use their products to compensate for the way we have loaded our trailers..

The rule of thumb for caravans (as distinct from box trailers) was 10% of the vans weight on the ball. That was found to work for 5 metre vans.The larger ones should perhaps have more than 10% ball weight, particularly those with boxes and other weights hung on the rear.

To get a proper figure for ball weights you need to know the weight distribution in and around the van. In Europe they get away with 5 - 7% as their vans do not have much weight at the ends. They have smaller boots at the front, no kitchens in either end and do not hang even a bumper bar off the back end.

For more on the subject read this or this