Hi folks - Dipping a toe in water with new used Van - 2004 Jayco Heritage poptop tare 1510 Kg, Tug is 2007 Hyundai diesel 2.2 max tow load 2000 Kg max ball weight 150 kg . Stressed out - pick it up soon ball weight test was 220 kg . Oh Boy ! They saw me coming . looks like I will have to make some changes to Tug and Van to make it work for us . Any idea's on how to reduce ball weight would be appreciated ( my mrs had some but we won't go there ) .... Cheers Paulo .
Hi Paulo, I understand that ball weight is meant to be (a minimum of) 10% of the all up weight of the van. So if your van weighs 1510kg then the minimum ball weight should be 151kg. The ball weight aids caravan stability when towing. Nose heavy is good, tail heavy is bad.
What happens is these enthusiastic caravan owners mount all sorts of things on the "A" frame of the van, and so the ball weight can rise.
You really need to find out what the combined Vehicle mass is for the Hyundai. This is what will make or break your dream. You maybe sailing a bit close to the wind when all fueled and loaded up.
Thanks iana - Yes I have worked out it is a bit close to the wind - but you know what these salesmen are like " youll be right mate " actually i think they are trying their best to sort it out and it partly my own fault because this is the only van layout with twin beds & shower toilet that we could live with. Looked at hundreds , The Mrs would not let me spend more money for a Jurgens later euro light weight type. Have some ideas like a power towing chiptune possible dpf delete , airbags & heaver springs . maybe 2 or four bar load leveler . Will have to see how much the Santy droops her rear end and go from there . Santy tare is 2000 Kg nearly 2 ton they tell me & with fuel etc maybe 2.5 ton what worries me more is if i will be legal and of course stability with moving things like the spare to rear end . I tow a 1300Kg boat without any mods or issues . I wonder how many Vans are heavy on the ball and if they have been pulled over for a weight test .
Gday Paulo Welcome to the Forum, regarding your ball weight there are a number of options that may ease your problem like weight distribution hitch removing anything stored on the draw-bar and balancing the load with some of your heavier gear towards the back of the van and checking the weight of things stored in the front boot but it is critical to keep 10 percent of your van weight on the towbar once you think you have it right a short towing trip to check balance and handling good luck with it.
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Thanks aussietraveller - I have got it on the 10% makes sense to me , but Hyundai is the fly in the ointment . They say max tow load is 2000 Kg thus 10% = 200 Kg ball weight . however they say max ball weight is 150 Kg and on the newer models they even reduced it to 100 then fitted heaver springs and went to 120 Kg to appease - NUTS I think i will just put on my crash hat and see what happens , if it all goes pear shaped i might have to ditch the Santy for a bigger tug - in the lap of the Gods !
Hi, welcome. From your description, I think you have a Santa Fe tug. We have just changed ours for a larger interior capacity vehicle. We had Santa for 5 years and only had to replace tyres no other repairs. We had three vans in that time all around 2000 - 2050 kg laden weight. I still have the weight distribution kit that I fitted and no longer use. If you can jiggle the van ball weight to around 120 - 150 max then you will be o.k. with a weight distribution kit. Just remember to place heavy items around the van axle area, if you put too much weight to the rear of van, you can develop a dangerous pendelum action when negotiating twisty bends, also will tend to sway a lot when trucks pass or with side winds. The Santa Fe 2.2 is the same as the Kia Sorrento but heavier, hence the Kia tow weight of 2300kgs. There is no mandatory minimum ball weight only a recommendation, as a guide, 10% but as long as you have a positive ball weight of about 75kgs or more you will be ok. Have fun and enjoy. See ya.
