limey Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Hi everyone, New to towing caravans and I'm getting confused regarding weights which are being quoted ,will be using a Chevrolet Tacuma cdx 2.0 ltr which gives a braked trailer weight of 1500cwt, now this is where the confusion starts,what do I need to look for when I go to purchase a caravan,what is "noseweight",what is MTPLM,if there is anything else that I need to know before I spend some money I would be grateful for the advice.A couple of more questions to finish 1) is a motor mover really essential 2) what extras are essential in order of priority,I hope someone can answer at least some of these questions for me for which I will be eternally grateful!!! :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Hi Limey, Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass = maximum autherised weight when loaded. Noseweight is the weight of the downward thrust on the tow ball, which you can adjust by the way you load your van, always load all your heavy gear over the axle, never at the ends or you will get pendulum effect if it starts to snake [swing from side to side] very hard to control swinging heavy weights. Load so that the nose weight is the max the car will take. I nearly bought a Chevrolet Tacuma it will tow just about any reasonable size family caravan. Stable for towing as the back axle is right at the back, long booted cars are not so stable because of the long distance from the back axle and the tow ball. The high consumption put me off, but otherwise a beautiful TUG. Other things you need for starters, Aquaroll c/w filler hose to fetch and supply your fresh water, a submersible pump for it, grey water can to catch your waste water c/w a length of drain hose to go from outlet to can, shopping trolley to pull it to disposal point, wedge shaped levelling chock c/w various bits of wood blocks, wheel clamp and a hitch lock, & towing mirrors so you can see back passed the 'van. You don't need a 'motomover' LEARN TO REVERSE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Hi again limey, I think it must be 1500 Kgs = one & a half tonnes, not 1500 cwt??? which would be about 75 tons??? Oh! another thing is loo blue and loo flush pink, and a good pair of wellies for everyone, before you buy an awning have a good look at others first as there is a large choice if different types to choose from. Hope you all enjoy caravanning, I've been doing it for nearly half a century and loved it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limey Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 Hi Ranger, Thanks for your info, yes of course the weight is what you say!,just a thought but how do you check the nose weight?any one else with info no matter how basic would be really appreciated. Thanks everyone Terry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 GOODMORNING LIMEY, to check the nose weight I have a block of wood about 4" x 4" so that it will stand on end, and cut to the length that will go from standing upright on an old bath room scale up to the tow hitch with the caravan level [it is no good weighing at jocky wheel] According to research conducted into stability by the Caravan Club with a university [ Bath I think] it was found that 11% of the caravans weight MTPLM is ideal but do not exceed the tugs max nose weight allowance, or it could strain the car or lift too much weight off the front wheels affecting the stearing. I have an old set of scales set to zero when the wood is on, so that the weight of the wood does not affect the reading when the nose is lowered onto it using the jocky wheel to lower it on. After a while you get to know when it is 'more or less' right by lifting it by hand, that is just a rough quess of course so weigh it occasionally to make sure. Good loading is the answer to stable towing and safety. Going over the brow of a hill, in the first few seconds of descent is where the stability will be affected as the weight of the caravan is tilted foreward and thus the nose weight increases. That is why on the M5 heading west in Somerset you will see big notices saying "Towing vehicles slow down" on the top of steep hills before descent. Never over-take towing down hill!!! cheers, safe towing. Drive smoothly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 [QUOTE]limey - 2006-07-10 1:56 PM Hi everyone, New to towing caravans and I'm getting confused regarding weights which are being quoted ,will be using a Chevrolet Tacuma cdx 2.0 ltr which gives a braked trailer weight of 1500cwt, now this is where the confusion starts,what do I need to look for when I go to purchase a caravan,what is "noseweight",what is MTPLM,if there is anything else that I need to know before I spend some money I would be grateful for the advice.A couple of more questions to finish 1) is a motor mover really essential 2) what extras are essential in order of priority,I hope someone can answer at least some of these questions for me for which I will be eternally grateful!!! :$[/QUOTE] Three main restrictions:1 The actual laden weight of the caravan (to get this you'll need to visit a weighbridge with the caravan loaded, but before purchase assume the 'van will be fully laden and just use its MTPLM) should not exceed 85% of the kerbweight (i.e. empty) of the towcar. This is often called the 85% rule. If you exceed this figure you risk the car being unable to control the 'van if things go pear shaped. Car's kerbweight should be in the car handbook, so divide this by 100 and multiply the result by 85.2 The noseweight should be between 7% and 10% of the actual laden weight. The caravan should be loaded so that this noseweight results from the distribution of weight inside the van. If you load to less than 7% noseweight you risk things going pear shaped! I.e. the van is more liable to become unstable and "snake" as speed rises, in crosswinds, being caught by HGV "bow waves" or going downhill. Best rule of thumb is to assume the 'van will be fully laden and assume a noseweight of 7% of MTPLM. The noseweight limit of the towcar will often be more restrictive than the MTPLM of the 'van. Check what this is for the towcar, divide by 7 and multiply the result by 100.3 Finally, check the max permissible gross train weight for the car - that is the manufacturer's limit on what the vehicle + trailer can weigh. (Some manufacturers make this easier by just stating a maximum trailer weight) Check carefully how this is established, some manufacturer's allow you to tow a heavier trailer if the car is not loaded to the max. On no account exceed this figure, you'll be illegal and you'll also negate any warranty on the car.The heaviest caravan you can tow is whatever results as the lowest figure from the above calculations!Hope this is clear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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