Trailer nose weight

[Mike C]

Hi Alex,

Hope you have a good tow. Had to take mine up there last year.... Then I did empty as much fuel as possible out, (in my case diesel). I take your point about storage but I do try to tow as empty as possible on a long journey simply because it seems pointless using car fuel to tow dead weight.... it will be safer and cheaper not to!
Can you not give a few friends some gallons to store? I have towed mine full and my Jeep Cherokee certainly notices the difference

As for nose weight…. as a guide, for your size of boat, the nose should be heavy to lift for one person but not hernia heavy! Good luck with the bathroom scales.... After I used mine for that purpose, they said I only weighed 2 stone the next time I used them! We have a nice new set now!

I'm sure it will all work out!

Mike C

[codprawn]

As other people have said - the more nose weight the better as long as it's within the car's limits - here is an example of what can happen if you don't

http://www.eppingforestguardian.co.u...th_trailer.php

Poor motorbike rider died - land rover trailer's nose weight was 20kgs!!! Considering it can go as high as 250kgs that is not exactly a lot!!!

[Hightower]

Originally Posted by codprawn

As other people have said - the more nose weight the better as long as it's within the car's limits - here is an example of what can happen if you don't

More nose weight isn't allways a good Idea!! My old Pug 405 hated towing anything close to the maximum nose weight specified in the hand book. Best to start in the middle of the range and go up, but if you feel the trailer controlling the back of the car round corners go down untill the handling gets better. But if said by the artical, you are too low you'll have little or no warning and the trailer will jackknife!

With regards the trailer and RIB, if you have to remove it then make two simple wooden cradles to sit the hull on and as you unwinch the RIB move the trailer forwards keeping the RIB in the same place. When you have enough room under the hull at the stern, position your wooden cradle under and continue unwinching and pulling the trailer forwards. When far enough forward place another cradle under the front of the hull (past centre of gravity) and continue unwinching untill the trailer is clear of you RIB. Voila!!

Hope this helps.

Andy

[Windchill]

Hitch height doesn't make a lot of difference with a single axle trailer, but is crucial with a twin!! If the "attitude" of the rig favours either axle in particular, odd things an happen: especially if it favours the front!

I had a display trailer delivered by Mr Bateson of Bateson Trailers about two years ago. His view on nose weight was "the more the better" up to your vehicle's maximum. If I recall, just heavy enough to be able to lift was his benchmark.

Mind you, once I'd built the display unit on the trailer, we used a carriage jack and my wife (a known weight!!) to calculate hitch load - 210Kgs!!!! a bit too high. So we moved the axles back, and used a hire 4WD to do the towing!!

Interesting difference between SWB and LWB Landies towing with "extreme" noseweights: the SWB, nose high, was wagged scarily by the trailer down the M4 at anything above 45!! The LWB balanced out far better. Both bloody gutless though.

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Windchill

Interesting difference between SWB and LWB Landies towing with "extreme" noseweights: the SWB, nose high, was wagged scarily by the trailer down the M4 at anything above 45!! The LWB balanced out far better. Both bloody gutless though.

My v8 isn't gutless - far from it - great fun burning off warriors and other such toys - fuel economy not too good though!!!

[Windchill]

They were 2.5 TDi s!!

Our fitter had one of these daft Discoveries with a 5.7 Chevvy (or similar) V8 in it - stunning!!! Felt like drag racing even with a 3.5 tonne display cabin behind it.

[fred bolton]

I've spent years towing Caravans but i'm relatively new to ribbing all the caravan experts tell you to load the "Van" with the heavy items low down and above the axle, problem with a rib, as you have no doubt guessed is the great lump of metal we hang off the transom, hence they are inherently unstable although this is to some extent reduced by the positioning of the axle. Also the towed vehicle should be level or point slightly down towards the hitch never pointing up. In your case Phil I would definitely move the axle back a touch to increase the nose weight towards the top end of the manufacturers limits failing that simply strap your wallet to the hitch that should give sufficient downward force

[Phil Davies]

That'll be Fred Bolton then, the chartered accountant from Wilmslow who swapped his caravan for a holiday home in North Wales and whose wife drives a new BMW 3-series convertible.

[Jono Garton]

[QUOTE=Phil Davies] That'll be Fred Bolton then, the chartered accountant from Wilmslow who swapped his caravan for a holiday home in North Wales and whose wife drives a new BMW 3-series convertible. [/Q

Bloody Cheshire folk

Champion ya Champion

Dal Dy Dir - Dim Tai Haf

Mind these Essex boys arn't much better with their rangy's and tvr's

Regards

Jono (Your man on wireless broadband in KFC on the M1 on route to excel) Garton