LazyLizard replied on 20/08/2018 15:22
Posted on 20/08/2018 15:22
Hi, We just lost our caravanning virginity with a lovely weekend very close to where we picked up the van ( 2015 lunar clubman ) It’s now safely in store so I feel good after my first ever towing, hitching and set up. Only a few minor incidents....(trying to move the van with the motor mover with the handbrake on and corner steadies down was the most memorable) anyhow on to my question. On leaving the site I tried to check the nose weight with my shiny new milenco calibrated gauge. We had virtually nothing in the van apart from a full 6kg gas cylinder in the locker. When I checked the nose weight it read 115kg which is over the car and tow bars 100kg limit. As I had nothing in the van to reposition to balance the van I thought I may have been measuring it incorrectly or ( as I saw in some reviews ) the nose weight gauges are not always accurate.
I pressed on as not sure what to do and only had a few miles to go into store. So my question is with a van almost empty with just the gas cylinder should it not be naturally balanced at a more reasonable nose weight?
maybe it was because I was worried about the nose weight I noticed a little bouncing of the car on occasion but I guess this is normal when towing (pulling with a fully loaded Hyundai Santa Fe ) so I reckon I was towing < 70% of the car weight.
Any help or guidance would be much appreciated.
Andrew
LazyLizard
Caravanner