Caravan Nose Weight Gauge
What the heck is a caravan nose weight gauge and why should I worry about my caravan’s nose weight?
Something else that should be checked (I know, it seems never-ending) is the caravan nose weight. This is the downforce placed on your tow bar whilst towing and depends on how the caravan is packed. It goes hand in hand with checking how much stuff have crammed in your front locker, for those of you that have one! To check this you can use a caravan nose weight gauge.
We tend to pack the same stuff every time we go away so I’m confident I know I’m good to go with the amount of stuff I pack and that the nose weight will be fine, but it doesn’t hurt to check. The nose weight is literally how much your caravan weighs at the point where the Towbar hooks on. To weigh this you need a little gadget called a caravan nose weight gauge (you could technically use bathroom scales too.) A few other things need to be taken into consideration whilst you’re about it… ( The Caravan’s nose weight should be around 7% of the Actual Laden Weight (the weight of the caravan including all the stuff you cram in it…) )
Vehicle’s Nose Weight Limit
This is the maximum amount of weight your car can handle at the tow bar. You’ll find this in your vehicle’s owners manual. You’ll need to find out what the maximum nose weight is for your car.
Tow Bar’s Limit
The tow bar, might well have a different limit to the nose weight limit of the car, make sure you’re not exceeding it. It might be on your Towbar, or in the documentation that came with it.
Caravan Chassis Limit
Have a look on your hitch, it should be clearly stamped, as an ‘S’ number stamped on the AL-KO hitch.
MTPLM
Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass. Easy for you to say. Your caravan plus your deck chairs, awning, food, clothes anything you put in your caravan. Maximum fully laden weight. This can be found on a sticker at the side of your caravan.
Finding the perfect match there are websites such as https://www.towcheck.co.uk/towing that allows you to enter your car and caravan details and inform you if it’s a good match to not. Once you know what your nose weight should be you can measure it with something like this :
- Milenco Calibrated Nose Weight Gauge Caravan trailer
- Trailer or caravan nose weight indicator gauge
- Soft tip to prevent damage to your trailer or caravan’s hitch
- Calibrated easy to read gauge
- 50-100Kg scale
- Accuracy within 3%
- PRECISION MEASUREMENT – Ensure the perfect balance of your caravan or trailer with our calibrated aluminium nose weight gauge. Comes complete with a detachable plastic foot for precise and hassle-free loading.
- DURABLE STAMPED WEIGHTS – No more worrying about weights rubbing off or disappearing. Our caravan nose weight gauge features stamped on weights that stay intact, providing long-lasting reliability and accuracy.
- EASY-TO-USE DESIGN – Achieve optimal towing stability effortlessly with one of the caravan must haves for any successful trip. The detachable plastic foot ensures accurate measuring, making it a breeze to determine the right nose weight for safe and secure towing.
- VERSATILE APPLICATION – Whether you’re a caravan enthusiast or a professional hauler, our calibrated aluminium nose weight gauge should be one of your caravan essentials. It ensures your caravan or trailer is properly loaded every time.
- TRUSTED PERFORMANCE – Count on our gauge for dependable and consistent results. The included plastic foot guarantees accurate loading, so you can hit the road with confidence, knowing you’re towing safely.
- Accurate Weight Measurement: The Kampa Nose Weight Gauge accurately measures your caravan’s nose weight, ensuring safe towing, with a durable aluminium construction ideal for trailers and campervans.
- Compact and Portable: This nose weight gauge is easy to store and transport, making it a must-have caravan accessory for anyone traveling with a trailer or motorhome in the UK.
- Safe and Simple to Use: Features a soft head to prevent hitch damage, ensuring accurate measurements without scratching or harming your caravan’s hitch, perfect for quick, on-the-go checks.
- Durable Construction: Made with high-quality aluminium, this nose weight gauge is built to last, with a weather-resistant design that makes it reliable for use in all conditions.
- Essential for Towing Stability: Maintain safe and stable towing with this easy-to-use, calibrated nose weight gauge, an essential tool for all caravanners and motorhome enthusiasts.
Caravan Nose Weight Gauge Summary
That’s quite a bit to take in. What you need to do first is to find your target nose weight. This is going to be around 7% of the actual weight of the caravan, which is no mean feat to find out of course. If you google it they’ll tell you to take your caravan to a weighbridge, weight it. Put all your stuff in that you take on a typical trip and weigh it again. Realistically though, being pragmatic, you can select the lowest figure out of the tow bar limit, the nose weight limit on your car and the chassis limit on the ALKO hitch and pick that as a number. It might be, for instance, 75kg or even 150kg.
Once you have your ideal weight, get your nose weight gauge, or of course, bathroom scales and weigh it.
And Finally…
If you like your technology, you might quite like one of these…
- Maximum Load 115kg
- Accurate to +/- 3%
- Temperature Range 0-50°c
- Requires 2 x 1.5v AAA batteries
- Dimensions 170 x 68 x 120.5mm
*Last update on 2024-12-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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