Russel & Mary replied:

Boo Boo. in case you or others are not sure what these figures mean.
The tare is the weight as it is from the manufacturer(empty of water, food etc). The gtm(gross trailer mass) is the maximum weight that the manufacturer allows as if scales are put under the wheels. The atm (aggregate trailer mass) is the all up weight of the van as if the whole thing is put on scales (this includes the weight downward from the drawbar). So in your case, atm of 2180 less the tare of 1780 equals 400 kg. so this is all the extra weight you can carry in the van. Your vehicle towing placard(either a sticker on your vehicle or written in the owners manual) will advise the tow ball weight permissible. Remember it's the weight downward at the tow ball hitch not at the jockey wheel. If your towball weight is too high, then adjust things in the van towards the back to get a bit of weight off the front. Hope this helps, Rus.

Notso replied:

A rule of thumb for good stable towing is to have about 10% of the Gtm sitting on the ball, from your figures it appears that they expect a ball load of 150kg eg ATM 2180 - GTM 2030=150? so you have about 100 kilos extra sitting on the ball. This may or may not make your set up illegal depending on the vehicle you are using to tow with. It may also make the caravan less stable to tow.

Trevor R (QLD) replied:

boo boo,

I am not qualified to any degree so take this response however you like.
The towball weight is more of a problem when you associate it with a car, in your case the cruiser can handle the 250kg with ease so if you are comfortable towing your van with this ball weight then go for it. You will not place any undue stress on the van by doing this. You may want to keep an eye on the plate (welded to A-frame) that the hitch receiver is bolted to, too much ball weight will cause this plate to peel off from the A-frame but apart from that I would be more concerned with the towing vehicle when towing trailers with heavy ball loads.
My trailer was up around 320-330kg ball weight for a long time before I reduced it to 250kg as it is now. I think they actually handle and respond better with a bit of weight up front but that's just my preference and people should set their rigs up according to their driving style and whatever inspires confidence when they tow.

Cheers Trevor.

Member - Charlie M (SA) replied:

boo boo
Ball weight should be about 10% or bit more. Van needs to be put on weighbridge to get actual weight of van loaded. (not guessed or what tare plate says) You would NEED a proper weight distribution hitch. Hayman Reese 250kg or 350kg should you need it. Van may be needed to be repacked to get ball weight right. But actual weight of van is FIRST requirement.
Cheers
Charlie Milton

angler replied:

250 Kg is about right for your van. Tandems can have a little less than the supposed 10% europe use about 7% ball weight. Australia seems to like 10%. The geist van have a much lower figure than 10% and they seem to tow OK. The proof is in the towing, if it feels right and tows well then its quite OK to have 250 on the ball.

www.bycompass.com

troopy_wonderer replied:

Hi boo boo,
I have tow a 21' Jayco Heritage (around 2200 kg loaded) with a troopy for over 30,000 km in the last 2 years. I have always arange things to get 250-280 kg ball weight. This gives me a perfectly level setup without distribution hitch. The troopy is nose heavy when not towing (a steel bullbar, winch and second battery up front and I normally only fill the front tank when towing)
I have found this setup very stable, as a matter of fact, the more ball weight I put on (within reason), the more stable it seems. There is practcally no sway even when overtaken by road train. It definitely get hairy when I reduce the ball weight much below 250 kg.
Happy touring