tow bar hitch weights -

As a caravanner I guess we have more flexibility. But things like Jerry Cans of Fuel Boat Motors and the like are often stored on the draw bar.

If the jerrycans are at the back then that shifts quite a lot of weight aft. I had a camper trailer a few years back and with a rack for the boat on top I found that I could mount the small outboard on the draw bar but well back against the trailer body. Two Jerrycans at the back. The hitch weight ended up as 110 kilos

Assuming items are stacked close to the trailer, leverage says that a longer draw bar will decrease the ball weight. Of course this doesn't work if you keep putting more stuff on the increasing space on the draw bar. Not that I've noticed actual draw bar length increasing.

Another advantage of a longer draw bar - more stable towing, less swaying.

I have 120kg over the hitch, trailer is approx 1.3t and max weight over the tow hitch is 250kg, with a max tow capacity of 3500kg.

I don't play around when it comes to towing, i've seen too many combinations come to grief because they think it's OK.

Set it up well and don't assume it's fine, make sure your not towing on or near your max capacity, this doesn't give you a margine of error or adjustment.

Baz.

Very good post / observation - myself i generally load a trailer to where i think it looks about right - ie most weight over axels and small amount over tow ball - i then try to take trailer of towball by manually lifting - if its impossible to lift -- then i know i need to change load - if it pops up and goes up - then i need more weight forward

Not sure if this meathod is available for caravans , but it works with my 10 foot fully enclosed dual axel trailer :)

Boc

I reckon I must have quite a bit of weight on the tow ball, I drove from Warraweena out to beltana roadhouse, down and into Brachina gorge and nearly out the other side until I noticed the ball hitch wasn't latched properly. The weight had kept it on for nearly 2 hours, mostly on roughish dirt roads. I only noticed because I couldn't open the rear door on the patrol much when we stopped for lunch....
NickR

Hello there No 1, We are fairly new to the Caravanning scene but made a lot of effort in trying to get our act together when it came to Van weight in relation to tow vehicle etc as well as paying attention to tow ball weight distibution with the Hayman weight distribution set up.
We live in Newcastle & we have an automotive place called "ISP", they have a number of branches in our region and are in the same game as super cheap, Repco etc.
Anyway, the reason I mention all of that is that our local "ISP" have a set of scales that are designed specifically for checking tow ball weight. Just have the weight of your van/ trailer on the jockey wheel, place the scale under the hitch receiver, use the jockey wheel to lower the weight onto the scale, & hey presto, you know exactly what weight you are putting on the ball.

the scales are stamped "Hayman Reese", & upon paying $100.00 deposit, take the scales home, check the weight as above, take scales back & they fully refund your $100 bucks. No guess work, provided you do it AFTER the better half has finished loading it it with her girly things. We do every time before a trip because its easy & makes for safety. I would imagine other outlets such as our "ISP" would offer something similiar. Best wishes

I have weighed mine fully loaded. When fully loaded I have 4 full gerries, fold up boat trailer, spare wheel, 120 AH battery, storage box with gennie, two 4.5 KG gas bottles, porta pottie and a few other things, and two tubes with tent poles and fishing rods all on the draw bar. Also have a 60 litre water storage forward of the axle (plus 140 litre rear of axle). Don't always travel with this weight, but sometimes do depending on where we are going.

Fully loaded ball weight is a shade under 225 KG, which is 15% of trailer total weight and right on vehicle limit. I use front water tank first and empty fuel as I go.
With all gerries and front water tank empty, I come down to about 140 KG, or 9% of trailer weight, if rear water tank remains full. As I empty rear tank, I come back up towards 15%. I can not travel with rear water tank empty and draw bar fully loaded, but that's not a problem.

I work on 10 to 15% being acceptable and find that 10% to 12% gives the best towing performance.

It takes some effort, but it is worth getting to know your weights and how load changes effect them.

Hi No1
I have been trying to work this one out as I want a camper in the next 12 months or so and some of the responses are scary. More than one maker said they solve it by putting large water tanks behind the, great if you do not want to actually use it.

Have fun

Craig