 | Home > Off Topic > Towing - Weight Distribution |
 
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| Muddybigdog Member Since: 11 Apr 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 1016   
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Spotted this video on LinkedIn, all about impact of weight distribution when towing.
I certainly didn't know what the optimum weight distribution was to reduce trailer snaking, hopefully this might help others before too late. Jumped ship to reliability - Mitsubishi L200 Puma 90 XS - Sold D3 - 2.7 S x2 (both Sold) Freelander 2 HSE - Sold Freelander 1 - Sold Disco 2 - Sold |
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22nd Jun 2020 2:18pm |
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| andydef90 Member Since: 09 Feb 2015 Location: yorkshire Posts: 617 
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would it be right is it pendulum effect
 iv seen this with a caravan that was heavy on the back car and caravan was both a write off driver and her kids ok thankfully |
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22nd Jun 2020 3:10pm |
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| Mash Member Since: 09 Feb 2015 Location: Guernsey Posts: 1674  
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Loading and securing the load on a trailer is a knowledge a lot of people lack, it is one of the reasons I am glad that you now need to take a separate test in order to be allowed to tow a full trailer, I have seen some very dodgy loads and some very scary ones too. I’m not sure what the new test involves but I’d like to think it covers the basics like this. 90 wolf - Jasmin http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic39408.html
90 V8 - Maggie http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic42564.html 110 TD5 - Buggsy http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic59029.html 52HG25 lightweight https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic72342.html D3 Hse - Fiona Capri 2l S - Anna Think I might have a problem............ |
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22nd Jun 2020 6:08pm |
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| 22900013A Member Since: 23 Dec 2010 Location: Oxfordshire Posts: 3149 
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When I did my B&E a few years ago there was no mention of trailer loading, in fact I think the trailer was unladen. I know it has changed to a laden trailer more recently. My HGV2 test was in an empty truck, but the CPC aspect did offer some very cursory discussion on load distribution. 2011 110 USW
1973 Series III 1-Ton 1972 Series III 1-Ton Cherrypicker 1969 IIA 1-Ton 1966 IIA 88" Last edited by 22900013A on 15th Oct 2020 10:18am. Edited 1 time in total |
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22nd Jun 2020 6:18pm |
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| 90 Dreamer Member Since: 13 Jul 2019 Location: Oop North Posts: 2134
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Most is basic common sense.......
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22nd Jun 2020 7:02pm |
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| Badger110 Member Since: 06 Feb 2018 Location: South hams Posts: 1039 
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^^this
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22nd Jun 2020 7:09pm |
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11324
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My experience of common sense is that it's frequently less common than advertised. Darren
110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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22nd Jun 2020 7:45pm |
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| ARC99 Member Since: 19 Feb 2013 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1831 
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Having towed a variety of trailers over the years I have seen some scary antics of other people who tow, from the Murphy contractors towing a trailers hoping from one wheel to another, the caravaners who's caravan swinging from side to side as they press on above the legal road speed, and the HGV drivers that deliberately get as close to the trailer when overtaking as they can so that the bow wave sets the trailer swinging.
A trailer should be loaded so that the heavy weight is on the floor and over the axels or slightly forward not behind, if towing a caravan avoid any form of live load i.e. water, I know of two caravaners who have destroyed their caravan and cars doing this. Don't make old people mad. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to  us off.
Richard |
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23rd Jun 2020 9:10am |
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| miker Member Since: 13 Sep 2015 Location: Surrey Posts: 1762 
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What's interesting is the difference in nose weight recommendations between countries. I think the UK official is around 4% of trailer weight on the nose, whereas Australia is nearer 10%.
Fortunately with a defender you have a lot of latitude to run a heavier nose increasing stability without jeapordising the driveability of the defender or risking damage. |
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23rd Jun 2020 11:05am |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018 
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Moving an interesting load:
 Click image to enlarge (borrowed from Twitter) |
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15th Oct 2020 7:25am |
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| Matt110 Member Since: 29 Jun 2014 Location: UK Posts: 677
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The misconception here is that the test teaches you either of those things...... sadly it doesn't. It is literally an exercise in re-doing your original test but with a trailer attached. Having done it a few years ago, in my opinion it falls way way short of teaching anyone how to use or drive a trailer safely. It doesn't touch loading in any way. |
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15th Oct 2020 8:21am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17327 
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The test doesn't teach you anything, the learning should precede the test!
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15th Oct 2020 9:58am |
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| Matt110 Member Since: 29 Jun 2014 Location: UK Posts: 677
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That's what i'm saying though............ unless it's included IN the test, the training centres don't teach it.
For instance, knowing the load is balanced properly front to rear, generating the correct trailer noseweight and at the lowest centre of gravity possible is pretty basic trailer use. But it's not in the test, and therefore unless the training centres take it upon themselves to include it voluntarily (where's the motivation if it doesn't improve pass rate) the trainees dont gain the knowledge. Ergo - there's a lot of people driving caravans around with all their gubbins in the rear lockers, and full water tanks, same as there are a lot of builders and landscapers driving trailers round with far far too much noseweight, to the extent that the noseweight is so high it stops the trailer draw bar compressing and the brakes working on the trailer. There's an element of common sense, but common sense is generated from basic knowledge, and if you're teaching someone who's not either automotive in mindset or engineering by training, the centres and test needs to cover this stuff. |
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15th Oct 2020 11:05am |
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| Bluest Member Since: 23 Apr 2016 Location: Lancashire Posts: 4197 
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Matt is right. We all used to get the +E and C1 entitlement thrown in, but it was removed, presumably to improve standards. If the test is so basic it doesn't do that, what's the point other than being a barrier to access to so people don't bother.
When the lack of +E entitlement started to affect my employer they elected to put us all through the training, but only those who needed to did the test (quite a few failed on things not related to towing which was a bit of an eye opener). I thought was good and something they didn't need to do. We also did the training in our work vehicles with the trailers we were expected to use fully loaded so at least we got a feel for what we would be asked to tow in the real world. 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS |
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15th Oct 2020 11:14am |
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