we've just got back from our first outing with the new van (Franklin Razor 206). All went quite well, but I found that the van had a bit of sway when getting passed by trucks and occasionally on bends doing about 90-95km/h. So I'm thinking I may need to invest in a weight distribution hitch. According to the web site the van has the following specs:
Overall length 8.2m
Height: 2.9m
Width:2.4
ATM: 2870kg
GTM: 2730kg
TARE: 2370kg
Ball weight:140kg
Before heading off we ran it over a weigh bridge and got the following:
Car:
Platform A: 01.46t Platform B: 01.18t
Ball: Platform C: 00.34t
Van Platform D: 02.46t
The car is a 2019 BT-50.
I was a bit surprised by the ball weight from the weighbridge as compared to the advertised weight. The BT50 has a 3500kg tow limit and 350kg ball limit, so we are getting close to that with the ball.
The van has 2 x 90 litre water tanks (which we filled) that are situated front of the axles. It also has two 120AMH batteries in the front boot. It has a tunnel boot accessed from the side, which we had stored bbq and other not so heavy items. The bed is at the front so storage under that will add to the ball weight (we don't haven't stored any heavy items there).
Now I have a few questions to the experts here :).
Would a weight distribution hitch help the situation? If so, what hitch would people recommend? It seems Hayman Reese is popular, but expensive. There are others for almost half the price, but if they don't do the job then they are worthless.
How could we redistribute the load in the van given most of the weight is water and batteries and the storage areas are all situated at the front? We don't seem to have any reasonable storage areas over the axles.
Should I be concerned about the advertised ball limit compared to the actual ball limit?
Thanks in advance and hope everyone has a Merry Xmas and happy new year. Hopefully we will see you out there in the new year when things start opening up again.
Regards Paul.
outlaw40 said
06:55 PM Dec 23, 2020
The ball weight as advertise for the van will be empty so when you fill water tanks , gas bottle , cupboards with tins of baked bean , cans of beer , bottles of wine .... you get the idea . As for sway your description sounds to me more like the van is being unsettled by the bow wave from the trucks ,in which case wdh may do nothing . Some years ago i had a van that was similarly affect by trucks passing ,i fitted one of these to the rear of my tug https://www.purpleline.com.au/aeroplus-wind-deflector/ does absolutely nothing for fuel economy but they seem to disrupt the air enough to stop that bow wave effect , for my rig anyway , Back to the ball weight , just make sure heavy items are centred over the axles as much as possible .
-- Edited by outlaw40 on Wednesday 23rd of December 2020 07:04:15 PM
-- Edited by outlaw40 on Wednesday 23rd of December 2020 07:05:06 PM
yobarr said
07:54 PM Dec 23, 2020
pghollis wrote:
Hi everyone.
we've just got back from our first outing with the new van (Franklin Razor 206). All went quite well, but I found that the van had a bit of sway when getting passed by trucks and occasionally on bends doing about 90-95km/h. So I'm thinking I may need to invest in a weight distribution hitch. According to the web site the van has the following specs:
Overall length 8.2m
Height: 2.9m
Width:2.4
ATM: 2870kg
GTM: 2730kg
TARE: 2370kg
Ball weight:140kg
Before heading off we ran it over a weigh bridge and got the following:
Car:
Platform A: 01.46t Platform B: 01.18t
Ball: Platform C: 00.34t
Van Platform D: 02.46t
The car is a 2019 BT-50.
I was a bit surprised by the ball weight from the weighbridge as compared to the advertised weight. The BT50 has a 3500kg tow limit and 350kg ball limit, so we are getting close to that with the ball.
The van has 2 x 90 litre water tanks (which we filled) that are situated front of the axles. It also has two 120AMH batteries in the front boot. It has a tunnel boot accessed from the side, which we had stored bbq and other not so heavy items. The bed is at the front so storage under that will add to the ball weight (we don't haven't stored any heavy items there).
Now I have a few questions to the experts here :).
Would a weight distribution hitch help the situation? If so, what hitch would people recommend? It seems Hayman Reese is popular, but expensive. There are others for almost half the price, but if they don't do the job then they are worthless.
How could we redistribute the load in the van given most of the weight is water and batteries and the storage areas are all situated at the front? We don't seem to have any reasonable storage areas over the axles.
Should I be concerned about the advertised ball limit compared to the actual ball limit?
Thanks in advance and hope everyone has a Merry Xmas and happy new year. Hopefully we will see you out there in the new year when things start opening up again.
Regards Paul.
Hi Paul....your weights are all over the place,and a WDH will not help,as a WDH does not remove weight from the towball. Forget the WDH.Your big problem is ball weight,but you have plenty to spare on your car's rear axle,which has capacity of 1850kg.At present it seems that you have only 1180kg on that axle,and your 340kg ball weight will put maybe 490kg extra onto that axle. (Think 'levers') You are still 180kg under your rear axle rating,and this surplus will increase as you reduce towball weight.You still have 270kg to spare on your GTM (2730 minus 2460kg),but you already are close to your ATM,at 2800kg. (340kg towball plus 2460kg GTM) .You could move your existing water tanks to an area between the van's axles, perhaps plumbed separately,and these tanks can then be selectively used to keep your ball weight around 270kg,which would put only around 390kg extra onto your car's rear axle,which presently is running at 1180kg..You then would have spare carrying capacity in the car of 280kg so you could move stuff from the van to the car's tray if you wished. There obviously are many variables,but this is one way of getting your ball weight down,and balancing the whole unit.Hope this helps.Cheers
Derek Barnes said
08:50 PM Dec 23, 2020
Remember not to add weight to the back of your caravan to compensate for the large ball weight, as this will cause your van to sway.
I would be a bit concerned that your caravan (2.80 t) weighs more than your car (2.64 t). Therefore when a truck passes you, it might be akin to the tail wagging the dog.
Merry Christmas!
montie said
09:01 PM Dec 23, 2020
Derek Barnes wrote:
Remember not to add weight to the back of your caravan to compensate for the large ball weight, as this will cause your van to sway.
I would be a bit concerned that your caravan (2.80 t) weighs more than your car (2.64 t). Therefore when a truck passes you, it might be akin to the tail wagging the dog.
Merry Christmas!
Yep
yobarr said
09:11 PM Dec 23, 2020
Derek Barnes wrote:
Remember not to add weight to the back of your caravan to compensate for the large ball weight, as this will cause your van to sway.
I would be a bit concerned that your caravan (2.80 t) weighs more than your car (2.64 t). Therefore when a truck passes you, it might be akin to the tail wagging the dog.
Merry Christmas!
Good points you make here Derek,which is why I suggested water tanks between axles.However,your weight calculations are a little out,as when the van is hooked up to the car,the car presently weighs 2980kg (1460 plus 1180 plus towball 340kg=2980kg) while the van has weight on wheels of only 2460kg.Thus,the weight on the car's wheels is around 20% greater than the weight on the van's wheels.If Paul follows my advice about moving the water tanks,assuming new ball weight of 270kg,the weight on car wheels will drop to 2910kg (1460 plus 1180 plus 270 towball) while van weight on wheels will increase to 2530kg.The car weight on the car's wheels is still around 15% greater than the weight on the van's wheels,and super-safe, provided the weight is kept away from the rear of the van,to,as you say,stop the "tail from wagging the dog".Cheers
pghollis said
09:19 PM Dec 23, 2020
We do have a bike rack at the back, that did not have the bikes on it when doing the weigh bridge. So that would add extra weight at the back (maybe 25kg).
I'm thinking I will try to separate the two water tanks so that I can fill the one closer to the axle for long haul traveling and fill the front one when needed.
I'm really wondering why the van was designed in such a way. Surely the engineers/designers would be considering the weight distribution when doing the design.
Thanks everyone for your replies.
I am still seriously considering the WDH, as it would not hurt and I have noted that most people recommend using them for the larger vans anyway.
yobarr said
09:28 PM Dec 23, 2020
pghollis wrote:
We do have a bike rack at the back, that did not have the bikes on it when doing the weigh bridge. So that would add extra weight at the back (maybe 25kg).
I'm thinking I will try to separate the two water tanks so that I can fill the one closer to the axle for long haul traveling and fill the front one when needed.
I'm really wondering why the van was designed in such a way. Surely the engineers/designers would be considering the weight distribution when doing the design.
Thanks everyone for your replies.
I am still seriously considering the WDH, as it would not hurt and I have noted that most people recommend using them for the larger vans anyway
Paul,in this case,you DO NOT need a WDH,and as well as creating its own negative issues,it would be an absolute waste of money.For your information,all a WDH does is take weight off your car's rear axle,and distribute some of that weight back to the front axle of the car,and the rest of that weight to the van's axle group.It does NOT change towball weight.You are nowhere near your car's rear axle carrying capacity,so absolutely pointless removing weight from that axle,but you are running close to your ATM.Simply a matter of getting weight further back,over your axles.Forget the WDH,as it will simply make your car unsafe by lessening the load on the car's rear axle.....think oversteer.Separating your tanks will just create problems that don't need to exist,as your towball weight will go up and down,depending on how full each one is.Getting the tanks between the axles reduces this problem dramatically.Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Wednesday 23rd of December 2020 09:45:22 PM
pghollis said
09:48 PM Dec 23, 2020
Thanks Chris. When we initially got the van I wondered why the tank were up the front, but figured that smarter people than me had thought it out and that perhaps the bathroom and washing machine at the back may have needed some balancing out. I guess I'll looking into relocation of the tanks. Any suggestions on how to go about this?
yobarr said
10:00 PM Dec 23, 2020
pghollis wrote:g
Thanks Chris. When we initially got the van I wondered why the tank were up the front, but figured that smarter people than me had thought it out and that perhaps the bathroom and washing machine at the back may have needed some balancing out. I guess I'll looking into relocation of the tanks. Any suggestions on how to go about this?
Hi Paul...all I can suggest is to crawl under there with a tape measure,and calculate how much room you have between the axles.If present tanks won't fit,you have two options. 1) Build or buy tanks that will fit in the confines you have,or 2) Move one tank as close as possible to the axle group,in front of it,and move the other as close as possible to the axle group,behind it.Balance is critical,as is centralising your weight as much as possible.Good luck! Cheers
pghollis said
10:10 PM Dec 23, 2020
Thanks again Chris. As this is a brand new van, I'm just wondering about warranty if I go messing around with this and bugger it up :). Though I must admit the fact that I would need to consider doing this anyway to a brand new van makes me a bit annoyed.
yobarr said
10:29 PM Dec 23, 2020
pghollis wrote:
Thanks again Chris. As this is a brand new van, I'm just wondering about warranty if I go messing around with this and bugger it up :). Though I must admit the fact that I would need to consider doing this anyway to a brand new van makes me a bit annoyed.
Yeah,too much thinking involved for some who design things? Sorry I can't give any advice on warranties etc,but at the moment the van is unable to be used safely,in my opinion.Perhaps others can suggest a course of action,or maybe steer you in the right direction for advice and assistance.Any chance of getting the batteries near the axles,perhaps under the floor,or in central storage areas? Good luck with getting this sorted.Cheers
P.S Is this your van? If so,could the batteries go under the seats?
-- Edited by yobarr on Thursday 24th of December 2020 12:38:26 PM
we've just got back from our first outing with the new van (Franklin Razor 206). All went quite well, but I found that the van had a bit of sway when getting passed by trucks and occasionally on bends doing about 90-95km/h. So I'm thinking I may need to invest in a weight distribution hitch. According to the web site the van has the following specs:
Overall length 8.2m
Height: 2.9m
Width:2.4
ATM: 2870kg
GTM: 2730kg
TARE: 2370kg
Ball weight:140kg
Before heading off we ran it over a weigh bridge and got the following:
Car:
Platform A: 01.46t Platform B: 01.18t
Ball: Platform C: 00.34t
Van Platform D: 02.46t
The car is a 2019 BT-50.
I was a bit surprised by the ball weight from the weighbridge as compared to the advertised weight. The BT50 has a 3500kg tow limit and 350kg ball limit, so we are getting close to that with the ball.
The van has 2 x 90 litre water tanks (which we filled) that are situated front of the axles. It also has two 120AMH batteries in the front boot. It has a tunnel boot accessed from the side, which we had stored bbq and other not so heavy items. The bed is at the front so storage under that will add to the ball weight (we don't haven't stored any heavy items there).
Now I have a few questions to the experts here :).
Would a weight distribution hitch help the situation? If so, what hitch would people recommend? It seems Hayman Reese is popular, but expensive. There are others for almost half the price, but if they don't do the job then they are worthless.
How could we redistribute the load in the van given most of the weight is water and batteries and the storage areas are all situated at the front? We don't seem to have any reasonable storage areas over the axles.
Should I be concerned about the advertised ball limit compared to the actual ball limit?
Thanks in advance and hope everyone has a Merry Xmas and happy new year. Hopefully we will see you out there in the new year when things start opening up again.
Regards Paul.
Hi Paul
I have the same tow ball weight on my van although mine weighs a bit more and have tried with WDH and without and they do make a difference to my rig especially on roads where lots of truck movement has changed the surface it seems to take the bounce out of the ride also on dirt the braking is much better as the WDH puts weight back onto the front of vehicle . I know this for a fact as I have had the use of a calibrated weighbridge where I have worked and did all the tests on all axles .The difference in weight transfer was minimal on the setting I used which from memory was about ten kilograms on the second chain link but could be greater with more tension.
You do not mention if you have upgraded your BT50 suspension as i know my Dmax stock standard would no way handle a towball weight anywhere near that so therefore spent thousands on a upgrade but thats another story.If not that could be your problem not your vans problems.My last van was similar to your vans setup with leaf spring suspension and did notice they move around a bit more than vans with independent suspension but thats my opinion by having towed both vans over Australia on various surfaces and never noticed any swaying when passing trucks head on except as we all know the wind different trucks and speed will always change this .Trucks overtaking you will always suck you in as they pass the front of the vehicle and as far as I know there is no fix for this.
For a little bit of peace of mind and making the ride much better out on those outback highways I reckon WDH is a small investment in your safety and if you find they dont work dont use them . A tip though use ones you can back with and do u turns otherwise you will get a lot of practice taking them on and off mine are Hayman Reece rated to 340 kg and can jack knife without doing damage I hope you sort out your problems without moving tanks around in your van in my previous van I added a 100 litre tank behind the axle and always travelled with it full but maybe do that after warranty period ends as these caravan builders will use any modifications to get out of liabilities.
Cheers
Dougwe said
05:38 AM Dec 24, 2020
How about we talk about generators now.
DMaxer said
06:46 AM Dec 24, 2020
What would you like to know Doug? I am here to help!
Dougwe said
07:42 AM Dec 24, 2020
Morn'n BigD.
Mate as you know I use mine at 2am cos everyone is asleep and won't hear it but wondering what time others use theirs cos some idiot was running his the other day at 5pm when I was trying to enjoy happy hour.
Enjoy the big day tomorrow and the following week. Drink, be merry BUT keep safe while doing it.
DMaxer said
08:15 AM Dec 24, 2020
Same to you, Doug.
yobarr said
08:25 AM Dec 24, 2020
travelyounger wrote:
pghollis wrote:
Hi everyone.
we've just got back from our first outing with the new van (Franklin Razor 206). All went quite well, but I found that the van had a bit of sway when getting passed by trucks and occasionally on bends doing about 90-95km/h. So I'm thinking I may need to invest in a weight distribution hitch. According to the web site the van has the following specs:
Overall length 8.2m
Height: 2.9m
Width:2.4
ATM: 2870kg
GTM: 2730kg
TARE: 2370kg
Ball weight:140kg
Before heading off we ran it over a weigh bridge and got the following:
Car:
Platform A: 01.46t Platform B: 01.18t
Ball: Platform C: 00.34t
Van Platform D: 02.46t
The car is a 2019 BT-50.
I was a bit surprised by the ball weight from the weighbridge as compared to the advertised weight. The BT50 has a 3500kg tow limit and 350kg ball limit, so we are getting close to that with the ball.
The van has 2 x 90 litre water tanks (which we filled) that are situated front of the axles. It also has two 120AMH batteries in the front boot. It has a tunnel boot accessed from the side, which we had stored bbq and other not so heavy items. The bed is at the front so storage under that will add to the ball weight (we don't haven't stored any heavy items there).
Now I have a few questions to the experts here :).
Would a weight distribution hitch help the situation? If so, what hitch would people recommend? It seems Hayman Reese is popular, but expensive. There are others for almost half the price, but if they don't do the job then they are worthless.
How could we redistribute the load in the van given most of the weight is water and batteries and the storage areas are all situated at the front? We don't seem to have any reasonable storage areas over the axles.
Should I be concerned about the advertised ball limit compared to the actual ball limit?
Thanks in advance and hope everyone has a Merry Xmas and happy new year. Hopefully we will see you out there in the new year when things start opening up again.
Regards Paul.
Hi Paul
I have the same tow ball weight on my van although mine weighs a bit more and have tried with WDH and without and they do make a difference to my rig especially on roads where lots of truck movement has changed the surface it seems to take the bounce out of the ride also on dirt the braking is much better as the WDH puts weight back onto the front of vehicle . I know this for a fact as I have had the use of a calibrated weighbridge where I have worked and did all the tests on all axles .The difference in weight transfer was minimal on the setting I used which from memory was about ten kilograms on the second chain link but could be greater with more tension.
You do not mention if you have upgraded your BT50 suspension as i know my Dmax stock standard would no way handle a towball weight anywhere near that so therefore spent thousands on a upgrade but thats another story.If not that could be your problem not your vans problems.My last van was similar to your vans setup with leaf spring suspension and did notice they move around a bit more than vans with independent suspension but thats my opinion by having towed both vans over Australia on various surfaces and never noticed any swaying when passing trucks head on except as we all know the wind different trucks and speed will always change this .Trucks overtaking you will always suck you in as they pass the front of the vehicle and as far as I know there is no fix for this.
For a little bit of peace of mind and making the ride much better out on those outback highways I reckon WDH is a small investment in your safety and if you find they dont work dont use them . A tip though use ones you can back with and do u turns otherwise you will get a lot of practice taking them on and off mine are Hayman Reece rated to 340 kg and can jack knife without doing damage I hope you sort out your problems without moving tanks around in your van in my previous van I added a 100 litre tank behind the axle and always travelled with it full but maybe do that after warranty period ends as these caravan builders will use any modifications to get out of liabilities.
Cheers
John,with respect,once again you show an absolute misunderstanding of a WDH...why on earth would Paul want to take weight off a rear axle that is currently carrying only 1670kg? Do you not understand that this is dangerous in the extreme,encouraging oversteer? Your car has a GVM of 3600kg, but is set up to carry 2150kg on the rear axle.....Paul's car's rear axle capacity is 1850kg,and he is nowhere near that figure...do you not understand that he needs less towball weight,but more weight in his car's tray? His problem at the moment is that the van is ridiculously unbalanced, with 340kg towball weight and only 2460kg GTM....crazy stuff.And as for your suggestion that Paul add water tanks behind the axles,then all tanks would have to be plumbed separately,and closely monitored to manage ball weight. I did consider that option for Paul,but he cannot do it because he is already right up on his ATM.....and you seem not to understand that a WDH adds weight to the van's axle group,but does not change towball weight,so it is easy to exceed the ATM.In my opinion,a WDH is used only by those who are trying to make a car do things for which that car never was designed, and you no doubt have had positive experiences with your customised setup,but in Paul's case,as well as increasing TBO,adding unnecessary weight,and increasing instability,it would be absolutely useless and a waste of money.The only way that Paul can sort his problem is to get the weight in his van ...water tanks or,preferably,batteries.....back over the van's axle group,and get some weight in his ute's tray.His van,at 2800kg,is lighter than his 2980kg car,but the weights are in the wrong places.Hope this helps? Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Thursday 24th of December 2020 08:31:51 AM
yobarr said
08:27 AM Dec 24, 2020
Dougwe wrote:
How about we talk about generators now.
I have a brand new,unstarted,Yamaha 2800i if you're interested Doug.Merry Xmas to all.Cheers
Rob Driver said
08:27 AM Dec 24, 2020
The OP sounds like he has the potential for a somewhat unbalanced weight set up if he fills tanks and loads his extras in the storage provided.
Advice to try and move items to more evenly balance the weight is good but I would suggest actually checking with the vehicle manufacturer as to wether the use of a Weight Distribution Hitch is advised or in some cases, recommended.
Another point that is sadly overlooked in posts about caravan sway or instability is TYRE PRESSURES. Make sure both car and van tyres are inflated correctly including compensation for pressures when the tyre is at running temperature.
Yobarr, you may want to include this important fact rather than providing half baked and often rude advice on Weight Distribution Hitches. Actually a WDH may be recommended by some vehicle manufacturers but at the same time not discounting a badly loaded van or tow vehicle.
Maybe the van builder has a solution if he contacts them with his current figures.
Regards
Rob
-- Edited by bentaxlebabe on Thursday 24th of December 2020 08:34:15 AM
yobarr said
08:57 AM Dec 24, 2020
bentaxlebabe wrote:
The OP sounds like he has the potential for a somewhat unbalanced weight set up if he fills tanks and loads his extras in the storage provided.
Advice to try and move items to more evenly balance the weight is good but I would suggest actually checking with the vehicle manufacturer as to wether the use of a Weight Distribution Hitch is advised or in some cases, recommended.
Another point that is sadly overlooked in posts about caravan sway or instability is TYRE PRESSURES. Make sure both car and van tyres are inflated correctly including compensation for pressures when the tyre is at running temperature.
Yobarr, you may want to include this important fact rather than providing half baked and often rude advice on Weight Distribution Hitches. Actually a WDH may be recommended by some vehicle manufacturers but at the same time not discounting a badly loaded van or tow vehicle.
Maybe the van builder has a solution if he contacts them with his current figures.
Regards
Rob-- Edited by bentaxlebabe on Thursday 24th of December 2020 08:34:15 AM
With respect,I do not offer "half baked" advice,as I ensure that my posts always are well researched,and factual.You seem not to recall that I already have posted the reasons that some manufacturers recommend the use of a WDH? I had posted another reply to your original post this morning,but it went missing because of spasmodic internet coverage where I am.That post was made before you Edited,and added to your original post,which did not contain any derogatory comment about me? Cheerss
-- Edited by yobarr on Thursday 24th of December 2020 10:44:26 AM
Rob Driver said
09:04 AM Dec 24, 2020
yobarr wrote:
travelyounger wrote:
pghollis wrote:
Hi everyone.
we've just got back from our first outing with the new van (Franklin Razor 206). All went quite well, but I found that the van had a bit of sway when getting passed by trucks and occasionally on bends doing about 90-95km/h. So I'm thinking I may need to invest in a weight distribution hitch. According to the web site the van has the following specs:
Overall length 8.2m
Height: 2.9m
Width:2.4
ATM: 2870kg
GTM: 2730kg
TARE: 2370kg
Ball weight:140kg
Before heading off we ran it over a weigh bridge and got the following:
Car:
Platform A: 01.46t Platform B: 01.18t
Ball: Platform C: 00.34t
Van Platform D: 02.46t
The car is a 2019 BT-50.
I was a bit surprised by the ball weight from the weighbridge as compared to the advertised weight. The BT50 has a 3500kg tow limit and 350kg ball limit, so we are getting close to that with the ball.
The van has 2 x 90 litre water tanks (which we filled) that are situated front of the axles. It also has two 120AMH batteries in the front boot. It has a tunnel boot accessed from the side, which we had stored bbq and other not so heavy items. The bed is at the front so storage under that will add to the ball weight (we don't haven't stored any heavy items there).
Now I have a few questions to the experts here :).
Would a weight distribution hitch help the situation? If so, what hitch would people recommend? It seems Hayman Reese is popular, but expensive. There are others for almost half the price, but if they don't do the job then they are worthless.
How could we redistribute the load in the van given most of the weight is water and batteries and the storage areas are all situated at the front? We don't seem to have any reasonable storage areas over the axles.
Should I be concerned about the advertised ball limit compared to the actual ball limit?
Thanks in advance and hope everyone has a Merry Xmas and happy new year. Hopefully we will see you out there in the new year when things start opening up again.
Regards Paul.
Hi Paul
I have the same tow ball weight on my van although mine weighs a bit more and have tried with WDH and without and they do make a difference to my rig especially on roads where lots of truck movement has changed the surface it seems to take the bounce out of the ride also on dirt the braking is much better as the WDH puts weight back onto the front of vehicle . I know this for a fact as I have had the use of a calibrated weighbridge where I have worked and did all the tests on all axles .The difference in weight transfer was minimal on the setting I used which from memory was about ten kilograms on the second chain link but could be greater with more tension.
You do not mention if you have upgraded your BT50 suspension as i know my Dmax stock standard would no way handle a towball weight anywhere near that so therefore spent thousands on a upgrade but thats another story.If not that could be your problem not your vans problems.My last van was similar to your vans setup with leaf spring suspension and did notice they move around a bit more than vans with independent suspension but thats my opinion by having towed both vans over Australia on various surfaces and never noticed any swaying when passing trucks head on except as we all know the wind different trucks and speed will always change this .Trucks overtaking you will always suck you in as they pass the front of the vehicle and as far as I know there is no fix for this.
For a little bit of peace of mind and making the ride much better out on those outback highways I reckon WDH is a small investment in your safety and if you find they dont work dont use them . A tip though use ones you can back with and do u turns otherwise you will get a lot of practice taking them on and off mine are Hayman Reece rated to 340 kg and can jack knife without doing damage I hope you sort out your problems without moving tanks around in your van in my previous van I added a 100 litre tank behind the axle and always travelled with it full but maybe do that after warranty period ends as these caravan builders will use any modifications to get out of liabilities.
Cheers
John,with respect,once again you show an absolute misunderstanding of a WDH...why on earth would Paul want to take weight off a rear axle that is currently carrying only 1670kg? Do you not understand that this is dangerous in the extreme,encouraging oversteer? Your car has a GVM of 3600kg, but is set up to carry 2150kg on the rear axle.....Paul's car's rear axle capacity is 1850kg,and he is nowhere near that figure...do you not understand that he needs less towball weight,but more weight in his car's tray? His problem at the moment is that the van is ridiculously unbalanced, with 340kg towball weight and only 2460kg GTM....crazy stuff.And as for your suggestion that Paul add water tanks behind the axles,then all tanks would have to be plumbed separately,and closely monitored to manage ball weight. I did consider that option for Paul,but he cannot do it because he is already right up on his ATM.....and you seem not to understand that a WDH adds weight to the van's axle group,but does not change towball weight,so it is easy to exceed the ATM.In my opinion,a WDH is used only by those who are trying to make a car do things for which that car never was designed, and you no doubt have had positive experiences with your customised setup,but in Paul's case,as well as increasing TBO,adding unnecessary weight,and increasing instability,it would be absolutely useless and a waste of money.The only way that Paul can sort his problem is to get the weight in his van ...water tanks or,preferably,batteries.....back over the van's axle group,and get some weight in his ute's tray.His van,at 2800kg,is lighter than his 2980kg car,but the weights are in the wrong places.Hope this helps? Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Thursday 24th of December 2020 08:31:51 AM
Yobarr,
This very post by you is the reason I edited my comment.
You are rude and your information is generalised to suit your agenda of the repetitive advice that no one should use a WDH.
Your rudeness to others annoys me and it is unnecessary.
Regards and a Merry Xmas
Rob
Dougwe said
10:04 AM Dec 24, 2020
Here ya go Cindy, save going to the big green shed.
outlaw40 said
10:38 AM Dec 24, 2020
Come on Doug what good is that without a bl@@dy big chain to go with it ..... Only doing half a job mate , not up to your standard .
Dougwe said
12:52 PM Dec 24, 2020
Sorry outlaw, mate. I beg your forgiveness.
Will this do?
Greg 1 said
01:02 PM Dec 24, 2020
If you are thinking of a WDH then try one. I will not be drawn into another lengthy discussion with yobarr on the merits or otherwise of a WDH, suffice to say that I have towed for many years both with and without one and quite frankly I wouldn't leave home without mine. I will leave it at that. Take the advice as you will.
outlaw40 said
01:51 PM Dec 24, 2020
Dougwe wrote:
Sorry outlaw, mate. I beg your forgiveness.
Will this do?
forgiveness granted Doug , after all if Trumpy can pardon all his criminal mate then I could hardly deny you now could I . Merry Christmas to you .
yobarr said
02:15 PM Dec 24, 2020
Greg 1 wrote:
If you are thinking of a WDH then try one. I will not be drawn into another lengthy discussion with yobarr on the merits or otherwise of a WDH, suffice to say that I have towed for many years both with and without one and quite frankly I wouldn't leave home without mine. I will leave it at that. Take the advice as you will.
Hi Greg...I know that you have a way better understanding of weights than do some others,so I can only surmise that you haven't read each post I have made? If you had,I am sure that you wouldn't suggest using a WDH on a combination with an all-up weight (GCM?) of 5440kg,but only 1670kg on the car's rear axle. Not only would doing this further reduce weight on that axle,it also would increase the chances of oversteer.As well, Paul is already running close to his ATM.The only solution to Paul's dilemma is to move weight back in the van,over the axles. I wish you and your kin a Merry Xmas.Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Thursday 24th of December 2020 06:58:17 PM
Bobdown said
04:11 PM Dec 24, 2020
Greg 1 wrote:
If you are thinking of a WDH then try one. I will not be drawn into another lengthy discussion with yobarr on the merits or otherwise of a WDH, suffice to say that I have towed for many years both with and without one and quite frankly I wouldn't leave home without mine. I will leave it at that. Take the advice as you will.
X2,
As I have stated to Yobarr before, not a matter of cranking it up to shift heaps of weight around, mine so the van and tug sit nice and level, no swaying either, towed for 14 years with one.
Cheers Bob
yobarr said
06:54 PM Dec 24, 2020
Bobdown wrote:
Greg 1 wrote:
If you are thinking of a WDH then try one. I will not be drawn into another lengthy discussion with yobarr on the merits or otherwise of a WDH, suffice to say that I have towed for many years both with and without one and quite frankly I wouldn't leave home without mine. I will leave it at that. Take the advice as you will.
X2,
As I have stated to Yobarr before, not a matter of cranking it up to shift heaps of weight around, mine so the van and tug sit nice and level, no swaying either, towed for 14 years with one.
Cheers Bob
Hi Bob...you seem not to understand that Paul does not need to shift weight around in his car....he just needs to get weight OFF the towbar and onto his van's axles....he does NOT need to get weight off the rear axle,which is what a WDH does.His rear axle weight is only 1670kg,which is ridiculously low on a car that is towing a van that gives total weight on wheels of car and van (GCM if you like) of 5440kg. Paul already is approaching his van's ATM,and,as well as taking weight OFF his already underloaded rear axle,a WDH will put MORE weight onto his van's axle group,perhaps then exceeding his ATM. Level means absolutely nothing,unless your van has non load-sharing suspension.Paul has NO option but to move the weight back in his van,over the axles. The rest naturally falls in to place.I wish you and your kin a Happy Xmas.Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Thursday 24th of December 2020 07:12:18 PM
Hi everyone.
we've just got back from our first outing with the new van (Franklin Razor 206). All went quite well, but I found that the van had a bit of sway when getting passed by trucks and occasionally on bends doing about 90-95km/h. So I'm thinking I may need to invest in a weight distribution hitch. According to the web site the van has the following specs:
Before heading off we ran it over a weigh bridge and got the following:
Car:
Platform A: 01.46t
Platform B: 01.18t
Ball:
Platform C: 00.34t
Van
Platform D: 02.46t
The car is a 2019 BT-50.
I was a bit surprised by the ball weight from the weighbridge as compared to the advertised weight. The BT50 has a 3500kg tow limit and 350kg ball limit, so we are getting close to that with the ball.
The van has 2 x 90 litre water tanks (which we filled) that are situated front of the axles. It also has two 120AMH batteries in the front boot. It has a tunnel boot accessed from the side, which we had stored bbq and other not so heavy items. The bed is at the front so storage under that will add to the ball weight (we don't haven't stored any heavy items there).
Now I have a few questions to the experts here :).
Thanks in advance and hope everyone has a Merry Xmas and happy new year. Hopefully we will see you out there in the new year when things start opening up again.
Regards Paul.
The ball weight as advertise for the van will be empty so when you fill water tanks , gas bottle , cupboards with tins of baked bean , cans of beer , bottles of wine .... you get the idea . As for sway your description sounds to me more like the van is being unsettled by the bow wave from the trucks ,in which case wdh may do nothing . Some years ago i had a van that was similarly affect by trucks passing ,i fitted one of these to the rear of my tug https://www.purpleline.com.au/aeroplus-wind-deflector/ does absolutely nothing for fuel economy but they seem to disrupt the air enough to stop that bow wave effect , for my rig anyway , Back to the ball weight , just make sure heavy items are centred over the axles as much as possible .
-- Edited by outlaw40 on Wednesday 23rd of December 2020 07:04:15 PM
-- Edited by outlaw40 on Wednesday 23rd of December 2020 07:05:06 PM
Hi Paul....your weights are all over the place,and a WDH will not help,as a WDH does not remove weight from the towball. Forget the WDH.Your big problem is ball weight,but you have plenty to spare on your car's rear axle,which has capacity of 1850kg.At present it seems that you have only 1180kg on that axle,and your 340kg ball weight will put maybe 490kg extra onto that axle. (Think 'levers') You are still 180kg under your rear axle rating,and this surplus will increase as you reduce towball weight.You still have 270kg to spare on your GTM (2730 minus 2460kg),but you already are close to your ATM,at 2800kg. (340kg towball plus 2460kg GTM) .You could move your existing water tanks to an area between the van's axles, perhaps plumbed separately,and these tanks can then be selectively used to keep your ball weight around 270kg,which would put only around 390kg extra onto your car's rear axle,which presently is running at 1180kg..You then would have spare carrying capacity in the car of 280kg so you could move stuff from the van to the car's tray if you wished. There obviously are many variables,but this is one way of getting your ball weight down,and balancing the whole unit.Hope this helps.Cheers
Remember not to add weight to the back of your caravan to compensate for the large ball weight, as this will cause your van to sway.
I would be a bit concerned that your caravan (2.80 t) weighs more than your car (2.64 t). Therefore when a truck passes you, it might be akin to the tail wagging the dog.
Merry Christmas!
Yep
Good points you make here Derek,which is why I suggested water tanks between axles.However,your weight calculations are a little out,as when the van is hooked up to the car,the car presently weighs 2980kg (1460 plus 1180 plus towball 340kg=2980kg) while the van has weight on wheels of only 2460kg.Thus,the weight on the car's wheels is around 20% greater than the weight on the van's wheels.If Paul follows my advice about moving the water tanks,assuming new ball weight of 270kg,the weight on car wheels will drop to 2910kg (1460 plus 1180 plus 270 towball) while van weight on wheels will increase to 2530kg.The car weight on the car's wheels is still around 15% greater than the weight on the van's wheels,and super-safe, provided the weight is kept away from the rear of the van,to,as you say,stop the "tail from wagging the dog".Cheers
We do have a bike rack at the back, that did not have the bikes on it when doing the weigh bridge. So that would add extra weight at the back (maybe 25kg).
I'm thinking I will try to separate the two water tanks so that I can fill the one closer to the axle for long haul traveling and fill the front one when needed.
I'm really wondering why the van was designed in such a way. Surely the engineers/designers would be considering the weight distribution when doing the design.
Thanks everyone for your replies.
I am still seriously considering the WDH, as it would not hurt and I have noted that most people recommend using them for the larger vans anyway.
Paul,in this case,you DO NOT need a WDH,and as well as creating its own negative issues,it would be an absolute waste of money.For your information,all a WDH does is take weight off your car's rear axle,and distribute some of that weight back to the front axle of the car,and the rest of that weight to the van's axle group.It does NOT change towball weight.You are nowhere near your car's rear axle carrying capacity,so absolutely pointless removing weight from that axle,but you are running close to your ATM.Simply a matter of getting weight further back,over your axles.Forget the WDH,as it will simply make your car unsafe by lessening the load on the car's rear axle.....think oversteer.Separating your tanks will just create problems that don't need to exist,as your towball weight will go up and down,depending on how full each one is.Getting the tanks between the axles reduces this problem dramatically.Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Wednesday 23rd of December 2020 09:45:22 PM
Hi Paul...all I can suggest is to crawl under there with a tape measure,and calculate how much room you have between the axles.If present tanks won't fit,you have two options. 1) Build or buy tanks that will fit in the confines you have,or 2) Move one tank as close as possible to the axle group,in front of it,and move the other as close as possible to the axle group,behind it.Balance is critical,as is centralising your weight as much as possible.Good luck! Cheers
Yeah,too much thinking involved for some who design things? Sorry I can't give any advice on warranties etc,but at the moment the van is unable to be used safely,in my opinion.Perhaps others can suggest a course of action,or maybe steer you in the right direction for advice and assistance.Any chance of getting the batteries near the axles,perhaps under the floor,or in central storage areas? Good luck with getting this sorted.Cheers
P.S Is this your van? If so,could the batteries go under the seats?
-- Edited by yobarr on Thursday 24th of December 2020 12:38:26 PM
Hi Paul
I have the same tow ball weight on my van although mine weighs a bit more and have tried with WDH and without and they do make a difference to my rig especially on roads where lots of truck movement has changed the surface it seems to take the bounce out of the ride also on dirt the braking is much better as the WDH puts weight back onto the front of vehicle . I know this for a fact as I have had the use of a calibrated weighbridge where I have worked and did all the tests on all axles .The difference in weight transfer was minimal on the setting I used which from memory was about ten kilograms on the second chain link but could be greater with more tension.
You do not mention if you have upgraded your BT50 suspension as i know my Dmax stock standard would no way handle a towball weight anywhere near that so therefore spent thousands on a upgrade but thats another story.If not that could be your problem not your vans problems.My last van was similar to your vans setup with leaf spring suspension and did notice they move around a bit more than vans with independent suspension but thats my opinion by having towed both vans over Australia on various surfaces and never noticed any swaying when passing trucks head on except as we all know the wind different trucks and speed will always change this .Trucks overtaking you will always suck you in as they pass the front of the vehicle and as far as I know there is no fix for this.
For a little bit of peace of mind and making the ride much better out on those outback highways I reckon WDH is a small investment in your safety and if you find they dont work dont use them . A tip though use ones you can back with and do u turns otherwise you will get a lot of practice taking them on and off mine are Hayman Reece rated to 340 kg and can jack knife without doing damage I hope you sort out your problems without moving tanks around in your van in my previous van I added a 100 litre tank behind the axle and always travelled with it full but maybe do that after warranty period ends as these caravan builders will use any modifications to get out of liabilities.
Cheers
Mate as you know I use mine at 2am cos everyone is asleep and won't hear it but wondering what time others use theirs cos some idiot was running his the other day at 5pm when I was trying to enjoy happy hour.
Enjoy the big day tomorrow and the following week. Drink, be merry BUT keep safe while doing it.
Same to you, Doug.
John,with respect,once again you show an absolute misunderstanding of a WDH...why on earth would Paul want to take weight off a rear axle that is currently carrying only 1670kg? Do you not understand that this is dangerous in the extreme,encouraging oversteer? Your car has a GVM of 3600kg, but is set up to carry 2150kg on the rear axle.....Paul's car's rear axle capacity is 1850kg,and he is nowhere near that figure...do you not understand that he needs less towball weight,but more weight in his car's tray? His problem at the moment is that the van is ridiculously unbalanced, with 340kg towball weight and only 2460kg GTM....crazy stuff.And as for your suggestion that Paul add water tanks behind the axles,then all tanks would have to be plumbed separately,and closely monitored to manage ball weight. I did consider that option for Paul,but he cannot do it because he is already right up on his ATM.....and you seem not to understand that a WDH adds weight to the van's axle group,but does not change towball weight,so it is easy to exceed the ATM.In my opinion,a WDH is used only by those who are trying to make a car do things for which that car never was designed, and you no doubt have had positive experiences with your customised setup,but in Paul's case,as well as increasing TBO,adding unnecessary weight,and increasing instability,it would be absolutely useless and a waste of money.The only way that Paul can sort his problem is to get the weight in his van ...water tanks or,preferably,batteries.....back over the van's axle group,and get some weight in his ute's tray.His van,at 2800kg,is lighter than his 2980kg car,but the weights are in the wrong places.Hope this helps? Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Thursday 24th of December 2020 08:31:51 AM
I have a brand new,unstarted,Yamaha 2800i if you're interested Doug.Merry Xmas to all.Cheers
The OP sounds like he has the potential for a somewhat unbalanced weight set up if he fills tanks and loads his extras in the storage provided.
Advice to try and move items to more evenly balance the weight is good but I would suggest actually checking with the vehicle manufacturer as to wether the use of a Weight Distribution Hitch is advised or in some cases, recommended.
Another point that is sadly overlooked in posts about caravan sway or instability is TYRE PRESSURES.
Make sure both car and van tyres are inflated correctly including compensation for pressures when the tyre is at running temperature.
Yobarr, you may want to include this important fact rather than providing half baked and often rude advice on Weight Distribution Hitches. Actually a WDH may be recommended by some vehicle manufacturers but at the same time not discounting a badly loaded van or tow vehicle.
Maybe the van builder has a solution if he contacts them with his current figures.
Regards
Rob
-- Edited by bentaxlebabe on Thursday 24th of December 2020 08:34:15 AM
With respect,I do not offer "half baked" advice,as I ensure that my posts always are well researched,and factual.You seem not to recall that I already have posted the reasons that some manufacturers recommend the use of a WDH? I had posted another reply to your original post this morning,but it went missing because of spasmodic internet coverage where I am.That post was made before you Edited,and added to your original post,which did not contain any derogatory comment about me? Cheerss
-- Edited by yobarr on Thursday 24th of December 2020 10:44:26 AM
Yobarr,
This very post by you is the reason I edited my comment.
You are rude and your information is generalised to suit your agenda of the repetitive advice that no one should use a WDH.
Your rudeness to others annoys me and it is unnecessary.
Regards and a Merry Xmas
Rob
Here ya go Cindy, save going to the big green shed.
Come on Doug what good is that without a bl@@dy big chain to go with it ..... Only doing half a job mate , not up to your standard .
Sorry outlaw, mate. I beg your forgiveness.
Will this do?
forgiveness granted Doug , after all if Trumpy can pardon all his criminal mate then I could hardly deny you now could I . Merry Christmas to you .
Hi Greg...I know that you have a way better understanding of weights than do some others,so I can only surmise that you haven't read each post I have made? If you had,I am sure that you wouldn't suggest using a WDH on a combination with an all-up weight (GCM?) of 5440kg,but only 1670kg on the car's rear axle. Not only would doing this further reduce weight on that axle,it also would increase the chances of oversteer.As well, Paul is already running close to his ATM.The only solution to Paul's dilemma is to move weight back in the van,over the axles. I wish you and your kin a Merry Xmas.Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Thursday 24th of December 2020 06:58:17 PM
X2,
As I have stated to Yobarr before, not a matter of cranking it up to shift heaps of weight around, mine so the van and tug sit nice and level, no swaying either, towed for 14 years with one.
Cheers Bob
Hi Bob...you seem not to understand that Paul does not need to shift weight around in his car....he just needs to get weight OFF the towbar and onto his van's axles....he does NOT need to get weight off the rear axle,which is what a WDH does.His rear axle weight is only 1670kg,which is ridiculously low on a car that is towing a van that gives total weight on wheels of car and van (GCM if you like) of 5440kg. Paul already is approaching his van's ATM,and,as well as taking weight OFF his already underloaded rear axle,a WDH will put MORE weight onto his van's axle group,perhaps then exceeding his ATM. Level means absolutely nothing,unless your van has non load-sharing suspension.Paul has NO option but to move the weight back in his van,over the axles. The rest naturally falls in to place.I wish you and your kin a Happy Xmas.Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Thursday 24th of December 2020 07:12:18 PM