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Post by Mustang on Aug 16, 2017 8:24:18 GMT 10
When I bought a ball weight scale there have been some interest from fellow members & friends, here are my findings to date. Vincent the Viscount: Member "Zippo" also a 17' single Viscount 180kg. Member "78466noM" 16' Millard 180kg. This Lotus tandem 300kg:  This Zone 20.6' unladen only 140kg, adjustable air suspension, with 8x shockies. (no its not mine)  I will post more results as they come to hand (or visit) I will have the scale at Leyburn if any member is interested. |
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Post by bobt on Aug 16, 2017 21:03:04 GMT 10
Tow ball weights on the modern box have been the cause of a lot of grief in my household.
The engineering used in the manufacturer of some modern caravans leaves an awful lot to be desired.
I have been using one of those portable scales, the difficult part for me has been trying to find a level spot at my place to park the box to get a reasonably accurate reading. The still to mature other box (built in 95) has no such problem, Ugly doesnt register on the scale..
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Post by Warrenk on Aug 17, 2017 8:42:11 GMT 10
The Americians seem to balance their caravans a bit better the Australian manufactures. I imported a new caravan from the US 4 years and although the ball weight was high for the tare weight, 290kg, with 600kg of load in the caravan(water tanks full) the ball weight is 320kg. The ball weight works out to about 12%.
Our Olympic Riviera has a pretty high ball weight at around 150kg. The earlier manufactures appear to understand how ball weight can affect the stability of caravans, something some modern manufactures don't.
Warren
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Post by doublechevron on Aug 17, 2017 10:24:19 GMT 10
It depends on the manufacturer ... The europeans have the "swaying bastards" as I call them caravans. However, there is a huge amount of design and investigation put into there 'vans. Eg: look at the modern vans Baileys. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFzrWHTG5e8If you watch the video ... They show the "tradiational" aussie caravan towards the end. gas bottles, tool boxes, annex poles and big boot on the front and two massive offroad spares, tool box ... and maybe pushbikes and boat motor on the back. It is actually harder to get these 'vans to sway if you watch a few of these demonstration videos. They seem to be far more stable up to the point where they start to sway .... then it's all over, they are almost instantly massively out of control. now you go to the modern european caravan. My parents van is like this. There is no front boot (so you can't put weight on the nose), no rear bumper to hang nuts from. The spare is underslung between the axles from memory. The tanks are between the axles. The gas bottles are under the sink in the middle of the caravan. Everything "heavy" is right over the axles. This layout will produce a caravan that "moves around and wanders a bit" I reckon. But it's also highly, massively unlikely you will ever end up with dangerous levels of sway (as it corrects itself almost right away). You do see videos of pommy 'vans swaying and crashing if you look on youtube. I reckon they'll be massively tail heavy. If you have the bed at the back, the only place to put most of your contents is under the bed. With a normal ball weight of about 70kgs ... it doesn't take much loading at the back edge of the caravan to make it tail heavy. seeya, Shane L. |
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Post by Warrenk on Aug 18, 2017 16:29:47 GMT 10
I just picked up another Riviera yesterday. I decided to get it weighed as the rego papers said it weighed 800 kg which I did not believe. I emptied it out completely got it weighted. I was right not to believe the paperwork as it weighed the same as my other Riviera at 900kg.
The interesting part was the ball weight which only weighed 100kg. I have two Rivieras, one is 1968 model and other one is a 1986 model. Same weight two different ball weights
Ball weight
1968 Riviera 150kg
1986 Riviera 100kg
Warren
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Post by Mustang on Aug 23, 2017 7:15:08 GMT 10
Another visitor this week a 19yo Scenic, very loaded, 190kg ball weight.  |
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Post by lillibet on Oct 1, 2017 18:06:14 GMT 10
I met some people in my travels who had just sold their father's Olympic that he had purchased from the factory.
They told me their father had been allowed to take the van off the assembly line before any furniture and fittings were in to get it weighed for rego to save some money.
Maybe that explains some of the different Tares and GVM's on Olympics of the same model.
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Post by Mustang on Oct 7, 2017 9:04:48 GMT 10
I met some people in my travels who had just sold their father's Olympic that he had purchased from the factory. They told me their father had been allowed to take the van off the assembly line before any furniture and fittings were in to get it weighed for rego to save some money. Maybe that explains some of the different Tares and GVM's on Olympics of the same model. OMG !!!!!!  |
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Post by Mustang on Oct 26, 2017 19:23:16 GMT 10
New weight :
1975 Franklin Single axle 140kg
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Post by planner on Oct 30, 2017 9:34:16 GMT 10
New weight : 1975 Franklin Single axle 140kg I've never weighed our Franklin (overall OR ball), but I don't think it's 140kg. I "can" lift it, if I really have to. I'm thinking closer to 100kg. Nothing scientific just a "gut feel". I must get around to weighing it one day. I note that Vicroads now allow you to self weigh on the Broadford weighbridge (Hume Freeway) when it's not being used. Was meant to encourage truckies to self regulate, but each time I go past there's a van parked on the pads. Planner |
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Post by Mustang on Oct 31, 2017 8:51:15 GMT 10
Sounds like you are "well balanced" Planner.
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Post by snoops on Oct 31, 2017 17:55:22 GMT 10
New weight : 1975 Franklin Single axle 140kg I've never weighed our Franklin (overall OR ball), but I don't think it's 140kg. I "can" lift it, if I really have to. I'm thinking closer to 100kg. Nothing scientific just a "gut feel". I must get around to weighing it one day. I note that Vicroads now allow you to self weigh on the Broadford weighbridge (Hume Freeway) when it's not being used. Was meant to encourage truckies to self regulate, but each time I go past there's a van parked on the pads. Planner VicRoads now have at least 3 weighbridges that are available for public use 24/7 now - it is to encourage not only trucks, but also caravanners to know their weights - the one at Broadford that you mentioned and there's also the one at Merbein near Mildura heading towards Renmark and just recently they upgraded the weighbridge between Yarragon and Trafalgar and this is also now open to the public. |
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Post by planner on Nov 2, 2017 7:55:25 GMT 10
Sounds like you are "well balanced" Planner. "Well Balanced" or "Easily Tipped Over". Fine line between the 2, and I'm told that I'm capable of both Mustang  |
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Post by Mustang on Nov 2, 2017 19:54:17 GMT 10
Another visitor this week a 19yo Scenic, very loaded, 190kg ball weight. I forgot to add: This Scenic has travelled over 100,000 Km with virtually no problems!! |
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Post by Mustang on Nov 1, 2018 21:01:56 GMT 10
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Post by bobt on Nov 4, 2018 23:22:10 GMT 10
do you know what the tare weight is?
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Post by Mustang on Nov 7, 2018 8:32:51 GMT 10
do you know what the tare weight is? As soon as the lights are fitted I will get it weighed, thinking around 6/700kg at the moment, I can push it around easily!!! |
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