Loading Your A'van

This is without doubt one of the most critical aspects of caravanning and you regularly get behind vans that swing alarmingly from side to side! This is caused by incorrect loading, and it means that there is not enough weight on the tow ball. If the swinging is not corrected by momentarily applying the electric trailer brakes manually, or if you're brave enough - accelerating, then jack knifing will eventually occur. Not a pretty sight looking out the driver's window and seeing the back of your van there! So how do we stop this happening?

Text book loading - no levelling devices needed!

First up, unlike a lot of other brands your A'van comes from the factory almost perfectly balanced and it is a credit to the factory for taking the time to get it so right. They are also one of the few manufacturers to own scales. Most experts suggest a ball weight of 10% of the vans weight. The ball weight on ours was 70kg. It would be more if you had opening windows at the front and less if you had plain windows in the rear. Now the first time we loaded it fully the nose weight INCREASED to an unacceptable 130kg. At this point I suggest you look in your vehicle's hand book to find out the maximum recommended NOSE WEIGHT for your particular tow vehicle. (rear axle loading) You will find a lot of info on this in the Jan/Feb/March 2001 editions of Caravan World, as there has been a lot of debate on the subject! In our case we have the Subaru Forester with self levelling rear suspension, and the manual allows a maximum of 75kg without towing aids. (or 120 kg with a weight distributing hitch) Having totally ruined a Magna's rear suspension 10 years ago we take these recommendations seriously!
By sticking to the factory weights you probably won't wear out your rear suspension and your headlights wont be aimed at the moon! We have used load levelling devices in the past, but are loathe to use them with the A'van, as who wants all that extra complication. Besides we are convinced it does not need them, as our van tows rock steady at well over 100kph. On the other hand if you have an A'van/Chalet with the front trunk option or a front air-conditioner you will ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY need some sort of weight distributing hitch such as Hayman Reece or Towmaster. We suggest you use a professional for towing advice as it is a critical safety issue. As soon as you take delivery of your new van try to go to a weigh bridge and get the van weight PLUS the ball weight. As you add more accessories you will have to allow for them. To be street legal and not in breach of your insurance the TOTAL MASS must not exceed the TARE as stamped on the van A-Frame by more than 300 KG. This is the law and has nothing to do with the make or type of van. You will find a lot of information on this subject in A-Clinic and on A-Forum but beware a lot of it is very heavy going!

A flat piece of wood on top is ESSENTIAL!

So, how do you keep your nose weight in the correct range? Believe it or not it can be done with just an ordinary set of bathroom scales and a couple of bits of timber. The photos are pretty self explanatory. It is CRITICALLY important to place a large area support timber on the scales first. Just raise the jockey wheel until you can fit the timber under the coupling, then GENTLY lower until the reading stabilises. At this point the jockey wheel will be a couple of millimeters off the ground. MAKE CERTAIN THE HAND BRAKE IS FULLY ON. As this kit all weighs very little we take it with us on extended trips and occasionally take a reading. It has another advantage - you eat less as the scales are there to weight you as well as the van! After a while you become VERY expert at loading. Chrissy is fantastic at this now, and I don't interfere as I always get it wrong! A good demonstration is to get a reading with the water tank full. Then drain the water with the scales still in place. Amazing isn't it? An 11kg difference on an A'van 3C!

This ad is in the Jan/2001 edition of Caravan World

There is a nifty little gadget specially made for reading nose weight - available from ADK, 5 Aspley Court, Ferntree Gully, Vic 3156 and on the phone at (03) 9763 6456. Again, you might like to look in your 2000 copies of Caravan World as there was a review with a better picture. The maker is of course a caravanner himself! Cost from memory was around $100. We can't go down this path as it adds more weight to our rig for a single purpose item, BUT we totally agree with the concept and if you have six cylinders go for it! Having done a lot of long distance touring we ALWAYS travel with the water tank full. This is simply because we want to live in case of a breakdown! So make sure it is full when you do any tests. This is not as critical on pop tops as the tank is usually mounted next to the axle under the van and whether it is full or empty makes little difference to the nose weight. Having bought four tanks so far I absolutely prefer A'vans/Chalets approach with it tucked away safely inside - also A'van/Chalet tanks taste better than the dreadful black plastic versions for "ordinary" vans! Having said that I did see a fantastic stainless steel one at Crows Nest in December fitted by Charlie & Rose Garvin underneath and near the axle. He used the old plastic tank space to put in another solar battery - reckoned his lights could go for 500+ hours!
So experiment with loading your camper. We suggest that you try not to carry enough tinned food to feed the CMF! Try not to put TV, sewing machines, boxes of rocks up under the front table OR put really heavy things right at the back. It doesn't take long to get it just right. Try to distribute the weight evenly from side to side and back to front. Don't forget the MAXIMUM LOAD PERMITTED BY LAW IS ONLY 300KG. This figure INCLUDES all your liquids such as gas and water. Remember it is critically important to think BEFORE you modify your van, as to the consequences of CHANGED weight distribution. We suggest you thoroughly read all the contributions made to A-Clinic on this subject as it is a minefield.