shifting some weight

[budget]

hi guys ,
I am hoping that this is not a too silly question. I would like to shift some weight from the front to the back on my golf lindwood 2006.
tow ball weight is approx. 220 kg, car is a bmw x5.
now the van is obviously a twin axle,would I achieve anything by moving the spare tyre from front to back? the spare tyre weighs 20 kilo, if it was a single axle I think it could help but would a twin axle allow the weight to shift.
thanks
thanks in advance
paul

[joe2006]

It will change the ball weight.
How much really depends on how far forward and how far back from the wheels, the spare is/will be located. Doesn't matter that it is tandem.

[glanyard]

hi guys ,
I am hoping that this is not a too silly question. I would like to shift some weight from the front to the back on my golf lindwood 2006.
tow ball weight is approx. 220 kg, car is a bmw x5.
now the van is obviously a twin axle,would I achieve anything by moving the spare tyre from front to back? the spare tyre weighs 20 kilo, if it was a single axle I think it could help but would a twin axle allow the weight to shift.
thanks
thanks in advance
paul

Have you checked your 2.7 tonne towing capacity against the weight of the Linwood ready to go all packed up?
glanyard

[Old Techo]

G'day Paul,

If you tell me these distances I will tell you the change in ball weight

X being the distance from tow coupling to centre of the tandem axles
Y being the distance from tow coupling to present spare location
Z being the distance from tow coupling to proposed spare location

If the suspension is not load sharing it will effect the calcs but not in a practical sense.

[loub]

Hi Budget, The Towball weight is about right for the golf.Is it a 21 ft model.I have a 21ft golf and my towball weight is about the same.They are a well balanced van hence the spare being mounted under the front.Can you move some of the gear in the van around rather then move the spare.Is the ass of the x5 dragging down to much.some more information on the weights would be a help ie tug ,van .peter

[budget]

hi guys,
thanks for the reply's, firstly the vehicle is no problem,perfectly level.tow hitch is the anderson hitch.
small error regarding the tow ball weight ,it is 270kgs.
presently the tow ball weight ,from a spring loaded haymen reece indicator comes in at 180 kg.
the van is sensibly loaded,nothing out of the ordinary other than an extra gas bottle in the front which takes it to 3 gas bottles.
the reason i was looking at moving the spare was that i just spent 1300 $ on new tyres,(wheel alignment at max,and i wanted to experiment with ball weight).
ATM 2465
GTM 2285
TARE 2015
BALL WEIGHT 270 KGS
BMW X5 2.7

thank you
paul

[TramcarTrev]

I have doubts that moving 20Kg anywhere is going to result in any more than a 5kg reduction at the ball...
You have 2 water tanks? If so traveling with the rear one full and front empty may reduce the ball weight but again not by much.

Im assuming your weight measurements are from a weigh bridge and not as per the compliance plate.

They seem just a bit light compared with mine, ATM 2500kg and 20'.

ATM is the combined weight of the trailer and its full load when it is not coupled to a tow vehicle. GTM is the weight of the fully loaded trailer imposed on the trailer’s axle when it is coupled to the tow vehicle. GTM will always be less than ATM as some of the trailer weight is transferred to the tow vehicle when the trailer is coupled to it.

[budget]

thank you for the reply,
all weights are from my compliance plate .
my two water tanks are forward of the axles.
i agree that the work involved may not be worth it.
i will be taking the van to the weigh bridge this week, what is the proper procedure for weighing the van?
regards paul

[TramcarTrev]

thank you for the reply,
all weights are from my compliance plate .
my two water tanks are forward of the axles.
i agree that the work involved may not be worth it.
i will be taking the van to the weigh bridge this week, what is the proper procedure for weighing the van?
regards paul

Ok good move.
To get the ATM weigh the van fully loaded but not connected to the vehicle.
To get the GTM weigh the van fully loaded while connected to the vehicle, probably easier to do this first, then take off the van and drive off the weigh bridge.
To get the ball weight just weigh the van with only the jocky wheel on the weigh bridge...
Its important to actually know the "real" weights. If you ever get a roadside inspection your van will be weighed, the inspector wont take the compliance plate as gospel...
The other weight you may find good to know is the GCM This is the maximum weight allowed for your vehicle and trailer combined, as specified by the tow vehicle's manufacturer. This is where you have to pay close attention to your vehicle's GVM and your trailer's ATM, because those two figures determine the GCM and one directly affects the other.

[Old Techo]

I have doubts that moving 20Kg anywhere is going to result in any more than a 5kg reduction at the ball...

TT, if it was my van and the spare was mounted at the front, on the A frame, like the gas bottles, then it would be 4 feet from the tow coupling. From the coupling to my tandem axle centres is 16 feet. Thus removing this 20 kg spare would reduce the ball weight by 12/16*20 = 15 kg.

From my axle centre to rear bumper is 8 feet. By adding the 20 kg spare to my rear bumper would further reduce the ball weight by 8/16*20 = 10 kg. Net reduction 15 + 10 = 25 kg.