Australian Trip - My Ultimate Trip - australian road conditions

Our distant rig out west

Why Is Towball Weight Critical?

Motoring authorities, ie. car makers, automobile associations etc., suggest that the optimum towball load is between 10 and 15% of the van's loaded weight. If this weight is 1,000kg, then the towball load should be between 100 and 150kg. Obviously if you have a large, heavily loaded van with a front kitchen, the towball load could exceed 200kg, so consequently your tow vehicle should be bigger in proportion to handle this load safely.

Excessive towball weight can be dangerous during heavy braking even though a load leveling hitch and independent van brakes are fitted. This can cause the van to fish-tail, the towing vehicle to lose control, and the whole rig to jack-knife. You need that to happen only once and your holiday could be spoiled. That excessive weight can be reduced by moving some of the load back behind the van wheels, or by off-loading some gear. Using a heavier tow vehicle can reduce the disparity in van-car weight.

Too little towball weight is also a hazard. During severe braking (and who can say they will not need to brake severely once in a 25,000km trip) the van could lift the vehicle's rear and reduce the tyre grip of the rear wheels, again leading to a jack-knife. Because of these problems, experts make their arbitrary pronouncements about towball weight. However, a van may place only 10% of its laden weight on your towball, but if the vehicle is too light for the rig, then even 10% is too much.

That horror of horrors, jack-knifing, can occur even with a well balanced rig; by braking heavily in loose gravel or by swerving wildly to avoid a dog or some small creature.

Van Electrics.

All modern vans will have wiring for 240 Volts AC, with an approved weatherproof receptacle for plugging in your power lead. This receptacle will accept a heavy duty 15 Amp female socket which has a wider than normal earth pin. Domestic extension leads are generally only 10 Amp rating and will not fit into the van's receptacle, because of its wide earth pin.

During our round Australia trip we had only one occasion when an additional extension lead was required to

reach to the van park's power outlet, and this lead was supplied by the park owner.

You should not need a spare power cord if your lead is the standard 10 metre length. I have seen some very dicey looking extension leads and connections used by caravanners, strung along the ground, across vehicle access paths, creating a hazard that could electrocute a small child, particularly in wet weather. Remember, even 100 Volts can kill, and the peak voltage in our domestic 240 Volt system is over 360 Volts. Take care with power leads and van park outlets that look decrepit and not weatherproof.

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