Tow Ball Weight L405

[orangepop]

Can anyone confirm what the maximum allowable tow ball weight (nose weight) is for a L405 please.

[Graeme]

Australian specs for MY2016 show 350kg except for the hybrid and 5.0 SC which are 300kg.

[BobD]

My manual says:

"Australia only: Tow Ball nose weight must be a minimum of 7% of gross caravan/trailer weight, up to a maximum of 350kg."

[Geedublya]

Australian specs for MY2016 show 350kg except for the hybrid and 5.0 SC which are 300kg.

The V8 SC you refer to is the SVR, the standard V8SC is 350kg.

[orangepop]

Australian specs for MY2016 show 350kg except for the hybrid and 5.0 SC which are 300kg.

Hmmmmmm .. that’s what I believed however the WESTFALIA sticker on the tow bar of my 2016 SDV8 Autobiography says “Max Vert Load S200kg” which I assume is the nose weight? I phoned the dealer and asked for the spec on a new bar & was told max weight 250kg and that there was only 1 model ... I thought there may be a light & a heavy duty bar.

[orangepop]

My manual says:

"Australia only: Tow Ball nose weight must be a minimum of 7% of gross caravan/trailer weight, up to a maximum of 350kg."

BobD, my owners handbooks says the same on page 115. The paragraph above mentions the 200kg & 250kg . Hopefully the sticker relates only to the UK spec. I would be interested to know if anyone has a sticker stating 350kg on their L405 tow bar.

[CSBrisie]

Mine same as yours "S200"...on the actual tow bar (had never noticed (read: crawled under there"!!)

[Graeme]

How much weight is S200? Seems more like referring to a standard rather than actual kg.

[CSBrisie]

Good point!

[Graeme]

I suspect that it's an AU approval code obtained by JLRA or perhaps the tow-bar manufacturer's special approval code for AU use.

[orangepop]

It states “Max Vert Load S200 kg”

[orangepop]

https://www.aulro.com/mobile-gallery/9419bd9d899f8ee9b0cff3d3ef8df142.jpg

[orangepop]

I googled ECE-R55 which resulted in this: try & get your head around it
https://
www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2007L02226/95858410-6240-4700-9265-55e3a39f3eba

[Graeme]

It appears to me that the S in S200kg stands for the defined Static Vertical Load of the ECE-R55 approval in the same manner as the D value (derived from towing mass) and therefore 200 kg is the manufacturer's assessed limit for the standard.

However the standard would need to include a standard or manufacturer-defined armature length which if it exceeded LR's armature length for the L405 would allow a higher tow-ball mass such as stated by LR. No armature length is stated on the label so I assume that a standard length applies, possibly for the stated class.

[orangepop]

Thanks Graeme, so for a mere mortal like me , does that mean that the “S200kg” does NOT relate to the weight a caravan towball hitch exerts on the bar, i.e up to the L405’s specification of 350kg.

[Graeme]

I believe that S200kg is referring to a static vertical load of 200 kg according to the ECE-R55-01 standard definition. However unless the approval is tied to a particular length armature, which is does not appear to reference but maybe does in the full documentation for the submission to get the approval, then the 200 kg is meaningless.

The Federal Govt's RVD1 record (Road Vehicle Descriptor) does not show a maximum ball weight, only maximum towing weight, for which the April 2015 record for the 3.0 and 4.4 L405 as an example is 3500 kg. Hence without a maximum ball weight on the tow-bar or the tongue, one can only refer to LR's published maximum ball weight. IIRC the Victorian exercise some months ago to weigh vans/trailers including ball weights used manufacturer's specifications for both, but also checked that the tongue and ball were appropriately rated for the vans/trailers.

I would be trying to limit ball weight to 250kg even though LR state 350kg because for the rest of the world LR make the limit 250kg and therefore 350kg may over time result in excessive stressing of both the tow-bar and the rear of the vehicle. I have an outstanding task to move my van's spare from under the draw-bar to the rear to get ball weight closer to 250kg than it is currently, but noting that LR did not increase the L322's ball weight to 350kg for us.

[CSBrisie]

IIRC the ball weight on the RRC and P38 were 350kg, before it dropped to 250kg on the L322 and now back to 350kg on L405.

[orangepop]

I believe that S200kg is referring to a static vertical load of 200 kg according to the ECE-R55-01 standard definition. However unless the approval is tied to a particular length armature, which is does not appear to reference but maybe does in the full documentation for the submission to get the approval, then the 200 kg is meaningless.

The Federal Govt's RVD1 record (Road Vehicle Descriptor) does not show a maximum ball weight, only maximum towing weight, for which the April 2015 record for the 3.0 and 4.4 L405 as an example is 3500 kg. Hence without a maximum ball weight on the tow-bar or the tongue, one can only refer to LR's published maximum ball weight. IIRC the Victorian exercise some months ago to weigh vans/trailers including ball weights used manufacturer's specifications for both, but also checked that the tongue and ball were appropriately rated for the vans/trailers.

I would be trying to limit ball weight to 250kg even though LR state 350kg because for the rest of the world LR make the limit 250kg and therefore 350kg may over time result in excessive stressing of both the tow-bar and the rear of the vehicle. I have an outstanding task to move my van's spare from under the draw-bar to the rear to get ball weight closer to 250kg than it is currently, but noting that LR did not increase the L322's ball weight to 350kg for us.

Thank you again Graeme, I’ll play with van loading & see how I go. Personally I feel happier when it’s ball weight is between 280 kg & 320 kg. I prefer to travel with both water tanks full to keep a low center of gravity. Dropping water from the front tank will get it to 250kg.