Thread: Can a Disco 4 tow a van with 350kg ball weight... I think not fit for purpose..

The key to a stable trailer is weight distribution, and suspension, not a WDH or trailer assist or whatever gadget out there, just load your bloody trailer/van properly, and if you are a coiled vehicle, good shocks and springs that are setup for towing, it's not rocket science

Originally Posted by haydent

For sure, and this is always the best/preferred option. Ive spent much more time testing the way weight in different areas affects my ball weight, and how I can reduce this as much as possible while still staying within recommended guidelines.

I only trialled out a WDH for something to do, as they are so cheap on marketplace ($150)

I have a cheap digital tow ball weight scale off ebay, which helps me with this, (i tried the analogue spring based one and they are inaccurate), i have tested the accuracy of the ball scale, with better 4 pad car scales, which i have access to when needed.

The most recent test I did was to take everything out of my caravan tunnel storage, and see how much effect that has on my ball weight.

Generally speaking most caravans have the bulk of their storage at the front end, which i guess is a bit more fool proof for people not weighing things. as at worse you will only make a heavy ball weight when carrying too much, compared with if they offered rear storage as well, and this was overloaded, and you made the ball weight dangerously too light.

That being said I got the recent inspiration to rethink my tunnel storage, after seeing some vans with quite large storage boxes added to their rear. And for my situation (and most landrovers) this would really help to be able to balance my ball weight (and thus limited rear axle load) by moving things from the tunnel to the rear.

I took everything out, measuring the ball weight before and after, you dont think you have much but it all adds up, and on most vans theres no where else to put it:
-3x Folding Chairs and a Aluminium Folding Table
-Tool bags
-A plastic storage crate with some bits and pieces, van spares
-A gas 2 burner stove
-Cast camp oven
-Folding Aluminium Clothes line
-2x awning antiflap struts
-Ground mesh covering

Ball weight before: 270kg
After: 230kg
Rear axle reduction: appx 56kg (x1.4)

So I wouldnt want to put all this in the rear as it would reduce the ball weight even more (too much) and the new storage box on the back will also reduce the ball weight.

So it encouraging to see there are options to significantly alleviate rear axle load, though i would only recommend rear storage modification options with ball weight monitoring.

Another option is extra spare tyres/jerry cans, though with this you are adding more weight as well rather than just redistributing it, so can negatively affect your ball weight percentage.

This is the scale i carry $170
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This is an example of custom rear storage available (though ive also seen people just bolt a standard storage box on the rear bar)
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I don't do a lot of towing anymore, the odd trip to the tip(don't have roadside garbage collection) but I still setup my trailers properly

This was our setup for our Kimberley trip, 22,700ks.
The hitch was setup to make the height correct, making it level.

The camper was custom built with a longer drawer bar for better stability, fully loaded with 3 jerrycans on the front, 1.4tonne and 75kg ball weight, and pretty much the same when connected to our previous touring rig, 2001 Discovery 2, this camper towed like a dream.

That scale is brilliant, wish I'd had that for testing the ball weight, beats using bathroom scales

Those storage boxes look brilliant, and great outcome with reducing weight over the ball
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