Caravan Noseweight Calculator

Noseweight is the downward force the caravan's hitch exerts on the tow vehicle's tow ball when coupled up. It is a small fraction of the caravan's total weight, but getting it right is one of the most important safety checks before towing.

Between 5% and 7% of the caravan's actual laden weight, or its MTPLM if you have not weighed it. For a 1,400kg caravan, that is roughly 70kg to 98kg, though your maximum permitted noseweight may be lower than that, in which case the lower figure applies.

Check three places and use the lowest: your tow vehicle's handbook (or the manufacturer's published figure), your caravan's coupling/chassis plate (AL-KO couplings are commonly rated around 100kg), and your towbar's rating plate. Whichever of the three is lowest is the hard limit you must not exceed.

Use a purpose-made noseweight gauge, or the bathroom-scales-and-plank method: raise the jockey wheel and corner steadies so the caravan is supported only at the hitch, then support the hitch on a scale (directly, or via a plank/lever with a scale under one end) and read the weight.

Insufficient noseweight is a recognised cause of trailer instability and snaking at speed, especially in crosswinds or from a passing vehicle. Move heavier items further forward, over or just ahead of the axle, and re-measure.

Excess noseweight overloads your tow vehicle's rear axle and puts extra strain on the coupling and towbar, which can affect steering and braking. Move heavier items further back in the caravan, or reduce the overall load, and re-measure.

Yes. If your tow vehicle, coupling or towbar's maximum permitted noseweight is lower than the caravan's minimum recommended noseweight (5% of its laden weight), you cannot reach a safe noseweight for that caravan at that weight with that combination. This calculator flags that specific mismatch separately from a normal too high or too low result.

Yes, significantly. Moving the same items to different positions in the caravan changes the noseweight even though the total laden weight stays the same: items near the front or over the axle increase noseweight, items toward the rear reduce it.

No. MTPLM (Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass) is the caravan's total maximum weight limit. Noseweight is a separate, much smaller figure: the specific downward force at the hitch when the caravan is coupled up.

You should re-check it whenever your loading changes significantly (a different mix of luggage, water, gas, or passengers' belongings), since noseweight can shift even when total weight looks similar.

Most passenger cars have a maximum noseweight somewhere between 75kg and 100kg, stated in the vehicle handbook or on a plate near the towbar. Always check your specific vehicle rather than assuming a typical figure applies.

The same 5-7%-of-laden-weight guideline and lowest-of-the-limits rule are commonly applied to trailers too, though some trailer types (box trailers, plant trailers) may have manufacturer-specific guidance, so check the trailer's documentation if it states a different figure.

Because 5-7% of laden weight is itself a range, and the maximum permitted noseweight from your specific vehicle/coupling/towbar combination can cap that range further. The calculator shows both the general recommended range and your combination's actual safe range, since they are not always the same.

No. This tool checks noseweight only, using standard UK caravan industry guidance. It does not cover licence categories, overall towing weight limits, speed limits while towing, or other legal requirements for towing in the UK, so check GOV.UK and your tow vehicle/caravan handbooks for those.

If you cannot bring noseweight into the safe range by repositioning items, consider reducing overall load, redistributing weight between the car and caravan, or checking whether your tow vehicle/coupling/towbar combination is actually suitable for this caravan. Contact your caravan dealer, the Caravan and Motorhome Club, or a weighbridge/towing specialist for individual advice.