By CHECK WEIGHT
When it comes to towing safety, most people are across terms like ATM, GVM and GCM. But one sneaky little detail often flies under the radar — your hitch height.
And let us tell you: it has a massive impact on your tow ball weight, your axle loads, and how safely your caravan tows.
If you’re towing a dual axle caravan, the effect can be even more dramatic — and harder to spot without proper weighing.
Let’s dig into why.
What is Hitch Height?
Your hitch height is the distance from the ground to the centre of your tow ball. Simple enough.
But when you hitch up your caravan, especially a heavy dual axle, the angle between the van and the tow vehicle changes depending on that height. And that angle changes the way weight is distributed — both onto your tow ball and across the axles of the van.
Why It Matters for Dual Axles
Dual axle caravans are more stable on the road — but they also disguise weight imbalance better than single axles. You won’t always see a clear lean or sag.
But what’s happening underneath can still be dangerous:
- One axle might be taking the brunt of the load
- Your tow ball weight might be outside legal limits
- Your caravans rear axle (or front axle) could be overloaded
- Your braking and handling could be compromised
At CHECK WEIGHT, we’ve weighed thousands of vans, and we regularly see hitch height changes throw everything out — even if you’re “legal on paper.”
The Effects of Nose-Up vs Nose-Down
🔼 Nose-Up (Hitch too high):
- Caravan tilts backwards
- Tow ball weight increases (yes, doesn’t sound correct, but it does)
- More weight shifts to the rear axle of the caravan
- Reduces weight on the front axle of your tow vehicle
- May cause sway at speed or porpoising (porpoising is a potentially dangerous issue where the trailer alternates between lifting and diving, resembling the motion of a porpoise in the water)
🔽 Nose-Down (Hitch too low):
- Caravan tilts forward
- Tow ball weight decreases— often too much
- More weight ends up on the front axle of the caravan. Can underload the rear axle of your caravan
- Reduces front-end stability of the caravan
- Wears caravan front axle tyres
- Can throw your caravan wheel alignment out.
We’ve seen dual-axle caravans where one axle was carrying 500-1000 kg more than the other just because the hitch was too low. That could increase wear on tyres, bearings, and suspension.
It’s Not Just About the Numbers — It’s About Control
A level caravan isn’t just about weight — it’s about how it handles on the road.
An unbalanced van:
- Doesn’t brake evenly – vastly different weights affect braking control, resulting in wheels locking
- Can bounce or sway over bumps
- Shifts weight through corners unpredictably
If you’re running a heavy van on uneven axle loads, you’re risking tyre blowouts, increased wear, and poor stopping power.
The Fix: Level It Out
Getting your hitch height right is simple — if you know how. Here’s how to check:
- Obviously, weighing the caravan and the tow vehicle and finding out exactly where the weight is, is our recommendation.
- Once you know the weights and the correct height you hitch should be, you can use an adjustable drop hitch to fine-tune.
- Once hitched, the caravan should sit visually level or slightly nose-down.
- If your tow vehicle needs a rear suspension upgrade or airbags, this will also change the hitch height. Be aware how this will affect your caravan weights.
But here’s the kicker — you can’t just eyeball axle weights or tow ball weight. That’s why weighing is critical.
How CHECK WEIGHT Helps
At CHECK WEIGHT, we don’t just slap on scales and give you numbers — we explain the why behind them.
- We measure tow ball weight on-site (accurate to 1kg)
- We assess how your hitch height is affecting axle loads
- We give you the information so you can correct
It’s the little tweaks like hitch height that can make the difference between safe, legal, and a more comfortable drive and tow.
Ready to Tow Safe?
👉 Book Now at www.checkweight.com.au
