PHP XML DOMDocument

[Deadweight]

I am trying to save and load xml files (including append etc) using php in my php file here:

<?php
$xmlclass = new xml();

class xml{
	private $file;
	private $xml;
	
	public function getfile(){
		return $this->file;
	}
	public function setfile($name){
		$this->file = $name;
	}
	private function readyXML(){
		$this->xml = new DOMDocument();
	}
	public function createXML(){
		$this->readyXML();
		$this->saveXML();
	}
	
	public function addElement($node, $text){
		$this->loadXML();
		$ele = $this->xml->createElement($node);
    	$ele->nodeValue = $text;
    	$this->xml->appendChild($ele);	
		$this->saveXML();
	}
	
	public function removeElement(){
		$this->loadXML();
	}
	
	public function countElement($node){
		$this->loadXML();
		return $this->xml->getElementsByTagName($node)->length;
	}
	
	private function loadXML(){
		$this->readyXML();
		$this->xml->loadXML($this->file);
	}
	
	private function saveXML(){
		$this->xml->save($this->file);
	}
}

?>

Calling the code here:

<?php
require 'php/xml.php';

$file = 'xml/test.xml';
$xmlclass->setfile($file);

if(!file_exists($xmlclass->getfile()))
	$xmlclass->createXML();

$xmlclass->addElement('message','text testing 1');
$xmlclass->addElement('message','text testing 2');

?>

However, I keep getting errors like this:
Warning: DOMDocument::loadXML(): Start tag expected, '<' not found in Entity, line: 1 in C:\xampp\htdocs\Websites\XML Tester\php\xml.php on line 41

Also it seems that addElement doesnt add the element and just over writes it.