Payload (1 Viewer)

[Mickrik]

Hi there,

As I am slowly getting the hang of my Auto-trail Apache 634, I thought I would do the sensible thing and put her on a weighbridge.

The loading was with 2 full gas bottles 1/2 tank of diesel for 200+ miles, no water as it's free, I will use a 10L water can for travelling. All cooking and crockery implements, all bedding and us the two owners sitting in it. So the only thing missing is our spare clothing and personal possession which I expect will be about 40kg.

The V5 states 3500kg max capacity
Weighbridge came in at 3370kg

So I have a spare payload of 130kg with the van in running condition.

I recon if I fit a bike rack on, it may tip her over the weight limit and I won't be able to bring any nice trinkets back from our travels.

How many owners check the running condition weight of their vehicles?.

It was a great run out as I picked a weighbridge 20 miles away so I could give the engine a run. Though the satnav (CoPilot Caravan) sent me down a country lane where I was touching hedges both sides and grass growing up the middle.

Mick

 

[Forestboy]

Check mine fully loaded at least once a year.
Sounds like you've not got CoPilot set to motorhome.

 

[hilldweller]

How many owners check the running condition weight of their vehicles?
Mick

Every sensible one.

You also need two weighings because it is possible to be under max weight yet have one axle ( the back one usually ) over it's weight.

The V5 weight does not count, the one that does is the the plate with 3 or 4 weights put on by the converter - not the FIAT one in the engine bay.

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[Badknee]

We're looking to change our much loved Wentworth as we must be at or above our max weight even though it's been uprated. Scared the hell out of me when I rolled it ove the local w/b so went straight home and re-gigged what we were carrying.

 

[Bill_OR]

@Mickrik - I have the same MH (2012 model) and mine was plated at 3650. My payload was so low that I had to uprate it to 3850 to make sure that if I was stopped on the way back from France that I didn't have to throw the wine away!
Hence I'm amazed at your results - mind you our dog is a weighty beast and I'm saying nothing about the wife ;-)

 

[Muddibootz]

How many owners check the running condition weight of their vehicles?.
Mick

I have to admit that I don't and I know lots of other motorhomers that don't either.

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[Mickrik]

Hi Hilldweller

thanks for the info

"the plate with 3 or 4 weights"

any idea where it is usually placed so I can go check it on Monday

Mick

 

[EX51SSS]

Hi there,

As I am slowly getting the hang of my Auto-trail Apache 634, I thought I would do the sensible thing and put her on a weighbridge.

The loading was with 2 full gas bottles 1/2 tank of diesel for 200+ miles, no water as it's free, I will use a 10L water can for travelling. All cooking and crockery implements, all bedding and us the two owners sitting in it. So the only thing missing is our spare clothing and personal possession which I expect will be about 40kg.

The V5 states 3500kg max capacity
Weighbridge came in at 3370kg

So I have a spare payload of 130kg with the van in running condition.

I recon if I fit a bike rack on, it may tip her over the weight limit and I won't be able to bring any nice trinkets back from our travels.

How many owners check the running condition weight of their vehicles?.

It was a great run out as I picked a weighbridge 20 miles away so I could give the engine a run. Though the satnav (CoPilot Caravan) sent me down a country lane where I was touching hedges both sides and grass growing up the middle.

Mick

What did you mean as no water as it's free?

 

[Speve]

Always weigh ours before each long trip as we need to take more with us however we recently changed from Autotrail Tracker FB which we had to uprate to 3850kg to an Exsis i with 4250kg so we are well within limits.
You'll usually find plates under bonnet or on door pillar.one will be Fiat and other converters Autotrail should look like this. gvw ,gross train,front ,rear axles

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[Mickrik]

Hi There

What did you mean as no water as it's free?

I'm running with an empty water tank and use a tap when I get there. Not anticipating doing any wild stuff yet.

Mick

 

[EX51SSS]

Hi There




I'm running with an empty water tank and use a tap when I get there. Not anticipating doing any wild stuff yet.

Mick

Ah right ok. So don't use the toilet or shower or no need to wash the cups etc. There's a novel idea.
From my point, I weighed with a full tank then when I'm bringing my goodies from overseas, I've got that extra as I dump it before buying my supplies. Although I've got a good payload, it gives me that extra availability.

 

[funflair]

Hi There




I'm running with an empty water tank and use a tap when I get there. Not anticipating doing any wild stuff yet.

Mick

Thats OK but if you do start taking water with you, you could loose 100kg of that available payload straight away.

Martin

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[Speve]

IMHO you need to weigh again get whole van and then rear axle take one from other to give front axle then you can asses whether you need an uprate or just move your kit around to get even weight distribution over axles.
My guess is you'll probably need an uprate.130kg spare will soon be used up.

 

[EX51SSS]

Thats OK but if you do start taking water with you, you could loose 100kg of that available payload straight away.

Martin

Not if you go to the weighbridge with it already on board.

 

[funflair]

Not if you go to the weighbridge with it already on board.

The OP has already said half a tank of diesel and no water.

Martin

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[EX51SSS]

Thats OK but if you do start taking water with you, you could loose 100kg of that available payload straight away.

Martin

Obviously depending on how much you take on board. Mine is 90k, however I know some that are as little as 60k but depends on how much one puts in. Doesn't need to fill to brim although I travel where I'm going fully tanked and I don't have to search for water when I get where I'm going. It could be that water is not available at the time you need it. Water companies are not without their problems or a hole in the road, or other utilities problems that need the supply interrupted.
Probably unlikely but sometimes nature calls and no water? Hmmmmm?

 

[gus-lopez]

Fill it up with water & diesel & it's overloaded . What is the point of running with a half empty diesel tank, let alone no water?
What about food? That soon mounts up.

 

[EX51SSS]

The OP has already said half a tank of diesel and no water.

Martin

Yes I can and did read what was said. I merely said that it's a novel idea to have absolutely no water in tank. Plus, is the OP never going to put more than 1/2 tank of diesel either? Sorry but I live in the real world. I start will full tank of diesel as it saves me paying motorway prices every 100 miles.

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[hilldweller]

Hi Hilldweller
thanks for the info
"the plate with 3 or 4 weights"
any idea where it is usually placed so I can go check it on Monday
Mick

Ours is outside right by the driver's door - that's the off side being RHD.

I made your mistake, I got it into my head it was 3500kg but the makers plate actually said something like 3250kg. We ran over weight for years. Eventually I got the weight upgraded but still under 3500kg.

It's a bit of a nightmare but the law does not care about that, to them "you are over weight, here is your fine, don't move until you reduce the weight".

 

[EX51SSS]

Fill it up with water & diesel & it's overloaded . What is the point of running with a half empty diesel tank, let alone no water?
What about food? That soon mounts up.

Absolutely 100% agreement. You never know what happens only a few miles away from home let alone 100's.

 

[mpdcymru]

Hi Hilldweller

thanks for the info

"the plate with 3 or 4 weights"

any idea where it is usually placed so I can go check it on Monday

Mick

Normally near the bonnet catch inside the engine bay but may also be on the passenger door frame or step. As someone has already said, there will probably be two plates - the original one put there by the (cab/chassis) manufacturer and a second one put there by the motorhome convertor. It is the second one that you need to take account of.

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[Minxy]

The only way to be sure of your exact payload is to fully kit it out - full fuel and full water and everything else you'd want on a trip, clothes, food, drink etc - then go and weigh it front axle first then rear axle and add them up to get your gross weight. Its surprising how much even a few tins of food can add up to.

 

[Mickrik]

Ok.......go easy with me I'm still fairly new to this.

What is the procedure for uprating the axle wights as this will seem the sensible thing to do.

Mick

 

[Speve]

Do a search on uprating on here there are a few threads about it

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[Minxy]

Ok.......go easy with me I'm still fairly new to this.

What is the procedure for uprating the axle wights as this will seem the sensible thing to do.

Mick

Some info on this thread from when I did it ... cheaper than SVTech.

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum...one-done-it-themselves-not-via-svtech.108656/

 

[hilldweller]

Ok.......go easy with me I'm still fairly new to this.
What is the procedure for uprating the axle wights as this will seem the sensible thing to do.
Mick

Search for "sv tech". "svtech" "s v tech"

 

[EX51SSS]

Normally near the bonnet catch inside the engine bay but may also be on the passenger door frame or step. As someone has already said, there will probably be two plates - the original one put there by the (cab/chassis) manufacturer and a second one put there by the motorhome convertor. It is the second one that you need to take account of.

If there are plates as in more than one plate, why would they be different? The plate you're looking for is the plate that is put there by the conversion not the base manufacturer.

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[EX51SSS]

Search for "sv tech". "svtech" "s v tech"

Or not as suggested by @Minxy Girl

 

[funflair]

Yes I can and did read what was said. I merely said that it's a novel idea to have absolutely no water in tank. Plus, is the OP never going to put more than 1/2 tank of diesel either? Sorry but I live in the real world. I start will full tank of diesel as it saves me paying motorway prices every 100 miles.

OK missed that, sorry.

Martin

 

[EX51SSS]

OK missed that, sorry.

Martin

Cheers Martin. We all miss things occasionally. No offence intended