Towing feeling (1 Viewer)

Sep 29, 2019
3,065
7,086
Funster No
64,846
MH
Hymer Exsis
Exp
20 years
If it helps, I towed for years. It completely alters the ride so some difference is to be expected.
 
Feb 16, 2013
19,765
52,167
uttoxeter
Funster No
24,713
MH
ambulance conversion
Exp
50 years
I can never understand where all the weight comes from in these vans , apart from being larger obviously, I weighed our van before we went this last time, got everything in that I could possibly need, full diesel and gas, spare wheel, 150 lt water, food and everything, with me and Julie in 3223 kg
 
Jul 5, 2013
11,739
13,730
Tunbridge Wells, Tunbridge Wells, UK
Funster No
26,797
MH
A class
Exp
Since 2013
Hence the question about adding air suspension and increasing tyre pressure.
By the look of it the experts, SV Tech, have already uprated the chassis weights. You could phone and ask them if and how you could get the rear axle beyond 2400kg, they are usually very helpful. But I suspect it may not be possible if you are on the light chassis.

Tyre pressures are irrelevant as to the amount of load you can legally carry. If the axle is over 2400kg you are breaking the law no matter what pressure you have in the tyres.
 
Last edited:
Aug 18, 2014
23,857
134,465
Lorca,Murcia,Spain
Funster No
32,898
MH
Transit PVC
Exp
16 years since restarting
Bought a toad a couple of months ago and towed it home with wife’s car, towed a 930kg car with a 950kg car, would certainly describe it as swayee. When home found tyre pressures on toad low by 3-5psi. Also when a frame on jockey wheel, slight movement sideways of hitch. Needed a couple of washers to bring the legs of the a frame closer to tighten the movement on the a frame. Tows fine now.
I'd be checking that either actually had the capacity to tow?
I can never understand where all the weight comes from in these vans , apart from being larger obviously, I weighed our van before we went this last time, got everything in that I could possibly need, full diesel and gas, spare wheel, 150 lt water, food and everything, with me and Julie in 3223 kg
Even that's heavy compared to mine.:giggle: I had to do new 'unladen weight' when I converted mine. pity they didn't tell me that earlier as it wouldn't have been full of diesel & water.:(
The original U/L on mine as on log book was 1737kgs yet when I bought it ,it weighed 2080kgs. Even taking off the full diesel that left 263 kgs which even I struggled to understand as no way did the existing cladding & insulation weigh that much ?
Even when I converted it the new u/l @ 2380kgs even with diesel & water it still gives me around 900kgs of capacity .(y)
 
Sep 29, 2009
974
671
East Anglia
Funster No
8,667
MH
Roller Team
Exp
Since 2009
I'd be checking that either actually had the capacity to tow?

Even that's heavy compared to mine.:giggle: I had to do new 'unladen weight' when I converted mine. pity they didn't tell me that earlier as it wouldn't have been full of diesel & water.:(
The original U/L on mine as on log book was 1737kgs yet when I bought it ,it weighed 2080kgs. Even taking off the full diesel that left 263 kgs which even I struggled to understand as no way did the existing cladding & insulation weigh that much ?
Even when I converted it the new u/l @ 2380kgs even with diesel & water it still gives me around 900kgs of capacity .(y)
shockingly the 950kg car is plated to tow 1100kg, I would not do it. Talking to some of the tuggers some tow at 120% of tow car weight.
 

PeteH

Free Member
Nov 22, 2007
6,853
9,032
East Riding of Yorkshire
Funster No
900
MH
Rapido, 999M.
Exp
18+yrs plus 25+Towing
Assuming, your Rear Axle to be legal?. Then your issue is probably tyres?. Rear Air Might Help. But is difficult and expensive to retrofit IF on The Alko Chassis?.
 
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Nov 4, 2018
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Don’t have ALKO chassis.

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Jul 5, 2013
11,739
13,730
Tunbridge Wells, Tunbridge Wells, UK
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26,797
MH
A class
Exp
Since 2013
Don’t have ALKO chassis.
But your chassis will still have a maximum structural load capacity for the rear axle and that cannot be increased by putting on air suspension or bigger wheels. As I said in my previous post give SVTech a ring as they have already rated the motorhome as can be seen from the two plates in your post #7. Their plate is on the left and appears to have been issued in May this year. Unusually their plate suggests that the towing capacity was actually reduced by 1000kg!
 
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Nov 4, 2018
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Not interested in increasing capacity all I’m trying to do is improve towing feeling so to speak.

Rear axel max weight is 2400kg and last weight I did it’s 2333kg but that’s with everything in the rear garage and bits can be removed like a 26kg generator.

Regards.
 

Chris CM

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Jan 28, 2019
200
183
S.E.Cornwall
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58,264
MH
Devon Aztec XL PVC
Exp
Since 2015
Why have you got an SV Tech plate? It seems not to increase your GVM or axle weights but decreases the train weight. Or am I missing something obvious?
 
Aug 18, 2014
23,857
134,465
Lorca,Murcia,Spain
Funster No
32,898
MH
Transit PVC
Exp
16 years since restarting
Why have you got an SV Tech plate? It seems not to increase your GVM or axle weights but decreases the train weight. Or am I missing something obvious?
I would hazard a guess that there is a manufacturers plate elsewhere that had the van originally derated to be sold at 3500kgs & it has been uprated back to the original but always the towing capacity is usually reduced. Only thing I can think of?
 
Oct 9, 2018
20
15
Isle of Man
Funster No
56,637
MH
Comanche B16 1 MAN
Exp
Since 1992
I would suggest what you remove from the garage you put in the toad. It's officially a trailer after all!

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The plate from SV tech is because the MoHo didn’t have one why no idea and it cannot be found, therefore I contacted SV tech and they supplied said plate.
 
Feb 16, 2013
19,765
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uttoxeter
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24,713
MH
ambulance conversion
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50 years
The plate from SV tech is because the MoHo didn’t have one why no idea and it cannot be found, therefore I contacted SV tech and they supplied said plate.
But you are actually better off without the sv plate, so why :unsure:
 
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I paid for the plate because I wasn’t sure of the weights and if pulled by VOSA I didn’t want to to take the chance of not having nothing only the original plate.



But you are actually better off without the sv plate, so why :unsure:

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Feb 16, 2013
19,765
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uttoxeter
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24,713
MH
ambulance conversion
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50 years
I paid for the plate because I wasn’t sure of the weights and if pulled by VOSA I didn’t want to to take the chance of not having nothing only the original plate.
Sorry I not following this at all, what is wrong with the original plate? :unsure:
 
Nov 17, 2012
1,930
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23,714
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HYMER B SL 674
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Sorry if it’s been said already but empty the garage and do a test run to see if it’s the same issue.
 
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It doesn’t have a converters plate it’s been removed hence SV Tech is a replacement, the only plate on the MoHo is the manufacturers plate.

Sorry I not following this at all, what is wrong with the original plate? :unsure:
 
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Makes sense, will do a test drive on the weekend with garage empty and if it’s the same....... ummmmmm next.

Sorry if it’s been said already but empty the garage and do a test run to see if it’s the same issue.
 
Sep 2, 2014
546
712
Near Colchester, Essex
Funster No
33,147
MH
Burstner Nexxo
Exp
12 years
Used our Moho and toad for the first time last weekend with one issue (starter) but thats another storey.

Moho has a plate weight of 5500 and A frame about 26kg and car is 1100kg but towing it felt like the tyres was under inflated flat feeling and it was a bit swayee if that’s a word I could use.

Now the rear garage is full mind you and I weighed the Moho and including all the bits, car, me, wife I was under by around 600kg.

So the garage cause this issue?
Could I or should I increase tyre pressure to compensate?

Thinking of adding air suspension to the rear would that help?

Regards.
Hi, I have just fitted, Air Assist Suspension to my Hobby Van TL 500. It has made a huge difference to the roll and tail down attitude of the van. £350 well spent.
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gwyntaxi

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Jun 9, 2009
1,151
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hymer starline 655
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Yeh my rear garage is full so going to remove bits we don’t need or use and increase tyre pressure on the rea4 a bit and see how that goes, if I’m right that is.
Think this sounds like soft rear tyres, so maybe just a case of checking the accuracy first rather than just putting more air in, no good just increasing the pressure if the axle is over weight maybe redistribute something heavy if at all possible.
 

gwyntaxi

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Jun 9, 2009
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I'm no expert but it looks like your max vehicle weight is 4005 k and you might well be over the rear axle weight with a towbar and full garage
QUOTE]
GVM = GROSS VEHICLE MASS = 4005KG
GTM=GROSS TRAIN MASS = 5500KG
SO it would seem that you are well within your gross train weight, what puzzles me is how you manage a GTM of 4900kg with passenger and driver and a loaded garage I can't do and I would say the rear storage area under my fixed bed counts as a garage (Hymer on Sprinter chassis) just sayin..
 

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