Downrating our van

BettyBus

BettyBus

Free Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2012
Posts
14
Likes collected
7
Location
Cheshire
Funster No
23,219
MH
a class
Exp
14 years
Hi everybody. We have the usual dilemma facing Us. Our van is a Dethleffs i6870; beautiful pale blue with customised leather and plated at 4 tons. For various reasons Which I won’t go into, we need to downsize it to 3.5. This week we are going to empty the van and weigh it to see what the starting position is. Has anyone ever taken out an overcab bed to lose some weight and in anyone’s opinion, roughly what do you think the bed weighs? We don’t use it at all, it is so close to the roof when closed up that you can’t even sling a coat onto it, so we really wouldn’t miss it. There is also a small Heiki rooflight which if uncovered would make for a lighter cab and more pleasant driving experience. Is this a crazy idea or should we just sell the van and buy a lighter one? We love our Betty Bus!
 

Attachments

  • 45F03EB7-8FD8-44BE-BA27-8C938E8021A2.jpeg
    45F03EB7-8FD8-44BE-BA27-8C938E8021A2.jpeg
    191.2 KB · Views: 69
Your suggestion, to empty the van and check the weight is the most sensible thing to do firstly. Then you'll have an idea of how big the challenge will be to manage with a maximum of 3,500 kg.

If it's not too big a job to take the drop-down bed out, then why not? I'd certainly consider it in your circumstances.

Good luck - hope you'll be pleasantly surprised when the van goes on the scales. (y)
 
You'll need to know the axle weights first but the trouble won't be so much the front but the rear so taking out the bed may reduce the overall weight but not give you any more capacity where you are likely to need it on the rear ... good luck at the weighbridge!
 
With a 7.4 m van it is going to be very tight but only one way to find out weight it. As Minxy Girl says taking the bed out causes more problems & as Langtoftlad says taking the awning off would save around 40kg but might leave a bit of a mess behind.

Just tried to find some specs as far as I can see MIRO is around 3300 kg, by the time you have added extras and a few percent for weight tolerance I don't think you will have any payload left.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Lenny HB said:
I'd rather change vans than leave a spare wheel behind.
Click to expand...

A lot of the modern vans dont come equipped with a spare wheel, or anyplace to keep it if you buy one.

Back to original question, I suspect it's weight at the back you need to move, anything in the garage you have not used for a year ?
 
Brains said:
A lot of the modern vans dont come equipped with a spare wheel, or anyplace to keep it if you buy one.
Click to expand...
My last 2 vans didn't come with a spare but they both had one before I did any trips.:giggle:

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
I’m sure I’ve seen 40kg given for an over cab bed, but I can’t be sure of the source. When I talked about it with a C line I was thinking of buying, Premium said that I wouldn’t be able to get a down rate, unless I could prove it had a ‘reasonble’ payload. They weren’t clear on what they might be, though. (I realise this isn’t much help, other than as a vague cautionary tale!)
 
Minxy Girl said:
You'll need to know the axle weights first but the trouble won't be so much the front but the rear so taking out the bed may reduce the overall weight but not give you any more capacity where you are likely to need it on the rear ... good luck at the weighbridge!
Click to expand...
Omg hadn’t thought of that, thank you. Just sweating backwards and forwards emptying the van. We really do take everything but the kitchen sink! That will have to stop!
 
Jimbohorlicks said:
Have you a spare wheel you an take off?
Click to expand...
Yes but if you look at our profile photo, that was taken shortly before we had a blowout 5 kms from the nearest town in southern morocco so we have never been so glad of a spare wheel!!

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Brains said:
Have you used the spare ?
Click to expand...
Yes in the desert in Morocco in February! Picked up a stone to put behind the wheel and there was a massive black scorpion with his tail poised!
 
Yes in the desert in Morocco in February! Picked up a stone to put behind the wheel and there was a massive black scorpion with his tail poised!
 
Brains said:
A lot of the modern vans dont come equipped with a spare wheel, or anyplace to keep it if you buy one.

Back to original question, I suspect it's weight at the back you need to move, anything in the garage you have not used for a year ?
Click to expand...
Well, the scooter for a start! We have a busy few days ahead and I suspect it will all end in tears! Betty bus is beautiful with bespoke cream leather with blue piping which has also added to the weight. If she has to be sold, sobeit, but we have to have the facts behind us re weight so this is an exercise we jave to do.
 
Thanks everyone for your support, we’re nearly empty inside, just the garage to go 😱😱😱
 
We saved 40kg by leaving out the bed on our Carthago but we gained 5 cupboards. At a guess I would say the bed weighed something around 50kg, allowing for 10kg? of cupboards.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Other weight saving ideas I have used are 1 x 100Ah LiFePO4 battery (13kg) instead of 2 x 80Ah lead acid batteries (50kg). Alugas refillable gas rather than steel cylinders. Efoy fuel cell instead of solar panels, marginal weight saving if carrying lots of fuel and very negative on £’s. Not having a spare wheel not only saves the weight of the wheel but you can leave the 8kg wheel change kit at home too (best to keep the towing eye with you).
 
Brains said:
Have you used the spare ?
Click to expand...
Current van is the first one I've had that I have not had a puncture, last van I got a puncture in a tyre that had only done 20 miles. Had blowouts on two caravans one that wrecked the wheel rim.
I would never risk traveling without a spare.
 
Pausim, thank you for that, all good advice! I wonder, if bared to essentials, what weight of kit an average couple need? My guess is about 500kg but could be wildly wrong!
 
BettyBus said:
Pausim, thank you for that, all good advice! I wonder, if bared to essentials, what weight of kit an average couple need? My guess is about 500kg but could be wildly wrong!
Click to expand...
Jim did some calculations after much consultation that as far as I recall suggest you are not far off.
 
BettyBus said:
Pausim, thank you for that, all good advice! I wonder, if bared to essentials, what weight of kit an average couple need? My guess is about 500kg but could be wildly wrong!
Click to expand...
Sounds about right to me. I aways reckon with a German you need 700 KG payload, 200 for extras 500 for kit.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top