Garage weight capacity

[Stoosal]

Our motorhome is Ford Transit mk8 with chassis extensions. There is a large rear garage at the rear over the chassis extensions. The garage door is marked with a sticker stating max weight of 150kgs.

Does anybody know how the weight of the garage capacity is determined...? ie is it based on the garage floor material or the chassis extensions?

I have plenty weight capacity on rear axle so could take a motorcycle in garage but unsure as to what weight it could potentially take....ie. if the capacity is determined by the garage flooring I could strengthen with checker plate etc but if it is the chassis extensions I can’t seem to find any information as to whether extensions are able to be uprated?

Dealer doesn’t know. Local Ford agent doesn’t know.

 

[Lenny HB]

Often a combination of garage construction & chassis as it has chassis extentions its worth checking with the manufacturer its always possible the wrong label has been fitted.

Our garage has a self supporting GRP floor with a limit of 350kg, with the 450 kg option they fit chassis extentions.

 

[gus-lopez]

It is the weigh that will take the rear axle over its weight limit when loaded in the garage.
Basically if you put 150kgs in the garage the rear axle will be at its maximum allowed. Put 180kgs in it the rear axle will be overloaded.
If you reinforced the extensions the rear axle will still be over but at a lower weight due to the additional weight of the reinforcing.

 

[Lenny HB]

It is the weigh that will take the rear axle over its weight limit when loaded in the garage.
Basically if you put 150kgs in the garage the rear axle will be at its maximum allowed. Put 180kgs in it the rear axle will be overloaded.
If you reinforced the extensions the rear axle will still be over but at a lower weight due to the additional weight of the reinforcing.

Not really more a case of construction, our last van had a limit of 250kg but with 170 kg in it rear axle would be on its limit.

 

[Stoosal]

It is the weigh that will take the rear axle over its weight limit when loaded in the garage.
Basically if you put 150kgs in the garage the rear axle will be at its maximum allowed. Put 180kgs in it the rear axle will be overloaded.
If you reinforced the extensions the rear axle will still be over but at a lower weight due to the additional weight of the reinforcing.

At the moment I’ve loaded motorhome and put ‘weights’ in garage to take it up to its 150kg limit and I still have 225kg of rear axle capacity hence my query re what is limiting the garage weight.

It means I could reinforce floor and put in a scooter plus all my other bits and pieces if the limiting factor is the floor rather than the extensions. I’ve asked about but nobody can tell me what the extensions can carry and must assume that it is them that are at the limit at 150kg?

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[Stoosal]

.

 

[Lenny HB]

Have you tried contacting the manufacture they may help or they may just play safe and say 150.

 

[Stoosal]

Emailed twice but no reply.....going to try a third time!

 

[Blue Knight]

Does anybody know how the weight of the garage capacity is determined...? ie is it based on the garage floor material or the chassis extensions?

It's the chassis support system which ultimately dictates the weight allowance in a garage.

Our Pilote on the Fiat camper chassis, with long chassis leg extensions, had a 150kg garage allowance for this reason.

The floor was solid enough to take several times that weight but the chassis legs were a different matter entirely.

 

[Blue Knight]

Here's a pictorial way of explaining it (making reference to the underside of my previous 7.5m long Pilote):

Would you trust this type of chassis extension to safely hold anything more than 150kg?

I would worry when I got to the 70kg point!

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[Stoosal]

I am probably of the same view....

Part 2 is...........

I have also been seeking to find out if the extensions can be uprated....ie is there 300kg extensions. Again asked local ford dealers, asked manufacturer but just met with shrugs or no replies.

Must be a common thought for garage weights especially where vehicle weights have been upplated?

I could get local blacksmith to make up stronger ones?

 

[Guffy60]

When we added a two bar to ours as it added extra braces to the chassis extensions, the manufacture confirmed it increase the payload.

however, remember leverage, a motor bike may 100kg, but a longover hang will mean the effect on the rear axle is greater. Think back To seesaws, when depending how close a person went to the centre, how the a lighter person sat at the far end off the the opposite site could lift you. A 100kg weight near the axle will only add 100kg ish,

 

[Stoosal]

What’s a two bar....?

 

[peterc10]

I could get local blacksmith to make up stronger ones?

Would be illegal if not type approved. And it would probably nullify your insurance

 

[Stoosal]

It’s all a bit of a minefield!

There must be many conversions etc where modifications are made to base vehicles. Are all these modifications subject to type approval or do they simply need an engineers report? I understand that parts used for towing require to be type approved but if not towing do they still need to be type approved or simply subject to some form of examination?

If there are type approved chassis extensions which can carry the greater weight this is the best solution but on searching and asking nobody appear to know or information doesn’t give the chassis extension capacities, just states chassis extensions......can of worms?

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[gus-lopez]

Must be a common thought for garage weights especially where vehicle weights have been upplated?

Regardless of upgrade weight I doubt that garage capacity would increase due to the extensions.

I understand that parts used for towing require to be type approved but if not towing do they still need to be type approved or simply subject to some form of examination?

Type approved

There must be many conversions etc where modifications are made to base vehicles. Are all these modifications subject to type approval o

Yes & the converter adds the final CoC plate.

as Guffy60 said if you wish to fit a tow bar the massive extensions have to go all the way back to te original chassis. That would have to affect of reinforcing the chassis extensions.

 

[Stoosal]

Regardless of upgrade weight I doubt that garage capacity would increase due to the extensions.

Type approved

Yes & the converter adds the final CoC plate.

as Guffy60 said if you wish to fit a tow bar the massive extensions have to go all the way back to te original chassis. That would have to affect of reinforcing the chassis extensions.

Gus-Lopez....agree with type approval and CoC due to structural aspect and load bearing aspects.

If current extensions are 2mm c section galvanised steel and I swapped them for 4mm of the same type (assuming such a thing existed) I would assume this allows greater garage load bearing. I have plenty capacity on rear axle. I have no intention of towing.

Perhaps a company that specialised in conversions or tow bars may be able to help. I can get a rear scooter carrier on a tow ball with a weight restriction of 150kg which would surely put far more strain on rear extensions than weight directly over them.

Thanks for all comments so far....helpful.......if I can find out any more I’ll add on later!

 

[DerryW]

Remember, its not only the weight of the contents in the garage but also the rear end of the body, quite a lot of weight on what appear to be not particularly robust chassis extensions. The garage on our MH also has a 150kgs max limit, which we religiously stick to even putting some stuff up front.