how much do rear steadies weigh? (1 Viewer)

[Mags52]

We have rear steadies on our Autotrail Miami. We're constantly struggling to get the rear axle within the allowed weight limit. Wondering how much we would save if we took the steadies off.
We have a tow bar and a tow ball fitted bike rack and find that with the bikes on we are heavy at the back even with air suspension cranked up.
So - how much would the steadies weigh? Any ideas?

 

[The Nomad]

Dunno - depends on the type you have. Maybe 4 kgs each?
But because they will be a long way behind the rear axle, that weight is amplified at the axle - so might add perhaps 20kgs in effective weight at the axle itself?
(All these numbers are a wild guess, without knowing what they are and how far behind the rear axle they are located.)

As a general tip, maybe have a really rigorous look at anything you are storing in or on the MH rear of the mid-line between front and rear axle, and PARTICULARLY to the rear of the rear axle....what heavy items could you move as far forwards as possible?

 

[tonyidle]

From handling them in the past I'd say about 10kg apiece.

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[Lenny HB]

Agree 10kg the pair probably adding 12kg to axle loading.

 

[nicholsong]

Leaving them down on the move will take some load off the rear axle.

 

[Robert Clark]

Would up rating the van's permissible weight be a possible option for you?

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[Mags52]

Would up rating the van's permissible weight be a possible option for you?

We've done that - up to 3900kg but we have a long overhang and we're heavy at the back and light at the front. We're not overweight. The bikes on the towball rack seem to be the problem. I think we're going to get a trailer with bike racks on the top so that we carry nothing of any weight in the underbed storage.

 

[jonandshell]

Nothing, if you keep them wound down!

 

[Feltwell]

I agree with Lenny, steadies maybe 10kg for the pair, they don't weigh much. What will be heavy though is that towbar - do you really need it? Could you take it off and fit a Fiamma bike rack to the rear wall instead, or (even better) swap the bikes for folding ones that can go inside your garage, thereby both reducing weight (no rack at all) and putting the bikes closer to the rear axle than your present ones?

You can always keep the towbar to go back on in future if you really need it - they're not that difficult to take on and off most vans.

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[GWAYGWAY]

my towbar was 60 kgs stuck on the back, nearly the same as me.

 

[Feltwell]

There you go - if you can lose the towbar and the bike rack, you're probably talking at least 100kg off the rear axle, given the amplification effect of items behind the axle. You say your van has a particularly long overhang, so the towbar could be even heavier than GwayGway's.

 

[Mags52]

There you go - if you can lose the towbar and the bike rack, you're probably talking at least 100kg off the rear axle, given the amplification effect of items behind the axle. You say your van has a particularly long overhang, so the towbar could be even heavier than GwayGway's.

We've talked about this but it feels like a bit of a risk. If we do this and put a rack on the back and are still overweight we've burned our boats.

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[johnp10]

We've done that - up to 3900kg but we have a long overhang and we're heavy at the back and light at the front. We're not overweight. The bikes on the towball rack seem to be the problem. I think we're going to get a trailer with bike racks on the top so that we carry nothing of any weight in the underbed storage.

Most sensible option.

 

[Feltwell]

We've talked about this but it feels like a bit of a risk. If we do this and put a rack on the back and are still overweight we've burned our boats.

How far overweight is the van currently, with the bikes on?

 

[Mags52]

How far overweight is the van currently, with the bikes on?

I'll need to check again but I think it's about 80kg

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[bigtwin]

We've talked about this but it feels like a bit of a risk. If we do this and put a rack on the back and are still overweight we've burned our boats.

Your thinking is flawed.

If the the tow bar weighs 60Kg, with a fair portion of it towards the rear, and a bike rack weighs only 20Kg (conservative estimate). You're already ahead of the game.

I would also expect that the bikes are likely to be mounted slightly further forward than when mounted on the tow bar rack so you'd also be gaining there.

Have you already considered redistributing the motorhome contents to move weighty items forwards towards the front axle? That will also help unload the rear axle.

Ian

 

[Speve]

You've got to be better off without tow bar and add alloy bike rack that would be the way I would go.

 

[Mags52]

Your thinking is flawed.

If the the tow bar weighs 60Kg, with a fair portion of it towards the rear, and a bike rack weighs only 20Kg (conservative estimate). You're already ahead of the game.

I would also expect that the bikes are likely to be mounted slightly further forward than when mounted on the tow bar rack so you'd also be gaining there.

Have you already considered redistributing the motorhome contents to move weighty items forwards towards the front axle? That will also help unload the rear axle.

Ian

Except that a quick look on Google says a MH tow bar weighs between 25 - 40 kg. In that case my thinking might not be so flawed. I don't know if there's any way of estimating the weight of the specific one.
Yes we've moved heavy stuff forward where possible.

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[bigtwin]

Except that a quick look on Google says a MH tow bar weighs between 25 - 40 kg. In that case my thinking might not be so flawed. I don't know if there's any way of estimating the weight of the specific one.
Yes we've moved heavy stuff forward where possible.

A poster above quoted an actual weight of 60 Kg, hence my (qualified) statement. A quick look at the Fiamma website confirms that my estimate of 20Kg was indeed conservative - 10Kg is more realistic.

The only way you'll be able to tell the weight of yours is to take it off (not an irreversible process) and weigh it.

The arguments all point to you having a net gain if you lose the tow bar. Whether that gain amounts to 80Kg is another matter but, the fact is, you still need to reduce the size of that number.

Ian

 

[138go]

Fit a couple of wheels to them and lower them down. That should take some weight off the back axle

 

[wizzer59]

Or put the towbar on the front

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[Mags52]

We uprated with svtech as well but they didn't mention a way of increasing the load on the rear axle. Having said that, we're definitely aware of light steering when the bikes are on the towball rack.

 

[Feltwell]

What about folding bikes and keeping them in the garage or even inside? Or taking the wheels off your existing bikes and putting them in the garage, if you have one? We've got 2 folding bkes for us adults (out of necessity - 3 kids bikes on the rack!) and they are very good, my Dahon especially, copes with me at 6'2" and 18 stone! You might not even need to get rid of the towbar then.

Your trailer idea is of course an option but they are a faff - and if you get a very small trailer they are a pain to reverse, especially if you can't see them in the mirrors. Larger trailers are much easier but then of course you've got to store it somewhere. Personally I'd regard a trailer as a last resort.

 

[Mags52]

How I wish we had a garage - but we have a fixed French bed with storage underneath. We've been talking about getting a bigger van but there is so much about ours we like. It's always about compromise eh? I suspect the tow bar will have to go and we could have a bike rack put on.

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[SuperMike]

Apart from a trailer which as said will be a real faffff. It's bikes inside the motorhome I think, which will also be a nuisance, but you have to do what you have to do.

 

[hilldweller]

MH tow bar weighs between 25 - 40 kg. In that case my thinking might not be so flawed.

Surely it is.

A tow-bar is a big heavy lump of iron made to haul hundreds of pounds and cope with all the shock loads of the road.

A bike rack is a scrappy bit of aluminium. You already carry that weight now.

Tow bars bolt on, so, unbolt it and weigh it.

Is there any way you can post pictures of it, we've some proper job engineers on here who might be able to give a good estimate.

 

[Mags52]

Surely it is.

A tow-bar is a big heavy lump of iron made to haul hundreds of pounds and cope with all the shock loads of the road.

A bike rack is a scrappy bit of aluminium. You already carry that weight now.

Tow bars bolt on, so, unbolt it and weigh it.

Is there any way you can post pictures of it, we've some proper job engineers on here who might be able to give a good estimate.

I'm thinking that the garage that looks after the van might be able to give us at least an estimate of how heavy a thing it is. I'm not sure how we would get under and get a photo of it so might try that first.

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