Loaded weight (1 Viewer)

[HandM]

Hi we are just setting up our motorhome a 2006 Hobby T600 FC to do a 4-5 month trip from holland to Greece! Very excited. My boyfriend is unfortunately fixated on worrying about the van getting up hills as we have put our clothes, gas bottle, 2 bikes and the front tent and cooking stuff into it. Just general stuff! He’s paranoid it’s overweight and the engine won’t cope. Does anyone have any advice on what is a typical ok loading for stuff inside the van well within its engine limits? I think it’s designed to be equipped for moving and living in so we can’t over weight it but any numbers would help my “discussions” on this before he strips us back to zero contents. ?? I need more than 2 pairs of shoes for 5 months away after all!

 

[hilldweller]

so we can’t over weight

Oh yes you can. Get to a weighbridge.

 

[Zigisla]

Your VIN plate will give you the weights that your MH can be loaded to. It will give you total weight, Weight per axle and gross train weight. The plate will be under the bonnet and or Driver's door catch area. These are provide by Vehicle base and an additional one from the body converter. Your V5 will also give you the total weight you can load to.

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[Minxy]

We had a 2006 model year Ford based Rimor and it pulled very well, didn't have any issues with it, and that was on a 7.24m coachbuilt, so I would tell your boyfriend he's fretting about the engine for nothing ... but ... you DO need to check the overall weight so you stay legal.

You need to put in everything you want to take (within reason!) including gas, water, fridge stuff, basically everything packed and ready for the 'off' ... include both of you and any pets too. Then take it to a weighbridge and get both axle weighed individually, this will give you the amount each is carrying so you can check if they are within the axle limits on the plate under your bonnet, and adding them together will give you total weight, again this needs to be at or below your MAM/MTPLM weight. If any are over you need to rethink what you're taking and unload accordingly.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

Get it weighed full with water and fuel and you in it

 

[HandM]

Thanks so much will do this!

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[tacr2man]

You can be well overweight and the engine will still drag it along with plenty of speed , all it will mean with the more weight , the slower it will go up hills , payload is probably the biggest problem with the majority of motorcaravans.
ps welcome to FUN

 

[pappajohn]

It seems your van has a fully loaded weight of 3500kg, this includes both of you and a full tank of fuel.
Carrying a few liters of water, or even some bottled water, for rest breaks will allow you to carry quite a lot more personal stuff than you could with a full tank of water, maybe 70 to 100kg more depending how much water your tank holds. You can always fill the tank on site and empty when you move on.
I don't know your axle weights so you'll need to find that out but you can't exceed either axles max limit.
As for hills, don't worry.... Even fully loaded you may only need to drop a couple of gears but that's normal.
There won't be ANY hills you can't get up on public roads.

 

[TheBig1]

with a maximum payload of 611kg for your van it will be very easy to overload it. 2 adults at appx 75kg each is a quarter of your payload without anything else.

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[Lenny HB]

 

[Emmit]

Just had a look at your van.
Its a variation on our Hobby 650 EC (I'm assuming yours is 6.8mts in length even though you have described it as a 600. Ours has 600 on the decals but its a 650???)
Anyway, the first time we took it abroad, we loaded it, complete with two bikes on the back, half a tank of water and fuel and with both of us on board ( and we weigh more than the allowed 150kgs for us both) the vans axles were within their limits, 2000kgs. rear and 1750kgs front BUT we were 20kgs over the 3500kgs gross weight. I didn't lose any sleep over it but, on returning to the UK after the hols. I had the MGW increased by SVTech to 3700kgs. It was a paper exercise. I sent them £300 worth of paper in the form of a cheque. Job done
As for the engine, yours has the 2800cc lump. Its more than capable of anything gradient wise. Change down to 4th early and try to keep the revs above the engines peak torque.

 

[Emmit]

with a maximum payload of 611kg for your van it will be very easy to overload it. 2 adults at appx 75kg each is a quarter of your payload without anything else.

One of the occupants (driver) should already be allowed for in that calculation.

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[Glas Robin]

I need more than 2 pairs of shoes for 5 months away after all!

Really? Most blokes survive on three pairs of shoes for life:

One for work/weddings/funerals/court/collecting your OBE
One for casual / sports
One pair of wellies

There really is no need for more. If pushed, I’d go to four if your casual activities aren’t suited to sportswear.

I’ve never understood the female predilection for buying lots of new shoes. I’m 46 and I’m already eyeing up new shoes and wondering if they’ll see me out!

 

[Minxy]

Really? Most blokes survive on three pairs of shoes for life:

One for work/weddings/funerals/court/collecting your OBE
One for casual / sports
One pair of wellies

There really is no need for more. If pushed, I’d go to four if your casual activities aren’t suited to sportswear.

I’ve never understood the female predilection for buying lots of new shoes. I’m 46 and I’m already eyeing up new shoes and wondering if they’ll see me out!

... you forgot to mention the crocs with socks! ?

 

[Parrot Face]

Your boyfriend is right to worry about payload. Its a vital part of motorhoming.

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[bigtwin]

Change down to 4th early and try to keep the revs above the engines peak torque.

What’s your thinking there?

Why would you not let the engine operate at its peak torque?

Ian

 

[Emmit]

What’s your thinking there?

Why would you not let the engine operate at its peak torque?

Ian

My post was in relation to the OP going up hills.
As he does so, the engine will go below peak torque, Changing down will take him above peak.

The other way to say it is not to let the engine go below peak torque (and thus labour) when going up inclines.

 

[Jim]

This should help

[AMS=article, 15][/AMS]

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[bigtwin]

The other way to say it is not to let the engine go below peak torque (and thus labour) when going up inclines.

Agreed. That’s why I questioned your implied suggestion that you should avoid peak torque.

Ian

 

[Reallyretired]

The op indicated a 4-5month trip from Holland to Greece. Probably will need to travel with full water unless staying on sites, which would be expensive on a long trip.

 

[Emmit]

Agreed. That’s why I questioned your implied suggestion that you should avoid peak torque.

Ian

Sorry to be a pedant on this but where is my implication that I stated in my original post that the OP avoid peak torque when I stated,"Change down early into 4th and try to keep the revs ABOVE the engines peak torque.

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[bigtwin]

Sorry to be a pedant on this but where is my implication that I stated in my original post that the OP avoid peak torque when I stated,"Change down early into 4th and try to keep the revs ABOVE the engines peak torque.

Nothing wrong with being a pedant and since you’ve asked, I’ll clarify:

Your statement indicates that you should try to keep your revs ABOVE the peak torque revs. If you meet that objective you will NEVER, hit peak torque.
(Since you are keeping your revs above this value).

However, a statement to “not let revs fall BELOW the engines peak torque” then the conditions exist to run at peak torque (the revs can drop as low as the peak torque value).

Does that clarify how I read what you’d written? That’s a rhetorical question BTW. ?

Ian

 

[pappajohn]

Calm down and torque about it rationally

 

[Emmit]

bigtwin I couldn't possibly agree with your understanding of what has been written.
If I did then we would both be wrong.

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[bigtwin]

bigtwin I couldn't possibly agree with your understanding of what has been written.
If I did then we would both be wrong.

But we both agree that peak torque is a place you’d like to be. ?

Ian

 

[Emmit]

But we both agree that peak torque is a place you’d like to be. ?

Ian

Yes.