Payload estimate

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cmj01

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Hi everyone,
Have just taken my newly imported vehicle down to a weighbridge before I start filling it up with kit.

With a full tank of fuel but empty of water it was 3560kg with a MAM of 4300kg.

Adding me and my copilot take us to 3750.

So 550kg of usable payload.

That doesn't seem like a lot to me...

What do you think? Is it time to embrace minimalism?

Do you pros weigh the vehicle before a trip when fully loaded? Or weigh every item added so you have a pretty good idea what you are running at?

Any tips here would be much appreciated.
 
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TheTwoOfUs said:
You also need to know what the permissible axle weights are and what they weighed.
Click to expand...
I did try but the weighbridge I went to didn't have that. I guess we will have to make and effort to move things forward as most storage, fridge garage etc towards the rear.

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cmj01 said:
I did try but the weighbridge I went to didn't have that. I guess we will have to make and effort to move things forward as most storage, fridge garage etc towards the rear.
Click to expand...
You just way one axle and subtract it from the gross
 
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cmj01 said:
I did try but the weighbridge I went to didn't have that. I guess we will have to make and effort to move things forward as most storage, fridge garage etc towards the rear.
Click to expand...
the weigh bridge does not need to be special you just do whole vehicle then drive forward so that front wheels jut off and weigh the rear axle take one from the other and you have front axle weight.😊
 
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stevewagner said:
You just way one axle and subtract it from the gross
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Provided the whole weighbridge area is level. The one I tried to use recently was not set in the ground but some 3 ft high with a ramp at either end. Weighing (say) the front axle when the rear one was some 12” lower to be clear of the weighing area would give an incorrect result for axle weight.
 
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Speve said:
the weigh bridge does not need to be special you just do whole vehicle then drive forward so that front wheels jut off and weigh the rear axle take one from the other and you have front axle weight.😊
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Ah good point. Didn't think of that! Spot the beginner 🙈

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Millcourt said:
Provided the whole weighbridge area is level. The one I tried to use recently was not set in the ground but some 3 ft high with a ramp at either end. Weighing (say) the front axle when the rear one was some 12” lower to be clear of the weighing area would give an incorrect result for axle weight.
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Yes I think that is like the one I went to which had a ramp and then metal weighing plates almost immediately when up the ramp. So will have to go back to see how much room I have to keep front / rear wheels off the scales.
 
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cmj01 said:
That was empty of crap! It's a big boy like me!
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If I've not misread this you've got 550 to use, if that's the case I'd think you would be close but not over if you don't carry those things you really don't need to carry.
 
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If your struggling it might be possible to up plate your moho. Most are a paper exercise, try SV Tech. There’s loads of info on Fun. I up plated ours from 4600kgs to 5250kgs which gave us a payload of 1,600kgs.
Good luck 👍
 
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550kg but you have already taken the copilot into account so just about doable but it will be tight if you need to add any extras like additional batteries, awning etc.
Our payload over MIRO is 1350kg we have about 200 - 300kg spare when fully loaded. Our extras account for about 300kg and we are lightweights the combined weight of the two of us is around 120kg.

The best thing to do is load it with everything you would take on a trip with full gas & water then weigh it.
 
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Take out the spare wheel and jack box they weigh a load. Buy some lighter gas bottles.
make sure the grey tank is empty. Only fill it with enough water and fuel for the journey.
550Kg is all we two have and its enough if you're carful.

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The AVERAGE funster couple use around 400kg of payload. So you'll be fine (y). Just be ruthless so you have lots of capacity for extra wine and beers
 
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If you like playing with spreadsheets try this
www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Inventory of payload

This is a spreadsheet to assess payload variations from a known weighbridge value and known list of contents at that weight. The invantory was compiled from my use and modified lists from FUN. Not all weights are accurate and reflect products/...
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk
 
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Well done on getting it weighed. You now have a benchmark. Fill it up with your pots and pans, food and drink, clothes and gadgets and get back to the weigh bridge. I bet you will be fine.
 
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the1andonly said:
If you like playing with spreadsheets try this
www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Inventory of payload

This is a spreadsheet to assess payload variations from a known weighbridge value and known list of contents at that weight. The invantory was compiled from my use and modified lists from FUN. Not all weights are accurate and reflect products/...
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk
Click to expand...
Thanks, this is great and also a great equipment / shopping list too!
 
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stevewagner said:
550kg - that’s over half a ton which is plenty for two people.
Click to expand...
Unless you're called Lenny HB ... goodness knows how much crap he carries with him! :LOL:

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cmj01 said:
With a full tank of fuel but empty of water it was 3560kg with a MAM of 4300kg.

Adding me and my copilot take us to 3750.

So 550kg of usable payload.
Click to expand...

If you add full water plus some extra weight for a slight variation of the materials being used in the build process, plus a few extra factory bits that are not present in the MIRO list then you could already be over the 4,000Kg mark.

......but unless you can distribute the weight over the axles then you may not even have the 300kg remaining - it'll all depend on your axle tolerances.

Our previous Pilote had a certain payload figure but 150kg of it was not usable. I had already max'd out the rear axle and didn't have sufficient storage space in the front of the van to help utilise my remaining payload allowance so that was 150kg lost.

It's all in the axle weights but it's looking tight for sure.
 
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Jim said:
The AVERAGE funster couple use around 400kg of payload. So you'll be fine (y). Just be ruthless so you have lots of capacity for extra wine and beers
Click to expand...

Jim

You might be right about the average, because that would include those with 3500kg MHs who go to campsites with ability to fill water on arrival and maybe run with half diesel.

We usually wildcamp/aires, so accordingly leave home with full water/diesel tanks and bicycles. In that configuration we are using near to 600kg payload. I cannot be exact as we have never weighed absolutely empty, but I am guessing empty weight based on factory figures and adding extras fitted (awning etc.)

Like that last time we weighed ready for the OFF we were 30-40kg under our max of 3850kg.

Geoff
 
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nicholsong said:
Jim

You might be right about the average, because that would include those with 3500kg MHs who go to campsites with ability to fill water on arrival and maybe run with half diesel.

We usually wildcamp/aires, so accordingly leave home with full water/diesel tanks and bicycles. In that configuration we are using near to 600kg payload. I cannot be exact as we have never weighed absolutely empty, but I am guessing empty weight based on factory figures and adding extras fitted (awning etc.)

Like that last time we weighed ready for the OFF we were 30-40kg under our max of 3850kg.

Geoff
Click to expand...

Yep, that's a good point you make Geoff and from our own experience you need more than 'the average' for off grid camping.

If our case we use 335kg just for the water, one 9-stone passenger, one chunky Rottweiler and his own food/gear ......so 400kg would be useless to us.

Not to mention the extra kit needed for off grid camping such as the large Gaslow systems, extra hab batteries and solar etc.

In our own example we would need 470kg of payload before we even added a toothbrush, socks or a tin of beans.

Perhaps we should start an off-grid payload allowance thread?



It soon adds up.

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My Compactline 138 was 2960 with the two of us and a 10Kg Safefill in it. In full travelling rig with full water/fuel + bikes we are 3480, so just inside our limit. I always like to calculate on the heaviest basis as we are consuming fuel/water/gas so these figures are always less as the journey progresses.
 
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