Payload - That Thorny Question!

[StitchUp]

This afternoon I took our Lunar Roadstar 720 to a local weighbridge to be weighed and what a 'fright' I had! We'd removed everything that could be removed, emptied water etc and the weight of our van measured 3280Kgs without driver/passenger!!

From the Lunar Roadstar 720 Manual the maximum authorised mass is 3500Kgs! So this leaves us very little when I (92Kgs), Angie (much lighter Kgs) Alfie our Cockapoo get onboard!

I believe I can get get an 'uplift' to help, but have no experience of this! I wonder if towing out 2 seater Smart car (braked) might offer some lee-way?

I believe our Smart car weighs about 820Kgs without occupants.

Would be interested in any comments and I do apologise for raising the issue of Payload as I'm sure it's be done to death!

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Doesn't include gas bottles or solar panels..if you have a c1 licence you could look into updating the weight. Or invest in a trailer.

 

[LithiumConvert]

What 'extras' has it got on it? Awning?, Extra batteries? Solar Panels?, Gas Bottles?, Inverter?, etc.
Do you carry a spare wheel and bracket?

The Roadstar 720 is a very heavy vehicle.

 

[PP Bear]

I bet you didn’t opt for the Acme Self Inflating Weight Reducing Balloon did you, it’s perfect for when you’re running overweight and need to go over the weigh bridge

Guaranteed to reduce the payload by 957kgs and fits inside the AC unit on the roof

 

[PaulW2]

No better place for it. This, as far as I can see, is the highest church of the latter-day motorhome payload observers.

If you have a C1 licence and are willing to undergo the periodic medicals to keep it, and the risk of having to make alternative arrangements if you lose it, then you could upgrade the van.

The logical options are straightforward:

1) Upgrade (C1)
2) Lose weight
3) Ignore it and travel as you are
4) Change the van

Option 1), in addition to the licence question above, also has legal maximum speed consequences as well as restrictions in terms of roads you're allowed to be on, signs you may have to affix to the van, toll road options and so on. To be legal, that is. Many seem to ignore at least some of these legal restrictions and are rarely caught.

Option 2) may not be realistic. If you hitch a Smart car to it (trailer or A frame?) then you may have noseweight to consider which would further reduce payload. If your thinking is to load up the Smart car to use it as a luggage trailer, then ... maybe? Or just have a trailer.

Option 3) - travelling overweight - cannot be recommended. However, a very high percentage of motorhomers, and a high percentage on the continent, are routinely at least somewhat overweight. Again, it seems they are rarely caught. You will be warned of terrible consequences. Insurance, legal liability, and so on. I would personally be uncomfortable with doing this. But I'd also be uncomfortable with pushing the boundaries of Option 1) above.

Option 4) is my personal favourite. Exchange for a van that is fit for purpose at the weight. But that's easier said than done.

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[delia]

The mass in running order of 2895kg including a 75kg allowance for a driver appears to make about 420kg difference of "added extras" to your current "empty weight" even allowing for a manufacturer 5% tolerence difference it seems allot of "extra" equipment.
Your weight plate should give to weights for axle loadings and train weight, probably 5500kg on your van, but do check. If that is the case another option to uprating your vans weight would be to carry your Smart car on a trailer with sufficient payload to a add extra storage for heavier stuff, or do both bearing in mind your train weight will stay at 5500kg.

Woops Paul W2 got in first

 

[delia]

There is a post on here by stichup dated Nov27 2021 covering this, his weighed in at 4250kg!!

 

[Minxy]

If you like the MH, have C1 licences (with no impending issues), uprate to whatever the max is and enjoy the lower road tax!

 

[LithiumConvert]

@StitchUp
What are the figures on thse vehicle weights plate?

 

[Bill-H]

You say you have a smart car, do you tow it? If so, bung all your stuff in there whilst travelling.
I'm having to do this with my tow car as I lost my C1. I have 160kg spare capacity on my car trailer so fitted a box on the front of it and put everything heavy in there, spare water, spare wheel, tools, ramps etc, then ballanced it to give 25kg on the towball.

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[Bailey 15]

There dissent seem to be any restriction on this —
Hence why dealers continuously sell motorhomes with large garage / storage but only 395kg pay load

 

[Pausim]

Manufacturers payload figures are more fiction than fact.

 

[StitchUp]

@StitchUp
What are the figures on thse vehicle weights p

Thanks to all that replied, I'll answer more fully when I have a keyboard.

 

[barryd]

Thanks to all that replied, I'll answer more fully when I have a keyboard.



View attachment 1062661

I might be wrong but do those quite generous axle figures that add up to 3970kg suggest you could uprate the van to 3970kg as a paper exercise through SV Tech? That would seem the way forward if you can drive over 3.5t. Cheaper VED as well.

 

[herald_400rl]

There dissent seem to be any restriction on this —
Hence why dealers continuously sell motorhomes with large garage / storage but only 395kg pay load

Mo' sales, mo' money.

Think about all the motorhomers in the country/continent, how many actually ever give payload a consideration? I bet there's loads driving round over weight without even any knowledge of the word payload.

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[Minxy]

Thanks to all that replied, I'll answer more fully when I have a keyboard.



View attachment 1062661

Good allowance there for uprating - when you got the MH weighed did you get the individual axle weights?

 

[herald_400rl]

Good allowance there for uprating - when you got the MH weighed did you get the individual axle weights?

Looks ripe for a paper upgrade to 3850. Maybe even 4000.

 

[barryd]

Mo' sales, mo' money.

Think about all the motorhomers in the country/continent, how many actually ever give payload a consideration? I bet there's loads driving round over weight without even any knowledge of the word payload.

It took me over ten years to replace our old Kontiki as I could never find a rear lounge motorhome with enough payload to take our bike on the back. It became an obsession. Its not just motorhomers that don't know about it dealers often don't either. I had a few when I asked that either never bothered to reply or just sent me a photo of a weight plate! If you mentioned taking the van to a weighbridge they didn't want to know.

 

[BILL 875]

If you like the MH, have C1 licences (with no impending issues), uprate to whatever the max is and enjoy the lower road tax!

 

[pappajohn]

Thanks to all that replied, I'll answer more fully when I have a keyboard.



View attachment 1062661

That's the original fiat plate
There will be a converters plate somewhere which takes priority and gives new weights.....IE: the train weight may have been reduced

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[herald_400rl]

It took me over ten years to replace our old Kontiki as I could never find a rear lounge motorhome with enough payload to take our bike on the back. It became an obsession. Its not just motorhomers that don't know about it dealers often don't either. I had a few when I asked that either never bothered to reply or just sent me a photo of a weight plate! If you mentioned taking the van to a weighbridge they didn't want to know.

We're just starting our MH adventure really (only 2 years in and just past 30). Will have to do my C1 in a few years if kids become a thing. Or electric powered MHs in 15 years, they will need to be at least 4250kg.

 

[PaulW2]

We're just starting our MH adventure really (only 2 years in and just past 30). Will have to do my C1 in a few years if kids become a thing. Or electric powered MHs in 15 years, they will need to be at least 4250kg.

Whether it's worth it may partly depend on your age. If you now do a C1 you will need medicals every 5 years from 45, then annually from 65.

 

[StitchUp]

There is a post on here by stichup dated Nov27 2021 covering this, his weighed in at 4250kg!!

Yikes! I forgot all about that post and now you remind me it was done at the first MOT after purchase! I removed a lot just after taht but didn't get it weighed again.

I now have a keyboard to type a reply to all that kindly replied, I can't type properly on a phone.

Aged 72, yes I do have a C1 licence and have taken one of the medical examinations at age 70 to maintain it. If I do take the route to uplift the weight, I guess when I come to sell, the purchaser would need a C1 licence?
At what year did DVLA stop issuing C1 licences as routine?
What is the cost of 'uplifting' the weight and what is the excise duty reduction?

Since the original build, year 2000 I guess owners have added the following items:
Tow hitch
Satellite TV
100 watt Solar Panel
120ah Leisure Battery approx. 35Kgs
Fiamma Bike Rack
Fiamma wind out Awning

I've added
298Watt solar panel
Additional 120ah Leisure Battery approx. 35Kgs. I guess going lithium would reduce the weight considerably?
Victron Solar Controllers x 2
Victron Charger

My 2 seater 1litre Smart Car Pure 451 equipped with Armitage's 'A'-Frame - braked. I've yet to tow this behind the van but it's already and equipped to go. How would this affect payload? I could load the Smart car with stuff that would otherwise be on the van

Think I've answered most of the questions

Thanks for all the advice

 

[StitchUp]

That's the original fiat plate
There will be a converters plate somewhere which takes priority and gives new weights.....IE: the train weight may have been reduced

Where would that be normally attached on a 2.8 Fiat Ducato?

 

[StitchUp]

Doesn't include gas bottles or solar panels..if you have a c1 licence you could look into updating the weight. Or invest in a trailer.

Two x 6Kgs Calor bottles included in the weighing today

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[Jofang]

Whether it's worth it may partly depend on your age. If you now do a C1 you will need medicals every 5 years from 45, then annually from 65.

Not sure the medical every year is correct but stand to be corrected. My 73 year old pal in the UK drives a 7 tonner and has to renew his licence every 3 years along with a medical every 3 years.

 

[Garfields]

Cheaper VED as well.
Not anymore you now have to pay same rate as before after up plating

 

[barryd]

We're just starting our MH adventure really (only 2 years in and just past 30). Will have to do my C1 in a few years if kids become a thing. Or electric powered MHs in 15 years, they will need to be at least 4250kg.

There was a thread on here about the weight limit / licencing changing up to 4250kg. I think its something that is currently going through the EU courts and if it happens its possible the UK might follow. So it could be by the time you get round to upgrading you might not have to take a C1 test. Might be a few years off though if it happens. I think its possibly to do with the increase in weights with electric vehicles.

 

[StitchUp]

Whether it's worth it may partly depend on your age. If you now do a C1 you will need medicals every 5 years from 45, then annually from 65.

Think it's every 3 years from 70, do correct me if I'm wrong!

 

[PaulW2]

Think it's every 3 years from 70, do correct me if I'm wrong!

It is for you. But for someone who does a C1 test now it's every 5 years from 45 and then annually from 65.