Weighed the Alpa I 7820 today.

[Bustup15]

Just back from Germany and thought I would get a marker for payload.

Virtually emptied the contents/consumables
Full diesel 120 litres
Full water 166 litres
32 inch TV, smaller TV to front cab, speaker system, satellite
Twin solar, 1 gas bottle, twin leisure batteries, inverter and a 6 metre electric awning.
180 hp engine and auto box

Plate below to max 5400kg

Weighbridge at 4680
Front 1980
Rear 2700

720kg to play with and flexibility to dump some fresh if required and or not run with full diesel

Weighed at local authority site and when I requested front rear and total they wanted to charge me for 3 tickets - that can't be normal or is it!? They agreed to do tot weight on ticket and then noted down separately the split weights though.

 

[Scotch mist]

I see it’s updated to 5400kg , What’s the mro

 

[funflair]

I don't know if that was with two people in as well but you might need some weight in the garage to balance it out a bit.

But you have a few 100kg to play with looking good.

Martin

 

[Bustup15]

I see it’s updated to 5400kg , What’s the mro

Web site quotes 4260?

 

[Bustup15]

I don't know if that was with two people in as well but you might need some weight in the garage to balance it out a bit.
Martin

@funflair How do you calculate ' balanced'?

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[Scotch mist]

Web site quotes 4260?

I think that’s for the 5000kg , as it’s been updated to 5400kg
The mro will be higher

I am keen to try and work out how accurate the mro is ( bearing in mind the mro is subject to +/- 5% ) , I have a brand new Dethleffs coming in 2 months , if mine was 5% over it will add on 188kg

 

[TinaLes]

Council Weigh Bridge in Wellington Somerset, wanted £10 per axle, plus £10 Overall.
So £30 Robbing B's
Les

 

[Kingham]

@Bustup15 I’ve just noticed your location.

Do you know there’s a free self weigh facility just outside of Wingate on the A181, just before the A19 sliproad ?

I have used it a few times over the years and it was great for my tag axle as it provided individual rear axle weights, rather than risking being ok on the combined figure, but the rearmost on mine was always higher than the other and close to its maximum when loaded with bikes etc.

You don’t get a printed ticket, nor do you need one. You press the button and drive forward slowly, as each axle passes over the plate, you have to note the weight on the display ahead of you.

 

[Bustup15]

@Bustup15 I’ve just noticed your location.

Do you know there’s a free self weigh facility just outside of Wingate on the A181, just before the A19 sliproad ?

I have used it a few times over the years and it was great for my tag axle as it provided individual rear axle weights, rather than risking being ok on the combined figure, but the rearmost on mine was always higher than the other and close to its maximum when loaded with bikes etc.

You don’t get a printed ticket, nor do you need one. You press the button and drive forward slowly, as each axle passes over the plate, you have to note the weight on the display ahead of you.

View attachment 305259

Cheers, will give that a go

 

[funflair]

@funflair How do you calculate ' balanced'?

Hi Bustup

What I am saying is that your available payload of 720kg is balanced between 320kg spare on the front axle 500kg on the rear axles, if the vehicle was weighed with just one person up front you need to take the passenger weight predominantly off the front axle figure as the weight is loaded so far forward. So lets say that you now have 650kg left to use, if this is loaded on or behind the rear axle that would be overloaded and likewise if it is too far forward it will overload the front axle so it needs to be balanced around the van which it naturally will be, the easiest thing to do is visit the weigh bridge again in full touring trim and try to weigh all three axles as Ken says.

Martin

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[Barclaybasher]

Never having weighed a MH can I ask how uprating a vehicle actually makes it safer to drive?

Just asking

 

[funflair]

Never having weighed a MH can I ask how uprating a vehicle actually makes it safer to drive?

Just asking

Uprating the suspension might take it off the bump stops and give it some compliance which I would have thought would be safer, uprating the tyres means that they will run within their maximum allowed figure.

Martin

 

[Kingham]

Never having weighed a MH can I ask how uprating a vehicle actually makes it safer to drive?

Just asking

I don’t consider mine to be any safer since uprating it. It does keep me legal if I take the weight over the pre-uprating maximum.

Edit - Mine was only a paper exercise without any physical changes.

 

[Barclaybasher]

Uprating the suspension might take it off the bump stops and give it some compliance which I would have thought would be safer, uprating the tyres means that they will run within their maximum allowed figure.

Martin

But I have read on here that sometimes it's just a 'paper exercise'

@Kingham beat me to it

 

[funflair]

But I have read on here that sometimes it's just a 'paper exercise'

In that case refer to Ken's answer above but that should only be an available option if the running gear is deemed to be safe at that weight.

Martin

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[Speve]

Never having weighed a MH can I ask how uprating a vehicle actually makes it safer to drive?

Just asking

I would think it’s just about being legal

 

[Bustup15]

Hi Bustup

What I am saying is that your available payload of 720kg is balanced between 320kg spare on the front axle 500kg on the rear axles, if the vehicle was weighed with just one person up front you need to take the passenger weight predominantly off the front axle figure as the weight is loaded so far forward. So lets say that you now have 650kg left to use, if this is loaded on or behind the rear axle that would be overloaded and likewise if it is too far forward it will overload the front axle so it needs to be balanced around the van which it naturally will be, the easiest thing to do is visit the weigh bridge again in full touring trim and try to weigh all three axles as Ken says.

Martin

Cheers

 

[Bustup15]

I think that’s for the 5000kg , as it’s been updated to 5400kg
The mro will be higher

I am keen to try and work out how accurate the mro is ( bearing in mind the mro is subject to +/- 5% ) , I have a brand new Dethleffs coming in 2 months , if mine was 5% over it will add on 188kg

@Scotch mist

From coc 4575 but mine was weighed with full water and fuel and driver only (and fuel tank is upgraded so not sure if the % of fuel included is updated in the miro?

 

[wiljoy]

@Bustup15 I’ve just noticed your location.

Do you know there’s a free self weigh facility just outside of Wingate on the A181, just before the A19 sliproad ?

I'm fortunate to have a few customers (Durham) with weigbridges so lucky.

I have used it a few times over the years and it was great for my tag axle as it provided individual rear axle weights, rather than risking being ok on the combined figure, but the rearmost on mine was always higher than the other and close to its maximum when loaded with bikes etc.

You don’t get a printed ticket, nor do you need one. You press the button and drive forward slowly, as each axle passes over the plate, you have to note the weight on the display ahead of you.

View attachment 305259

 

[Barclaybasher]

I bought my 2001 Moby 190 knowing it was 3850kg and that I would have to get my C1 back. The seller hadn't realised it was over 3.5t. and he didn't have a C1

Obviously he had been (unwitingly) breaking the law with possibly no ins cover

Has anyone actually been stopped and weighed?

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[GMLS]

Never been stopped and weighed but other than main holidays, generally travelling at weekends and not noticed any weigh bridges open to be honest.

 

[Speve]

Never having weighed a MH can I ask how uprating a vehicle actually makes it safer to drive?

Just asking

If you have never weighed a Motorhome how do you know you are not over weight?
Just a thought as I always weigh the van before most trips if they are long ones with extra kit on board just to ensure we are ok, I know most times what the vans approx weight would be as I weighed it empty and everything we put in was weighed and listed.
I know we don’t hear of many vans being stopped and weighed but you never know who’s waiting around the corner. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Nirvanauk]

Why not just take your fully loaded van to the weighbridge once. Then you know what it weighs. You don’t need to do it every trip.

 

[Speve]

Why not just take your fully loaded van to the weighbridge once. Then you know what it weighs. You don’t need to do it every trip.

Yes that’s ok for the shorter trips it’s when we get of to Spain for three or for months as I say I know roughly what it’s going to be but for the sake of a trip to the free weighbridge it’s worth it for piece of mind.

 

[gus-lopez]

I see it’s updated to 5400kg , What’s the mro

No towing capacity if you wanted it though?

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[Scotch mist]

No towing capacity if you wanted it though?

I’m not going to tow , will have a scooter in my garage , I was just trying to work out how accurate the stated brochure MRO is , bearing in mind the MRO is subject to +/- 5% , a quick look is very encouraging, a rough guestimate shows it could even be in the - rather than the usual +

If my MRO was +5% that would loose me 188kg in payload

 

[Spriddler]

I know most times what the vans approx weight would be as I weighed it empty and everything we put in was weighed and listed.

Blimey! I couldn't be bothered with all that malarkey. You must be near the limit.
I weighed mine just the once when fully loaded (fuel, water, clothes, food, gas, Boys' toys etc) for a month's trip and had 450kg to spare. I don't buy extra stuff when away and never bring that much wine back.

 

[Kingham]

Blimey! I couldn't be bothered with all that malarkey. You must be near the limit.
I weighed mine just the once when fully loaded (fuel, water, clothes, food, gas, Boys' toys etc) for a month's trip and had 450kg to spare. I don't buy extra stuff when away and never bring that much wine back.

That’s the way I did mine, fully loaded for worst case scenario and gave me plenty of spare capacity left over. Full tanks, Labrador, kayaks and paddle kit, clothing & food for holiday, awning, windbreak etc

It will take a big change before I would feel the need to revisit the weigh bridge, something like adding a tow bar, towball mounted bike rack and a couple of bikes, along with everything else I carry, just to check the rear axle is still legal.

 

[Speve]

Blimey! I couldn't be bothered with all that malarkey. You must be near the limit.
I weighed mine just the once when fully loaded (fuel, water, clothes, food, gas, Boys' toys etc) for a month's trip and had 450kg to spare. I don't buy extra stuff when away and never bring that much wine back.

Well we tow a car trailer which I have to ensure we don’t go over GVTW when we are loaded and off to Continent we are around. 5750 kg gvtw and the van alone is
4300 kg so a little to spare
We do travel with full fresh water for the trip so have quite a lot of spare capacity if we dump some.