Weights and payloads

In principle, I absolutely agree, but where I live, I have to travel some distance to find one open to the public.  Some also charge a lot.

The main snag is that you will never generate a "test load' that truly reflects what always seems to emerge from the house when we pack to go away!

I have added up all our expected gear and that weighs a total of around 380kg plus passengers.  So what is not in the caravan, is in the car.  That too has a weight limit.  I have two cars that can tow, one has a payload of 448kg and the other 510kg.  The MRO includes 75kg for a driver (so I am over that!) and allows for 90% tank of fuel (I think).  However, it does not allow for the towbar and electrics (25kg), any roof rack (5-10kg), any roof rack cycle carriers (4.2kg each), any top box (12kg), extra car mats etc, or any car tools (>10kg).

In my case, overall with either car, 2 up and 2 bikes is just about doable within both the car and caravan MAMs.  3 up and serious weight control (e.g only taking minimum F&B, a lightweight awning, no bikes, no generator) is just about doable as well.  Acceptability of all this depends on if you are planning on staying at one destination, or plan to tour between multiple sites.

Finally, one last little worry:  Car axle loads. Overloading the rear axle is still all too easy to do and you can't measure that at a public weigh bridge.  Put all the heavy items as far forward as you can and the light bulky ones to the rear (bear in mind that the caravan nose weight will be 80-100kg and right at the very back!)

"OK, this full options list is a bit extreme, but in fact it is a struggle to keep below the uprated 1500kg MAM without any of the manufacturer's options (a 124kg payload if I put the Alko jack and mains lead in the car), let alone the bike rack (+2 bikes) and the motor mover we would like."

that might not seem like much being added, however its perfectly possible to go way, way, beyond this on some topline MHs, adding many hundred kg to the MIRO.

when water tanks hold 300 plus litres and options can add many tens of thousands to a base price, you can see things can quickly change.

even vans running on the 'heavy' chassis (4250-4500kg) can get into trouble with enthusiastic (and wealthy) purchasers get hold of the options list.

Why can axle load not be determined at a weighbridge?  I've seen lorries being weighed half on a weighbridge to do just that.

Is there anyone who would like to collate data on "roadside" weighbridges that members might like to call in at while travelling?

Do you really need to carry a generator?

It depends.  If I have booked at a site with ELU, I leave it at home (which is true for most trips away), but if we are going (or may be going) to use a CL site without an ELU, then I have one, so I would like to take it.

One of the most demanding for weight has been the Badmington Horse trials.  No ELU (hence the genny) and limited ability to go shopping for F & B (lots of B), lots of clothes for all weathers and 5 days on site.   Then there is all the shopping from the show ground stores to carry home.

BTW, events like that are going to prove a real challenge for all electric cars.  They will not only need thousands of charging points for all the vehicles, but a power station to supply them!

We have done a handful of nights, only 1 at a time, where we have not had EHU, just stopovers en route somewhere, but as we have no solar panel to top up the battery we otherwise stick to sites which have EHU.   We do have a generator, but not for caravanning, we needed it when we were having our house built and kept it "just in case".

Other than at these horse trials, where I presume it is quite crowded and noisy, I would have thought that users of non EHU CLs generally prefer the quiet life and would not be too pleased to have a generator nearby.    Or do they all use them?

With more and more CL sites providing EHU, the need for a penny is reducing, but we have taken advantage of some nice low cost rural sites in the past where the genny keeps us going in the evening.

As for Badminton, there are hundreds of caravans, Mrs and horse boxes (with living accommodation).  That's a lot of gennies and inevitably, some run them for too long and at unfriendly hours.  However, the main problem is the noise from the cheap "open frame" type of genny (mine's reasonably quiet).  How people can afford a 6-figure horse box, run a horse and yet only pay for a cheap noisy genny is a mystery to me!

BTW, in an earlier post (01/06) I referred to the issue of keeping the car within its MAM.  I did not make it clear that you need to deduct the nose weight from the car's payload when towing.  Knocking off 100kg for that will make a significant difference.

Where did you get the basic weight (840kg) from. You cannot rely on that figure if it was out of a handbook, brochure or database. If you want or need something accurate, there's no alternative to putting the caravan on a weighbridge.

840kg came from a sales brochure. Hymer then go on to list everything over basic spec along with weights. A fellow owner of same van with some extras had his on a weighbridge to get an actual weight. By the time I'd ran through what I/he had/did not have it worked out my theoretical calculation was within a few kg, ie a single figure discrepancy.

Whilst this is not the most scientific solution the level of error is good enough for me to live live. 

Colin

2017 Rimor 14P - 4 berth, plated at 3850Kg.

After a European trip I drove to the Whetstone weighbridge still fully laden in holiday mode with the approximately 90Kg of water and 50 litres of fuel and the two adults were about 160Kg.

Whole Gross: 3560 Kg.

Front axle: 1680Kg.

Rear axle: 1880Kg.

I sent these figures off to Michelin and they kindly sent me back a set of tyre pressures for various weight loads.