Motor homes and payloads

Just seen a four berth motorhome reviewed in this months MMM.It has 300kgs loading margin,250kgs if you have an automatic gearbox!!!

Who ever buys one of those Motorhomes will probably be soon singing along with Cliff Richard and the song 'Travelling Light'.

Let's hope they are on the 'slight' side of the weight scale or they will be illegal even before they set off.

It could be that motor caravan manufacturers are now looking at what it seems is a growing market of 3500 kg max vehicles, but also loaded with all the bells and whistles that the buyers are expecting, and  as stated continental biult LVs are very much heavier already,  there must be less weight available for for what else one thinks is needed for daily life

another article in MMM with a couple with a scooter in the garage of a 3.5t van...they had weighed it, all up, which is good and were delighted it came in 40kg under weight, again great...

however, they didnt say they had checked the axle weights and it could easily be that the front axle was well under and the rear over...

above i cited a 500kg payload as being about the minimum needed for those who tour for longer periods, with much kit and usually water as they might make some impromptu stops...

having seen a recent review of the Sift Kon Tiki Sport (formerly Bessacar 500 series) i was minded to check their model range as there used to be a couple of 'caveat emptors' lurking within....

the model reviewed sat on the heavy chassis and had a reasonable payload but tucked away in the range is the 584 Lounge, a near 8m, rear single bed, rear washroom version which should also be on this chassis.

for reasons known only to themselves, Swift have this (and a similar French bedded version) on the light chassis.

this van weighs 3295kg when chosen with the desirable new 9-speed auto transmission, sure to be a popular option at this price point.

this leaves a 'payload' (surely not the right word for such a pathetic number) of 205kg....and this does NOT include any water, the passenger, nor the second gas bottle (a single 6kg is included but, again, not what many touring folk would carry....)

so, add these three elements and the whole payload has completely disappeared, leaving no room at all for anything else....no clothes, bedding, tools, food, drink, pots, pans, crockery, leads, electrical devices, books, wine etc, etc....

even without the water, the passenger and a few of the above would tip the balance...

surely anyone ending up with this van would be in serious trouble and its no real help upgrading to 3850 as its likely that, with that huge rear overhang, the rear axle limit would be reached way before any enhanced payload figure was.

IMV, not a good offering and some poor buyer will end up heartbroken that they can't use their shiny new, expensive van in the way they thought they would.