How we went about uplating our Rapido A Class

Lorryman100 said:
Vic, the van empty has the additional weight of the Fiamma awning, Cytrax satellite dish, 2 x solar panels with associated wiring and regulator and an extra habitation battery. I also carry 2 x 6kg gas bottles which will be gone in a weeks time (off to vanbitz to get gaslow fitted which will add more weight as it will be 2 x 11kg bottles).Then we added clothes and food for a weekend including the dogs food and other bits and bobs, laptop, ipad etc etc. All in the weight was a lot more than expected and if I never up plated then a break of any longer than a weekend would add more weight. We are away on Friday for a fortnight so will load the van (chairs, table, BBQ, electric frying pan, ramoska etc etc) and weigh it with the Reich portable weighing pad I have and then go via the weighbridge to get the ticketed weight for the front and rear axles. I am going to go ahead and fit the higher load rated tyres for the additional 240kgs on the rear axle via SVTech as at least the up plating will be free this time.
Click to expand...
Will this distribute more weight to rear keeping total at 3850kg or increase to 4090kg?
 
It is the light chassis and you have me wondering now if I heard Steve at SVTech correctly when he said about uprating the rear axle by a further 240kgs would up rate the maximum to 4090kg. Then again there would need to be the two modifications required for this to exceed the manufacturers maximum design weight, the VB air assist and the higher load rated tyres. Once I come back from our break I will get the tyres fitted and contact SVTech about the modifications and speak to him then about what the final plated weight will be.
 
Lorryman100 said:
It is the light chassis and you have me wondering now if I heard Steve at SVTech correctly when he said about uprating the rear axle by a further 240kgs would up rate the maximum to 4090kg. Then again there would need to be the two modifications required for this to exceed the manufacturers maximum design weight, the VB air assist and the higher load rated tyres. Once I come back from our break I will get the tyres fitted and contact SVTech about the modifications and speak to him then about what the final plated weight will be.
Click to expand...
Be grateful if you'd let me know the outcome. I really should speak to svtech but with workloads and work commitments atm I just don't have the time. Helps that i aint in rush atm

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
OK, as Lorryman knows, I have also been in touch with SvTech. I have a van with the Fiat light chassis, which I need uprated from 3650kg to 3850kg. I can get this done once I have had air assist suspension fitted.
Because I already have the "right" tyres, when SvTech uprate the van to 3850kg on evidencing the air suspension, they will also uprate the rear axle to 2240kg. BUT, the overall gross weight will remain at 3850kg.
As I undersdtand it, 3850kg is the absolute maximum allowable on the "light" chassis.
 
So...looking at your plates....

You gained 200kg gross weight but lost 650kg train weight

Doesnt seem a very fair exchange to me
 
Ok so light chassis 3850kg max I thought as much but was interested to confirm. Maxi chassis from what I know can go to 4250kg with air and tyres but I belive need to be 16inch wheels? Anyone know what a merc chassis can be increased to?
 
Lorryman100 said:
Vic, the van empty has the additional weight of the Fiamma awning, Cytrax satellite dish, 2 x solar panels with associated wiring and regulator and an extra habitation battery. I also carry 2 x 6kg gas bottles which will be gone in a weeks time (off to vanbitz to get gaslow fitted which will add more weight as it will be 2 x 11kg bottles).Then we added clothes and food for a weekend including the dogs food and other bits and bobs, laptop, ipad etc etc. All in the weight was a lot more than expected and if I never up plated then a break of any longer than a weekend would add more weight. We are away on Friday for a fortnight so will load the van (chairs, table, BBQ, electric frying pan, ramoska etc etc) and weigh it with the Reich portable weighing pad I have and then go via the weighbridge to get the ticketed weight for the front and rear axles. I am going to go ahead and fit the higher load rated tyres for the additional 240kgs on the rear axle via SVTech as at least the up plating will be free this time.
Click to expand...
Lorryman100 said:
Vic, the van empty has the additional weight of the Fiamma awning, Cytrax satellite dish, 2 x solar panels with associated wiring and regulator and an extra habitation battery. I also carry 2 x 6kg gas bottles which will be gone in a weeks time (off to vanbitz to get gaslow fitted which will add more weight as it will be 2 x 11kg bottles).Then we added clothes and food for a weekend including the dogs food and other bits and bobs, laptop, ipad etc etc. All in the weight was a lot more than expected and if I never up plated then a break of any longer than a weekend would add more weight. We are away on Friday for a fortnight so will load the van (chairs, table, BBQ, electric frying pan, ramoska etc etc) and weigh it with the Reich portable weighing pad I have and then go via the weighbridge to get the ticketed weight for the front and rear axles. I am going to go ahead and fit the higher load rated tyres for the additional 240kgs on the rear axle via SVTech as at least the up plating will be free this time.
Click to expand...
Thank you Brian for your info. I am intending going your way and seeing how I can keep at 3500kg. I know it will be very tight and don't want to risk things. The Fiamma awning I am going to not fit yet. That's about 30kg with fitting brackets. No bike rack and use the folding bike. Another 9kg gone. We are taking a cat and not a dog. He aint heavy (I feel a song coming on). We are in France at the moment and I counted 5 bottles of grapefruit breakfast juice in the fridge from Tesco. Obviously you cant buy food in France and don't get me going about shoes and handbags. So its sit down at home and work things out. Us men have all found dual purpose stuff. A mains plug change with the kitchen scissors and a knife is a doddle. So we will get weighed and see. Thanks Vic
 
That is us fully freighted with what seems like everything bar the kitchen sink having an overnight at Englethwaite Hall CC site. Used the Reich portable scales and the front axle came out at 1780kg, and the rear 1988kg giving a total weight of 3756kg. That was with 50litres of water and a full fuel tank with us in the van. Went to the weigh bridge and got tickets with the exact same weights the Reich gave us. We are also carrying about an extra 100kg of dog food and bits and pieces for Many Tears animal rescue which will be dropped off next week so all in not to bad with about 180kg's to play with at 3850kg. Once I get the rear tyres with the 112 load rating that will give me a little leeway on the rear axle weight as 1988kg is a bit to close for me.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
An update on the rear axle uprating. I had 4 Michelin Agilis 225/70x15 112 rated tyres fitted at P&B Tyres (Brian & Jo) when we were away on our break and when we got back yesterday I spoke to Steve at SVTech and he asked me to email him a scan of the tyre invoice and he would sort out the new plate that day. This morning I received the new plate and converters certificate showing the rear axle at 2240kgs and the front remains at 1850kgs, the maximum weight remains at 3850kgs as it is the Fiat light chassis. Also on the V5 it states the new revenue weight of 3850kg but the MAM is still 3500kg. I spoke to SV Tech about this and they said that the revenue weight is what counts and the MAM weight is what the vehicle was first registered at. I then spoke to the DVLA and they said the same as SV Tech but if it was of concern to me I can return the V5 and it will be amended to show 3850kg. I am not going to bother doing this as VOSA use the revenue weight and plate weights to determine the axle weights at weigh bridges.(y)
 
I also used John Ruffles after gathering lots of helpful information from a lovely helpful lady called Mel (Minxy;) ) she provided me with lots of info and steered me in the right direction... sent pictures etc to john, about 7 days later received a letter from him in the post with an invoice for £142 and all the paperwork i needed to send off to DVLA - i did that a week later and about 10 after posting said docs to Swansea i received my new logbook and letter of confirmation - why pay the big boys so much money when a little old fella can do it just as good for less than half the price - Thanks to Mel and ol John (y)
 
I suppose it is all down to individual choice on who to use, for me £312 is not a lot of money for 2 weight plate uprates with no hassle and near enough next day service supplied with all the forms needed by the DVLA and the new weight plates.
 
I think most coach built mhs at 3500 k wont work unless you go into micro managing weights. 9 kilo here 32 kilo there etc . To me that would impinge on the enjoyment of my mh. Full water fuel all your stuff on board and hit the road .

Mental note to self , get to a weighbridge soon as :)

Thats me not the van .
 
Last edited:
wigster said:
I think most coach built mhs at 3500 k wont work unless you go into micro managing weights. 9 kilo here 32 kilo there etc . To me that would impinge on the enjoyment of my mh. Full water fuel all your stuff on board and hit the road .

Mental note to self , get to a weighbridge soon as :)

Thats me not the van .
Click to expand...

Sad fact is, that there are people out there over 70, who are restricted UNNECESSARILY, to 3500kg due to the "Nanny" state obsession with control freakery!. WHY, the restriction when, a 4tonne vehicle is going to do as much damage as a 3.5tonne one?. is beyond me!. Usual Bureaucratic stupidity!!

With the equipment built into so many `vans today it is virtually impossible to get a coach-built or "A" class with any sort of usable payload at 3,5T, in a size suitable for extended travel!.

Pete

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Techno said:
I should arrive home on Sunday to find the paperwork for mine to go from 4250kg to 4750kg. 500kg for £142 :)
Click to expand...
Nice what's mods did u do to upgrade 4750kg?
 
Have to agree with PeterH too many stupid bloody laws that contradict themselves and no been thought through in my opinion - like restricting electric bikes to 15mph when you can pedal faster than that anyway ! Its all Bollox and another way of getting money off folk !
 
The OP has never mentioned the model. I presume it is an 8 series?
 
Minxy Girl said:
This is the chap/company I used:

Mr AHJ Ruffles (calls himself John)
company is JR Consultancy
tel: 01359 250808 / 01244 544 598
NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: truckcon@outlook.com

Original thread about it which I started:

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum...one-done-it-themselves-not-via-svtech.108656/

Another thread about weight change here:

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/weight-again.126088/
Click to expand...
Sorry people but this guy no longer available. He passed away recently, his wife asked me to update.
 
This is the plate on my Rapido 7065 with15" wheels.
20200723_111431_001.jpg
 
chapchips said:
Sorry people but this guy no longer available. He passed away recently, his wife asked me to update.
Click to expand...
Thanks, his name is on various threads but it was noted on more recent ones that John had sadly passed away, he was a lovely chap.
 
Sorry to hear about the chap that passed away.

I know it;s an old thread but is it as easy today to get uprated as the OP posted his experience 5 years ago?

Must say when i bought our van i want it DOWN graded from 3850 back to 3500, what a PITA. I got my C1 instead, so much easier.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top