Payload confusion

Captain Yoghurtpot

Captain Yoghurtpot

Joined
Apr 13, 2019
Posts
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Location
Nottinghamshire
Funster No
59,884
MH
VW 2005 T5 Campervan
Exp
Since September 2018
Can anyone help with my confusion please.
This is the plated information on our motorhome inside the engine bay.
What do these 4 figures actually mean, and can I work out my payload from them as a rule of thumb.
Thanks.
2019-12-27 14.39.36.jpg
 
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Lenny HB said:
Can't charge you revenue (VED) for it then. :rofl:

Is it registered as a Motor Caravan?
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Yes, that's what it states on the V5 and I pay the corresponding road fund as class 4.
£341.16 per annum.
States " private light goods" and 1905cc engine on heavy oil fuel.
 
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If selling, emphasis it's registered ' Motor Caravan' (very rare these days) upgrade to 3.5 ton, ( paper exercise) do use weighbridge, just print picture of plate after upgrade, and post price wanted.
Be honest, but not too honest! 😄
 
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L' Hobo said:
If selling, emphasis it's registered ' Motor Caravan' (very rare these days) upgrade to 3.5 ton, ( paper exercise) do use weighbridge, just print picture of plate after upgrade, and post price wanted.
Be honest, but not too honest! 😄
Click to expand...
He can only go to a max of 3440kg.

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Captain Yoghurtpot said:
Thanks so far to the replies.
I have tried, and tried and tried to find a converters plate and have had no success whatsoever having turned the van almost inside out.
Not sure if in 2001 such things were so rigidly applied by Ci which is when our van was built.
I am looking to put the van up for sale and want to give as accurately a description and relevant weight levels etc as possible.
So.........basically then, get total van weighed EMPTY, then subtract that figure from MAM weight( gross weight) of 3200kg to give the payload available, with a MAXIMUM load on the FRONT axle of 1690kg, And REAR axle of 1750kg?.
I seem to recall that when I first joined the forum I THOUGHT I had this sussed around 2018 ish, but now I am not at all convinced, so will start again.
Thankfully though, on our trips of the last 6 years we have travelled extremely light without much water to start but almost full fuel and limited food and chattels, and people, so am fairly convinced we were within any limits.
But we shall see.
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You can’t use that gross weight 3200kg, as mention above, you should should go by the weight shown in your V5 document.
 
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drmartinwhite said:
You can’t use that gross weight 3200kg, as mention above, you should should go by the weight shown in your V5 document.
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And you already determined it is way to get it replated at 3440kg so I’d do that then you can calculate you payload accurately by stripping everything out and weighing it as you already described.
 
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Captain Yoghurtpot said:
That's what I thought, hence my confusion.
Shall continue to empty the van and weigh it empty and then do some maths.
Thanks for all the encouraging advice folks.
Things seem a little clearer.
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Better to load as you normally run it then weigh it. That way you will know if you are OK or need to shed some weight.

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Lenny HB said:
Better to load as you normally run it then weigh it. That way you will know if you are OK or need to shed some weight.
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But is he not going to sell it?
He is trying to find what payload he can put on the advert.
If he follows your advice, it will probably be NIL! 🤔
 
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drmartinwhite said:
And you already determined it is way to get it replated at 3440kg so I’d do that then you can calculate you payload accurately by stripping everything out and weighing it as you already described.
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I don't wish to uplate the vehicle at all, but thanks for the reply.
I am due to sell the van and just want to advertise it as accurately as I can.
Goodness knows there has been a lot written lately on people buying vans then finding they have almost no loading capacity for whatever.
Our van will probably suit a first timer motorhomer maybe with a small young family as it has 4 full forward facing belts and 2 rear facing lap belts, but I want to be as clear as I can with how much load they could carry.
Seems a fair few get this wrong or are given bad information by dealers or whoever, and then it's too late.
Just trying to be accurate with what we are about to sell.
 
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Captain Yoghurtpot said:
Can anyone help with my confusion please.
This is the plated information on our motorhome inside the engine bay.
What do these 4 figures actually mean, and can I work out my payload from them as a rule of thumb.
Thanks.
View attachment 885898
Click to expand...
I think 3200 is the unladen ( empty ) weight, 4800 is the Maximum permissible weight ( fully loaded) (1) 1690 is the front axle maximum weight (2) 1750 is the rear axle maximum weight.I think that's correct
 
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Brian Thompson said:
I think 3200 is the unladen ( empty ) weight, 4800 is the Maximum permissible weight ( fully loaded) (1) 1690 is the front axle maximum weight (2) 1750 is the rear axle maximum weight.I think that's correct
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We all wish - it would then provide decent payloads😂😂. Alas 3200kg is the maximum laden weight and 4800kg is the max when towing a trailer

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How can the MAM possibly be 4800 if the combined axle weights cannot exceed approx 3500?
 
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Brian Thompson said:
I think 3200 is the unladen ( empty ) weight, 4800 is the Maximum permissible weight ( fully loaded) (1) 1690 is the front axle maximum weight (2) 1750 is the rear axle maximum weight.I think that's correct
Click to expand...
Totally wrong the 4800kg is the Max Train Weight which is the total weight of the Motorhome plus a trailer.
 
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Captain Yoghurtpot said:
I don't wish to uplate the vehicle at all, but thanks for the reply.
I am due to sell the van and just want to advertise it as accurately as I can.
Goodness knows there has been a lot written lately on people buying vans then finding they have almost no loading capacity for whatever.
Our van will probably suit a first timer motorhomer maybe with a small young family as it has 4 full forward facing belts and 2 rear facing lap belts, but I want to be as clear as I can with how much load they could carry.
Seems a fair few get this wrong or are given bad information by dealers or whoever, and then it's too late.
Just trying to be accurate with what we are about to sell.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with your desire to give the accurate available payload to a buyer. That is commendable.

If you do go to a weighbridge empty and take that weight from the 3200kg you may be surprised at how little payload there is.

In that case marketing it to a family of six, as the seating suggests, might be impossible, so maybe you should think about an upgrade in max weight.
 
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nicholsong said:
I totally agree with your desire to give the accurate available payload to a buyer. That is commendable.

If you do go to a weighbridge empty and take that weight from the 3200kg you may be surprised at how little payload there is.

In that case marketing it to a family of six, as the seating suggests, might be impossible, so maybe you should think about an upgrade in max weight.
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True, but then that enters into the realms of C1 licence requirements IF I should go above 3500kg as an uplate.
As to the 6 seat belts , that is EXACTLY why I am trying to be as clear as I can re payload so any potential purchaser can be well informed as to what COULD or COULD NOT be available.
We shall see when weighed in empty mode, but currently having a few family health issues so not sure when this will be done.
But it will be done!
 
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G-RMPS said:
How can the MAM possibly be 4800 if the combined axle weights cannot exceed approx 3500?
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Exactly.
Seems I might not be the only one who has a level of confusion on how payloads are calculated, which is not a dig at anyone, but a rather worrying scenario as to what we all understand, or interpret, as 'payload'.
 
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Captain Yoghurtpot said:
Exactly.
Seems I might not be the only one who has a level of confusion on how payloads are calculated, which is not a dig at anyone, but a rather worrying scenario as to what we all understand, or interpret, as 'payload'.
Click to expand...
Remember also, different companies use different criteria when it comes to working out their supposed payload.
When calculating drivers allowance weight, it's generally accepted as being 75kgs despite what a real driver will weigh.
Some companies have fuel at a third of a tank while others have only a few litres. etc. etc. etc.

This is the reason I wrote earlier, be honest, but not too honest!
Sadly, in the land of buying & selling, the rule has always been 'Buyer Beware'
 
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dunnah01 said:
We all wish - it would then provide decent payloads😂😂. Alas 3200kg is the maximum laden weight and 4800kg is the max when towing a trailer
Click to expand...
It's easy to see how people get confused. When you put license categories into the mix it's even more confusing. A lot of people would take that vehicle as a 3.5 max without even checking the plate
 
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My Hobby has 4 plates the Fiat manufacturers plate for the Chassis cab, the Alko plate, the converter Hobby plate and finally a chartered motor engineers uplate.
And the V5 was a shambles
It had 2axel when it was 3 (tag axel)
No engine number, weight wrong. All rectified when I up-plated it.
There are loads of tags registered incorrectly as 2axels, out of 10 random advertisements 8 were still reg as 2 axel’s.

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