Payload - yet again I'm afraid! Where's it gone?!

[Joie de vivre]

Hi folks.
Planning our sea kayaking trip to Norway in our Globestar 640 DK 6.3m van. Should have 550kg payload. We've loaded our gear, except for daily clothing, food, toiletries, computer, sat nav, cover for bikes. We deliberately filled up water tank (supposedly 100 l but gauge says 75%), filled up gas and diesel - for worst case scenario. On weighbridge we are 3680kg with 2 people.
I am surprised by this.

Question: Is an automatic Comfortmatic gearbox heavier than a manual? it's a 2.3 150bhp.
Have attached photos of brochure and plate on drivers door. Any comments or clarification about the plate welcome.

Question: how on earth do folks manage with electric bikes? ours are standard MTB at 30kg for the pair

Snag, my husband just turned 70, so can't drive if we up rate the van to 4000kg?

Thanks

 

[Badknee]

it all seemed just so complicated and expensive! Adding it on and making a change to the insurance will be even worse now? And what's the best way to up-plate?

An eye test first (£30-£40) then doctors4drivers (£55.00) maybe a new photo (£15.00) then contact Van Weight Engineering, it’s a paper exercise (£180) notify your insurance about up plating (no charge with Comfort Ins). Fill out the D4 licence application.

 

[TonyEmm]

Do check as £140 sounds much more than D4Drivers?

That’s way more than D4D. 1st time I renewed, (a few years ago) I paid £120 at my gp, + an eye test at Specsavers. Subsequently, I’ve used D4D (twice) not paid more than £55 and eye test included! D4D also fill most of the medical form in for you..

 

[TonyEmm]

An eye test first (£30-£40) then doctors4drivers (£55.00) maybe a new photo (£15.00) then contact Van Weight Engineering, it’s a paper exercise (£180) notify your insurance about up plating (no charge with Comfort Ins). Fill out the D4 licence application.

My eye test was included in the £55 at D4D.
regarding upplating, I sent DVLA a photo of my original fiat VIN plate and they’ve now classed it as a PHG instead of PLG. It saves around 1/2 the VED!

 

[hja]

Hi Hja,
Could you please say which mobility scooters you have as I haven’t seen any at that weight.

Efoldi. We have one original and one “light” they fold down to suitcase size. Reasonably robust but can’t use on gravel.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[CamperManLez]

Yes, thank you. I'm sure we will. We sort of went for maximum requirement to see where we were at as that's our key purpose. Anything less will then just be fine. Given there are two of us and two kayaks plus all the gear, i think as stated by others here, there's no way we can get away with 3500kg, except perhaps when we don't go kayaking on holiday and we remove the Thule Hullivators (35kg for the pair). Might be interesting though to get the completely empty base weight as you suggest. Just interested to know how much we were mislead on purchasing the vehicle or indeed not warned or advised in the least, when the sales people knew what we wanted a van for!!

I see lots of advice on going to a license change. I would like to add an alternate view to this problem, your kayaking plan is probably the big issue with weight in particular when MTB's are in the picture as well. How about another approach and use a trailer? if you go for a kayak trailer it will be long and maybe awkward but you could stick with the Thule racks (very nice!) + kayaks on the roof (then you can use the van + kayaks for days out away from say a campsite) and use a simple CAMPING TRAILER or similar to carry your excess weight? It will be much shorter assembly (Ferry costs) AND for the likes of Norway etc you can leave ALL water out of the van and just load up water in carriers (or a tank) in the Trailer and take as much as you like. You use a simple electric pump to transfer water into your van at your stops. You may be able to just hire a trailer for your trip?
Suggest you sort your van weights out WITH Kayaks at 3500 ton' = what can I carry? And all the excess into the trailer = will the idea work?
If you go this route there is some cost as you need a tow bar (good ones at 150-250 quid at PF Jones (good company - Manchester) and the wiring kit and I recommend PF Jones dedicated wiring kits, they don't need ECU coding and have all the matching connector plugs (Ducato) in the wiring harness. A good tow bar is around 25 kg (My HD Westfalia unit is this)
And consider a reversing camera which is wired to include a manual on off so you can leave it on while you drive to keep an eye on the trailer. (mine is setup this way and works great)
Just an idea and one which I am considering for my longer Euro trips with my scooter, saw lots of Germans doing similar last year.
Good luck, (I have Norway in the plan for 2025 and it looks great)

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Inflatable kayaks, lighter and more convenient. Some really good kit available now. Check out the Gumotex range.
Yes expensive, but in the round might work out a cheaper.
Mike.

 

[pxh38257]

Hi folks.
Planning our sea kayaking trip to Norway in our Globestar 640 DK 6.3m van. Should have 550kg payload. We've loaded our gear, except for daily clothing, food, toiletries, computer, sat nav, cover for bikes. We deliberately filled up water tank (supposedly 100 l but gauge says 75%), filled up gas and diesel - for worst case scenario. On weighbridge we are 3680kg with 2 people.
I am surprised by this.

Question: Is an automatic Comfortmatic gearbox heavier than a manual? it's a 2.3 150bhp.
Have attached photos of brochure and plate on drivers door. Any comments or clarification about the plate welcome.

Question: how on earth do folks manage with electric bikes? ours are standard MTB at 30kg for the pair

Snag, my husband just turned 70, so can't drive if we up rate the van to 4000kg?

Thanks



View attachment 858803

View attachment 858804

Hi, you will find that the manufactures weight will have been done without a cooker, blinds and curtains, no water clean or waste a small amount of diesel and no gas bottles. I too fell foul when I first weighed our motorhome on the local Weighbridge. Good luck I hope you get everything sorted.

 

[nicholsong]

I see lots of advice on going to a license change. I would like to add an alternate view to this problem, your kayaking plan is probably the big issue with weight in particular when MTB's are in the picture as well. How about another approach and use a trailer? if you go for a kayak trailer it will be long and maybe awkward but you could stick with the Thule racks (very nice!) + kayaks on the roof (then you can use the van + kayaks for days out away from say a campsite) and use a simple CAMPING TRAILER or similar to carry your excess weight? It will be much shorter assembly (Ferry costs) AND for the likes of Norway etc you can leave ALL water out of the van and just load up water in carriers (or a tank) in the Trailer and take as much as you like. You use a simple electric pump to transfer water into your van at your stops. You may be able to just hire a trailer for your trip?
Suggest you sort your van weights out WITH Kayaks at 3500 ton' = what can I carry? And all the excess into the trailer = will the idea work?
If you go this route there is some cost as you need a tow bar (good ones at 150-250 quid at PF Jones (good company - Manchester) and the wiring kit and I recommend PF Jones dedicated wiring kits, they don't need ECU coding and have all the matching connector plugs (Ducato) in the wiring harness. A good tow bar is around 25 kg (My HD Westfalia unit is this)
And consider a reversing camera which is wired to include a manual on off so you can leave it on while you drive to keep an eye on the trailer. (mine is setup this way and works great)
Just an idea and one which I am considering for my longer Euro trips with my scooter, saw lots of Germans doing similar last year.
Good luck, (I have Norway in the plan for 2025 and it looks great)

With the time and cost of all that he could have finished a C1 course and for less money.

 

[BillyKontiki]

Yes c1 required above 3500. But at the age of 70 he has c1 entitlement if he renewed his licence on the he would loose his c1 entitlement, but could contact dvla too have it reinstated.
It’s worth a punt. Good luck..

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[ghoster]

Efoldi. We have one original and one “light” they fold down to suitcase size. Reasonably robust but can’t use on gravel.

Thank you. They sound very good except I have a gravel drive. How did you know?

 

[hja]

Thank you. They sound very good except I have a gravel drive. How did you know?

Difficult on some site pitches if gravel.