Payload

[ABZSteve]

Whats is a good payload? I am looking at 3500kg vans with approx max payload of 500kg. Is that enough for two adults and a large dog? Or should that be two large adults and a dog .

Is see that allowances are already made for driver, fuel and water so doing a quick calc including some optional extras, chairs, small BBQ, 20kg for food and holiday essentials (what I would pack for a 2 week holiday) I would still have approx 200kg to spare (I hope).

I have also read that we should not trust the manufacturers published weight and should have it weigh bridge tested. Is that true and how far off could it be?

Your thoughts and comments please

Cheers,

Steve

 

[DP+JAY]

Many manufacturers state ex works weight plus or minus 5%
That's 175 kg on a 3500 van, also doesn't allow for extras like awning tow bar solar panels etc etc

 

[WillH]

I took our van to a weighbridge and got a fright. It is amazing just how much junk accumulates over the year. We now empty our van once a year and remove the dross. Also travel with only about 20 litres, (two watering cans) in the f.w. tank. Used to set off with the tank full, stupid really.

Rgds
Bill

 

[JeanLuc]

This is a bit of a minefield. Firstly, manufacturers are allowed a tolerance in calculating the Mass in Running Order (MIRO) which is the starting point for working out payload. This tolerance recognises that there are variations in manufacturing processes - I forget the exact figure but ± 5% comes to mind.
The next important figure is Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM).

Payload = MAM - MIRO.

However, manufacturers usually state MIRO for a standard motorhome. If you have added an awning, satellite dish/dome, an extra leisure battery, upgrade to a bigger engine etc., this will increase the stated MIRO and hence, reduce the payload. The ONLY certain way of checking is to have the van weighed, ideally with water, fuel, gas and passengers in it. If this is not possible, get it weighed then add allowances for anything that was not included.

In my opinion, 500kg is a bit near for two people plus large dog, particularly if you want to add some extras that are not already calculated in the MIRO.

To make the point, the stated MIRO of our Hymer is 3,000 kg in the catalogue. When I take account of the options and extras that were fitted - some during manufacture (bigger engine, auto box, awning) and others added later (dome, solar panel, reversing camera etc) that adds 239 kg to the MIRO. We travel two-up and when I had it weighed fully-loaded last summer before a trip, it was under the 3,800 MAM, but not a lot!

 

[cranky]

Get it weighed, its the only way to know for sure. And get both axles done as you can be ok in total but over on one axle.

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[Forestboy]

Before you part with any cash take a test drive to a local weighbridge its the only guaranteed way of knowing the real weight and payload. Don't trust the paperwork or dealer they just want your cash. Far too many of these 3500kg vans are not fit for purpose and running around way overloaded, which is ok until you have an accident.
A tenner to weigh is cheaper than getting it wrong.
If the dealer refuses walk away plenty of vans for sale.

 

[maz]

As others have said, a weighbridge is the only way to be sure. My van had a stated payload of just over 800kg which seemed pretty reasonable. However when I took it fully laden to a weighbridge it was right on the maximum weight limit. On my previous van I had the same amount of 'clutter' but apparently it didn't weigh as much because it didn't consume the same amount of payload. So one or other of the vans was inaccurately described in the literature (I suspect it's the current one).

As an aside, I gained an extra 500kg of payload as a paperwork exercise with SVTech. :thumb:

 

[Minxy]

We have just over 500kg payload which we find is more than sufficient for our needs, we have 3 dogs (2 small an one med/large), 2 quality inflatable canoes and all the kit, 2 folding bikes, plus loads of other stuff. We downsized form a MH with over 700kg payload but have not had a problem 'losing' 200kg, however our fresh water tank is half the size so in reality we have only 'lost' about 140kg, but we still have payload capacity to spare.

You cannot believe the payload figures though, you really need to get it weighed to get a 'true' figure, then you will be able to calculate whether or not it will be anywhere near enough for your needs.

 

[DBK]

This question got me thinking, and I thought I understood how it all worked but didn't. There is another term, Mass in Service (MIS), which is shown in the V5C, although I understand only for recent vehicles. It includes a 75kg driver but excludes items added by the dealer.

This last bit "items added by the dealer" is a bit misleading. The MIS in the V5C for my Murvi is 2169 which would suggest I have a huge payload as it is 3500 GVW (or MAM) but a bit of digging reveals that 2169 was the weight of the van, including driver, before conversion.

Get thee to a weighbridge I think.

 

[Puddleduck]

This question got me thinking, and I thought I understood how it all worked but didn't. There is another term, Mass in Service (MIS), which is shown in the V5C, although I understand only for recent vehicles. It includes a 75kg driver but excludes items added by the dealer.

75kg???? Been told by my GP I should be between 80 and 90 kg and my OH is taller than me!

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[pappajohn]

take EVERYTHING out that isnt bolted or screwed down...including water and waste but excluding full gas bottles, you need them anyway....then have it weighed.

Deduct that weight from the gross weight on the VIN plate.

That is your available payload.

If you were the only person on board at the first weigh in then available payload will include all passengers as well.

The other option is load the van as you would when travelling...inc passengers....then have it weighed.
Deduct that weight from the plated gross weight......that is your remaining payload for any extras you buy on tour

 

[Roryboys Dad]

Definition of the Payload of a Motorhome –

An optimistic figure the manufacturers hide away in the small print section of the Advertising literature and the figure quoted is usually somewhere between wishful thinking and a Hans Christian Anderson fantasy world.

Believe nothing a Salesman tells you until you've checked the facts

Get it weighed BEFORE you buy!

 

[pappajohn]

This question got me thinking, and I thought I understood how it all worked but didn't. There is another term, Mass in Service (MIS), which is shown in the V5C, although I understand only for recent vehicles. [HI]It includes a 75kg driver [/HI]but excludes items added by the dealer.

This last bit "items added by the dealer" is a bit misleading. The MIS in the V5C for my Murvi is 2169 which would suggest I have a huge payload as it is 3500 GVW (or MAM) but a bit of digging reveals that 2169 was the weight of the van, including driver, before conversion.

Get thee to a weighbridge I think.

the 75kg driver allowance is deceiving....i weigh 42kg more than that. :Blush:

I think 'mass in service' is modern speak for the old term 'kerb weight'....which includes a 75kg driver, all engine fluids and a % of fuel capacity.

 

[Mike B]

Try one of these

 

[pappajohn]

Try one of these

had my old 3850kg Kontiki weighed on a set of those.......loaded to tour and i still had 480kg payload, on the rear axle alone

Certainly wouldnt trust it if vosa were to check later.

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[Reallyretired]

I can recommend the yellow gadget above. I have one and agrees pretty wel with the council weighbridge. Stated payload from the converter is not to be trusted, and if you have accessories, they can be very heavy, especially awnings, extra batteries.
Also the stated payload includes only 75kg for the driver (in my case thats an extra 25kg straight away)
Then theres the weight of SWMBO (obviously I'm too polite to ask but I can guess) and the dog is 25kg.
I also like to travel with a full water tank unless I know I'm stopping on a site (120kg).
Only solution is the weighbridge, or the gadget above.

 

[Mack100]

I've still got one of those yellow Reich Control gadgets from when we had a caravan.
Probably use that and take to the local council weighbridge as a belt and braces job.
A couple I was talking to recently who have a similar size motorhome to ours hadn't even heard of a maximum legal weight

 

[MikeandCarolyn]

Try one of these

The yellow one weighs up to 1,000Kg and the red one weighs up to 1,500Kg I believe,so
how do you weigh a 3,500Kg van ? or am I missing summat.

Mike

 

[Mack100]

Weigh under each wheel

 

[JeanLuc]

You weigh each wheel individually. Obviously, you need the orange 1,500 kg model if your max rear axle load exceeds 2,000 kg.
I thought about buying one of these when the orange one came out a few years ago, but they were hard to find at the time and I decided to save the £150 odd that it costs because that will pay for a lot of weighbridge fees (my local charges £5).

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[Mack100]

Here's the link to the destructions:

http://www.campervanstuff.com/shop_stuff/Downloads/reich/usermanual_reich_weightcontrol.pdf

 

[webby1]

Payload was something we struggled to understand when we first got our van.................then I realised that it was meant to be confusing and was essentially a manufacturer's con.

For example

Van with seatbelts for four but berths for only 3

Berths for 4 but belts for 2

Berths for 6 but belts for 4 and payload for 4 1/2

The only weigh is to get weighed (see what I did there) with what and who you intend to travel with

Also check the possibilities of getting it replated later if needed(plenty of threads about that on here) If it can't be replated then you could be disappointed ....................I am not sure a 3500 van can carry enough comfortably for two people.

 

[ABZSteve]

Thanks for all of your replies. Regarding having a van weighed before buying, if its new, will all of the vans of the same model weigh roughly the same? If not, then how are you supposed to know if the payload is any use?

Steve.

 

[Puddleduck]

Van with seatbelts for four but berths for only 3

Berths for 4 but belts for 2

Berths for 6 but belts for 4 and payload for 4 1/2

I am not sure a 3500 van can carry enough comfortably for two people.

More belts than berths could be because teens like a pup tent - well our older children did. It meant they had their own space and didn't disturb "the babies" who were asleep in the van beds.

Less belts than berths - I struggle with reasons for this.

A lot depends on how light you travel and the class of your driving license. Having been a canoe camper I tend to travel light. When I go to the US later this year (business) I'll just take a change of clothing and basic personal hygiene necessaries, documents, cash and credit card. No hold luggage. I can buy everything I need cheap in Wal*Mart or K*Mart and give it to a thrift store when I'm done. I've even posted stuff home rather than carry it.

 

[Mikey RV]

I loaded ours up yesterday with everything I would like to take with us, proberly too much, then filled with fuel this morning and went off to the weighbridge. with a max load of 5000kg I weighed in at 5100kg. Just goes to show how much crap we wanted to take with us. So when the wife gets home after her walk back from the weighbridge because we were over weight we will decide what to ditch.:thumb:

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[pappajohn]

I loaded ours up yesterday with everything I would like to take with us, proberly too much, then filled with fuel this morning and went off to the weighbridge. with a max load of 5000kg I weighed in at 5100kg. Just goes to show how much crap we wanted to take with us. So [HI]when the wife gets home after her walk back from the weighbridge because we were over weight[/HI] we will decide what to ditch.:thumb:

should have stuck 100kg on the roof....VOSA would never see it up there if they stopped you.

 

[Coolbeanz]

Weighbridge delight!

We have a MAM of 4500kg and as we plan on carrying 2 mountain bikes and 2 road bikes as well as all the associated goods needed for long terming we thought we had better get Herman weighed to see how much payload we have left to play with as there is a solar panel, satellite dish, awning and an additional leisure battery all eating in to the payload. We already have all the bedding and kitchen equipment loaded as well as Quattro ramps, chairs, and various bits in the garage. We were surprised and delighted when we went to the weighbridge this morning and our current weight (including Glynn but not me) was only 3740kgs. We can now relax that even with adding water and fuel and the 4 bikes (they only weigh 50kg total) we will be well within our limit. Room for more

 

[Larby]

I loaded ours up yesterday with everything I would like to take with us, proberly too much, then filled with fuel this morning and went off to the weighbridge. with a max load of 5000kg I weighed in at 5100kg. Just goes to show how much crap we wanted to take with us. So when the wife gets home after her walk back from the weighbridge because we were over weight [HI]we (she) will decide what to ditch.[/HI]:thumb:

Can SHE drive ? as she may have already decided what to leave behind

 

[oldun]

How accurate are weighbridges?

They are designed, I imagine, to measure lorries up to around 40 tonne. That means our puny 3 to 6 tonne motorhomes are only using a small part of the range.

Errors are often quoted as a certain percent at full scale.

Can anyone quote a typical error, in kg, for a modern well maintained weighbridge?

I would appreciate a serious answer based on fact and not the "I should think it is" type of answer.

 

[Steve]

It must have been 6-9 months ago I was reading a similar tread on here and thought I had better weigh my van before I got the scooter to put in the garage. Well, no driver or passengers, ¼ tank fuel, no water no awning, only one 80ahr battery, nothing on the roof no tins of beans just empty. And it weighed 3150 out of a max of 3500 so 350 load. There was just no way was this going to work so got svtech to update to 4000 had to add air suspension to rear. But still have to watch rear axle loading.
Steve