Jonno1103
LIFE MEMBER
Depends what you call decent and what you want to use it for. We have a 7.3m motorhome which has an excellent payload for two. You just need to search, search and search some more... and do a lot of homework.
Ours weighed in at 2870kg on the weighbridge which confirmed the 2868kg on the V5c as my missus who drove it weighs 76kg, nowhere near the 3000kg spouted to cover their backsides. I know loads of owners of smaller vans which when on the weighbridge in factory configuration weigh well over 100kg less than what's advertised too.
UK vans get a revenue weight, max permissible mass and mass in service. How many Euro vans get a mass in service? Probably next to zero so the owners have absolutely no idea what their particular van is supposed to weigh. You don't get the + or - 5% in the mass in service... it is what it is, the weight of the vehicle ready to leave the factory including the factory fit cost options but minus your gas bottles.
As an educated guess I reckon no motorhome here or abroad has been built anywhere close to 5% above for the last 7 years. I'd say 90% are below... on average 3.5% below.
It's 99% assumption by the purchaser for the most part. No one reads the manuals, no one reads their log book, no one reads the small print, no one reads their warranty.
Me? I'm an anorak, a really bad motorhome geek... certifiably addicted. I've weighed everything from Al KO chassis parts to wing mirrors. I read everything, have files on everything, toured the factories far and wide, know the composition of all of the homologations, skeletal chassis'. For me a trip to a dealership is akin to a day at the beach or the Eiffel Tower to others. Lost count of the amount of shows attended across Europe. It's why I worked for Trigano and learnt French, German & Italian and was basically paid to feed my addiction!
With those of us with restricted licenses 3500kg is all we've ever look at anyway so we tend to focus our minds on what is actually out there fit for purpose.
As a personal choice we won't buy a mainland European built motorhome. Why should we pay for standard fit heavy crash tested travel seats or standard fit heavy drop down beds we'll never use? It's simply a waste of payload.... not to mention that fixed tables and fixed L shaped lounges aren't that comfy and make you feel like you're sitting at a work station.
We don't go without and certainly don't struggle being restricted to 3500kg and as technology improves and materials become lighter probably never will.
Bottom line though is that regardless of gross weight, less than 500kg payload doesn't work for more than 2 travelling people for a holiday regardless of who builds it, it's simple maths, but there's no law anywhere in the world to say you can't build them or sell them.
A proper 4 berth, 2 adults and say 2x13 year olds you need 650kg minimum to cover every eventuality. A six berth, 800-900kg+.
But... what I find really peculiar is the amount of people who don't trust the manufacturers, don't trust the dealers, don't trust the techs who service the base vehicle but are still happy to part with tens of thousands of pounds buying into the lifestyle.
