Tag axle Carthago- is it worth upgrading payload?

[G1969]

Hello,
I have ordered a Carthago C line 5.9 xl MB, and have the option to upgrade the payload from 5000kg to 5500kg, for an extra £500 ( ontop of all the other £1,000s of extras!).

Is this worth doing or should I be better using this towards getting semi air fitted?

 

[Boringfrog]

£500 for what effort?

 

[bigtwin]

At what weight do you run your Chieftan, and what’s its GVW?

That should give you a good idea of the benefit versus the cost.

Does your Chieftan have a garage?

Ian

 

[G1969]

£500 for what effort?

I don't know what they do to achieve this?

 

[G1969]

At what weight do you run your Chieftan, and what’s its GVW?

That should give you a good idea of the benefit versus the cost.

Does your Chieftan have a garage?

Ian

Currently 5t, and no not the garage version, just standard low bed. Never weighed it fully loaded, but I presume I have got close when we had kids 4 bikes on tow bar bike rack. Plan to put bikes in garage on new one, but Currently only 2.

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[tonka]

It might just be a paperwork exercise being as they are "only" charging £500. Can't see them adding any extras like tyres etc for that amount.
If it is then try van weight engineering who will only be £180 for same paperwork.

 

[Fulham Dave]

We have a Dethleffs tag, was 5400kg, uprated it to 5700kg with VWE as we are full-timing and the extra kg's always help when away for up to 6 months

 

[Lenny HB]

Can't see them adding any extras like tyres etc for that amount.
If it is then try van weight engineering who will only be £180 for same paperwork.

Plus waiting weeks for DVLA.
I would pay the 500 quid, saves a lot of hassle, you can never have too much payload.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Seeing as that model is saying 635kg payload it will soon be used up.
2 adults and 2 kids maybe around 250kg, luggage another 50 plus bikes so probably half gone before extras fitted our any fluids !!

Would definitely update if it was me.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Plus waiting weeks for DVLA.
I would pay the 500 quid, saves a lot of hassle, you can never have too much payload.

Same here. For much the same reason

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[Lenny HB]

Seeing as that model is saying 635kg payload it will soon be used up.
2 adults and 2 kids maybe around 250kg, luggage another 50 plus bikes so probably half gone before extras fitted our any fluids !!

Would definitely update if it was me.

635kg on a German van is not even enough for two people.
Carthago's are nearly always 130 kg overweight so that's reduced payload to 505kg. Then there is going to be the basic options taking at least 150kg so now at 355kg which is totally unusable for two people.

 

[JockandRita]

Hello,
I have ordered a Carthago C line 5.9 xl MB, and have the option to upgrade the payload from 5000kg to 5500kg, for an extra £500 ( ontop of all the other £1,000s of extras!).

Is this worth doing or should I be better using this towards getting semi air fitted?

I'm with tonka's suggestion.

It might just be a paperwork exercise being as they are "only" charging £500. Can't see them adding any extras like tyres etc for that amount.
If it is then try van weight engineering who will only be £180 for same paperwork.

I up plated our 4500Kgs Hymer to a total of 5500Kgs, knowing that I would never be done for overloading, and have done the same with our N+B Flair, from 6000Kgs to 6850Kgs, both of which were paper exercises, and cost a damn site less than what SVTech charges.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[G1969]

Thanks for all your advice/ comments, confirmed to me that the extra £500 will be worthwhile

 

[suavecarve]

Thanks for all your advice/ comments, confirmed to me that the extra £500 will be worthwhile

Surprisingly I got mine sorted in less than a month.
If youre not using it for a month then VWE will give you about 300 quid saving on your quote.
That sort of money is worth waiting for (for me)

 

[Abacist]

If you update the GVW by say 500 Kgs does the Gross Train Weight increase by 500 Kgs as well or does the GTW stay the same and you lose 500Kgs towing capacity?

Could be an important factor if you might ever tow a car or trailer.

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[G1969]

If you update the GVW by say 500 Kgs does the Gross Train Weight increase by 500 Kgs as well or does the GTW stay the same and you lose 500Kgs towing capacity?

Could be an important factor if you might ever tow a car or trailer.

Good point, this is what it says
10) The maximum towed load depends on the total towed weight of the
vehicle. The towed load reduces to 1,800 kg with the Fiat Ducato
f40 heavy. The trailer load basically depends on the total towing weight:
Fiat Ducato AL-KO 6,000 kg, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter AL-KO 5,880 kg. Fiat
Ducato f40 heavy option, including 16 inch steel wheels.

So I presume from this if a fully loaded uprated to 5500kg, then can only tow 380kg?, unless I am mistaken?

 

[bigtwin]

So I presume from this if a fully loaded uprated to 5500kg, then can only tow 380kg?, unless I am mistaken?

You may tow anything up to the maximum train weight. The delta between the max GTW and the max GVW is only relevant if you load the MH to the max GVW. For every Kg under the max GVW that you run the vehicle at is another KG that you can add to the delta between the GTW and the GVW. For example if GTW is 6000Kg and GVW is 5500Kg you may still tow 1500Kg IF the vehicle ACTUALLY only weighs 4500Kg when you are towing a 1500Kg load.

Ian

 

[JockandRita]

Good point, this is what it says
10) The maximum towed load depends on the total towed weight of the
vehicle. The towed load reduces to 1,800 kg with the Fiat Ducato
f40 heavy. The trailer load basically depends on the total towing weight:
Fiat Ducato AL-KO 6,000 kg, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter AL-KO 5,880 kg. Fiat
Ducato f40 heavy option, including 16 inch steel wheels.

So I presume from this if a fully loaded uprated to 5500kg, then can only tow 380kg?, unless I am mistaken?

I up plated our 4500Kgs Hymer to a total of 5500Kgs, knowing that I would never be done for overloading, and have done the same with our N+B Flair, from 6000Kgs to 6850Kgs, both of which were paper exercises, and cost a damn site less than what SVTech charges.

Cheers,

Jock.

As a result of our up plating on the Hymer, the GTW went from 5200Kgs to 6500Kgs, officially documented and recorded on the Vehicle Design Weight Certificate.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

our up plating on the Hymer, the GTW went from 5200Kgs to 6500Kgs,

That’s a lot of beer

 

[G1969]

As a result of our up plating on the Hymer, the GTW went from 5200Kgs to 6500Kgs, officially documented and recorded on the Vehicle Design Weight Certificate.

Cheers,

Jock.

Was this done by hymer or a third party retrospective?

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[JockandRita]

Was this done by hymer or a third party retrospective?

Third party retrospective on the Hymer by DVSA with no charge, after a suspension upgrade on the front axle, and then by John Ruffles (RIP) for £175.00 on the rear axle, with the same again by John on the Flair.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[BeeHappy]

Plus waiting weeks for DVLA.
I would pay the 500 quid, saves a lot of hassle, you can never have too much payload.

I plated mine up in feb and DVLA turned it around inside a week.

I would speak to VWE and see if you have enough info already to determine what he could plate it up to. You may be able to achieve more with VWE.

 

[GAVLAD]

Yes. Do it.
For £500 extra it’s a drop 8n the ocean when you think of what you’re shelling out for.
Plus, you’ve got peace of mind knowing that you’ll be well within, given you’ve not overloaded each axle if the plod pull you over to weigh you.
Go for it.

 

[Ridgeway]

We took the upgrade on the same chassis, well worth it and just saved lots of hassle and paperwork. Also as someone stated above it’s increased the train weight capacity.

 

[Ridgeway]

Oh and you’ll want the air suspension as well the list keeps growing…..

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[Jonny1953]

Currently 5t, and no not the garage version, just standard low bed. Never weighed it fully loaded, but I presume I have got close when we had kids 4 bikes on tow bar bike rack. Plan to put bikes in garage on new one, but Currently only 2.

When you say standard low bed, do you mean that you don't need to be a bloody mountaineer to get into it. I didn't know that there was a moho with a low bed, is it a proper island bed?

 

[G1969]

It is a transverse bed , that is easy to get in /out other than climbing over the Mrs.

 

[stevewagner]

Oh and you’ll want the air suspension as well the list keeps growing…..

Not necessarily

 

[Ridgeway]

Not necessarily

Must admit we’re really enjoying it on our new van. Super comfy ride and some nice new features we‘re enjoying.

 

[Lazyboy]

Had a tag axle Carthago once on a Fiat with full air and hydraulic levelling. Weighed in at 5,300 kgs. I would definitely do it especially as I believe the Mercedes weighs more than the Fiat.

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