Not heard from Jayco about getting their stupid compliance plate changed, the dealer has been in touch with them. There is a Jayco forum, and there are heaps of unhappy customers with the same problem, that is the maximum ball weight (what ever that is, suspect its more to do with warranty) being too low.
I will have to put No. 2 water tank back in the original position behind the axles, and no Jayco won't do it under warranty. This is just to get weight and balance back to reason. I will do away with the grey water tank and just use a tank on the ground when required.
Mazda rang up and said my rego papers are wrong and I promptly lost 500kg off my CVM. So according to my spread sheet on weights, I have cut down to the bone and am still 400kg over with full water tanks.
Will take the rig over the weigh bridge when more full fitted out. May even have to sell up and start again, and we've only used it once, second time coming up this weekend. I am blowed with what I have seen how many (most) van/tug combo's are not over the limit.
I really feel for you as it's an absolutely bastard of a situation to be in, and if caravan manufacturers did the right thing it would never have happened.
For 20 years I happily towed vans to Cairns most winters loaded with whatever we needed to take and never worried about weights in blissfull ignorance.
Now with my new for me Jayco van and knowing what I know now about weights I'm struggling to get the whole bloody thing legal, and believe you me its taken the fun out of setting off for our big lap, especially now as it's the only home we have.
Have stripped everything in the van down to bare bones, and shifted just about everything except the LPG bottles out of the front boot into the tug, and I'm still concerned that we may have to keep the front water tank empty. Anyway in a couple of weeks it goes back over the weighbridge and then we will see what is what.
I wish you all the very best and hope you can overcome the current problems without having to start all over again.
__________________
I had a thought but it got run over as it crossed my mind.
Agree, its now knowing, what perhaps in the past we were ignorant off. From what I have read, the tug needs to be X% heavier than the van (loaded), so perhaps I've done something right, I brought a tray top extra cab ute. I have brought a tradesman type canopy and I am planning to put everything except the bare essentials in that, including both spare wheels. With the weight being up against the cab. I am not adding any weight to the extremes of the van, in fact hardly putting anything in it at all.
I have been told at the caravan sales I don't need a WDH, but will see how all the setting up goes first (including new springs for the ute), then decide if the extra 35kg of the WDH is necessary. At the moment I am counting each kilo.
As far as the water tanks are concerned, I too may only be able to carry 50% capacity.
When we first visited the sales yard, they asked me what vehicle I had, then said I could tow anything in their yard. What they didn't make clear was that I wouldn't be able to carry anything. How ever our van doesn't look bigger than some I have seen on here, so it has me baffled.
I just wonder how many vaners have been stopped by weights and measure and been weighed?
But besides that its being able to tow safe.
Hi Iana. I think most people are dragged through the drama you are going for. The vehicle and caravan dealers choose to either lie through their teeth or not to tell you ALL of the facts - like a ute can tow 3.5T braked, but that's with the ute empty and it goes on.
I sincerely hope you get it all sorted and you get what you thought you were spending all your hard earned money on !
__________________
Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
When I asked JAYCO for the grey water tank they asked us first, what we intended to tow the Jayco Journey Outback 17.55 with. When I told them the 200TDD they said to me then that they could install it. Not everyone has a 200 to tow with. They should have told you straight out. Even our Maxium ball weight is 245kg. From the Factory 199kg to start. 45kg is one's half body weight = a Kid sitting on the draw bar. Go Figure.
I reckon it is a no brainer! Research, research, before hand. I considered all the options time and again with the common choice of Land Cruiser however I would have still been over weight If you want to free camp it is obvious that you need adequate power and water. With the larger sized modern vans there really is very little options but to go the light truck route. Too many people are want to do a trucks work with a commuter tug, it doesn't work. The larger vans, mine is 22/6 is as big as the larger motor homes and they are all built on truck chassis. It is a reality check and as the powers that be begin to clamp down it will probably be a very expensive lesson for some. Cheers Allen
Thanks Bruce & Bev, I needed that. I actually didn't want an installed grey water tank. Said I would look into it myself. But the other half teamed up with the salesman and they said it would be less work for me if it was factory installed!!.
Research I did, but it was finding the layout that was hard. Most of my time was spent refining the layout of a 5 wheeler I had my heart set on. But the waters got muddy and so I choose a caravan. either way its not a bed of roses out there.
No, standard rigid tow bar but with 285 kg on tow bar and additional water tanks, storage and power supply on truck it all travels really smoothly. Cheers Allen
This Wednesday packing up to use the van for the second trip out, (Jayco Silverline) 240v RCD/circuit breaker trips. Disconnect all 240 volt appliances and still wouldn't reset. Suspect the air con. has blown up or more likely got water in the wiring (condensate). Can't isolate the air con. so no 240 power.
The earliest that Jayco can address the problem is 6th of April (no electrician), we asked the if they could disconnect the air con. so we had at least 240v for the other services, but no go.
We are presently camped at Bunbury, we have two solar panels and two batteries so the fridge is working. But am running extension leads through the door to run our other devices.
Good news is a new compliance plate has been sent. And our table hasn't collapsed yet, but is very wobbly.
