We were happy towing our 17 foot single axle caravan weighing around 2 tonne behind our Nissan Navara crew cab with a 3 tonne towing capacity and 300kgs allowance on the towball, all was good, not a care in the world with correct weights with plenty to spare on the car even with the 200kgs of towball weight.
After 4 years and now retired we decided we like to update to a ensuited caravan, at first we looked at single axle models but found they were getting up there with weights, tyres, axle and springs were at there carrying limit, not a good scenario for long term happy caravaning.
After looking around we found a 6 metre Concept Vision dual axle caravan that suited our needs, ran my eyes over the suspenion, axles rated at 1600kg each, tyres 1100kgs each, chassis has a carrying capacity of 2750kgs some real good figures there, towball 243kgs, need to be carefull there, not a lot to spare. (Keep this figure in mine for later on).
Now 3 months of travel feeling very comfortable with our purchase, everything is going fine, a couple of minor things but all good.
As there had been a lot said in the media about weights we decide to check this one while we have chance. Well it was not good.
Orignal Vin Plat First weigh. Over weight 2nd weigh. New Vin Plate caravan
Caravan only 2649kg 2720. 71kg 2730. 2749 gross vehicle max.
Towball. 300kg 320. 20. 273 300 loaded max.
Nissan. gcm. Corrected rego certificate on Nissan
& caravan 5405kg. 5560. 155kgs 5440. 5510 gross combination mass
Car only 2805kg 2840. 2560. 3010kg gross vehicle mass
At home we spent time sorting though the caravan emptying out lots of small gains, the Navara got attacked by removing the beaut sliding draw system 77 kgs, plus we found some other small gains.
We approached Alan Grahams Caravans the orignal seller of the caravan for $165 they organised though Concept a Vin plate showing an extra 100 kgs. Things were looking better.
Next by a slim chance in a conversation I was told our particular Nissan Narava has a better gross vehicle mass then most other crew cabs, so a bit of checking was done and found the Nissan dealer had in fact filled out the registration incorrectly giving us an extra 205 kgs. Yes now we are looking better.
To correct the heavy towball weight. The axles are set well back, our caravan is mid door basically the only weigh behind the axle is the ensuited area, water tanks around the axle area nicely placed. Under the front bed is about 40kg of weight, the rest of the normal needs are sitting over the axle
One. I removed the storage tube for the awning rafters, pegs, ropes a total of 17kgs to the rear bumper bar which had a very good carrying.
Two. Then I moved the 2x 9kg gas bottle holders back 350 closer to the front boot. The bonus here was that it open up assess to the "A" frame tray when the caravan is parked up. Also reaching into front boot and attaching the jockery wheel to the clamp in the middle of the "A" frame. I was lucky I did not need to interfere with any gas connections.
While all this was going on waiting for this and that to happen we put the car in and had the suspension up graded to handle the towing of the caravan better. We are very pleased with our expenditure on this as the cars ride when not towing is great and adding the caravan with its 273kg towball weight and going for drive to check set up and ride heights was very pleasing to say the lease. The orignal rear springs were very soft leaving very little between the bump stop and chassis, not a good combination to have.
Now I know we are legal with our gross combination mass weight, caravan is looking good with its 2749kg goss vehicle mass and thirdly the car with its 3010kg gross vehicle mass is well under.
The only weights we do not know at this stage and in the near future we will obtain it is the car's drive and steer weight, hopefully it will not exceed the makers 1717kg for the drive.
Hope this saga of ours is a warning to others, our beaut cars don't stack up unless the gross figures are higher enough to work with.
PS
If in the future I find my weight creeping up, we will be removing the canopy, another 80kg in weight.
There is over $3000 worth of extras we had spent on the car, both items are great and usefull for every day use, until you hook upto your caravan.
-- Edited by Radar on Saturday 3rd of February 2018
-- Edited by Radar on Saturday 3rd of February 2018 07:46:55 PM
Do the weights include the driver & passenger in the payload? That's another 150kg approx.
Bugger! Can not remember, I think 1 of us was in the car but all the other fuilds were full.
My wife is under instructions to step out of the car, turn the tap on the water tank and then keep walking. Possibly yelling at me like we are having a domestic, from experiences, the officials will not want get involved.
The only figure in my graph I am not 100% sure about is the gross combination mas weight, to me is the important one, that 5510kg could possibly should read 5810kg in all the Nissan paper work, reading webb sites, sales brochures its not mention. That gives me heaps, maybe I might take me bike with me, the expresso coffee machine, buy a kayak.
Car payload should include driver and all other occupants. The last weighbridge I used had 3 platforms - With the rig positioned appropriately the first one weighed the car (GVM), second one the TBM on the jockey (when van detached obviously), third one weighed the van on its axle (GTM). ATM is the addition of platforms 2 and 3. GCM is the aggregate of all platforms. As I went to pay at the machine next to the first platform I realised it was weighing me as the driver as I had to stand on that platform to do it, therefore included in the car weight.
-- Edited by SouthernComfort on Monday 5th of February 2018 08:04:29 AM
-- Edited by SouthernComfort on Monday 5th of February 2018 08:06:02 AM
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Cheers,
Tony
"Opinion is the medium between ignorance and knowledge" - Plato
Do the weights include the driver & passenger in the payload? That's another 150kg approx.
On doing some seaching, yes it includes driver and passenger.
The main thing here its legal where as before the new vin plate and the corrected rego certificate it was less then 1 tank of water in the caravan and the second battery in the car over.
Once again we are over the moon and will not be dragged into conversation from other caravaners who can not supply a weigh bridge to support there calms that they are legal.
