Not getting technical here but I recently weighed my rig. Most weights are fine.
Dont have the actual figures with me but. 19ft van.
Ball weight about 25 kg under
Ute weight about 500 kg under (loaded & with passengers )
Combiled weight about 750 kg under
Van with both water tanks empty about 50 kg under (this has surprised me) and this is my issue.
Sooo, i cant take a lot out of the van as it only has a payload of 490kg. And already had that chat with SWMBO. Lol
How do you manage the water when free camping. Obviously i can carry some in the ute or only camp where there is drinking water. Can fill up just a few k prior to camping but prefer not to do that. Not keen on up grading the van weight but may consider.
Any other options?
-- Edited by oldbloke on Wednesday 28th of August 2019 08:01:53 PM
I too was pretty close to allowable weight before adding water. I would fill up at last available place before my destination and drive the last few kms carefully. I also had a water bladder in the rear passenger footwell, and a small in-line 12v pump for transferring water to the caravan tank. This gave me another 50% capacity, and allowed me to ferry water from nearby towns to where the caravan was parked, during my stay.
Consider what weight you can reduce.
- 2x9kg lpg cylinders, change one to a 4kg saves 10kg
- agm to lithium batteries
- tools?
- crockery to plastic
- wifes handbag
- wheels and tyres, spare wheel to the tug
Tony
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Be nice... if I wanted my school teacher here I would have invited him...
Yep still thinking about reducing weight.
Only a basic tool kit and 1 spare. Need them.
Wife is removing a few bits and Im getting alluminium out side chairs. And a small table is going.
Bloody mattress is very heavy, might think about foam, but its still near new.
Have thought about the smaller gas bottle in the past.
Got a heavy crock pot, but SWMBO will not part with it. Has been very handy. Can you get light ones?
SWMBO seems to have a lot of clothes. No chnce there.
I have 2 x 25ltr water containers in the ute to cart water if needed.
6 inch foam mattresses from Clark rubber are good and light. 4" bottom out.
Once you've reduced what you can you'll know with empty tanks what kg you have spare say 120kg. That'll give you 120 litres water. Install an overflow tap on your water tank for that amount.
How big is your fridge? We survive happily with a dometic 30 litre drawer fridge. Aorcon? Probable cant change it but roof types weigh about 45kg. Our poryable room type weighs 18kg. Wr woudnt dream of things like heavy crock pots as load. If we want a roast we go to a pub meal.
3 sets of clothes only- rough, presentable and real nice.
Tony
-- Edited by Eaglemax on Thursday 29th of August 2019 07:40:54 AM
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Be nice... if I wanted my school teacher here I would have invited him...
Its refreshing to read an honest post regarding the carrying of water in tanks.
There would be many rigs that struggle to comply with weights that become overweight when loaded with water though their owners wouldn't like to admit it.
Our own situation is that we have only one tank, a fresh water tank that we can only half fill otherwise the CARAVAN is overweight.
We carry water bottles in our ute & like you we fill them up in the nearest town to where we plan to bush camp. Having them in our ute doesn't put our RIG overweight.
We've been doing this for 8 years & see no real solution to it.
After a while it just becomes routine.
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If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You have another chance.
As Bill B, we got a modest increase in van gvm, which still left plenty below any regulations, chassis capacity,springs,tyres etc.
My tugs towing capacity needs upgrading from 850kg to 1000. Our van is 730kg tare , 1000kg atm. So these upgrades if nominal like 150kg in my case or 200kg in the case of large vans isnt a big deal.
Although we have capacity. We do not carry water in the tanks. Carry drinking water in car. Most places we go have water so no problems. If we free camp , we can manage without a shower for a day or so then head to a showgrounds or sportsground. After setting out to travel around australia, we only got 8 weeks in and strop was diagnosed with cancer. While strop is having cancer checkups we just travel the east coast So water is no problem. make the most of your life, its not a rehearsal. Enjoy.
how many people have had their payload increased by just asking. do the manufacturers do some weird magic and add some tensile to the drawer bar or half a poffteenth more tension to the springs. Seems to me they have a fairly arbitrary figure based on tyre ply and size spring rates and maximum hitch weight time length of the van. I would not be surprised if a polite request did not give a 200kg increase just for asking.
It would be good to hear from someone who has actually done it and know what changes were made.
I should also say I am a bit of a weight skeptic, it has become obsessive in recent years.
I find it quite incredible from the posts above that many of you don't carry much water, why have tanks at all. I purposely added another water tank to our van so we could carry 300 litres, therefore free camp for longer. I also find it quite ridiculous that caravan manufacturers don't include full tanks or the weight of water at Tare. For them to give a payload of a low 250 - 300 kg and then subtract water and gas bottles leaving the owner with 100 - 150 kg for food and clothes etc. Our Tare is 2520 kg and ATM is 3200 kg, a payload of 680 kg which leaves 380 kg after the tanks are full, very doable. Cheers Bob
Hi Bob...Whilst I disagree that water should be included in the tare (It is,after all,part of the load) I do agree that it is hard to understand why some vans have a ridiculously low payload allowance.My ATM is over 1300kg higher than the plated tare,and with 420 litres water,6 batteries,all the Solar panels,30kg inverter,fridge,diesel heater,latex mattress etc etc I run very close to the GTM rating.And thats with all the beer in the other fridge,in the car!Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Friday 30th of August 2019 04:07:05 PM
If i am selective where i camp should be ok and just cart some in the ute.
In the mean time i will continue to try and further reduce the load. I estimate i have managed to reduce it my about 15kg to this point. Any further gains will be minimal now.
As my axles are able to carry an additional 400kg ( 2900kg) i am going to approach the makers to inquire about having the payload increased about 200kg. Cost may be a factor here but as it should be just a case of documentation shouldnt be too much. We will see.
Hi Bob...Whilst I disagree that water should be included in the tare (It is,after all,part of the load) I do agree that it is hard to understand why some vans have a ridiculously low payload allowance.My ATM is over 1300kg higher than the plated tare,and with 420 litres water,6 batteries,all the Solar panels,30kg inverter,fridge,diesel heater,latex mattress etc etc I run very close to the GTM rating.And thats with all the beer in the other fridge,in the car!Cheers
Yes Chris, maybe I should re-phrase that to say that a Kerb weight should be on the compliance plate as well as Tare and ATM, so buyers have some idea of actual payload, that would include all the standard things you have mentioned.
Hi Bob...Whilst I disagree that water should be included in the tare (It is,after all,part of the load) I do agree that it is hard to understand why some vans have a ridiculously low payload allowance.My ATM is over 1300kg higher than the plated tare,and with 420 litres water,6 batteries,all the Solar panels,30kg inverter,fridge,diesel heater,latex mattress etc etc I run very close to the GTM rating.And thats with all the beer in the other fridge,in the car!Cheers
Yes Chris, maybe I should re-phrase that to say that a Kerb weight should be on the compliance plate as well as Tare and ATM, so buyers have some idea of actual payload, that would include all the standard things you have mentioned.
Now THAT makes sense,and certainly would be helpful to many! Cheers.
I find it quite incredible from the posts above that many of you don't carry much water, why have tanks at all. I purposely added another water tank to our van so we could carry 300 litres, therefore free camp for longer. I also find it quite ridiculous that caravan manufacturers don't include full tanks or the weight of water at Tare. For them to give a payload of a low 250 - 300 kg and then subtract water and gas bottles leaving the owner with 100 - 150 kg for food and clothes etc. Our Tare is 2520 kg and ATM is 3200 kg, a payload of 680 kg which leaves 380 kg after the tanks are full, very doable. Cheers Bob
Hi Bob...Whilst I disagree that water should be included in the tare (It is,after all,part of the load) I do agree that it is hard to understand why some vans have a ridiculously low payload allowance.My ATM is over 1300kg higher than the plated tare,and with 420 litres water,6 batteries,all the Solar panels,30kg inverter,fridge,diesel heater,latex mattress etc etc I run very close to the GTM rating.And thats with all the beer in the other fridge,in the car!Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Friday 30th of August 2019 04:07:05 PM
Chris
Just for the sake of interesting observation
My tare is 730kg ATM 998kg full ensuite, 84 litres water
Your load allowance alone is 1300kg. Your water capacity of 420 litres (kg) os nearly half my atm.
I wonder what is not included in the tare?
When initially weighed do they include;
TV ?
Mattress?
Spare tyre?
Jockey wheel?
Jack, if supplied?
Gas is not
Water is not
Water in HWS is not
Any fixtures are included in the tare or supposed to be. Personally it is my belief that many of the manufacturers take a wild guess to two decimal places and hope their are somewhere in the paddock. The authorities should be all over that sort of slack attitude in my opinion.
Any fixtures are included in the tare or supposed to be. Personally it is my belief that many of the manufacturers take a wild guess to two decimal places and hope their are somewhere in the paddock. The authorities should be all over that sort of slack attitude in my opinion.
So i guess that means mattress, jocky wheel and spare tyre were not included. (dont have a van jack) Thats was not my original understanding. No bloody wonder im on the heavy side.
