Chassis Caravan Weights/Engineers/Modifications

[hamish22]

Would just like to let you all know about what I have just been through to get our caravan legal to be towed by a lower tow rated vehicle!

Our current 16.49.4 caravan had a Tare weight of 1660kg and a 240kg tare and 270kg gross max ball weight.
We were using our beloved Landcruiser to tow this van due to the excessive ball weight but due to circumstances we had to change vehicle, problem was this new vehicle only had a 250kg ball.

To save our van from the sales market, from advice we contacted an engineer (and a bloody good one we were told) about what could be done to ease the caravan ball weight to be towed with recently purchased vehicle.

I was instructed to remove the spare from the A frame and have it rear mounted plus a number of other things adjusted which redistributed the weight across the van.

Now here is the fun bit: Van was reweighed as per instructions from engineer and I was to leave the gas bottles in full, spare on and a number of other components as well.
I was informed that when my van was originally weighed, it was minus anything that could come off it including spare, gas bottles etc as this is what Caravan companies do to keep it as low as possible which makes sales easier.

My old Tare weight was 1660kg and the new tare (including spare and gas bottles) weighed in at 1760kg.
Going by my old plate (1660kg tare) the spare and full gas bottle have to be included in your consumable luggage and it only left me 214kg left of carrying capacity, add water to tanks, some food, clothes etc and I would definitely have been overloaded.

I reweighed van (another $22) just as an exercise minus spare, gas bottles etc and still could not get it back down to 1660kg.

With a lot of thanks to the Engineer (and yes he was unreal) also @Burnsy for his precision fabrication the van is now ours to keep after all the heartache, time, money and a sad loss, I now have a van that can easily be towed by the latest tug and weights are as follows:

Old Tare 1660kg
New Tare 1760kg

Old Ball 240kg Max 270kg
New Ball 180kg Max 240kg

Old Atm 1974kg
New Atm 2180kg

P.S.The main reason for posting this is to basically make people aware that what is on your plate is not gospel and for the low cost of a weighbridge certificate it is definitely worth getting your van weighed.
Any new or old van that may come my way in the future will be independently weighed.

Also if you find the right Engineer they are a massive help even to just get your carrying capacity upgraded or for help on any addition etc to your van.

Hope I didn't bore you all!

cheers

 

[MDS69]

Very informative thanks @hamish22. This is always in the back of our minds that we want to be legal. All of our crockery and cups etc is plastic or melamine to try to reduce weight with only enough cutlery for our family, visitors have to bring their own. It all adds up.
When you say Jayco weigh the vans minus spare and gas bottles in the factory prior to delivery do you reckon they also remove the matresses.

Do you thing the weight re-distribution process you have just been through has affected the behaviour of the van while towing. If so for better or worse.

 

[hamish22]

Very informative thanks @hamish22. This is always in the back of our minds that we want to be legal. All of our crockery and cups etc is plastic or melamine to try to reduce weight with only enough cutlery for our family, visitors have to bring their own. It all adds up.
When you say Jayco weigh the vans minus spare and gas bottles in the factory prior to delivery do you reckon they also remove the matresses.

Do you thing the weight re-distribution process you have just been through has affected the behaviour of the van while towing. If so for better or worse.

With the mattresses etc I couldn't tell you but you would hope not.
Easiest way to find out would be to weigh your van it will soon tell you!

So far there has been no differences in behaviour of the van, it has always been a stable van from day one as well!

 

[achjimmy]

Well done @hamish22 yeah Iam a little suspicious of Jaycos weights too. Especially when they don't list a Tare on the compliance plate! I received the original weighbridge papers but due to the cirmcustances I couldn't weigh our van at delivery and that night we packed to leave. When I did we had an extra 120kg after adding rubber guarding, gas heater, carpert, double step and extentions to the drop jacks so it was hard to know but the ball weigth was way out! I am just Waiting on something and I will post up my results too.

 

[Bluey]

Would just like to let you all know about what I have just been through to get our caravan legal to be towed by a lower tow rated vehicle!

Our current 16.49.4 caravan had a Tare weight of 1660kg and a 240kg tare and 270kg gross max ball weight.
We were using our beloved Landcruiser to tow this van due to the excessive ball weight but due to circumstances we had to change vehicle, problem was this new vehicle only had a 250kg ball.

To save our van from the sales market, from advice we contacted an engineer (and a bloody good one we were told) about what could be done to ease the caravan ball weight to be towed with recently purchased vehicle.

I was instructed to remove the spare from the A frame and have it rear mounted plus a number of other things adjusted which redistributed the weight across the van.

Now here is the fun bit: Van was reweighed as per instructions from engineer and I was to leave the gas bottles in full, spare on and a number of other components as well.
I was informed that when my van was originally weighed, it was minus anything that could come off it including spare, gas bottles etc as this is what Caravan companies do to keep it as low as possible which makes sales easier.

My old Tare weight was 1660kg and the new tare (including spare and gas bottles) weighed in at 1760kg.
Going by my old plate (1660kg tare) the spare and full gas bottle have to be included in your consumable luggage and it only left me 214kg left of carrying capacity, add water to tanks, some food, clothes etc and I would definitely have been overloaded.

I reweighed van (another $22) just as an exercise minus spare, gas bottles etc and still could not get it back down to 1660kg.

With a lot of thanks to the Engineer (and yes he was unreal) also @Burnsy for his precision fabrication the van is now ours to keep after all the heartache, time, money and a sad loss, I now have a van that can easily be towed by the latest tug and weights are as follows:

Old Tare 1660kg
New Tare 1760kg

Old Ball 240kg Max 270kg
New Ball 180kg Max 240kg

Old Atm 1974kg
New Atm 2180kg

P.S.The main reason for posting this is to basically make people aware that what is on your plate is not gospel and for the low cost of a weighbridge certificate it is definitely worth getting your van weighed.
Any new or old van that may come my way in the future will be independently weighed.

Also if you find the right Engineer they are a massive help even to just get your carrying capacity upgraded or for help on any addition etc to your van.

Hope I didn't bore you all!

cheers

well done yes there plates are almost always wrong its misleading I think mine was massively over on the ball with nothing in the van but 2 water tanks full so I can never have water in the van tanks and hopefully with @Burnsy help my spare will end up on the back to

 

[hamish22]

well done yes there plates are almost always wrong its misleading I think mine was massively over on the ball with nothing in the van but 2 water tanks full so I can never have water in the van tanks and hopefully with @Burnsy help my spare will end up on the back to

Would definitely be worth having your van re-weighed with your tyre at the rear and gas bottles on etc.
Find an engineer who will include your rear mounted spare and gas bottle etc in your tare weight!
Then look to get your carrying weight upgraded, was told this is a lot easier to do with dual axle especially outback due to axle and tyre/rim size!

 

[Drover]

Exactly what I said in another thread recently, had a look at my nephews new Jayco Starcraft and had a laugh when I looked at the compliance plate, I pointed out to him that the rim size was wrong, he has 8JJ's fitted and the plate said 6JJ and I said don't put any trust in the rest of the info as it's probably rubbish.
Since I'm on the road if I find a weighbridge along the way I should see how much mine is over, I reckon it probably is but I've put higher load rated tyres, rims and springs on mine as I didn't believe the plate, it sounded like a fairy tale.......
Great informative post, at least my Jeep is rated to tow 3500/350 kg.