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Topic: Increasing Towing Limits

steveMc81

03/4/2016 at 6:36pm
Location: Forest of Dean
Outfit: Avndale Mayfair+Mondeo 2.2 Titanium x

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Evening all,

Looking for some advice please. We have recently bought a 2004 Avondale mayfair 6 berth with a weight plate showing the details as 1070kg unladen and 1300kg laden what matches the handbook.
We took the caravan fully laden to a local weighbridge and was shocked when it weighed in at 1480kg. I new we would be close to the limit but was surprised to see that sort of figure.
We then unloaded everything and had it re weighed to find that unladen it's weighing in at 1175kg leaving me with very little loading capability.
The idea was put to me by a colleague to have the caravan being replated to match the axle weight limit as long as the tyres are capable of the weight. Great idea I thought but not being able to go to avondale to confirm I got underneath the van to check the plate to find alko have put the fixing rivet directly through the top of the second digit making it debatable if its 1300, 1500, 1600 or even 1800kg.
The figures on the chassis on top of the A frame show 950-1600kg and 100kg what I am guessing is the maximum hitch weight.
Could anybody confirm if I am thinking this is correct?

Rob and Tina

03/4/2016 at 6:59pm
Location: Royal Forest of Dean
Outfit: Swift Major 4SB

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Hi Steve, when you say you unloaded everything did you remove gas bottles, battery, hook up lead etc? I'm not sure what was included in the unladen weight, if anything in those days, the handbook may clarify this, but you have to allow for any extras that have been fitted such as spare wheel and motor mover. A battery, gas bottles, spare wheel and a mover would probably come to over 100 kg which may explain the 1175 kg.

Rob

PS Which weighbridge did you use? I may need to use one soon and it would be handy to know of a local one.

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baddon

03/4/2016 at 8:00pm
Location: Near Belfast
Outfit: Ranger & Hymer Nova

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Even the water in most modern caravans once system is primed could easily account for some of this weight gain.

-------------
if your not living life on the edge your taking up tooo much room

JohnMW

03/4/2016 at 9:03pm
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Most weigh bridges are +/- 5%, If you use the German mobile weight bar they give +/- 3%. The tyres can also be different weights if they are heavier plies than the original and almost all earlier Vans did not fit shockers - ALKO offered them as optional in the misguided belief that the rubber suspension was a good resister to bounce - more informed users fitted the shockers albeit lost some payload. Of course if the moon is Full on Spring Tides then it will be lighter

John

steveMc81

03/4/2016 at 10:41pm
Location: Forest of Dean
Outfit: Avndale Mayfair+Mondeo 2.2 Titanium x

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I stripped the van of everything, battery gas bottles, emptied the flush etc. The only thing I left in was the spare wheel.
I'm starting to think that the manufacturers weight is a load of tosh.

Rob, the van was weighted at Richard Reads in Longhope what is vosa approved and is apparently accurate to within twenty kg. The cost was 6 pounds

navver

04/4/2016 at 8:44pm
Location: West country
Outfit: Mondeo

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The weight quoted is usually for the basic van. Often there are extras fitted at some time which increase the weight. The spare wheel could be 20 or 30kg. Is there a spare wheel carrier as well?

steveMc81

04/4/2016 at 8:51pm
Location: Forest of Dean
Outfit: Avndale Mayfair+Mondeo 2.2 Titanium x

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There is a spare wheel well fitted in the middle of the caravan floor what is accessed through a trap door. I weighed the spare wheel and it comes in at 22.5kg.
I can't see anything else that is a later addition, there is no motor mover fitted.

JohnMW

04/4/2016 at 9:37pm
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If it will help the plated weight of my Bailey 2 berth is 1175Kg MAW with a payload of 225Kg that gives mine at 950Kg tare this figure is does not include Gas bottle or spare wheel that would be about an extra 36Kg outside. It has a 1300KG AlKO axle and with suitable tyre rating it as the option to be plated at 1300KG by Baileys. If others can illustrate figures for a 4 berth and 6 berth Vans then you will get nearer to a clue as to what yours might be. Another clue might be to look at the colour of the shockers since ALKO fit I think are Blue,Green and Red for different axles - the colours are listed on the ALKO site accessories. The coupling weights are only to illustrate the range of that coupling head but the damper may give you another clue since that is varied according to the plated weight. Oh I just checked mine there are some other numbers on the coupling head that may give the damper rating without dismantling.

John

Post last edited on 04/04/2016 21:43:38

Post last edited on 04/04/2016 21:46:26

shaggy2000

05/4/2016 at 1:03pm
Location: County Durham
Outfit: Explore 304

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I know with my van that the weight is the basic van not including extras. That also included the "plus pack" which included a radio, alloy wheels (that I believe are heavier than steel) spare wheel etc. Not certain if all of these things would account for your extra 100kg though.

When you look in the manual or the little plate the minimum weight it shows should be the weight of the van without all your stuff in it, but as with everything its not the case.

Taylor56

05/4/2016 at 4:55pm
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We have the same van. Perhaps adding different fixtures and fittings to change it from a Dart to a Mayfair may have added some weight.
I am going to remove the folding bed as we have never used it, no point dragging extra weight.
Just a word of warning, don't lean on the toilet or wardrobe doors as you will push the panel out as yhey are a bit flimsy.

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