Weighbridge Weight

[BobD]

After weighing my ex 2013 Range Rover Vogue TDV6 and finding it too heavy to legally tow my caravan (2571kg tare with GVM of 3000kg) I have sold it and bought a new Discovery 5. I immediately weighed it prior to taking delivery to ensure that there was enough capacity for the 330kg TBW of my caravan at maximum load.

For those interested, the kerb weight with a full tank of fuel and nothing else in the car was 2440kg with a rear axle load of 1224kg. This is for a SDV6 7 seater SE with no sun roof or other heavy extras. For a 7 seater, the GVM is 3200 and the rear axle capacity is 1900 which is significantly more than the RRV, with 3000kg and 1775kg, and allows me to legally tow as long as we don't put more than about 130kg in the rear of the car after allowing for my wife and I. The limiting criteria with a heavy TBW is the rear axle capacity. For my car, the TBW adds 1.46 x TBW to the rear axle due to the overhang. It was also the same ratio for the RRV.

I did also look at a 5 seater, which would be slightly lighter. However, the GVM is then reduced to 3050 and the rear axle capacity is 1775, which is too low, even with a little bit less weight. In the case of the 7 seater D5, the GVM and axle capacities in the on line manual agree with the weights shown on the compliance plate and I have assumed that the same applies for the 5 seater.

I have discovered that the weight given in the Land Rover manual does not include fuel, the standard tow bar, the third row seats in a 7 seater, any options such as sun roof (heavy) or even many standard features that are not on the most basic version of the car. For example, there is no difference in the specified weight of a 7 seater or 5 seater, S, SE or HSE, so it impossible to find an actual tare weight for Range Rovers or Discoverys. It also does not correspond well to the specifications provided on the LR web site, which are supposed to include some fuel and a 75kg driver. The only way to actually get an accurate capacity is to look at the compliance plate on the pillar near the rear of the drivers door and to weigh the car to get an accurate kerb weight.

Below is the extract from the D5 manual under Towing, which is why we need to know the rear axle weight when towing FYI.

"When calculating the vehicle's rear axle weight, the vehicle's payload weights must also be considered. Include the combined weights of all the rear passengers, the loadspace, roof rail, accessory equipment, and the trailer nose weight. The combined weights must never exceed the GVW or the maximum weights for the front and rear axles."

[alien]

Have you been able to weigh it again with the van attaached?
in my case(Defender with Tvan) ball weight is &130kg but placed almost 260kg on the rear axle as the fulcrum effect raised the front slightly, I’ve since upgraded the suspension so need to re check what’s changed.

[BobD]

At max load the TBW is 330kg as weighed. This applies 330 * 1.46 = 482kg to the rear axle. Hence the reason why rear axle capacity is critical when towing. Add the weight of 50% of two passengers and we have 570 on the rear axle, which pushes the total to 1794kg, with the car empty. The 7 seater has 1900kg capacity. This is why rear axle capacity is critical and extra weight, such as dual batteries, drawers etc, is your enemy. We can easily live with that since we keep everything in the caravan while towing. I carry 4 x 10l jerries in the caravan front tool box when remote. This location on my caravan adds the same weight to the rear axle as storing them in the car.

[Saitch]

I carry 4 x 10l jerries in the caravan front tool box when remote. This location on my caravan adds the same weight to the rear axle as storing them in the car.

Might be the same weight Bob but I reckon the dynamics would be a lot different, wouldn't they?

[gavinwibrow]

After weighing my ex 2013 Range Rover Vogue TDV6 and finding it too heavy to legally tow my caravan (2571kg tare with GVM of 3000kg) I have sold it and bought a new Discovery 5. I immediately weighed it prior to taking delivery to ensure that there was enough capacity for the 330kg TBW of my caravan at maximum load.

For those interested, the kerb weight with a full tank of fuel and nothing else in the car was 2440kg with a rear axle load of 1224kg. This is for a SDV6 7 seater SE with no sun roof or other heavy extras. For a 7 seater, the GVM is 3200 and the rear axle capacity is 1900 which is significantly more than the RRV, with 3000kg and 1775kg, and allows me to legally tow as long as we don't put more than about 130kg in the rear of the car after allowing for my wife and I. The limiting criteria with a heavy TBW is the rear axle capacity. For my car, the TBW adds 1.46 x TBW to the rear axle due to the overhang. It was also the same ratio for the RRV.

I did also look at a 5 seater, which would be slightly lighter. However, the GVM is then reduced to 3050 and the rear axle capacity is 1775, which is too low, even with a little bit less weight. In the case of the 7 seater D5, the GVM and axle capacities in the on line manual agree with the weights shown on the compliance plate and I have assumed that the same applies for the 5 seater.

I have discovered that the weight given in the Land Rover manual does not include fuel, the standard tow bar, the third row seats in a 7 seater, any options such as sun roof (heavy) or even many standard features that are not on the most basic version of the car. For example, there is no difference in the specified weight of a 7 seater or 5 seater, S, SE or HSE, so it impossible to find an actual tare weight for Range Rovers or Discoverys. It also does not correspond well to the specifications provided on the LR web site, which are supposed to include some fuel and a 75kg driver. The only way to actually get an accurate capacity is to look at the compliance plate on the pillar near the rear of the drivers door and to weigh the car to get an accurate kerb weight.

Below is the extract from the D5 manual under Towing, which is why we need to know the rear axle weight when towing FYI.

"When calculating the vehicle's rear axle weight, the vehicle's payload weights must also be considered. Include the combined weights of all the rear passengers, the loadspace, roof rail, accessory equipment, and the trailer nose weight. The combined weights must never exceed the GVW or the maximum weights for the front and rear axles."


Hi Bob. I note that your quoted TBW is even higher than 10% of the van weight and am wondering why?

By way of comparison, I tow almost 3.5T with my D4 but with a chosen TBW of about 180. This is my preference after considerable testing, and roughly equates to the 5% used in some other countries.

[p38arover]

I have discovered that the weight given in the Land Rover manual does not include fuel

That surprises me.

LR's website for the D5 says:


Unladen weight (EU) (kg) - Includes a 75kg driver, full fluids and 90% fuel 2,184kg

The Owner's Handbook for my L322 and P38A both specify the vehicle weight at kerb weight, i.e., full fuel tank and a 75kg driver.


EEC kerb weight = unladen weight + full fuel tank + 75 kg driver.

As noted above why is your TBW well in excess of 10% of the van weight?

Surprisingly, the LR website shows the D5 can have a 350kg coupling weight. That's much higher than the L322.

For example, my L322 handbook states:


Maximum tow hitch load (Nose weight)
If the vehicle is loaded to the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), the nose weight is limited to 150 kg. If a greater nose weight is necessary (up to 250 kg maximum), vehicle loading should be adjusted to ensure the GVW and rear axle weights are not exceeded - see the vehicle/trailer/tow hitch chart in ‘Technical Data’.

[BobD]

Hi Bob. I note that your quoted TBW is even higher than 10% of the van weight and am wondering why?

By way of comparison, I tow almost 3.5T with my D4 but with a chosen TBW of about 180. This is my preference after considerable testing, and roughly equates to the 5% used in some other countries.

I don't know where you got the idea that my TBW is higher than 10%. I think you misread my statement that the RRV had a tare of 2571kg and a GVM of 3000kg. The caravan has a tare of 2450 and an ATM of 3500, which I didn't show in my initial post. At the fully loaded weight that I use with 300l of water and 40l of fuel the van weighs 3300 and the TBW is 330, so 10%. The tare TBW is 160kg. Almost everything that gets added during loading of the caravan is forward of the axle group, apart from 200l of water that is central over the axles, so even though I have carefully placed heavy stuff near the axles the TBW gets to 10% under the loading that I put in it.

You can have a look at al of the current land rover manuals on line and you will see that they don't say what the weight includes. It just says "weight" and for my D5 it says weight is 2336kg. The actual weight as delivered to me with a full tank of fuel and no passengers is 2440kg. The 2336 weight applies for every model of SDV6, including 5 and 7 seaters so there is no way it can be accurate.

My 2013 TDV6 RRV has a specified "weight" in the manual of 2160. My actual weight of the RRV including sun roof, full tank of fuel alloy side steps and about 40kg of duel battery is 2571kg. If you look at the specs on the LR web site which says that the weight includes some fuel and a 75kg driver, you will see that it also does not relate well to the weights in the manual, even if you remove the driver and fuel. This is particularly so for L405 Range Rovers. I got a hell of a shock when I weighed the RRV as I thought I had heaps of payload capacity, given the 2160 "weight" in the manual.

By the way, the L405 manual allows 350kg TBW in Australia, although the sticker on the standard tow bar states that the maximum is 200kg. That would take some explaining if you got weighed on the side of the road I think.

[Tombie]

Like every other brand, towing at near GCM is fraught with issues of legality.

Reality is anyone wanting to tow towards max should really be looking at something like a 1500 Dodge Ram or similar.

[BobD]

That surprises me.



As I said in my earlier post, the specs on the LR web site are at best incredibly misleading. 2184 with driver and fuel on the web site, 2336 with no specification of what the weight includes in the manual and 2440 actual for a 7 seater SDV6 SE in real life.

Edit: I just looked up the web site and the kerb weight for a SDV6 with 90% fuel and 75kg driver is specified as 2311, not 2184 as ap38arover posted. The weight p28arover posted is for the SD4. The GVM is also supposed to be 3050. In fact, GVM for a 7 seater is 3200 and the actual weight of an SDV6 SE 7 seater is 2440.

[BobD]

Like every other brand, towing at near GCM is fraught with issues of legality.

Reality is anyone wanting to tow towards max should really be looking at something like a 1500 Dodge Ram or similar.

Doing the same exercise with a RAM 1500 is not too good either. The rear axle capacity is only 1770kg with a kerb weight of 2715 in the brochure and a GCM of 6692 for the V6. If you try to do the same exercise it is just as close to the legal limit as a wagon. I did that before settling on the D5 as the best compromise, as long as it is a 7 seater. The 7 seat Range Rover Sport is also a good option with the same capacities as the D5.

[Graeme]

I did also look at a 5 seater, which would be slightly lighter. However, the GVM is then reduced to 3050 and the rear axle capacity is 1775Do you have any insight as to why the 5-seater has a lower GVM and rear axle capacity? Its almost as though the 7-seater was increased to keep GVM and axle load reasonable with the extra rear weight of the seats and passengers and I'd be very surprised to learn that any suspension or body components are rated for higher weight, except perhaps if the 5-seater's tyres have a lower load rating.

[BobD]

Pretty stupid isn't it Graeme? I have no idea why they do this. Like you, I would expect that both 5 and 7 seaters are identical but you would probably not be able to carry the extra passengers without the extra GVM. Maybe there is an opportunity for someone to do GVM upgrades for the current Land Rovers in Australia. The restrictions on axle loads and GVM do not seem to be logical at all. Even worse, is the massive confusion on specified weights in the various LR sources. I had to check the spec on the compliance plate before I believed the capacity provided in the on line manual.

[Graeme]

As usual, LR increasing weights here and there to allow the vehicles to be acceptable for Australian use.

[Tombie]

As usual, LR increasing weights here and there to allow the vehicles to be acceptable for Australian use.

All the big players do it.

[rar110]

A bit off topic Bob, but how does new D5 compare to the L405?

[BobD]

The main difference is the lack of CVD shocks I think and perhaps heavier duty rear air bags due to the increase in axle capacity from 1775 in the RRV to 1900 in the D5. The D5 is noticeably firmer riding and more controlled, ie much less floaty. The RRV has perfect control over say a speed hump but is very floaty on smoother roads and sometimes way too soft feeling, which is good for ride but you may almost get sea sick.

The other thing I notice is significantly more road noise than the RRV, which has slightly more road noise than the D4 I reckon. The engine is much quieter in the D5 and D4, believe it or not. I think they set the exhaust sound in the RRV so you can hear the V8. However, it makes the V6 exhaust noisy, especially around the 2000rpm mark where it spends a lot of time when towing.

Rear comfort is terrible in the D5 compared to the base RRV and front seat comfort is OK but marginally less comfortable than the RRV. My daughter in law hated it and said it was better in my son's D1 on one off road trip we did. She loved it in the RRV on any surface but wanted to get back into the D1 because the D5 was too rough and uncomfortable on the rough tracks. This was after swapping to the D5 because the D1 was too rough!

The panel that holds the fan speed knobs on the D5 SE looks very cheap compared with the RRV, despite having exactly the same controls.

The worst thing about the D5 is the noise from the suspension and massive crashing from the front and rear suspension over normal pot holes in a gravel road. The RRV is a bit like that but not as bad as the D5 and the D4 is much better in this regard. I had to raise the D5 to offroad height to try to reduce the terrible crashing over normal potholes that litter any gravel road in winter. This improved things a bit but still not as good as a D4 which is not as good as a D1 in this regard! When the suspension is raised, both the RRV and the D5 have lots of suspension banging due to topping out off road, much like an air sprung Jeep. This does not happen in my D4.

The best thing about the D5 is the 5 year unlimited km warranty from the factory! Sometimes on the open road I can feel like I'm in the RRV but mostly it feels cheaper and less luxurious, but still perfectly adequate and comfortable, when there are no potholes.

I don't really notice the extra 100Nm of the SDV6 but when towing it pulls a gear lower than the RRV on any sort of incline while towing. The RRV spent most of its time in 6th and 7th but the D5 uses 7th and 8th on my 3000kg Zone RV and holds 8th for much longer, even though I tow in S mode.

[chuck]

Bob

I changed tyres to 275 55 20's on my D5 - ride comfort increased noticeably yet less sideways movement (sway)

The improvement was noticed by my wife as soon as we traveled down our dirt road.

[Graeme]

The worst thing about the D5 is the noise from the suspension and massive crashing from the front and rear suspension over normal pot holes in a gravel road. The RRV is a bit like that but not as bad as the D5 and the D4 is much better in this regard. I had to raise the D5 to offroad height to try to reduce the terrible crashing over normal potholes that litter any gravel road in winter. This improved things a bit but still not as good as a D4 which is not as good as a D1 in this regard! When the suspension is raised, both the RRV and the D5 have lots of suspension banging due to topping out off road, much like an air sprung Jeep. This does not happen in my D4.Have you checked the ride on gravel road pot-holes at OR1 height, ie at a speed fast enough to be above OR2 speed but slow enough to not lower to normal height?

[BobD]

Bob

I changed tyres to 275 55 20's on my D5 - ride comfort increased noticeably yet less sideways movement (sway)

The improvement was noticed by my wife as soon as we traveled down our dirt road.

I swapped the near new 275 55R20 Nitto Grapplers from my RRV to the D5 prior to purchase so my comments are with the larger tyres. I haven't driven it with the standard tyres.

[BobD]

Have you checked the ride on gravel road pot-holes at OR1 height, ie at a speed fast enough to be above OR2 speed but slow enough to not lower to normal height?

it is better than normal height at both OR1 and OR2 but still not that good. I may have to get LLAMS again so that I can drive at OR1 or 2 at above 80kph. I will see how I go first. I only did a small bit of driving at OR heights after getting sick of the crashing at the standard height. It would also be good to be able to use OR1 at slow speeds to reduce the topping out when conditions are not too extreme although I found that I hardly ever used the LLAMS on my RRV so I wasn't going to get it for the D5.

I was also running at high load recommended tyre pressures for towing, which are a bit higher than on the RRV and D4 (44/50 F/R instead of 36/42). Next time I go on gravel I will reduce them and see how it goes as well I think, although on the D4 lowering tyre pressures for gravel didn't make much difference unless very corrugated in my experience.

[dencat_54]

BobD, Can you explain how you worked out the multiplying factor the TWB / axel weight. I have been looking at a second hand Disc TD6 but its a 5 seater and I want to use it as a tow vehicle but you have me worried. I understand there is probable a different page for this question as only people with issues put it on the forum. What is the general conciseness re the TD6 and discovery in general, ie reliability, service costs, resale value. Any info would help me make a decision. I dont mean to hijack this discussion. thanks

[Numb Thumbs]

To work out the effect of ball weight on axle loads - it increases the load on the rear axle and decreases it on the front axle:

To quote a post on the caravanners forum -

I suspect that you want to know what the effect on the tow vehicle axles will be, relative to ball weight?

You need to know three things to work this out:

1. actual ball weight
2. tow vehicle wheelbase
3. tow vehicle distance from centre of rear axle to centre of tow ball.

The additional weight applied to the rear axle using 1,2,3 above is calculated as - (3 / 2 X 1) + 1
(centre of axle to centre of ball divided by wheelbase multiplied by ball weight, then add ball weight).

The weight lifted from front axle is calculated as - (3 / 2 X 1)
(centre of axle to centre of ball divided by wheelbase multiplied by ball weight)


I make the distance from centre of rear axle to tow ball - or pin in my case as I use a DO35 hitch - to be 1.3 metres. My ball weight is usually around 130 kg. Wheelbase is 2.922 metres according to Land Rover.

So, in my case, 130 kg on tow ball means the increase in weight on the rear axle is:

( 1.3 / 2.922 x 130 ) + 130 = 187.8 kg

If you have a ball weight of 350 kg:

( 1.3 /2.922 x 350 ) + 350 = 506 kg added to the rear axle

The rear axle limit on a 5 seater is 1775 kg. My "tare" axle loads - car empty except me and a full tank of fuel are 1260 kg front and 1300kg rear.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

[dencat_54]

Ok got it thanks. its a massive amount really. There has to be many setups running around exceeding their limit. I ask a few of my mates with vans any they had no idea and had not considered axel weights at all.

Are you happy with you disco.

What effect would using Weight distribution hitches make. Would that remove some of the excessive weight from the back to the front.

[Numb Thumbs]

I love the Disco - it is a great touring and towing vehicle. My Sd6 has more power and torque than I need... I have a 5 seater SE. The 7 seaters have a higher rear axle limit, 1900 kg as opposed to 1775 kg and a 3170 kg GVM.

I tow things under 2 tonne and I am happy with that. I don't want what I am towing to be close to the weight of my car, let alone heavier.

Last trip my weights at the start of the trip - and I always try to weigh things at the start of a trip - were:

Front Axle = 1180 kg Limit = 1500 kg
Rear Axle = 1760 kg Limit = 1775
Car Total = 2940 kg Car GVM = 3050

Tow ball Weight = 140 kg
Trailer ATM - Axle Load = 1640
Total Trailer Weight = 1780 kg GTM = 1900 kg

GCM = 4580 kg

The Disco had two people - say 160 kg total, plus a medium load in the boot. And full fuel tank and AdBlue tank.

So, very close to my GVM and Rear Axle Limit. Way under my GCM and Tow Ball Mass Limit. Comfortably under my GTM.

I fear most people towing large caravans are way over their rear axle limits and don't even know what the limit is. Lots of them are over every limit, including static roof load. The huge American "pickups" often have a ridiculously low rear axle limit. I think on one of them it is 1500 kg.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

This might help with weight distribution hitches:

Weight distribution & load levelling hitches for heavy towing (plus nuts) | Auto Expert John Cadogan - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCgRiVNaXFc&t=1037s)


https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/hh78/drj153/20200616_072124.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds (https://app.photobucket.com/u/drj153/a/2605d4b6-8728-49d8-8dc2-3efecd04bce4/p/e8395af1-e73f-47cd-aaf4-d479be79e429)

https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/hh78/drj153/20200611_101552.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds (https://app.photobucket.com/u/drj153/a/2605d4b6-8728-49d8-8dc2-3efecd04bce4/p/80f4df2d-39ed-4f7e-9258-82f25ed4b2d8)

[dencat_54]

HI Thanks for the info. i agree, many vans / cars will be overloaded.

As my caravan is 2900 loaded with a TBW of about 270kg I think I am stuffed. No 5 seater for me.


Thanks for all the info.

[BobD]

I don't know what others are finding but my car uses about 1litre of AdBlue per 100km while towing, which is an absolute pain in the butt. About 1litre / 800km when not towing. I am towing a 3.2T off road van at 90kph and not pushing things very much. I have had it checked by the dealer and there is nothing wrong according to them. However, with the 18l tank of Adblue that the Disco has you need to fill up before 1800km is done while towing. I now carry 20l of Adblue so that I can top up when necessary and fill that jerry up at Caltex truck stop servos around the country. Mine is the SD6 with 700Nm.

Another 20kg that has to be carried, which is not good, but you very quickly run out of Adblue and need to be able to fill it. Two days ago the range was 6700 with 10l remaining at the start of the day and 400km later is was at 2200km with 6l remaining, so the range it gives is meaningless when towing. The good thing is that the app tells you the range and refill volume on your phone so it is easy to keep track of.

Other than that, a perfect tow vehicle, particularly with the extra rear axle capacity of the 7 seater.

[IndusD4]

I found the same, my van weighs about 2.1T with 2 adults in the car, 3 dogs.
2,400km alert came on which has now dropped to 1,800km after 200km driving without the van, 150km with the van from Mudgee to Dubbo via Wellington. Going into LR Dubbo for a top-up this morning (I'm on a service plan).

Ron

[scarry]

I suppose going somewhere like Fraser island,where there is often a lot of soft sand,the vehicle would use quite a bit of Add-blue,even if not towing?

Something else to remember to take.[bighmmm]

[Tombie]

Ok got it thanks. its a massive amount really. There has to be many setups running around exceeding their limit. I ask a few of my mates with vans any they had no idea and had not considered axel weights at all.

Are you happy with you disco.

What effect would using Weight distribution hitches make. Would that remove some of the excessive weight from the back to the front.

Do NOT use a WDH on a Discovery 3,4 or 5

[disco4now]

I found the same, my van weighs about 2.1T with 2 adults in the car, 3 dogs.
2,400km alert came on which has now dropped to 1,800km after 200km driving without the van, 150km with the van from Mudgee to Dubbo via Wellington. Going into LR Dubbo for a top-up this morning (I'm on a service plan).

Ron

How did the top up go.I just towed Sydney to Coffs Harbour and also have a service plan. Went into the local land rover dealer with the view to get some AdBlue , said it needed 12 litres. Little notice on the service desk aimed at people on a service plan, Adblue $7.50 a litre if required between services. I am sure this was not what I was told at sale time. Filled it at the BP for 99cents a litre.

[IndusD4]

Top up was done, no charge. I went in on Wednesday, they took the car details to allow them to verify the plan, get a job card ready etc. I went back the next day for the top up itself. I guess unless the dealership you visit has a record of your car, they won't be able to do it there and then.

Ron

[dencat_54]

Does the excessive adblue use when towing or working hard also apply to the TDV6

[IndusD4]

It does in my case.

[Bails]

A very interesting thread. I am about to start towing with a SDV 8 L494 , and am now redoing weight checks. I was taken by the multiplying factor for rear axel weight and am wondering about the calculations?

I get the idea of applying a moment around the rear wheels when weight is added to the rear towball, but why only to the front wheels and not the front of the car? I am assuming that the weight added would be the moment from the centre of mass. So if this is so then adding passengers would move the Centre of mass forward.

I haven't thought this through but am thinking only safe way is weighing over a weigh bridge.

[Numb Thumbs]

My numbers - 2019 SE Sd6 5 seater, straight from the dealers, filled up in Broadford and put it across the Vicroads weighbridge on the Hume Highway. Kerb weight - full tank of diesel and me - 2540 kg. Front axle - 1220 kg, rear axle - 1230 kg. The stated kerb weight is an work of fiction.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

[Bails]

My numbers - 2019 SE Sd6 5 seater, straight from the dealers, filled up in Broadford and put it across the Vicroads weighbridge on the Hume Highway. Kerb weight - full tank of diesel and me - 2540 kg. Front axle - 1220 kg, rear axle - 1230 kg. The stated kerb weight is an work of fiction.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

Just trying to work this out, are you saying the front and rear axles above are factory weights or the weigh bridge weights?

The above Front and rear 2450 , so is the fueled weight with you 100 kgs above or is there a mistake ?

The weight distribution is pretty much 50/50 so if I assume this is what the RRS will be then , 2450 empty means 1250 is empty weight on rear with with max of 1770 kgs 500 kgs Rear axle load.

[Numb Thumbs]

Just trying to work this out, are you saying the front and rear axles above are factory weights or the weigh bridge weights?

The above Front and rear 2450 , so is the fueled weight with you 100 kgs above or is there a mistake ?

The weight distribution is pretty much 50/50 so if I assume this is what the RRS will be then , 2450 empty means 1250 is empty weight on rear with with max of 1770 kgs 500 kgs Rear axle load.

I mis-typed - the front was 1220 kg, the rear 1320 kg, total 2540 kg. Literally straight from the dealers, only change was AT tyres, nothing else. The weights were on the weighbridge with me - around 100 kg clothed - in the car, full tank of fuel. The weighbridge is designed for B-Doubles so it has four pads. I just put the front wheels on the lead pad and the rear wheels on the second pad. A + B = total weight.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

[Bails]

I mis-typed - the front was 1220 kg, the rear 1320 kg, total 2540 kg. Literally straight from the dealers, only change was AT tyres, nothing else. The weights were on the weighbridge with me - around 100 kg clothed - in the car, full tank of fuel. The weighbridge is designed for B-Doubles so it has four pads. I just put the front wheels on the lead pad and the rear wheels on the second pad. A + B = total weight.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

What is empty weight supposed to be?

I am doing my numbers now and I think I have about 550 kgs that I can add to rear axel . I have found that a 7 seat RRS has an extra 200kgs rear axel weight. I am trying to find out what component changes have been made to get the extra 200 kgs.

If the figures are to be believed I can add about 750 kgs to my car , however will be
easy to exceed rear axel weight. I only have the wife and I to carry , no kids , so I think I can stay legal with 320 kg towball weight. Zone are telling me empty towball is 180 kgs.

[Numb Thumbs]

The rear axle is usually the limiting factor. The really annoying thing with the rear axle limits of the D5 is has different limits for the 5 seater and 7 seater, even though it is exactly the same diff and suspension. WTH? And most people forget that the ball weight actually applies more weight to the rear axle and takes it off the front, something like 1.4 times the weight to the rear axle.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

[Bails]

The rear axle is usually the limiting factor. The really annoying thing with the rear axle limits of the D5 is has different limits for the 5 seater and 7 seater, even though it is exactly the same diff and suspension. WTH? And most people forget that the ball weight actually applies more weight to the rear axle and takes it off the front, something like 1.4 times the weight to the rear axle.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

I am trying tp find out if there is a difference, if no then I will assume I have an extra 200 kgs this may be illegal to use, but is safe as it was designed for the weight.

[Graeme]

I just put the front wheels on the lead pad and the rear wheels on the second pad. A + B = total weight.Did you then drive onto the one pad as a cross-check?

[Numb Thumbs]

I spoke to an auto engineer in Queensland who does mod plates for 5 seaters to give the same axle and GVM ratings as 7 seaters. Unfortunately, when I spoke to an auto engineer in Victoria they said no can do, not allowed in Victoria - even though the hardware is EXACTLY the same. Go figure!

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

[Numb Thumbs]

Did you then drive onto the one pad as a cross-check?

Yes, I got the same numbers on each pad. This weighbridge is used by VicRoads to check truck compliance. It weighs to 20 kg from memory. I also tried getting in and out of the car and the change was correct.

Cheers
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[BobD]

My numbers - 2019 SE Sd6 5 seater, straight from the dealers, filled up in Broadford and put it across the Vicroads weighbridge on the Hume Highway. Kerb weight - full tank of diesel and me - 2540 kg. Front axle - 1220 kg, rear axle - 1230 kg. The stated kerb weight is an work of fiction.

Cheers
Numb Thumbs ;)

Pretty close to my figures in the first post in this thread with your corrected rear axle weight and allowing for the driver. Good confirmation that my weighbridge in WA and yours in Vic are similar!

[BobD]

What is empty weight supposed to be?

I am doing my numbers now and I think I have about 550 kgs that I can add to rear axel . I have found that a 7 seat RRS has an extra 200kgs rear axel weight. I am trying to find out what component changes have been made to get the extra 200 kgs.

If the figures are to be believed I can add about 750 kgs to my car , however will be
easy to exceed rear axel weight. I only have the wife and I to carry , no kids , so I think I can stay legal with 320 kg towball weight. Zone are telling me empty towball is 180 kgs.

7 seat RRS and 7 seat D5's have 1900kg rear axle capacity, a fair bit more than the 5 seater versions with only around 45kg of seat added to the rear axle, so a lot better for towing.

I also have a Zone 18.6 Offroad with a 180kg empty tow ball weight. When fully loaded and with careful weight distribution of what I carry I can get it to 280kg. However, that is achieved by mounting my 17kg jockey wheel jack to the rear bumper of the caravan which reduces the draw bar weight by 28kg. With the jack in the front tool box the draw bar weight is 310kg when loaded with 300l of water and all the stuff we carry. All up at my fully loaded state it weighs in at 3350kg on the weighbridge.

I can just keep my rear axle load to 1900kg with 280kg on the tow bar and a little bit of essential stuff in the car, including my wife and I. That includes 20l of AdBlue that I carry and top up at truck stops around Australia on my travels. It only take about 2 days of travelling to get rid of 10kg of that at 1 l/100km while towing!