Thread: Weights Spreadsheet

That spreadsheet nearly did my head in. Rounding to 1 kg on so many items means there is a huge margin of error. I just do the weights at a weighbridge so I know the relevent numbers are accurate. I'm lucky in that I live in Melboourne and have a VICROADS weighbridge just north on the Hume at Broadford I can use when heading off on a trip and one just short of Ballarat if I am heading west.

With the D5 I think you will find the problem is the rear axle load, especially in a 5 seater like I have.

The ratio for ball weight is 1.4, so for every 100 kg of ball weight, you are adding 140 kg to the rear axle and taking 40 kg off the front axle.

I pack the rear of the car reasonably light and have never had - or wanted - drawers - they are a huge dead weight.

I also tow light - my hybrid camper trailer has a ATM of 1900 kg and I have never reached it. The ball weight is usually around 140 kg, so I have an extra roughly 200 kg on the rear axle and loose 60 kg from the front axle and 140 kg off my available payload.

Good luck with it all...

Cheers
Numb Thumbs

It had the ability to be fiddly but I still use it for things. I find it very useful still for roughing out where to put things.

I have a public weigh bridge just down the road also that I go to, to just confirm weights as well.

What I found the spreadsheet really good for and still play with, is seeing if a vehicle will do what you want. With the spreadsheet I can put imaginary accessories onto a vehicle and see how it will go with weights. Wish I knew about it before I bought some accessories for my current D4.

I have 4 different ball weights with my van depending on what water tanks are full and if the bikes are carried or not. I also know the weight of my various boxes that I carry gear in. Very easy to see how over-weight I can get to.

I have the measurements for a RAM1500 that I was going to put into the spreadsheet to see how it went with various accessories and a larger van which I have since discounted.

I don’t have the measurements for a D5 or access to one so I can put them into the spreadsheet to play with. Hence the question.

So, what measurements do you want?

Cheers
Numb Thumbs

How heavy is your van fully loaded?

Just asking as a mate of mine had a D5,towed his van which weighed just on 3.5T,and was never happy with it.

Didn’t tow it anywhere near as well as his old LC.Had both for over 8 yrs,so no amateur at towing the big weights.

He put it down to the D5 being a lot lighter than the LC.
After 12 months he went back to the brand he had before.

Im towing a 23 ft twin axle offroad van , tow ball weight of 270kg when the van is loaded.. its a 3.5ton van but its prolly 2.9t as we load it..
We have a td6 D5 which tows it easily , can sit on 95 without issue with plenty of power left. I can only compare it to towing with my tdv6 D3 and it leaves the D3 for dead in all aspects.

The down sides of the D5 so far is fuel range with no seemingly option of long range tank and the fact that according to what i have read there is no option of an adjustable tow hitch which on a van like mine which sits high so its not ideal.

Cheers Bulletman

Numb Thumbs, if you open the spreadsheet Greg explains the measurements. You find the middle of the wheelbase and take measurements forward and backward from that point. I can list them if you can’t access the spreadsheet. There are about 7 or 8 measurements from memory.

My van is an off road hybrid van, single axle. 2600Kg fully loaded - 300 litres water, food, drinks & bikes. Tow ball a bit heavy then (310kg) but use the water in a specific order and it evens out.

I don’t tow with anything behind me being heavier than my vehicle. At 3500kg I think there is a place for yank tanks just for their weight.

Bulletman, can I ask what you mean about the towing height. Are you saying that the D5 won’t accept after market adjustable tow balls?

IMAGES FROM SPREADSHEET

and image of hitch I use on D4

Originally Posted by Strop

Numb Thumbs, if you open the spreadsheet Greg explains the measurements. You find the middle of the wheelbase and take measurements forward and backward from that point. I can list them if you can’t access the spreadsheet. There are about 7 or 8 measurements from memory.

My van is an off road hybrid van, single axle. 2600Kg fully loaded - 300 litres water, food, drinks & bikes. Tow ball a bit heavy then (310kg) but use the water in a specific order and it evens out.

I don’t tow with anything behind me being heavier than my vehicle. At 3500kg I think there is a place for yank tanks just for their weight.

Bulletman, can I ask what you mean about the towing height. Are you saying that the D5 won’t accept after market adjustable tow balls?

Yep from the D5 manual

20230716_153244.jpg

So my D5 sits lower than the D3 did and then my understanding of that statement from the manual is that you cant have an adjustable tow ball .

I drive roadtrains and the trailers are always heavier than the prime mover when they are loaded .. for me its more having your weights right and balanced evenly and drive to the conditions. Im not knocking the land cruiser they are well and truely the most common tow tug from what i see regularly in my driving and for good reason BUT i have seen several towing big vans that are very unstable due to being loaded wrongly ( in my view ) and have seen them along with just about every other make back out of overtaking my roadtrain due to the sway they start to get once they hit speed to try and over take..

If you have the view of not towing heavier than the tow tug thats fine... im pretty sure the D5 is 200kg lighter than the D4 but its a completely different platform as well.

Cheers Bulletman