Thread: have you weighed you caravan lately

With all this talk about towing capability, best not ask Dave (Blknight.aus) how a 300Tdi D1 goes towing an Army Bushmaster.......

Originally Posted by cripesamighty

With all this talk about towing capability, best not ask Dave (Blknight.aus) how a 300Tdi D1 goes towing an Army Bushmaster.......

Well, the Bushmaster didn't have any tow ball weight and I'm sure the Bushmaster was loaded well under GVM at the time.

I think Dave said about 13 tons so a couple of tons below max weight.

Speaking of towball weights. If you can keep the towball weight down, the RRC manual says it can tow 6 tons so long as it is in low range with diffs locked and going less than 50 or 60kph.


An earlier thread with the relevant page from the RRC manual
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-...alculated.html

Got a weighbridge here, if we are not using it you can play around as much as you like. I weighed a friends prado and his van recently, well he had 390 kgs on the ball and was 90 kgs under the gross with only gas and water. No food ,utinsels or clothes. The tare was nothing like they said and as a new van he took it back but of course they said our bridge was out but they eventually altered it. By the way when split weighing we are only allowed 3mm difference in height from the bridge deck and the apron. Don't know adout their portable scales. I think if you are over in a truck they must take you to the nearest public bridge.
Lindsay

Originally Posted by cripesamighty

I think Dave said about 13 tons so a couple of tons below max weight.

Speaking of towball weights. If you can keep the towball weight down, the RRC manual says it can tow 6 tons so long as it is in low range with diffs locked and going less than 50 or 60kph.


An earlier thread with the relevant page from the RRC manual
How is Towing Capacity Calculated?

Yes they are 13 tonnes empty. It can't be looking Fred by Chinook.

I found it astounding the lack of care and knowledge about the weights of van and drawbar etc from dealers of used vans... looked at a few before buying ours and none could tell me simple things like has this van been modified ftom original tare and ball weights etc. A shrug of the shoulder and a not sure answer... not good enough!!!. One was a major and popular Brisbane based dealer and manufacturer!!
When we picked up our newly built van it was just that morning issued with a vicroads weighbridge cert which gave our tare as 2520kg and a ball weight of 205kg. Both out 98litre tanks are behind the rearmost axle and it just tows fantastically. It is legally allowed to be 3400kg so gives us quite a margin. Fully loaded with food water and personal stuff we are in the 2900kg range so happy with that. I don't need or use a WDH.

Jc

I will be going to the caravan show again this year.Still tyre kicking,but I now have a lot clearer picture of what I want.
Many new vans advertised have a woeful difference between tare and aggregate figures,add to that a D4 that is also pushing its limit aggregate wise when traveling it doesn't leave much storage capacity in the van.I think things like a full annex will be out,perhaps a lithium battery system????
I see some advertise a GVM increase available for the van,whats the go there???? do they upgrade the suspension???
Andrew

Toyota increase the cars ability to carry stuff,, if you ask them to,,
Zero physical change
as a company they HAVE to...

Think about it,,