Hi,
I have a Mazda 6 diesel (136BHP). we have recently purchased a Elddis Avante which has a MTPLM of 1200kgs which is fine for my car as the car has a max towing weight of 1600kgs with a gross weight of 1930kgs. All good I think but where I am worried and confused is where does the weight of the passengers come in to it all. Basically its a two berth caravan but we have purchased an awning with it which has two bed annexes so when we go there will be 5 adults (and two of the five adults are 20 stone). How do I distribute the weight of awning, clothing, airbeds and chairs etc.. for awning. I have a roof box and thought about putting chairs and other furniture up there, awning in the boot and clothing in the van, do you think 5 adults and the awning in the boot will make the rear of the car really low, will I be doing damage to the suspension on the car, should I put the awning in the van along the centre above wheels and put lighter things in the boot of the car. Just hoping there is someone out there who has as much camping gear as me that can give me some tips on this as I really want the holiday to be comfortable with all our lovely accessories but not at the expense of my cars wellbeing and our safety.
I suggest you put as much as you can in the caravan over the axle, I would have thought awning & chairs will go in without exceeding mtplm but you would need to weigh everything. With 5 people in the car you only want light stuff in the boot.
If you are thinking of passengers and kerb weight then ignore them. The kerb weight is what the book says. You do not increase it by adding passengers etc. For your car/caravan weight ratios you use the MTPLM and the kerb weight.
As regards loading its suck it and see till you get the optimum requirements for your kind of caravanning. Follow Tentz guidance expecially about weighing stuff. Also weigh the cars contents inc people as the car has a maximum weight it can carry as well. Any weight reductions necessary and you can always put the OH on a diet!
We tried all ways to load and finally settled on the inside stuff in the van when going out and outside stuff in the car. We reversed it coming home. Idea is that wife sorts out the inside on site whilst I do the outside. All my stuff is in the car so I don't interfere with what she is doing. Its just a whole lot easier that way when there are only two of you.
Phil
------------- If you're not on a fell your wasting your feet and for 2014 it's.......Feb Castleton Mar North Yors Moors; Apr Sutton on Sea; May Thirsk; Jun Clapham/Riverside (Lakes); July Wharfedale; August Crakehall; Sept Knaresborough; Oct Wirral Park/Clitheroe
Domino
The Max tow weight may be 1600 but the Kerb weight is more important as this is what controls what you can tow. This is circa 1450 depending on your model and year, it is still safe for your caravan but I just wanted to point out that it isn't the important weight unless it is less than the Kerb Weight.
the car has a max tow load of 1600kg so no problem .you must not load you caravan over its MTPLM,But you need to find the max gross vehicle weight for your car. depending on model between 1950 kg & 2100kg & keep below this.I would think that 5 people 2 of whome are 20 stone & their luggage ,& the van nose weight on the tow ball would put you close to the max gross vehicle weight. I would suggest you go to the weigh bridge with your van loaded with its normal load & then weigh everything else you put in it.
Donna, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I am afraid that is what I have.
Taking the weights posted on here already, the car has a payload of 480kg.
This has to include the noseweight of the caravan (I will assume 70kg for arguements sake).
A 20 stone person is about 127kg. Assuming the other 3 people are 75kg.
Even if the kerb weight quoted includes 75kg for driver, that allows 555kg of stuff that can go into the car.
By my rough calculations including the nose weight you have 549kg before you load any luggage in. Sorry, to my mind the load you are talking about is just not possible. It is not even borderline. There is still clothes for 5 people, all the caravan bits & bobs plus an awning with 2 bedrooms!!!
I recommend you take two cars to spread the people & weight about.
Just another thing to watch is when did you pass your driving test? post 97 or pre 97.
As it looks like you are getting close to 3.5 tonne with luggage etc.
OMG, well Zafiral it seems like I have a problem then as I am the only adult of the five with a driving licence, my OH, his retired parents and his 41 year old brother never saw the need to pass their tests (sore subject which I get very frustrated about on a daily basis as I am the family taxi firm). So if the car can only carry us 5 and the nose therefore the 200kgs user payload in the van is all I have to play with.
PS Macaw, I passed in 1998 so I am subject to the new regs to top my luck off completely.
Send a couple on the coach or train and get them to take rucksacks to help lighten your load, Problems sorted.
Another issue is the gross train weight maybe less than the cars gross weight and the maximum towing weight.
My figures say vehicle gross 2165kg with max tow of 1800kg But the gross train weight is 3725kg not 3965kg.
All good fun, But essential to get your figures right, Even more so as you passed after 1997, They can get you for exceeding 3.5t as well as overloaded car/trailer or a combination.
Quote: Originally posted by Domino666 on 18/3/2011
OMG, well Zafiral it seems like I have a problem then as I am the only adult of the five with a driving licence, my OH, his retired parents and his 41 year old brother never saw the need to pass their tests (sore subject which I get very frustrated about on a daily basis as I am the family taxi firm). So if the car can only carry us 5 and the nose therefore the 200kgs user payload in the van is all I have to play with. PS Macaw, I passed in 1998 so I am subject to the new regs to top my luck off completely.
Just a thought. Tell your retired family + this, and ask them to pay to rent a bigger car for the holidays that way you get to keep your car without the worry of weights for it. Please do not tell me they cannot as my Bob and I are retired without that much coming in, we just save up to ge the best we can. But you probably need your car after for work. It is called consideration for your family without demand or expecting of them.But then you only have to lay these facts that your being helped with before them and see.They go or do not go that is the question. We would not dream of putting on our son this way, & your the in-law daughter. Bah Humbug!!!
Best of luck, hope you make it and can get through with the technical stuff.
Well your all right, so my options are to get them on public transport or take nothing with us apart from the van and the awning and maybe 14 pairs of knickers as we dont have the weight capacity for anything else. It all goes to prove that I thought I was buying smart when I picked up the Mazda, thinking it has won towcar of the year award blah blah blah but its all rather irrelevant as its not the car or the van thats the problem its the in laws, story of my life actually, who knows what I am going to do now, first holiday is 25th of April and second one is July so guess I have to get thinking.
I have a similar problem with little weight capacity left with my outfit after putting my Mobility scooter in the boot of the car, and the luggage for 4 adults plus the porch awning, my caravan payload is about 200kg, son-in-law is 21st and 6ft4ins tall, so he has to sit in the front of the car to give him enough leg room, hubby is about 11st, im 18st, and daughter is 16st, and whilst we tow easily when theres just the two of us, the one and only time we tried to take us all away together ended in a slow and tireing creep in 4th gear for the hours drive to the site.
Now I have done likewise, I will take their luggage for them, but this pair of fit and healthy 20somethings can catch the train and we will collect them later in the day from the nearby station at our destination. the rest of the week transport for them is not a problem as we havent got the weight of the caravan on the back to worry about, then we reverse the process to come home. I think you need to be firm with your inlaws, simply tell them that your not prepared to be their taxi service, especially with the fuel costs involved, if i let my lot get away with it i would be driving a minibus by now, we have already got arguments going on about who gets a lift and who doesnt when out two daughters get married later this year. Owning a car of their own doesnt seem to stop them. when they refuse to drive it on the grounds that they want to be able to have a good drinking session!
Julia
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Topic: HELP - Towing weights concern....
