Hi, Ive been putting our caravan on a diet, it is a Unicorn 2 Cadiz, Its MTPLM is 1498kg, and mass in running order is 1344kg, giving a payload of 154kgs, my question is can you include the nose weight in the equation as to give around 254kg payload. After I've weighed everything in the caravan which did not come out the factory I've got 186kgs of stuff, this includes the motor mover, gas bottles, battery,cutlery bedding, you get the picture, but this does not include clothes, food, miscellaneous kids stuff etc.
I am thinking 254kg is a more reasonable weight for a large caravan,but i can not find anything that says what is and what is not included in the equation.
My reasoning is I tow with a 4x4 which has a limit of 2000kg, if Vosa or who ever they are at the moment weigh the rig, it would be on axel weights, now the car will be fine, but my thought is the caravan single axel will be exerting its nose weight on the car and not on its wheels, therefor can that 75-100kgs be used in the payload?
It's not an exact science & you cannot calculate it like that to last kg. To stay legal your caravan needs to have no more than 1498kg on the axle when hitched to car & driven over an axle weigher. There is a % margin for error allowed when they weigh it but you have got to leave some margin yourself.
The only way to do it is to load up your gear & take it to nearest axle weighbridge. That is legal even if overweight because you can go to nearest weighbridge for check weigh & straight back again.
If you need to carry extra in caravan then best bet is to have it up plated to max allowed axle weight rating. this weight will be stamped on bottom centre of axle. It is unlikely to be 1500kg. I would guess it would be at least 1600kg
you need to check the tyres as they will have a max weight per wheel/tyre stamped on each tyre,also check dates of manufacture for each tyre. you also need to check the gross train weight on the plate in the car as this is 1 of the figures vosa will use
Tyres are 43 13, and rated 850kg each. So I've got 2 years left in the tyres, weight wise 1700kg. I have located the axel plate but can not read it due to access. I'll be able to get at it on the Monday/Tuesday next week.
I feel the important bit here is what is the van's axle rating?
I don't know how Bailey plate their vans but typically a tailer VIN weight plate will include the axle weight, often as #1 or # 1 and #2 if twin axle.
My axle weight rating is above the MTPLM figure by 10 kgs, odd but fact. Whereas as a limit MTPLM could have been quoted at axle capability plus a safe noseweight. So marketing choice though lead to it being less.
I doubt very much that the authorities will pay any deep attention to a van that has an axle load within that on the weight plate, and has a permitted noseweight. So in practice I feel you could "get away" with having your axle rating and your noseweight as the van's limiting mass; not "legally" but what I believe is the pragmatic situation. I though don't gamble.
In my direct experience the quoted MIRO has always been less than the van's actually weight, so the starting point was not as one might assume.
I'd check the specs for the Unicorn too, and how Bailey calculate MIRO. I thought I had this problem too, then casually read the manual. Many of the things I'd added to the packing list weights were accounted for - gas bottle allowance, water in system among other things. Made a big difference!
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Topic: is payload plus 75-100kg nose weight
