My wife and I recently purchased a Freedom Sunseeker Caravan from the UK dealership in Stafford. This was advertised with an unladen weight of 650kg and payload margin of 100kg.
When I sought clarification as to whether the unladen weight included the spare wheel, I was told that the caravan’s weight, including the spare wheel, would in fact be 620kg. This dealership obtained this information from the manufacturer.
I have since weighed the caravan at my local public weighbridge, and discovered that it actually weighs 660kg despite having no bathroom or heating systems. The caravan is plated at 750kg; hence its true payload margin is therefore 90kg.
When trying to fathom the discrepancy I noticed that the user manual says that accessory equipment must be considered as payload. It then indicates that such ‘accessories’ include the fridge, hot water system, heating system, bathroom equipment, blinds, and step. In my case it would seem that fridge is partly to blame.
This makes suspect that Jetstream models, which are based upon the same body/chassis as my caravan, but contain many more ‘accessories’ must have a very limited payload margin, and certainly not the 100kg as advertised.
I can easily imagine a buyer of a well specified model adding a 30kg leisure battery, a 10kg bottle of gas, a 5kg hook-up cable, some bedding, and a few other essentials, to find themselves unwittingly exceeding the MTPLM without realising it. Drivers limited to towing 750kg could unsuspectingly end up breaking the law in respect of endorsable licensing offences as well as weight offences.
I would be interested to hear the experiences of other caravaners and in particular other Freedom owners. Do many members know what their caravan actually weighs?
I have a freedom Sport 620kg unladen and 750kg laden. I always count the spare wheel as additional weight and weigh everything going into the van but always try to be under by at least 15kg just in case. If indeed the fridge is an extra then I too will be marginally over.
Quote: Originally posted by plasticnut on 09/3/2013
The numbers are on the chassis plate on the A frame.
I suspect that you may have missed the point of my original post, which is that weight figures being presented by the manufacturer and dealership appear to be unreliable.
My caravan's user manual says that it weighs 560kg, the dealership told me it would weigh 620kg, but in reality, it actually weighs 660kg. Some the discrepancy can be explained by a 20kg fridge, which appears to be standard equipment, but which is actually deemed to be an accessory.
The dealership advertise all of the Sunseeker and Jetstream vans as having a 100kg payload, but my lightly specified van actually has a payload of 90kg.
Surely a Jetstream van, replete with a fully fitted bathroom, heating and hot water systems (all of which are considered accessories) must have a minimal payload remaining?
This is why I suspect that many Freedom owners could be unwittingly operating outside the law without realising it.
Hi I fell into that trap, when I bought a Reich Caravan Weigh Scale I found that with just the gas bottle, spare wheel and battery, plus the motor mover the van weighed in at 747kg so got freedom to upgrade the chassis to 850kg (£75 charge for a sticker) it's a catch 22 problem you've got a light van to tow with a small car but to keep it legal you can not put anything in it if you have a motor mover fitted we tow with a Ford Focus and don't know its on the back untill you look in the rear mirror
Never trust the manufacturers weights. Materials will vary in weight slighty. Add up all the components and it could be a fair bit heavier than the next one they build.
That is excellent advice, this and other forums are the best way to sound out good advice relating to your caravan. The Freedom is a fantastic little van but to stay legal you have to be very careful with what you put inside. At first I weighed everything I put into the van to keep it under 750kg I now know that I must have been at least 70kg over the vans limit as the starting weight of mine is not 650kg. As what constitutes an accessory is not clear. Weighing the van empty and again loaded is the only way tow safely with the confidence you are legal.
I always put heavy things in the car (e.g. awning and cool box) when travelling to reduce the weight carried. All freedoms are intended to be "lightweight" and not to contain the sort of equipment regarded as standard in larger more substantial caravans so the more that is fitted the less you can add.
This is a nightmare to hear. I bought mine just over a year ago. Have driven it to Switzerland Switzerland with my trusty Yaris 1.3. Thought I was close to the maximum to not over. I always struggle to get the nose weight to read on my gauge so thought I was ok. Spoke to Freedom today, so hope they will recharge my old van.
Quote: I found that with just the gas bottle, spare wheel and battery, plus the motor mover the van weighed in at 747kg so got freedom to upgrade the chassis to 850kg (£75 charge for a sticker)
I feel that Freedom Caravans are somewhat disingenuous with their advertising.
The Sunseeker continues to be advertised as weighing 650kg (although mine proved to be heavier).
The Jetstream 1st Class has the same body and chassis as mine, but contains the following additional equipment...
Gas Hot Water System, Truma Gas Room Heater, Electric Flush Cassette Toilet, Shower, Shower Tray, Tip-Up Sink, and External Water Pick-Up.
These additional items must add further weight, but Freedom Caravans advertise the better specified model as also weighing 650kg. This appears to be impossible.
The internet had cautioned me to be careful when dealing with Freedom Caravans, so before finalizing my purchase I pointed them towards what I had read and asked them to confirm the precise weight of the caravan I was buying.
They initially responded by telling me they were going to weigh the caravan, but for some reason they changed their mind and elected to give me the figure they obtained from the manufacturer instead.
This raised my suspicions so I weighed the caravan immediately after getting it home and found it weighed considerably more than Freedom had told me it would.
I immediately complained to Freedom and insisted that they issued me with a 850kg replacement plate without any cost to myself, which they did.
I dont understand how they can issue a replacement plate with a higher weight limit. Is this legal? If a vehicle is determined by the manufacturer to have a plated maximum weight of say x kg how on earth can you get round this by the dealer issuing a new plate that says more. Sorry I am a newbie and dont understands this
Quote: Originally posted by Graeme1783 on 25/7/2017
I dont understand how they can issue a replacement plate with a higher weight limit. Is this legal? If a vehicle is determined by the manufacturer to have a plated maximum weight of say x kg how on earth can you get round this by the dealer issuing a new plate that says more. Sorry I am a newbie and dont understands this
the plated weight is lower than it really should be or could be.. the upgraded weight reflects what the van can really weigh and still be safe but for some people maybe not legal..
the OP is pointing out that the manufactures are not entirely accurate with quoted weights and that some owners may be unknowingly breaking the law..
break the law one way or break the law another way.. catch 22.. :)
The ALKO chassis for all the Freedom states the max load 1000kgs, but to load at the limit is unsafe. Stafford like to advertise that the freedoms can be towed by small cars and young drivers, so an even lower low max weight is needed, therefore the max weight is set at 750kg. In truth the Freedoms can have a max load weight of 850Kgs.
But I agree with the other posts it is a con to advertise all the Freedom range having the same payload it is just not true
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Topic: Weight of Freedom Caravans
