I am a total newbie and hoping to get 1st caravan today if we win the ebay bid.
The spec for the van we are getting says Mass in Running Order (Kg) - 725. Maximum Technical Permissible Laden Mass (Kg) - 1000. Does this means we can load it with 275 kilos of our own things inside the van providing it is within the towing limits of our car.
Although this sounds a lot I would guess we would soon reach that limit by the time we fill it with accessories, cooking equipment, plates, awning and clothing etc.
Are things that come with the van like spare wheel and water tanks etc included in my payload or are they already included in the weight of the van?
Yes you are right, the difference between the MiRO and the MTPLM is your payload.
I would recommend you weigh everything you intend to put in your van and keep a record of the weights for future reference.
Things that are fitted to the fan are usually included in the weights. Extras such as gas bottles, clothes, awning, food, cooking equipment will be part of your payload.
If possible, once you have loaded everything you intend to take, I would recommend taking the van to a weighbridge to check you haven't exceeded your van's MTPLM, which is illegal.
For safe and stable towing, and for those new to towing, it is recommended that your van's fully laden weight is no more than 85% of your towing vehicle's kerbweight.
Nowadays MRO includes what is required to operate caravan, so gas bottle, some water & mains hookup lead, battery but not spare wheel. This is recent though so if caravan is a few yrs old the lower figure may just mean unladen weight so your 275kg could mean everything. I'm guessing it does because new caravans tend to quote a much lower user payload figure.
I would weigh the van BEFORE you put anything in it.
That way, you know what it weighs and therefore how much stuff you can put in it.
It's all very well having a plate on the van that says (in your case 725Kgs) but that doesn't necessarily mean that it weighs that. It could be that previous owners have added this and that, and, without weighing the whole unit in it's empty (to you) state, you won't know how much you really have to play with. There is a tolerance for manufacturers, can't remember if it's 5% or 10%.
Oh, by the way, welcome to the wonderful world of 'tin tenting'. Ask anything you like on here. Someone will know the answer.
------------- How come when some people visit the fountain of knowledge, they only gargle!!!
Welcome to tin tent land.as above on weights but I need to add,if you have a caravan mover fitted your MTPLM or gross is reduced by the weight of it ie.35 to 40 kgs or whatever.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
Quote: Originally posted by Tentz on 24/3/2013Nowadays MRO includes what is required to operate caravan, so gas bottle, some water & mains hookup lead, battery but not spare wheel.
Unfortunately, Freedom Caravans don't appear to follow this guidance/rule. The dealership advertise the Sunseeker and Jetstream range as having a load margin of 100KG. This allows for the spare wheel but makes no allowance for a 10kg gas bottle, 30kg battery, 10kg water and 5kg hook-up lead, all of which would quickly eat into that 100KG.
In my case I discovered that my recently purchased Sunseeker was 10kg heavier than advertised, because the fitted fridge was considered to be an 'accessory', and therefore had to be considered as payload.
The user manual says that hot water systems, heating systems, bathroom equipment, blinds, and step are also deemed by Freedom to be ‘accessories’ that absorb payload.
This makes me suspect that the better specified Jetstream models, which are based upon the same body/chassis as my caravan, but contain the above ‘accessories’ must have very little, if any, payload remaining.
I don't think there is any official standard for MIRO, possibly it is a figure that has been agreed among UK caravan manufacturers but I stand to be corrected.
In the Op's case if the caravan he is purchasing is pre 2011,then the plated MIRO is as the van came from the factory,no battery,no gas bottles,no water containers,ect'ect I feel that most of the replies above will only serve to confuse a new to the game member.
also In my humble opinion the new system is not an improvement on the old system Its much easier to simpler to know the difference between the MIRO & the MTPLM is the total load allowed for every thing YOU put in or on the caravan
Quote: I would weigh the van BEFORE you put anything in it. That way, you know what it weighs and therefore how much stuff you can put in it.
I agree completely. Your local Trading Standards will point you towards a public weighbridge, where you can discover what your unladen van weighs for about £5.
From there you can weigh each item you pack and ensure that you remain within the MTPLM.
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Topic: A question on weight
