I know there has been many posts relating to weights, atm, gcm, gvm, wat, abc, xyz etc etc etc.
I have posted here as I do not want to make this toooo technical.
After returning home from a recent trip, the van got half emptied for a clean out. We thought this a great opportunity to get it to the engineer and get weights checked and increase our payload if possible.
Turned out great. The weights on the plate now agree with the rego papers. And to keep things simple for me, I know we have a 500kg payload.
We know common sense tells us about loading properly, heavy low and close to the axle, light high and make sure everything secure.
But has anybody actually given much thought into what they put in their van. Well we conducted a little exercise when repacking the van.
All standard items were weighed back in, using bathroom scales, so things may be quarter to half a kg out, but gave us a good idea of weights.
Geni, water hoses, power cables, filters, awning walls and mat inc tent pegs and ropes, spreaders, wheel chocks and chairs, came in at 97kg.
Standard supplies, coffee, tea, cooking sauces and spices, back / emergency foods, snacks and nibbles, cutlery, crockery (melamine), pots and pans inc camp oven, kettles (one for gas and one for camp fire), sheets, towels, and first aid kit came in at 86kg.
Sundry bits, including wheel and hitch locks, portable grey water tank, games, ( inc backgammon, dice, cards), cleaning bits, insect sticks and sprays, torches/head lamps came in at 41kg.
Bathroom and personal supplies filled gaps in boxes, so are included in these weights.
We have a set lot of clothes in van, including heavy jackets which came in at 16kg, does not include shoes.
When you add 2 water tanks @ 90lt each, 180kg, 2 full 9kg gas bottles, 18kg, this gives us a rough total of 438kg.
This then leaves only 62kg the fresh and frozen foods, not forgetting any other little extras you want to pack.
Obviously others are different to us, but when was the last time you emptied out your van and weighed stuff back in.
It can be so easy to overload, but at least now I have a better idea of weights of what I put in the van. Anything of significant weight goes in now, something else must come out.
Next time you have a few days spare, I would suggest this as a good exercise.
Yep, been there done that Alana, although a little different.
I found out about 3 years ago the aluminium tent was 100kg over the plated ATM so went through every cupboard and drawer etc and ended up getting rid of 160kg. One thing I found was, I had a metal cutlery set for 8 people, there is 1 off me so kept 2 of each only. The weight was a lot more than you think. I took crockery from home, again for 4 now 2 but changed to Melamine.
It's amazing what you think you need but don't.
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DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
I like to keep an eye on the fridge and make sure it is not carrying too much weight from too many beer bottles. If it is, I remedy the problem each day at about 4pm.
-- Edited by DMaxer on Thursday 7th of November 2019 03:27:02 PM
Ha came close to purchasing a van at show in Perth last week ....we had been looking for a while .....I forgot to take my calculated weight with me .... anyway as dealers always .... yep you have a cruiser you can tow it. Gave us an excellent price etc.... I held firm and said I will go home and check my numbers. Needless to say the dealer was wrong.... a cruiser cannot tow it ..... so maybe next show I will look at some smaller vans ..... bugger it was really nice :(
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