Hi everyone. I'm looking at getting my 1st van finally. There are so many brands out there. When it comes to the build materials. The old school way I assume is a timber frame, then progressed to aluminium and now composite.
If I am looking at new and used. I see some manufacturers like New Age or Goldstream are still using timber. Would this affect some people decision at buying that brand or would it not phase you.
I guess I am also being a bit specific in what I want. Making it a bit hard to find.
It will only be used a handfull times a year. Ideally under 18ft, bunks, semi offroad/offroad, lightweight to keep within my GVM/GCM, and not 100k
Hi Josh, great to see that you're aware of those two weight limits, but it is imperative that you be aware of your car's rear axle weight, which is the limit most often exceeded, and understood by few.
Regularly on my travels I get "Duhhh, that can't be right" when I explain weights to fellow caravanners in their obviously overloaded units. You might understand that it is almost impossible to ever reach a car's GVM when a trailer is connected.
Currently using a 21 sr5 hilux. I dont have much constant weight on the rear or anything so if I can find a van with an average towball weight I think I should be fine.
It is more the gvm/gcm that I will have trouble with. At full gvm I have 2800kg left (5850kg gcm ). This is where I am having trouble finding the van I want.
I was in the aluminium industry for 2 decades, one of my long term colleagues had customers that built cool rooms & Pantech thermal trucks.
Sandwich panels are brilliant, thermally & structurally.
I have seen a number of Pantech trucks converted over during our travels. Makes your typical caravan look like a piece of rubbish designed from the 18th century.
To save weight look at aircraft honeycomb flooring. My Land Rover has something similar for the boot floor. Structurally & lightness it's brilliant. Having had 3 times 180 x 3.2 kg roof tiles in the boot (an emergency situation after Sydney storm).
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Currently using a 21 sr5 hilux. I dont have much constant weight on the rear or anything so if I can find a van with an average towball weight I think I should be fine.
It is more the gvm/gcm that I will have trouble with. At full gvm I have 2800kg left (5850kg gcm ). This is where I am having trouble finding the van I want.
Hi Josh. Be aware that you will NEVER get to your GVM because of weight transferred from the car's front axle to the rear axle, which is the weak point. Depending whether single cab, dual cab or extra cab there are 3 different rear axle capacities, but it seems that Toyota have increased those to a sensible level. Your compliance plate or owners manual should reveal what that weight is.
Remember that your GVM will also include your towball weight which means that if you have 2800kg left" that is the weight able to be carried by the van's axle group. If you choose a 3100kg ATM van,with the generally accepted 10% safe towball weight (310kg) you'll have 2790kg on axles (GTM).
Most importantly, if safety is of any concern your car should always have at least 10% more weight on its wheels than is on the wheels of the van. At GTM of 2790kg you're right on that, meaning that the Hilux has NO chance of safely towing anything more than 3100kg as a PIG trailer. (Caravan) A big "Plus" is the car's long wheelbase, meaning more stability when towing.
Mind you, there are some lovely vans around at or below that weight. Where abouts do you live?
Feel free to ask more questions, as weights are a minefield for beginners, and indeed for some who have been towing for years.
Beware of ANY "advice" offered by commission-based salesmen who have a vested interest in flogging anything to anyone.
It is staggering the number of people that I meet on my travels who are towing waaaay more than is legal or safe for their car because "the salesman said it would be OK". Yeah, right.
Overloaded, unsafe, uninsured:- but some don't care. Others I have seen turn around to head back to a town where they could buy a more suitable vehicle.
One had an example of the much over-rated and severely overloaded Ram 1500 and was headed back to Perth to buy a new car.
He said to wife "Told you we should have bought a Ram 2500" and away they went! Cheers
Yes you are correct with the 2800kg left to tow. I could push the vans atm out a little so the vans axles are at the 2800kg. But I don't really want the 300kg towball weight.
Ideally a van with say 2200kg Tare and atm of 2800kg would be a lot easier with the figures.
Yes you are correct with the 2800kg left to tow. I could push the vans atm out a little so the vans axles are at the 2800kg. But I don't really want the 300kg towball weight.
Ideally a van with say 2200kg Tare and atm of 2800kg would be a lot easier with the figures.
I am in WA
Yeah,OK. All good, but you do realise that at 2800kg ATM your towball weight would ideally be around 280kg?
Whatever TARE is written on the van's compliance means absolutely NOTHING.
Zip, zero, zilch, nil, nada other than that's the calculated weight, or what is was as it left the factory. Not important.
As you've determined, it is the actual carrying capacity that is important, and 600kg is a BIG capacity I reckon. Most members seem to cope with 400kg on a tandem-axle van and maybe 300kg on a single axle.
Good to see that you're in WA, the best state, in my opinion. Big, wide open spaces, casual lifestyle, little traffic, friendly people.
Mind you, I stay well away from big cities and haven't been to Perth for 45 years. From memory, the only freeway then was the Kwinana freeway, which ended at the Raffles Hotel, I think it's called? You seem to have things sorted, so good luck with your weights.
Just remember that, under normal circumstances, you'll never get to your GVM when towing. Cheers
There is one problem with composite/sandwich paneling for caravans; It is rigid - as such they tend to have little to no flexibility particularly at the joins which can allow leaks dependent on sealants and caulking. One large Australian manufacturer will not accept liability for leaks unless they service caravan at a minimum of every six months to have the joins resealed.
Timber and aluminium framed vans will usually flex - Good sealants and caulking is usually good enough to prevent leaks.
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Hi possum. Thanks for the info. Goldstream is one brand ( timber frame ) that does seem to have a couple models which may suit. But I don't know anything about them.
Yes I do agree about the single / dual axles. Unfortunately most vans with an atm of up to 2800 are single axle. Even then some are 18ft long which is a long van for a single axle.
