Caravan weights

[mauron]

I exchanged my four year old (and leaking badly) Lunar caravan for a new german model in June. The MIRO given was 1145kg (and was said to include in that figure, 92kg of gas bottles, water tank and hook-up cable).

As the caravan seemed so heavy, I fitted a Reich caravan mover (25kg approx).

I then took the caravan - empty except for the battery - to my local weighbridge, expecting a total weight of 1170kg MAXIMUM.

To my horror the thing weighed in at 1220kg,

If I had added the stated payload of 155kg, it would have put the caravan 75 kg over the handbook maximum weight of 1300kg.

Has anyone else had a similar experience when weighing their caravan?

I can only assume that gravity has a much less effect in Germany than in the UK.

 

[Lutz]

It just goes to show that the published kerbweights (or MIRO) of caravans should only be used as a guideline, just as in the case of cars, and the only sure way of establishing the actual figure is by weighing. Usually, the weights quoted by the manufacturer are for the base model without any options. This applies to all vehicles. If it's any consolation, the difference between published and actual figures for cars is often much greater than the 50kg that you found out.

By the way, in particularly damp weather, a caravan can weigh as much as 15kg more than on a dry day. This is due to humidity accumulating in the insulation.

 

[RogerL]

The kerbweight for a car, both "dry" and "wet", is published in it's "EEC Certificate of Conformity", which is provided as part of the documentation pack for every new vehicle built in or imported into the EC. It's absolutely specific to an individual car and takes into account all factory fitted options.

My own car, which had options added when built, has a general kerbweight in sales brochures and websites of 1235kg but my certificate tells me that the "mass of the vehicle (excluding driver, coolant, oil, fuel)" is 1130kg while the "mass of the vehicle...in running order" is 1254kg including driver.

It's a pity caravan manufacturers don't follow a similar procedure.

 

[Lutz]

The EEC certificate of conformity does also apply to caravans, Roger. If you buy a caravan in one EU country and export it to another, you will need this certificate to get it registered. However, if the vehicle always stays within the country where it was first bought, one is normally not issued with such a certificate and one will not have the data readily available.

 

[Guest]

Not quite sure which German caravan you are talking about. My comment is that most European manufacturers give a MIRO weight, totally empty, then add the 70 kg for essential pieces of kit and give this as an unladen weght, before giving a payload figure. If these models are shown in UK magazines the lower figure is normally given, but is not the case when you check the actual specification sheet. There can also be a difference in the Maximum weight of the vehicle from the UK spec and the European spec, although the chassis are identical. For instance my van has a UK max weight of 1200kg as per the UK brochure but indicates a max weight of 1300 kg as per the works plate and the European brochure.

As long as you do not exceed the max weight shown on your works plate, and meet your car towing requirements you should be fine.

 

[RogerL]

Lutz - I'm really confused now. An EEC Certificate of Conformity needs to be issued at time of manufacture. As UK caravan manufacturers don't issue such a certificate does this mean that UK caravans can't be registered elsewhere in the EC?

Currently, caravans are built to EN1645, regardless of country of manufacture. This requires that the MIRO be quoted, including a 3% tolerance for manufacturing variations. Humidity at time of manufacture should be taken into account by the tolerance. There can be no excuse for exceeding the plated MIRO on a new caravans. I would have thought this was grounds for rejection as "unfit for purpose" under consumer legislation.

This thread is about a German caravan. I'm a cynic, I know that, but shouldn't German caravans have to comply with EN standards like UK caravans - or has Germany secretly withdrawn from the EC?

 

[Lutz]

I have yet to be issued with an EEC Certificate of Conformity for any vehicle which I have purchased. It is my understanding that such a certificate is only issued for an intended export to another EU country and this would apply to caravans, too. If you buy a UK manufactured caravan and want to register it in Germany, for example, you would need one but you would have to apply for it from the manufacturer. I am sure that all caravans are built to EN1645 regardless of their origin within the EU but the documentation to prove it is provided only upon request.

 

[rob_jax]

Working in Holland, but with the family home in the UK, I've "imported" loads of stuff into the UK.

Bringing a car into the UK, the dealer or manufacturer hospitality centre presents you with the Certificate of Conformity when you collect the car - because it is required by the UK DVLC as part of the licensing process.

Bringing a caravan into the UK, you don't automatically get a Certificate of Conformity - and without a caravan equivalent of the DVLC there is no need for this document - as far as the UK authorities are concerned.

Robert

 

[Lutz]

Quite right, Robert. The certificate is only required and issued for personal export. In the case of commercial export, the importer will have all the necessary documentation.

Obviously, as caravans do not need to registered in the UK, there will no need for a certificate but if you are bringing one into the country but one will have to apply for a certificate when exporting a caravan out of the UK.