New method of calculating weight

[Robtel]

I can understand 90% full fresh water system, but I'm a bit baffled by a 90% full water heating system. It doesn't make sense to me. Either the system is full or it's empty. What's the point of leaving 10% out?
OK, 1kg essential fluids is not much, but what are they? I can't think of any fluids that are really essential. And 30kg gas allowance is very arbitrary.
In short, the 61kg seems a bit meaningless to me. Why not just include the 61kg in the available payload?

I would definitely agree with you on this Lutz, honestly don't see the point at all. Also find it strange that a leisure battery is not included in the essential category. Or why would anyone want to travel with their onboard tank "90%" full.
Anyway, at least I know exactly what is included in the allowance (still think a visit to a weighbridge might be on the cards)

 

[xtrailman]

I can understand 90% full fresh water system, but I'm a bit baffled by a 90% full water heating system. It doesn't make sense to me. Either the system is full or it's empty. What's the point of leaving 10% out?
OK, 1kg essential fluids is not much, but what are they? I can't think of any fluids that are really essential. And 30kg gas allowance is very arbitrary.
In short, the 61kg seems a bit meaningless to me. Why not just include the 61kg in the available payload?

Don't fall over lutz, but i actually agree with you!!!
The essential fluids may be for the toilet.
The Alde heating has a top up tank, but how they can arrive at 95%, maybe some pipe runs are longer in some models?
Does anybody actually tow with water in the onboard tank? i never do. If you want a drink take a flask.

Who and why would you travel with flush water for the toilet? never had done, but i do put a tiny amount of blue in the soil tank.

And that figure for the gas? i really don't get it, everyone will have there own requirements, mine is just one 6kg gas lite.
So its good news for me as i see it, what i don't use can be used for the 35kg mover?

As with Lutz i just do not see the point.

 

[ValA.]

What strikes me is that none of the things listed, apart from the gas allowance, is something that you'd normally calculate in the payload of your caravan - things which basically get overlooked, perhaps? As you say, it does seem a lot of gas! Personally we could manage without a gas bottle, but not without the battery - so why include one, but not the other?

 

[Robtel]

The essential fluids may be for the toilet.
The Alde heating has a top up tank, but how they can arrive at 95%, maybe some pipe runs are longer in some models?

Hi Ray,
I think you might be right about the 1kg fluid being for the toilet fluid & rinse, it was the only thing I could think of.
I read the 90% water heating system as being the water heater for supply to the taps rather than the alde space heating and top up tank, but could be wrong on that.

 

[mauron]

Hi everyone,
I've got to agree with Lutz (as usual), the only way to be sure of the MIRO is to weigh the caravan when empty but with extras such as motor mover and spare wheel fitted. This figure when subtracted from the MTPLM will give you the maximum payload available.
Several years ago I bought a Dethleffs caravan and could not equate the loading figures until I weighed it.
It transpired that a printing error had resulted in the MIRO being 40kgs light in all the paperwork!
It is a pain weighing the 'van but it really is the only way to be sure.
Regards,
Ron.

 

[JTQ]

The 7.6 kgs for the water heater stacks with 90% of the 8.4 litre hot water capcity of the Alde 3010 heater. Logically this ough to be included in the freshwater system weight but logic seems a tad thin in this subject area.

I suspect most of us drain the Alde's and associated fresh water volume fully whilst on the road as they recommend its dumped once a month anyway, so there thats added 7.6kgs plus about 1 kg from the pipework to the payload!
The coolant circuit will be filled at the factory and is part of the MiRO. Its not a user job to fill that as any DIYer knows! Mine takes 9 litres, so is 9 kgs.
Also few surely travel with water in the fresh water tank, other that possibly a few litres to slosh about to clean the tank up, and in my case to flush the loo etc, so there is a 16 plus kgs gain in user payload from that.

 

[Lutz]

Maybe there's an attempt to harmonise payload content within the caravan industry a view to having a future common EU directive (so that data for imported caravans is put on the same basis as local production). On the Continent it is common to travel with fresh water in the tank because of the distances involved between home and the holiday destination. Many will want to use the toilet and maybe even have a quick wash while en route when driving a full day or even two days before getting to where they want to get to. Also, it is unusual for Continental caravans to have a battery, so agreement must be found there whether a battery is considered essential or not.

 

[otherclive]

My Bailey has a MIRO plate which shows 1160kg, when I weighed it and deducted the mover, battery and wiring for the mover (dealer fit) it actually weighed 1165kg. With a MTPLM of 1400kg I don't find it difficult then to keep track of weights in the van. My spreadsheet allows 2kg in the Thetford and 2kg of water in the flush when travelling. The water system is always drained etc. So I don't need defintions of Essentail Payload, or User payload. The main problem comes when chosing a van be it new or secondhand. Dealers information will be sketchy at best so how do I know what weight of gear I can actually carry. No point in buying a van only to then weigh it and find it carries some 50kg less than you would like. Coachman vans already had low payloads to start with so I shudder to think what the User payload is under the new definitions. I feel that those who run the caravan industry ( a cottage one at best) really need to consider the reality of those who have to use their products, particlularly when safety is a prime considertion.

Cheers