Oh dear, I’m overweight

As it's Sunday afternoon and her ladyship is having a siesta I've just looked up Autocruise Forte specs.
For 2013 model I think Swift only claimed 380kg payload so at 3500kg gross 'unladen' >3050 kg - but they seem tp be able to knock off some weight (fuel?) to get legal unladen under 3050kg.
In the real world with comfort pack including microwave and aircon and other options actual weight of vehicle is likely to be more - hence tester comments about watching payload.
As a 4 berth I expect with 4 people on board they won't be able to take much in the way of clothes or food!
 
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abmnw said:
Am I right to think that as the unladen is not being altered the speed limits applying to the van are the same as a car?
I'm thinking of upgrading the weight limit on my 2016 Autocruise Forte but wouldn't want to be subject to lower speed limits lol

Col
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If you can demonstrate with some form of documentation that the Unladen Weight is 3050kg or less then Yes.
Markd said:
There may be some difficulty doing that.
As it's Sunday afternoon and her ladyship is having a siesta I've just looked up Autocruise Forte specs.
For 2013 model I think Swift only claimed 380kg payload so at 3500kg gross unladen >3050 kg - and that's before any extras.
Happy to be wrong in case of 2016 model of course.
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Of course it will not matter at all unless ultimately you had to prove it to a Magistrate. How he/she would determine whether you had exceeded the speed limit for your class of vehicle will depend upon evidence. Oh and forget about innocent until proven guilty, it will be up to you to provide the evidence. My MH has the 'Mass In Service' on the CofC, which has been entered on the V5C section G, Mass in Service as 3095kg. That is the lower speed limits for me then.
 
We've obviously touched a nerve here.
With manufacturers dreaming up a sub 3050kg unladen weight but declaring a mass in running order greater than 3050, which ends up on V5, the order of the day is to check V5 and then drive to that.
 
Markd said:
As it's Sunday afternoon and her ladyship is having a siesta I've just looked up Autocruise Forte specs.
For 2013 model I think Swift only claimed 380kg payload so at 3500kg gross 'unladen' >3050 kg - but they seem tp be able to knock off some weight (fuel?) to get legal unladen under 3050kg.
In the real world with comfort pack including microwave and aircon and other options actual weight of vehicle is likely to be more - hence tester comments about watching payload.
As a 4 berth I expect with 4 people on board they won't be able to take much in the way of clothes or food!
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The thing to bear in mind is that 'payload' is maximum allowable mass (MAM) minus mass in running order (MIRO). However, effectively, unladen weight is MIRO less anything that can be removed without tools, water, fuel, gas, leisure batteries, and less any allowance for a driver. So 'unladen weight' is typically 150kg or more below MIRO. So, for your van, the unladen weight will probably be no greater than 3500 - (380+150) = 2970kg. However, if the MIRO has 'made it' to the 'unladen weight' entry of your V5, you'd probably have a fight on your hands if the authorities charged you for speeding when you were travelling within the higher limits.
 
Yes - in 2013 Swift said Forte had unladen weight of 2936kg (or so) but a payload of 380kg against a MAM of 3500kg.
So as you say c150kg 'missing' that the owner will never see.
Add a solar panel satellite dish etc and you'll be lucky to get a couple of people and a dog in!
As you say look at V5 and keep a copy to hand in case of being pulled over if you want to make use of the extra 10mph.
I don't know of course but suspect that most automatic cameras probably work on absolute speeds.
 
Hi all
Thanks for replying. The Forte doesn't have much of a payload allowance & whilst it's usually only the 2 of us & the dog we occassionally take my daughter & granddaughter which then means the awning & extra paraphenalia which I'm pretty sure would take us over the limit, so for a paper exercise to increase the payload for a couple of hundred pounds is a no brainer.

If anyone knows of a weighbridge I could use in Liverpool please let me know, I've had a quick look a while ago & couldn't find one.

Col
 
Col
In the Liverpool area there should be plenty available.
The city council have to keep a register of public weighbridges but no list on their website - you could ring them.
Failing that a good start is to try bulk scrap metal dealers who will have them and may agree to weigh each axle for you - no doubt for a small fee.
 
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Had a look on website & couldn't see anything but as you suggest probably better to ring.

You can't sleep either lol

Col
 
Our local scappy charges a tenner for both axles and gross weight. I'd look for one local to you and call in or ring them.
 
Edina said:
Our local scappy charges a tenner for both axles and gross weight. I'd look for one local to you and call in or ring them.
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Thanks Edina, will Google them & see what's available.

Col
 
Save £10, to get your unladen van weighed, wait until you come across
a DVSA roadside weigh in, part deflate your tyres look guilty drive past
until they haul you over. Might even give you a printout.
 
Markd said:
Not needing a tow bar I took mine off and found it weighed 55kg - so that was a free rear axle upgrade!
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It weighs 55kg but because of its positioning so far behind the rear wheels it adds more than 55kg to the rear axle weight, I tow a car in the UK so extra weight (within reason) goes in that but when I go to Europe I remove the towbar, it takes me 30 minutes to remove, I fitted push fit connectors on the wiring because that took longer than removing the 8 bolts ?, I am thinking of removing the wind out awning as well next time we go, another weight saving
 
Tezza33 said:
It weighs 55kg but because of its positioning so far behind the rear wheels it adds more than 55kg to the rear axle weight, I tow a car in the UK so extra weight (within reason) goes in that but when I go to Europe I remove the towbar, it takes me 30 minutes to remove, I fitted push fit connectors on the wiring because that took longer than removing the 8 bolts ?, I am thinking of removing the wind out awning as well next time we go, another weight saving
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Not that anyone should forget that when you take a cantilevered load off the back you
are transferring more load to the front and could be (but not necessarily)overloading the
front axle even though the overall load as well as the load on the rear axle decreases.
If things appear marginal it pays to do the maths.
 
daygoboy said:
Not that anyone should forget that when you take a cantilevered load off the back you
are transferring more load to the front and could be (but not necessarily)overloading the
front axle even though the overall load as well as the load on the rear axle decreases.
If things appear marginal it pays to do the maths.
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Avery good point but I have weighed my van and have not overloaded the front axle, it is always worth a trip to the weighbridge, far cheaper than a fine
 
Tezza33 said:
Avery good point but I have weighed my van and have not overloaded the front axle, it is always worth a trip to the weighbridge, far cheaper than a fine
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Putting a 125kg mbike plus 75kg rack on the back of my van helps reduce the load on
the front axle by 100kg actually helps balance things out a bit. Much safer I tell my anti
biking missus ?
 
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