New motorhomes with lower towing capacity
Morning all.
I have been considering upgrading my bessacarr 494 to the swift new voyager 594. It looks great and is good value. I nearly got my cheque book out when the dealer let slip about the towing capacity. My 494 has a 2000kg capacity. The new transit based chassis MH’s that most manufacturers are now using only has lightweight extensions so the towing capacity is much reduced. I tow a sports car on a trailer which weighs 1400kg.
Am I doomed never to upgrade? Has anyone else heard this?
lee
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I’m not aware of the specifics of the new models but the Alko extended chassis will affect the towing ability of a vehicle. In some cases it’s possible to fit a longer towbar running further forward to the original chassis members.
Having said that, much depends on the plated gross train weight of your MH.
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I would double check it can tow anything at all....?
Whilst the Swift Technical brochure lists a max trailer weight of 2000kg for some models it lists the 594 Voyager as "Trailer Weight N/A".........
https://www.swiftgroup.co.uk/media/fgrdxhyj/2023-motorhome-tech-spec-booklet.pdf
It looks very long with a long rear overhang. I don't think it would be as simple as just the trailer weight, I think you need to consider the potential nose weight with that much leverage on the rear axle of the van.......
And as TW states, they list the Gross Train Weight at 3500kg, so I think it's back to the drawing board.....
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Goodness, I'd not looked at the spec, RC, but that’s a very good point. I’m wondering about the rear axle loading as well if it turns out to be able to tow.
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This is what I have found out, the transit ladder chassis is the problem. Whilst I have no doubt the chassis is strong enough to tow with. Let’s face it Ford would not produce a transit that would not tow a trailer. The light weight Alko extension's are only engineered to take the weight of the habitation unit. Not a tow bar.
If have checked every coachbuilt van I can find with a transit cab from: swift, Bailey and chausson none of them have the ability to tow anything.
To be honest I’m perplexed, all the manufacturers must know this, I guess buying a cab mounted on a ladder chassis is cheaper than buying a cab and seperate chassis from Alko and the assembling them. whilst towing behind a motorhome is not a deal breaker for most. For me and many others it is.
I wonder if a stronger extension can be added to the ladder chassis, could be an opportunity for someone with the right skills and accreditation. I personally would pay good money if I could upgrade the transit chassis to accept a tow bar.0 -
Have you considered a Merc Sprinter base vehicle if you want something other than the usual Fiat/Peugeot offering?
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Like most of us I have a layout that we prefer, island bed with parallel lounge works for me. It’s taken 4 Motorhomes to find that out.Mercedes are great but very expensive, factor the current market conditions and they are mostly out of reach.
however Elddis encore 250 looks good, it can tow 200kg has a good trim level including Alde heating, which is very desirable. Hymer own them, I’ve never seen one in the flesh but I think that will change soon.
I think I’ve found a winner0 -
Good for you👍. Hope it works out.
Incidentally, yes, Sprinter based vans are more expensive but, in my opinion, worth every extra penny.
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Tread very carefully with any near 8m van which purports to be usable at 3500kg.....it almost certainly won't be..
400kg 'payload' or 350kg if auto box will be halved by adding your passenger and a reasonable amount of water, leaving you next to nothing for clothes, food, bedding electrical items, leads, hoses, etc, etc not to mention the proposed tow bar and fittings.
with vans as marginal (read unusable) as this, it's essential that the actual vehicle is weighed (both axles) and the weight of minimum of loadable items is known in order to calculate the overall weight.
however, as mentioned above, the Achilles heel of any long van on the light chassis is the 2000kg rear axle max loading. With such a long rear overhang, anything slung in the rear locker (along with any extensions and the weight of the tow bar and trailer nose weight) will be exaggerated due to the pendulum effect.
there are many, many vans that can accommodate a couple comfortably with fixed beds and a garage which are far more compact than this Swift, and are easier to drive and can tow a trailer, so do you really need a near 8m van for two people and to have it run at 3500kg?
if you do decide you need this size of van, then go for the 4250kg chassis if your license permits.
You could update the light chassis to 3650 or 3850 but this would not overcome the 2000kg rear axle limit without further physical changes.
while the Elddis is slightly shorter, the payload is the same and the MIRO is calculated with no water etc..so same points as above apply...weigh, weigh, and weigh again.
7.4 - 7.9m vans are mightily difficult to run at 3.5t let alone add extra weight to the rear end with a trailer...
good luck but caveat emptor.
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I can give that a +1(2nd hand) Tinny👍🏻. I knew a self employed roaming Tree feller I worked with him & he had a VDub that he used as his on site(Forest) B&B, he loved it until he met some Merc Vito campers, he eventually bought one from a company in your area SW. It was big, spacious & beautiful.
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I can believe it, Rocky. Both the Sprinter and the Vito knock spots off the Fiat/Peugeot equivalents.
Amongst other issues, I swear anyone of average or above height will find the driving position so much more comfortable in a Merc offering. Ambulance drivers have found the Fiats cause back and neck problems - it’s as if they were built for folk of less than average size🤷🏻♂️
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Whilst the different chassis might have different driving characteristics, the issue with a large (7.5 to 8m) van running on a 3.5t plate will always be a dearth of payload.
no good having a nice van (Merc, Fiat, MAN, VW etc) that can't be used with a 'normal' load on board.
3150kg MIRO with no water or passenger (or everything else) is an unusable van IMHO however it's propelled.👎
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Useful information, I have access to a weighbridge through work. With me and the usual kit we carry my van comes in at 3500kg just. Put my wife and the dogs in and we are overweight.
i agree the manufactures are not being realistic with payloads on many longer vans purporting to be 3500kg.
My solution was to upgrade the weight class. SV Tech are brilliant they carried out a desktop survey and offered me a weight upgrade to 3850kg, which is what I have done. The road tax is cheaper which is an added bonus too.
The only down side is in France the vehicle is now limited to the same speed limits as a HGV. This doesn’t impact me too much as I normally tow my car when I’m abroad.My concern now is the cost on French tolls for class 3 compared with class2 comparative costs are hard to come by on line.
does anyone have any experience of toll cost with a class 3 MH?
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My concern now is the cost on French tolls for class 3 compared with class2 comparative costs are hard to come by on line.
does anyone have any experience of toll cost with a class 3 MH?
Doesn't "Via Michelin" give the cost? I responded to your other post re costs >here< One thing I forgot to mention is that some toll stations do automatically check the weight of vehicles.
peedee
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