Motorhome Weight
Well I just took the Auto-sleepers to the public weighbridge and got some reassuring information. Total weight 3440 kg fully laden with more water than we usually carry. Although this is 60 kg under the maximum, we have the low profile version and don't take much equipment. I think if we had the version with the cab overhead space we might have had a problem.
I am, however, no nearer solving the tyre pressure problem because the back axle at 1940kg is much higher than front so have emailed Continental again. For now I am keeping to the Peugeot recommendation of 5 Bar front, 5.5 Bar rear which is a very high front pressure for the tyre load.
By the way, the weighbridge is free if the guy just scribbles down the weights for you, £12 for a print-out.
Comments
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There are tyre pressure charts (for MHs) on the internet if you can find them via Google.
Would post an image but this is the CC forum!
PS. It won't take too long before all those little things you didn't know you had will bring the weight up!
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Thanks EJB but I have the Continental charts, however, they don't cover the situation of a large difference between front and rear axles.
I will allow 10% contingency in our body weights for the additional wine, cheese and croissants!
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hitch, continental need to know the exact tyre size....i have their responses somewhere (your weights are pretty close to mine 1600 front, 1820 rear, 3420 total) but i reckon our 225/75 R 16 CP 116R tyres will be bigger than yours (no offense
.) so cant say that pressures will be the same for a similar loaded 15" tyre...for info, ours came back as 3.0 bar, 43.5psi front, 3.75 bar, 54.3psi rear.
as you can see, 5 and 5.5 bar seems pretty high and you could easily lose a fair chunk of this...
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If it's the same as the Peugeot I believe that it can't be changed so you have to live with a continuous warning signal on the dash.
Thanks BB. I have the chart from Continental for the exact tyres but it doesn't really cover the big load difference. I have emailed them.
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Michael and Hitch, (Lilo and Stitch
).....sorry, moules frites and a nice crisp white in the lovely evening sunshine and it just came into my head....
..we dont have TPMS on our van, not even sure ive seen it on the options list for either of our Carthagos...perhaps they have sussed that it might be an issue for owners due to the huge difference between dealer 'assumptions' and tyre manufacturers 'knowledge'....
im glad i don't have to think of a way to 'fool' it....good luck, guys.
Hitch, i dont think ypu need to worry too much about the 'difference' per se....they will hive you one figure for ypur front axle and then another for the rear axle....(the only rider being whether you have a twin wheeled axle or a single one.....we (three) all have a single wheeled rear axle so the normal figure should apply
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BB It may not be apparent that you have TPMS but check the dash lights and you may have a yellow light that looks like a flat tyre like this link. I believe you have to get Fiat to adjust it to your pressures, I have reset mine back to Michelin recommended and so far the light has stayed off, it seemed to be the cold that triggered the warning.
http://www.fiatia.com/fman-320.html
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ill check the dash bit no yellow lights so far....
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This is a reply given to a MHFacts member a few years ago - the weights are similar to yours, and also my MH, and I run the pressures as he advised -
'Last Sunday, I emailed Continental Tyres to ask what my tyre pressures should be. I offered the relevant tyre details... Fiat Ducato, X2/50, tyres information: 215/70 R 15 CP 109R
I included my axle weights which resulted from my last visit to a weighbridge... Yes, I do take my own advice!
Rear axle - 1900kg (max 2000)
Front axle - 1540kg (max 1850)
Gross - 3440 kg (max 3500)The following is the reply from Craig, the Product Support Engineer of Continental Automobil. He has consented to having his reply published on MHF:
The pressures you require are as follows:
Front: 3.25bar - 47psi pressure applicable to a maximum permissible load of1590kg. 1850kg Max loading at 4bar - 58psi (1875kg maximum at this pressure)
Rear: 4.25bar - 61psi pressure applicable to a maximum permissible load of1970kg. 2000kg Max loading at 4.5bar - 65psi (2060kg maximum at this pressure)
As a general rule for pressures on this tyre, every 100kg added from the base figure of 1490kg at 3bar (43.5psi) will require an increase of 0.25bar(3.6psi) in pressure up to a maximum of 2060kg at 4.5bar (65psi)
We do get a substantial amount of queries regarding pressures. Unfortunately, there is a distinct lack of understanding on the subject which isn't helped by the apparent reluctance of coach-builders to specify the pressures required. Naturally, all pressures are dependent on load so providing any queries received contain the information requested, we can advise accordingly. I've helped a few other organisers of motorhome/camping clubs and associations in the past so we are all working to educating the consumers as to what is required. Hopefully this will provide a greater understanding for them.'
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K&M, good stuff and, yet again, a mile away from the 80psi all round pumped in by the (most) converters.
no wonder folk feel the difference with the correct pressures
...just have to fool (or ignore) that pesky TPMS
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I have the Swift Lifestyle 630L based on the 2004 Fiat Ducato 2.8jtd. I know the previous owner had it weighed with full tanks plus personal gear and it weighed just under 3500kg, I don't know the weight distribution between axels but wondered if you could estimate pressures for my 215/75/16s. According to the book they should be 5.5 bar all round !
Thanks, Richard
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Thanks K&M, this is very similar to the advice I have now had from Continental and as you say the weights are similar to my van. It means that I could reduce the rear pressures by a small amount and the front by a massive amount. I will give it a try later in the year on a shorter trip but my feeling is that it won't help a great deal because all the vibration and firm ride seems to be from the back. Also I would have to live with the warning light on the dash.
It is helpful to know the real information rather than the erroneous advice from dealer and manufacturer and also frustrating that it is unlikely that the monitor can be recalibrated but I will ask the question at the first Peugeot service.
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well done, Hitch, got there in the end....what pressures did Continental recommend?
FYI, ive checked for TPMS on my van and, while the handbook shows various different instrument clusters, i cant see the warning light where it 'should be' if it was fitted.
perhaps we dont have it. either way, im not that bothered bearing in mind some of the 'unhelpful' comtributions ive read about from (especially) Peugeot....
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Recommendation was 3.25 bar front and 5.5 bar rear. The rear is only .25 bar less than the Peugeot figures but the front is massively lower.
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