Payloads

I have seen a couple of other reports of this on the internet and a full search of the various forums might throw up a few more. From what I have seen there have been a few instances of this and it was suggested there was a problem with some of these axles.

Not sure if yours is a model that can be upgraded to a higher MTPLM without modification but if it can the axle would only be overloaded if you exceeded the upgraded figure.

I've also read of similar problem and I know of someone who is awaiting his caravan to go in to have its axle changed.  It seems strange to me the each report I have seen involves a Bailey van.  The Alko axle must be an almost a universal component so why would it be Bailey's affected?

The lesson here seems to be check your loading capacity which is clear on the plate.   Things like the mover are very heavy as is the awning.  My Bailey Ranger GT60 Series 6 has a very generous loading capacity (It is in store at moment but think it is in excess of 200kgs and we are only a couple).  Awning goes in car when we are travelling.

Its so easy to over load the van when you consider that a mover 35 k 110 leisure battery 25 k and one plastic lightweight 10 k gas bottle 15 k that's half your allowance gone, and who hasn't got a few folding chairs a well stocked canned food pantry, hook up cable, aquar rolls and waste...Frightening innit..

ive mentioned (inadequate) payloads in many threads, here is another example of an owner without any real idea about what his payload (around 150kg) actually means....

caravans have paltry payloads but can often be offset by (over)loading the car.

there are also a few on CT who run MH at 3500 kg and (from the models they have and the 'stuff' put in them) Ill wager a fair wad that they are running illegally, being either over weigjt on total or most certainly on the rear axle.

when advice is given to weigh the van, it is usually belittled/ignored.

the Bailey/Al-Ko chassis failures is a seperate issue....like Boff, i have only heard of Baileys with this problem, and certainly not on any MHs.

Just to add a couple of further points.

1. My caravan is currently at Bailey's factory and contains only what we have left in for the winter:  two lightweight chairs and a lightweight table; a lightweight rotary clothes line; a millenco leveller; plates, cups cutlery, etc; saucepans and kettle; a second (empty) gas bottle; electricity cable; and a few odds and ends.  No food, clothes or bedding yet Bailey tell me that it is already over its payload.  I should add that I always carry the awning, water and waste water containers and the elecricty cable in the car when towing.

2. The January Club magazine contains a review of the Bailey Brind-Easy (basically the same as my Unicorn and with the same payload). The article praises the generous storage space including under the bed, the `outstanding' storage space in the kitchen, and the `abundance' of storage in the washroom.  Nowhere does it mention that you cannot make much use of these spaces whilst towing.

Yes, people are quite correct in saying that we should weigh our caravans and I now shall, but that doesn't invalidate my basic point which is that we now find ourselves buying caravans too delicate to fulfil our purpose and the manufacturers (and dare I say the Club) are making storage space a selling-point when in practice this is an illusion.

Comparing quoted payloads with older vans is misleading as the ground rules the makers had to abide by have changed.

I agree with the sentiment that UK vans, and no doubt some foreign ones have what really is ridiculously low user payloads; this is well to the fore why we have and still have a Hymer. The present one is just under 300 kgs the previous was 330kgs and the German rating includes the battery in the MIRO not the user payload. I understand at the recent re assessment of MIRO inclusions the UK's NCC fought and got the battery out of the MIRO, an unbelievable "slight of hand" if considering the number of owners vans "in running order" that have left the battery out.

I know there is a push for lower weights but let that be real, not by designing unworkable caravans. Some of us change our clothes, eat off crocks with cutlery and cook on the provided hob, we also want bedding on the bed.

When a family of 5 fly off on holiday they can take a 100kgs, but are only taking the clothes element of the above list with them, not the rest.

Comparing quoted payloads with older vans is misleading as the ground rules the makers had to abide by have changed.

I agree with the sentiment that UK vans, and no doubt some foreign ones have what really is ridiculously low user payloads; this is well to the fore why we have and still have a Hymer. The present one is just under 300 kgs the previous was 330kgs and the German rating includes the battery in the MIRO not the user payload. I understand at the recent re assessment of MIRO inclusions the UK's NCC fought and got the battery out of the MIRO, an unbelievable "slight of hand" if considering the number of owners vans "in running order" that have left the battery out.

I know there is a push for lower weights but let that be real, not by designing unworkable caravans. Some of us change our clothes, eat off crocks with cutlery and cook on the provided hob, we also want bedding on the bed.

When a family of 5 fly off on holiday they can take a 100kgs, but are only taking the clothes element of the above list with them, not the rest.

It appears that the caravan industry is not serving it's customers interests very well. As a newcomer I am well aware of the load limitations of my 'van, unfortunately my wife refuses to acknowledge the problem. 

Motormover, spare wheel, battery and gas bottle are all virtually essential items and will swallow up 100Kg before you even think about anything else and all of the above should be considered part of the MIRO. The big question is how much have you got left after that lot? Not enough is almost certainly the answer in 99% of cases.