How heavy is your vehicle?

Submitted: Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 10:54
ThreadID: 106486 Views:2994 Replies:7 FollowUps:36
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I have a 2004 Hilux 3.0l TD cab chassis with a steel canopy on the back. Four or five years ago I weighed it and it was just over 2500kg with me in it which is comfortably under the 2780kg I am allowed. After years of adding bits and pieces including another fridge, more solar, kitchen etc. etc. I often wondered how much it weighed. I decided I would like to install a 60l water tank so I didn't have to carry jerry cans so I took it to a weigh bridge with a full tank of diesel and was horrified to discover it weighed 2840 kg without me in it.

After a week of thinking about what to do I decided to gut it except for my two Waeco fridges. I removed all the built in wooden storage and all my recovery gear - hand winch and steel cable etc. I left my basic tools in it but no food, water or diesel. This time it weighed 2400kg. I thought by removing my cupboards etc I might gain maybe 100 kg if I was lucky but 440kg?

Anyway now I don't have any storage so this time I am going to have a minimum of structure and use aluminium instead of wood. I will keep my black plastic tubs. Now that I can see everything strewn across my shed floor, I will be having a major cull. I will keep my recovery gear but I am not sure I will put my winch back in. I have only used it twice in ten years and that was to pull tree roots out.

By the way, it has got its sprint back. It is really zippy about town now. Fuel economy should improve as well.

Regards,
Bob
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Reply By: Dave(NSW) - Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 12:10

Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 12:10
This should be interesting.



Now where's the Popcorn.
GU RULES!!

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Follow Up By: Member - Robert R1 (SA) - Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 14:56

Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 14:56
Dave (NSW),

I hope I haven't opened a can of worms. I opened this thread because I was alarmed at going over the weight. It kind of snuck up on me. I am also astonished at how much weight I saved by removing what I thought wasn't much.

Mind you, I still don't have much to play with but The Bantam has given me a few good ideas.

Great picture.

Thanks,
Bob
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Follow Up By: Dave(NSW) - Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 15:15

Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 15:15
Bob,
Most 4wd's set up for touring would be over weight, Some more than others. I know mine is one of them.
Cheers Dave
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Follow Up By: The Bantam - Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 16:49

Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 16:49
Bob didn't OPEN the can of worms...the can has been open for ages....the worms have multipied and they are ankle deep on the kitchen floor.

Just some people are not game to look down.

Serioulsy this a major issue for the touring and caravanning community.

If the transport inspectors and the police set up portable weigh bridge in some of the popular caravanning and touring destinations they could probably write tickets till they ran out of forms to write on.

Quite a lot of the vehicles that are popular people think are great for the job are just not fit for the purpose people are using them for.

People need to think a lot further in advance and not kid themselves about what things weigh or what their vehicle is capable of.

As It stands I travel hundreds of Kg under My GVM...If however I'd have chosen one of the stationwaggon 4wds......carrying what I carry now..I would probably be over weight or close to it.


serioulsy ..think about it if you are game.

cheers

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Reply By: The Bantam - Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 12:22

Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 12:22
Well, SURprise Surprise SURprise.

I recon a hell of a lot of people would find themselves well over weight if they ran over the scales loaded to travel.
More than a few have found themselves nearly maxed out with nothing but 4 people aboard, after they have fitted some accessories.

Its very easy to start welding and adding seemingly small bits of fairly light steel.

I have seen plenty of trailers that are close to beeing over weight empty....and thus pretty pointless.

A few years ago I used to build equipment cases.....quite often I had to work to weight limitations.

Before I even told the client it could be done I would account for the weight of every square inch of plywood, every inch of extrusion and every catch, latch corner and handle.

It taught me a lesson.

The thing you thinks will cost you weight often dont and there are things that will catch you unaware...because they seem so light when you are handling.

If you want to keep you winch and reduce its weight...go for syntheitic winch rope.......that can nearly halve the weight of your winch.


The BIG advantage of hiluxes is that they are light.......as soon as you have lost that, they realy suffer in so many ways.

Remember the first law of storage.

Orderly storage ALWAYS adds weight and volume.

Some of the draw systems people have in their vehicles are redicilous and as you have found can weigh heaps.

If you are building in ply...look for the light weight grades used in boating & avaitaion...buy well and they are not that expensive.

Some of the reasonably priced grades can be half the weight of others...slash pine can be very heavy.....Powlonia is so light you will not believe it.....if you can source it, a composite of polowina and gibboon, is very light and very strong.

Think in terms of 6mm and 10mm ply instead of 12 and 15 or even 20...but your constructn method will need to be clever and from the boating book rather then the builder boy methods.

Use methods from wooden boating and you can make rediculoulsy light and strong boxes......plywod, epoxy and glass fibre....kills both steel and aluminium in weight for strength.

An alloy tray is an easy weight saving...you can build a light and strong steel tray...but you need to be thinking a different way and you need to calculate weight before you even buy the steel.

Start you mission by buyimg a good set of bathroom scales..and weigh every damn thing.

I'm running an 03 conventional diesel hilux.
I have an aluminium tray and an australian work and leasure canopy...I can be under2 tonnes ready to roll two of us aboard.

I run a box system in conjunction with a tie down system.
I considered aircraft tracking but the price was unreasonable.
So I baught some 50 x50 x10mm angle and got drilling.
I have 3 tie down rails the full length of the tray with tie points about 100mm appart.

everything gets ratcheted down on a rubber over plywwod deck.

My boxes I made from light plywwod, epoxy and fiberglass using methods I learned from the case business and wooden boating methods.

I tyried plastic crates...they simply are not rigid enough to be tied down effectivly and stay in one piece.

AND if you build your boxes you can make then whatever size is advantageous....my pasenger side run of boxes are the same dimensions as my fridges.


The big advantage is that I can have the whole rig out and stacked up in the shed in an hour...it takes me about 2 hours to put it all back in and tie it down to trasport spec.

I hope this give you some ideas.

cheers
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Follow Up By: Member - Robert R1 (SA) - Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 14:47

Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 14:47
The Bantam,

Thanks for your great reply. I am pretty much starting again (except for the 200 kg steel canopy) and you have given me a lot to think about. I don't start heading north until July so I have plenty of time to get it right.

Regards,
Bob
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Follow Up By: Dennis Ellery - Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 22:56

Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 22:56
Wooden boxes, wooden boats – living in the past I think.
Aluminium and heavy duty plastic bins and boxes are the way to go for durability – been using them for years – indestructible if you set them up right.
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Follow Up By: The Bantam - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 00:15

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 00:15
Weight for strenght and durability, wood, epoxy, fiberglass composites will handily spank just about every other material on the planet.

Living in the past...not a bit of it.

Modern marine epoxies are just fabulous and versatile.

The fastest sail boat in the world....Slingshot ....is a wood, epoxy and fibreglass composite...as are many current competitive world class sail boats

The problem with plastic boxes is they flex which makes them hard to restrain to code.

The cheaper boxes are just rubbish, don't stand up to UV and are just not good shapes.

The stronger boxes...are poisonously expensive....and not particularly light....and that is if you know ehere to buy them.

tell me...anybody know where to buy a plastic box that is the same size and shape as my fridge.

cheers
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Follow Up By: Member - PJR (NSW) - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 07:16

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 07:16
I'm not overweight but the car shies away from wieghbridges every time we pass one. I am sure it was over the limit when they made it.

Phil
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Follow Up By: Dennis Ellery - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 12:23

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 12:23
With plastic tubs - it all depends on how you set them up.
I use the stackable commercial type – available from materials handling stockists or food handling crate suppliers.

For the top crates in a stack - I have made a simple lid of 6mm ply with a couple of 20x40 pine struts glued to the underside. These struts drop inside the crate and reinforce the long edges.
If you wanted something tougher – you could use 2mm aluminium checker plate with a 20 mm angle pop riveted to the underside.

When this arrangement is roped down it’s as solid as a rock.
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Reply By: Member - Terry W4 - Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 18:21

Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 18:21
My 2008 Prado D4D with all the gear and full tanks but no passengers and personal gear weighs 2.6 tonne.
AnswerID: 527492

Follow Up By: Member - bbuzz (NSW) - Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 21:07

Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 21:07
Is that a problem?
What would it affect if you are towing?

I have the same Prado and I'll bet mine is close to that too. Boxes of gear and 45litre fridge in back.

bill
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Follow Up By: Member - Terry W4 - Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 22:50

Saturday, Mar 01, 2014 at 22:50
Not at all - just responding to the OP. This is with all my gear including 47 ltr ARB recovery gear etc.
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Follow Up By: The Bantam - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 00:25

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 00:25
Well it might be a problem.

Prado GVM 2.990 tonnes.

add two 85 Kg passengers with 15 kg of personal gear each and a ball mass from a trailer of 100Kg from a 1 tonne trailer..and you only have 90 KG to play with.

running a bit close for my liking....still in better shape than a lot of people.

All you would need is a heavy coating of mud and it would be over weight.

If you put 4 normal sized adults in there....whops..overloaded.

cheers
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Follow Up By: Member - Terry W4 - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 18:44

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 18:44
2600 kgs plus me at 95 kgs, my daughter 55 kgs and my wife 65kgs plus 30 kgs of baggage plus 100 kgs on the towball = 2945. Leaves me with 45 kgs of beer/wine to put in the ridge on leaving home. Will of course burn off weight as one travels.

Used to fly aeroplanes - weight and balance and cg calculated at time of take-off and a separate calculation for landing.

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Follow Up By: Member - Robert R1 (SA) - Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 18:39

Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 18:39
Terry W4,

Not only are you drinking your vehicle level as you go but if you have recycling in Canberra, you are also getting a 10c per can/stubby return on your investment. You can't lose.

Cheers,
Bob
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Reply By: Rustynails59 - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 08:37

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 08:37
I've just bought landcruiser 200 series
Net weight 2730 kgs
GVM 3300 kgs

Add fuel138kg,
Add bull bar 70kg
Add winch 50kg
Add storage and contents
Add roof racks and roof top tent
Add a few people
Getting close or overweight

What most people don't realise that if you tow, the ball weight is part of GVM that could be 350kg

Hence a GVM upgrade- takes me up to 3800 kg
If overweight, no insurance
There is a court case at the moment about a landcruiser towing a van- rolled, people almost killed- insurance wouldn't pay as overweight. People got their dealer to set car up for towing - no GVM upgrade- open and shut case in my view

Seriously guys, anyone with serious 4wd and towing needs GVM upgrade
Don't risk being overweight
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Follow Up By: The Bantam - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 09:39

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 09:39
With the current vehicles as they are offered pushing the limits of a format that has not fundamentally changed in over 30 years.

It starts with the wheels..... both the early Nissan patrol, Toyota Landcruser and the BMC Landrover came fitted with 16 inch rims carried on 6 wheel studs and they where adequate for vehicles of the power weight and towing capacity of what we now consider light utes.( hiluxes and the like)...(actuually the previous generation of light utes not the current.)

We are now carrying vehicles far more powerfull and 50% heavier on the same wheel format...except that some now have only 5 wheel studs.

No wonder both the patroll and the landcruser have known issues with wheel stud breakage.

The issues continue thru the vehicle from the ground up.

What we don't need is GVM upgrades, because that just papers over the cracks.
The GVM upgrade does nothing to address the fundamental structrual and mechanical inadequacy or the limitations of the format.

What we need is to be either towing less or looking at vehicles that are better fit for the purpose.

Need a truck...buy a truck.

cheers
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Follow Up By: pop2jocem - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 11:21

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 11:21
"What we don't need is GVM upgrades, because that just papers over the cracks."
Agreed, some engineer that isn't employed by the vehicle manufacturer but understands that there was probably a fair safety margin built in when the specs were originally drawn up with safety and longevity in mind decides to take advantage of the margin.
Question to those that had GVM upgrades done. What changes were asked for other that maybe heavier springs and possibly shockies?
Was the chassis strengthened? Larger brake rotors and extra caliper pistons and pads specified?

Cheers
Pop
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Follow Up By: The Bantam - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 11:56

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 11:56
Oh yess..and As I say..that margin of safety originally built into the design way back in the 70's, has been erroded as the design has been upgraded piecemeal.

Remember within the same fundamental design the vehicle mass has increased 50% and the engine power over 100% in many cases.

This is why we are seeing...wheel stud failures in both landcruser and patroll, various rear chassis failures in almost every popular tow vehicle and a variety of less dramatic malodies.

Even the notion that an aftermarket transmission cooler is considered wise when towing tells me that the vehicle is not fit for purpose as it rolls off the factory floor.

The original examples of all the standard forms had reputations of being very hard to break ( landrover axles and rangerovers generally excepted). Because they had large engineering margins.

The same can not be said for any of the current models.

cheers
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Follow Up By: Rustynails59 - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 13:36

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 13:36
I got the GVM upgrade mainly so I stay legal

In the end, common sense prevails
1. Don't overload your vehicle
2 stay within weight limits otherwise you have no insurance
3. Drive to conditions- speed and tyre pressures critical
4. Keep car mechanically sound

ThAts my two bobs worth
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Follow Up By: pop2jocem - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 17:33

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 17:33
That's hitting the nail on the head (rusty or otherwise....sorry).
Unfortunately common sense, as has been said many times before, is becoming less and less common.
A heap of people think that because they have a piece of paper that says the GVM is now LEGALLY a few hundred kilos more they can add that much extra load and still use the vehicle as before.
Only part of this I would not go along with is why wheel studs break on Landcruisers and maybe Nissans. I have carried way over the poor old Cruiser ute's specified payload such as when we did the CSR many years ago. Had an extra leaf added to the rear springs and still altered the spring set during the trip. Had this old girl 20 years and now with a Toyota turbo diesel, instead of the asthmatic 1HZ that originally inhabited the engine bay, to tow our 2 1/2 tonne van. Still never snapped an axle stud. I do carry a complete set of studs, nuts and the tools to change if needed.
I have never, and will never, allow any tyre shop to remove and replace my wheels. I still maintain that rattle guns are the cause of 90% of wheel stud failures.

Cheers
Pop
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Follow Up By: The Bantam - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 17:55

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 17:55
The wheel stud failure thing seems to be a reasonably recent problem.

It does not seem to be a problem with vehicles from 10 or more years ago...but the latest crop.

The guys that work up the mines seem to post that they routinely replace wheel studs on the later models

The extra weight, the extra power and the larger standard tyre nad the step back from 6 studs to 5 may have something to do with it.

I do agree...the rattle gun has a lot to answer for....but they have beenn arround for ages and good torque controll or torquing couplings are a relaivly new thing the the rattle gun.

cheers
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Follow Up By: pop2jocem - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 18:27

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 18:27
Yeah, not sure why the step from 6 stud to 5. Most probably some sort of cost saving strategy but Mr Toyota at least upped the diameter from 10 mm for the 6 stud to 12 mm for the 5 stud.
Maybe I should have rephrased my previous comment.
"rattle gun USERS" being the responsible party rather than the gun itself. They do have their uses, IMHO removing bolts or nuts, not fitting or tightening. Personally I will continue to put my vehicle up on stands and take the rims to the tyre joint for them to fit and balance and then refit myself.

Cheers
Pop
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Follow Up By: Rustynails59 - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 18:35

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 18:35
Later model landcruiser have 14mm thread
At least mine does
285 / 60 R18
Original all terains
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Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 19:41

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 19:41
Yes Rusty, my 2002 Troopy has five 14mm wheel studs.

An interesting, but possibly meaningless comparison is.........

Six 10mm studs = 468mm2 total area.
Five 12mm studs = 565mm2 total area.
Five 14mm studs = 770mm2 total area.

Cheers
Allan

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Follow Up By: Rustynails59 - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 19:59

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 19:59
Hey Alan,
How on earth did you work that one out -:)
But gives me some comfort - I think
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Follow Up By: The Bantam - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 20:14

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 20:14
Actually those figures are

6x 10mm studs 337mm2
5x 12mm studs 430mm2
5x 14mm studs 580mm2

remember its the diameter at the base of the thread bot the OD

and that dose not allow for the stresses associated with threading.

cheers
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Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 00:39

Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 00:39
Indeed Rooster. However if, in this regard, you were to consider the product configuration baseline and allow for the incorporation of the independent functional principle, a resultant implication is further compounded and effects a significant constraint upon the evolution of specifications over a given time in regard to the philosophy of commonality and standardisation in any discrete configuration mode.

Which really only serves to suggest that it is of little importance, at least not to me anyway.
Cheers
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Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 01:02

Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 01:02
Hey Rusty, it was just the nominal area of each stud size multiplied by the number of studs. A very rough calculation simply to show the relative strength of each combination. In truth, I should think that there is much more to it than that but it was an illustration.

However, the confrontational chook has provided a much more meaningful data assessment that should allow us all to be able to calculate exactly how much weight of beer that we can load before suffering stud failure. Whatever would we do without him? LOL
Cheers
Allan

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Follow Up By: Member - Mitchel M - Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 03:09

Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 03:09
Hi, I'm with you Rusty GVM upgrades are the go. Just the basic setup and a few beefy passengers and you are over. I have a GVM upgrade to 3990T and I need all of it.

Regards Mitch
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Follow Up By: Slow one - Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 06:12

Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 06:12
The studs have always broken on cruisers if abused.
The change to 5 stud actually seemed for the better with less problems.

They definitely didn't change their stud pattern to save money. Every wheel had to change and ever hub had to change. On a low volume vehicle that doesn't make sense to save money on 1 stud.

The main thing that caused the failures are. The studs don't like being over tensioned. Surprise, surprise, considering they are being stretched.

The studs don't like it when the wheel is loose and fail.

The studs that have been tensioned on their limit don't like being undone in very cold weather.

I have never broken wheel studs on an overloaded cruiser, and yes I have overloaded many. I have broken springs though. Have never had a problem with a cruiser chassis from overloading either.

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Follow Up By: Rustynails59 - Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 06:59

Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 06:59
Hi Alan, you gave been listening to Kevin Rudd fiord too long -:)
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Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 07:45

Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 07:45
Yes, far too long. But at least that pest has gone.
Cheers
Allan

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Follow Up By: Rustynails59 - Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 09:45

Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 09:45
I thought all QLD'ers loved him
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Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 12:40

Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 12:40
Who? Rudd or The Chook?
Neither as far as I am concerned!
Cheers
Allan

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Reply By: 671 - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 11:00

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 11:00
bob

Is your GVM listed on your insurance papers? I have a 03 s/c diesel which should be the same as yours and the NRMA has it listed as 2500kg. My owner's handbook says do not exceed two thousand seven hundred and something kgs. I noticed that is the sum of the two axle loads but I can't find that figure listed anywhere as the GVM.

The car weighs 1610 kgs stock standard with a full tank and a Toyota aluminium tray and no accessories. Without the tray and fuel, it would be well under 1500kg. It is supposed to be a one ton ute so when you add a ton, 2500 kg fully loaded sounds correct. This could be worth checking because you could be way over weight at 2780kg.

Mine has carried, for the last eight years, a home made plywood on a steel base 220 kg lift top camper that bolts directly to the chassis. I could not see the point in carrying a tray when it was only going along for the ride. The rest of the car is standard except for an auto front locker. In that form it has taken my wife and I everywhere from all over the High Country in Victoria to Big Red to four of the Beadell Roads and the maximum weight it has ever reached is 2360 kgs fully loaded.

If I had to overload it to get to those places, I would have bought a bigger car. Are you sure you are not carrying too much gear?
AnswerID: 527514

Follow Up By: Member - Robert R1 (SA) - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 18:27

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 18:27
671,

I just looked at my insurance papers and they don't list any weights. I will check with my insurance company tomorrow.

I have been carrying far too much. I have been on the road for all but 4 months in the last 2 1/2 years, sometimes towing a small caravan but mostly with a tent and swag. I was aware of the problems with insurance but I thought I was okay. It was only when I looked at installing a 60l water tank that I decided to check.

My basic weight comes from the canopy (200kg), two waeco fridges (19kg each plus food), four solar panels (approx. 50kg including mounts), batteries (55kg) and a few basic tools including hand winch, shovel etc. (50kg ?) The winch is pretty heavy. I also have a steel bullbar and a tow bar and snorkel (?kg).

It all adds up. I think I have room for a loaf of bread and a tin of baked beans.

Nothing is going into the canopy until it is weighed and totalled up. I have taken heed of the advice I have been given on here and I have worked out a few different ways of doing things that don't include 12mm plywood and I need to do a bit more trip planning. e.g. because I have to do a service every 5000km I carry a 20l drum of oil, filters etc. It is only rarely that I do a service in an area where I can't get oil so I will probably only carry a 5l drum for emergencies unless I know I will be out bush when the next service is due.

Because I am on the road a lot I need quick access to my gear, particularly in the kitchen area so I can't just strap everything down. I have some more thinking to do on that problem.

The way my shed is looking I could have a great garage sale. There is good stuff everywhere.

Cheers,
Bob
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Follow Up By: 671 - Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 12:04

Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 12:04
Things certainly do add up Bob. The thing that made the biggest difference with mine was removing the tray and bolting the camper directly to the chassis. The steel RHS frame under the floor weighs 68 kgs. The rest of the camper is all CD plywood and meranti with 1500 screws and plenty of glue. It is sealed with a single layer of 225 fiberglass. At 220 kgs it is not all that heavy but I am sure professionals would have been able to make it a lot lighter. It has not shown any sign of coming apart despite some very rough roads.

My first outback trip was in 1967. I did not have a bull bar on the car then and have not had one any other car right up to this one so that saves a lot of weight. I do have a tow bar but I remove it for most trips.

I have a hand winch but I only take it on mountain trips. When we are travelling alone we make sure we don't get stuck but it has been handy for removing fallen trees.

Mountain trips don't require extra fuel or large amounts of water. Even on a road like the Anne Beadell, I could just about get to the fuel stop 800 or so ks west of Coober Pedy on one standard tank if I was stupid enough to risk running it dry so I take an extra 1 1/2 jerrys and that is a lot more than enough. The camper has compartments to carry four.

If I was to travell the Canning, I would build a trailer that was no larger and heavier than it had to be. The car would then be lighter than is is now with about 30 kgs on the tow ball.

The body and mud guards would be all plywood with a steel frame under it. I can remember the days when all wood trailers were a common sight, even on dirt roads. Some even had a wood draw bar. I do not need acres of heavy gauge steel checker plate everywhere to do the job.

I have never carried things like spare shocks. I don't push the car along hard enough to break them.

I only carry 1 spare wheel but have a couple of spare tubes and equipment to fix punctures up to about three fingers wide.

A story in a 4wd magazine back in the 1970s asked the question: how do bush walkers survive in the bush for up to 2 weeks with only what they can carry on their backs?

There was also another feature covering a couple going down from a Patrol to a 3 cylinder Suzuki. After discarding what they had been taking on trips and never using, they fitted into the little thing ok.

There are a lot of ways that you can reduce weight when you really stop and think about it.
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Follow Up By: Member - Robert R1 (SA) - Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 18:33

Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 18:33
By adding up all the extras I have on my Hilux I can account for roughly 650kg. If I add that to the 1610kg it only comes to 2260kg but my Hilux weighed in at 2400kg at my last weigh-in. I am beginning to suspect that my canopy weighs a lot more than the 200kg I was told when I bought it.

When I look at that 650kg it seems such a lot and other than ditching the bullbar I don't have anything else I want to do without.

As for the rest of my junk, that is a different matter.

I was talking to a mate today who works in a car yard. He said that just putting a bullbar on a hilux puts it over the weight for the front axel. I now recognise that I have definitely open my own can of worms.

It has been a good exercise for me and it is a long way from being finished. At least it keeps me occupied and spending money and giving the economy a bit of a boost.

Cheers,
Bob
0
FollowupID: 810008

Reply By: The Bantam - Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 19:42

Sunday, Mar 02, 2014 at 19:42
just because something is strapped down ...it does not mean you cant get to stuff.

My fridge is strapped down, lid still opens & shuts, multi draw tool box aint going anywhere...but all the draws open & shut.

My tucker box has one strap over the top... likewise my kitchen box..that is two tier.
Undoo the strap and the top tier slides off complete with two stoves and fuel...impliments of distruction in the bottom tier.

I've got designs on a new improved fold out or roll out Kitchen box...cant decide.

There is a big parts case up front on the drivers side, that realy has to be emptied before it comes out....it takes the oils, water spares and heavy recovery gear.
the base is strapped in and one strap over the top hold the lid in place.

I could have gone with all sorts of equipment case hardware...but I stopped with just road case handles which on some boxes double as tie down points.


Recessed tie down points can be fitted to the boxes and some sort of catch to hold the lids on.

The problem with draw systems is they make twice the weight of a box...because you have a draw AND the outer case...a lot of the weight in draw systems is making the frame strong enough to be held down by its base.

If you build a box with draws in it and tie it down from high in the structure it does not need to be as heavy in the base.

The big advantage with a box system is that it can be rearanged as needs change.

I can fit 6 fridge sized modules along the passenger side with room for the fridges to breathe.

Don't sweat the winch...fitted with synthetic rope it will weigh under 35Kg

cheers
AnswerID: 527537

Follow Up By: Member - Robert R1 (SA) - Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 18:50

Monday, Mar 03, 2014 at 18:50
I am liking your idea of one big box for the tools, recovery gear, tarps, oil etc. tied down because I don't need to get at those things very often. Your kitchen box has me intrigued. I am working on a design at the moment. I am not going to have a draw system. If I do that I might as well have kept my old wooden kitchen.

My canopy has a 15mm lip so previously I put a 12mm ply bottom under the fridge slide so it doesn't hit the lip when I slide it out. I have now bought 4 small rubber door stops and put them under the fridge slide instead of the plywood. It works perfectly and weighs almost nothing compared to the wood. Not a huge saving but every little bit counts.

Cheers,
Bob
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FollowupID: 810011

Reply By: Member - Robert R1 (SA) - Monday, Mar 10, 2014 at 14:59

Monday, Mar 10, 2014 at 14:59


To all those still following this thread,

I have gutted my canopy including removing the rubber matting which I have replaced with marine carpet. It is a lot lighter than rubber. I have kept my two fridges. It might be a bit of overkill, but I travel most of the year and months of that in remoter areas with shops few and far between and it is really convenient to have a fridge and a freezer instead of only one fridge.

I am using my existing black plastic tubs which are still in good nick after 6 or 7 years and I have used notched angle iron to tie them down to with occy straps. I have also removed my second spare wheel but I am taking a couple of tubes and my tyre changing kit and my compressor. Hopefully I won't live to regret it.

I am also leaving my hand winch behind but I am carrying all the straps, extensions etc. Hopefully this is not something else I will regret.

Anyway I am soon heading off on a short camping trip to test it out to see if it all works.

I would like to thank you all for your contribution to the discussion. It has been helpful getting an idea of how different people approach what they carry and I have got a lot of great ideas from you.

Thanks,
Bob
AnswerID: 528036

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