Caravan Weights

"so the question is from what year did these larger vans become so light"

From what I have seen over the years they have got heavier with all the extras fitted to them. I have also seen a lot of vans towed by vehicles that are under rated for the size van they are towing.

There are a couple of problems that lead people to tow too large a van.

The first is that the first van off the line is weighed. Subsequent vans are built with extra comforts like a second gas tank, spare wheel, batteries with solar charging and extra furniture. The manufacturers still use the first weigh bridge ticket for the heavier van.

The other is that manufacturers use a mythical figure like internal/floor/furniture length. very few have been able to find where that measurement was made. It can be up to a couple of feet less than the body length. This leads people to tow something longer than they would ordinarily liked to. particularly when a friend is towing a van legally with the same body length supposed length of van they intend to purchase, the same vehicle as they have at hand.

PeterD

Hi Barney,
Most of the big light vans have names like Geist and are usually very similar to the european models of the same name.

Some of these have heavier (for them) chassis and some suspension upgrades but still remain lighter than an equivalent Australian designed and manufactured van.

Having said all that. these lightweight "euro" vans are generally well designed and constructed units BUT IMHO are 'blacktop only' vans, definitely not off road material.

Hope this helps.

Disco.

Hi Barney. My brother ordered a custom made 24ft van,delivered in July this year. The manufacrurer told him it could get up to 3tonne loaded. After he towed it for a few weeks he had the opportunity to weigh it and it came in at 3460kg with the ball weight at 395kg. I would advise getting it weighed before you decide to purchase. Regards, Bob.

Another factor that may give the perception that modern vans are lighter is the change to towing laws in NSW.
In those "good old days" the rule was simply that "the loaded weight of a caravan or trailer must not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle" In my opinion that rule is still a very good rule to follow.

Barney, your logic is probably right in that manufacturers are constructing their vans lighter today, but most are adding more features and comforts compared to years ago which ultimately would make most vans of today heavier than basic vans of yesteryear. Just find a suitably nice van you like in the price you want to pay, get it weighed, take it for a decent drive and make a decision suited to you and not the rest of the world.

Very few people would like the way my van is setup and it's weight but it is not about everybody else, it is practical for me and my circumstances.

Enjoy whatever van you decide on and the lifestyle it provides you with.

Best regards, Trevor.

I'll turn it around the other way:
Towing capacity is a selling point these days - Xtrail has a 2000kg limit, which is a bit more than you'd expect. 4 cylinder utes are up to 3000kg these days as well, so I guess people are believing these figures and getting bigger vans.

Barney, Coromal, Windsor (owned by same company) Millard and Jayco are light weight vans. they all use aluminium frames. They dont like the rough stuff though.

Have looked into the ins and outs of legal towing weights and as far as I can find out this is what applies.

You may not tow anything that has a plated ATM higher than the recommended towing weight of the tow vehicle or the towbar whichever is the lesser( whether it is full or empty)
You may not also exceed the rated towball weight of that vehicle.
Lots do, but if it comes to the crunch you may get any claim refused if you exced these rules.

A 4.2 Patrol should be able to legally tow almost anything up to at least a 25 footer. Just watch the towball weight as it is part of the load in the tow vehicle and can cut down your capacity by that amount.
Eg a 300kg towball weight will cut your load to a bit over 300kg which includes fuel, you and any passengers and what you put in the back.
Something to be watched carefully.

Some say there is not much difference in weights between wood and alloy anyway as they have to make the walls heavier to compensate for the very light frame.

Gday all thanks for all replys it seems the older van mentioned may not be a bad buy after with the ability to take her for a run before hand after all its got all the mods & more
But i suspect i need to convince myself either way we go i can no longer cruise at 120km plus with a bigger van with all the mod cons which is not a bad thing slow down & stop & smell the roses they say apparently naaaagh stuff that slow down stop & enjoy a coldie in the bush Yep thats more like it Cheers barney