Simplicity Suspension Weight Issue.

Hi there. Sounds to me that your ATM will be at or over the safe towing mass for the Pajero, especially if you are contemplating a bit of 'pitch and yaw' off the bitumen, which will lift weight off or add to it. 300kg of payload isn't much, when you've got 180 kg of water, plus 40 kg of gas and bottles, and 30 kg of batteries - that's 270 kg, or 300 kg with the solar panels, but before food, clothes, and everything else in the van. We all have to watch the fact that, with a big van, it limits the gear we can put in the towing vehicle, so keeping both units light gets pretty hard.
I agree with your growing concerns!
For my money, I'd be going back half a tonne in van ATM, or upgrading to a bigger towing vehicle.

Bob
Going back to springs and axles to me would be a backward step as the simplicity works as load share on undulations and limits the amount of pitch and yaw and therefore to me is safer.

We have a trailer 3000KG with simplicity and we tow it with an MU and it sits perfect but when we put it on the F250 it drags on the groung due to the long overhang so we fitted airbags and corrected the angle.

Depending on the Pajero overhang it may help you also.
Ian

I can understand the issue with the Pajero and it is strange that they change the TBM if weight goes up. Frankly, it is a given that the TBM will go up in line with the vans ATM.

But..., your concern about the 10% puzzles me and it is one you are not going to rectify by going for a lighter suspension. The 10% is only a guide penned by some beauracrat but presumably based on some experience but answer me this then..., why, in a country like UK (and Europe), who have many more vans on the road than in Aus., is it that vans are not permitted to have TBM of MORE than 100kg...??? OK, most of the vans are quite a bit lighter, but 100kg is much less than 10% in most cases. Look at the Geists and Adria which are sold here. The bigger vans, of the size you are talking have an ATM of 1800 to 2200kg and their max. TBM is 100kg. They are not unstable towers as far as I know.

So, in my opinion, if you are determined to have a van of that size and weight, then you will need to rethink the Pajero, as good a vehicle as it is. Changing suspension types is, as I said earlier, not the issue.

A for standard leaf vs. Simpicity, a good mate of mine convinced me to go that way because of the ease of repair in the outback. The standard suspension in my Jayco tows very well although, I had mine underslung in the factory so my chassis and the suspension is heavier than standard. My TBM is 300kg and the van ATM is 2750kg.

The normal payload for a tandem van is 400kg and that is barely enough for extended travelling.
If you think you will get away with 300kg you are sadly mistaken.

As said above, water batteries and solar will come to that and a packed lunch will bring it up to to max weight.
We have a load allowance of 500kg and find that hard to keep to and had to leave stuff behind after loading for our big trip.

It really pays to buy your vehicle AFTER you buy the van and therefore avoid your problem, which I also had.
I ended up buying a new tow vehicle.
Our 21ft 6in 2.8t van has Simplicity suspension and tows very well in all conditions.

Moving axles forward to lessen ballweight is fraught with danger I would think, as vans with axles further back tow a lot better.

Eg yesterday an old Viscount passed us at about 95kph snaking all over the place Obviousy a case of bad weight distribution or something really bad.