armstrongpiper Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 I am thinking of buying a very small car and would need to fit a towbracket to my Tracker, but I know that our available Payload is a bit limited. So, I need to have some idea of the weight of a Towbracket. Any advice, please? Neil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 As a guess I would allow 25 Kg. C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 armstrongpiper - 2009-11-04 4:25 PM I am thinking of buying a very small car and would need to fit a towbracket to my Tracker, but I know that our available Payload is a bit limited. So, I need to have some idea of the weight of a Towbracket. Any advice, please? Neil B I assume you have already checked that the probable weight of laden van + car + trailer + tow bracket will not exceed the Gross Train Weight for your van? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armstrongpiper Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 There's no problem with the train weight. It's just the added weight of a towbracket that concerns me. Thanks for your interest. Neil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Plus 75 - 90kg on the towball (Trailer hitch weight) ? Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky 8 Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Hi Neil B if you ring this firm they should be able to give you some info on the weight of Tow Bar and Ball, http://wwww.towtal.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 I was assuming that a tow bracket for an Autotrail Tracker would be a bespoke design. Not an off the peg bit of kit. PWS (Pete Spreadbury) is the one most likely to have done one before. C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armstrongpiper Posted November 5, 2009 Author Share Posted November 5, 2009 Thanks to those who have posted replies/advice. The vehicle is a 2008 Tracker EKS with SE Pack (Air-con, awning etc), 3ltr engine with Comfortmatic Auto. This morning I have been to a weighbridge and, with myself and my wife on board, 90% fuel, no water and a few items left in there (say about 50Kgs) the weight recorded was 3420Kg. As the max is 3500Kg, we don't have much to play with!! I am actually puzzled as to where the weight has come from, as we had it weighed on the day of delivery and she came in at 3210Kgs with both of us in the cab. This agreed very well with the brochure unladen weight with the extra for the SE Pack and bigger engine/auto kit added on. So the next job is to investigate just what we have put in there, but it looks as though the project to fit a towbar and tow a trailer will have to be forgotten. It does show me, though, how easy it would be to exceed the max weight without even trying. Neil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W3526602 Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Hi, OT ...... but its a pity that the trailers MGW is probably too high for it to be towed by the microcar. 602 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Neil, that was a barely workable payload at the outset. The van should be weighed with 90% full fuel, water and gas, plus a driver at a nominal 75Kg. The difference between this weight and the MAM would then be the payload, which needs to be sufficient for any difference in weight of the actual driver, plus any passengers, food, clothing, kit, cycles, books, pets and general bric-a-brac. From what you say, deducting your 50 Kg that should not count, and adding back 900Kg (assumed) just for water, for yours would have been around 140Kg. Did no-one warn you that what was left might be unworkable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trooper Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Hi Niel, can you not have the wieght uprated, as clearly there was not enough payload when puchased, Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armstrongpiper Posted November 5, 2009 Author Share Posted November 5, 2009 I don't want to replate and have to go down the road of gaining HGV-type licence (I'm over 70). Starting with the empty weight (which included some water, gas etc) at about 3200Kg, I would have thought 300Kg would have been sufficient payload. As I said earlier, the empty weight was in agreement with what Auto-trail estimated that weight to be and it seemed reasonable to me at the time. No-one at the dealers suggested that adding a bigger engine and the SE pack would cause weight problems. I will just have to examine everything we've put in there and find what is the cause. I know one thing I could leave out, though, and that is the vehicle jack - 10Kgs - as it is an item I am unlikely to use myself. I have seen this discussed on this forum, with divided opinion. There are bigger Auto-trai models about than the Tracker which have a max weight of 3500Kgs, and I wonder how they manage with payload. Neil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 armstrongpiper - 2009-11-05 7:29 PM I don't want to replate and have to go down the road of gaining HGV-type licence (I'm over 70). Starting with the empty weight (which included some water, gas etc) at about 3200Kg, I would have thought 300Kg would have been sufficient payload. As I said earlier, the empty weight was in agreement with what Auto-trail estimated that weight to be and it seemed reasonable to me at the time. No-one at the dealers suggested that adding a bigger engine and the SE pack would cause weight problems. I will just have to examine everything we've put in there and find what is the cause. I know one thing I could leave out, though, and that is the vehicle jack - 10Kgs - as it is an item I am unlikely to use myself. I have seen this discussed on this forum, with divided opinion. There are bigger Auto-trai models about than the Tracker which have a max weight of 3500Kgs, and I wonder how they manage with payload. Neil B NeilIf it helps your deliberations our van, in weighbridge trim (i.e. full fuel, with 90% gas and water reserves, but including driver and passenger at actual weights, comes in at 2,770Kg. Laden for travel (8 - 10 weeks spring/autumn trips) comes in at 3,180Kg. MAM 3,500Kg. Thus, our added "habitation" load is 410Kg, with 320Kg in reserve. Therefore, lots of "wriggle" space.What capacity one needs obviously depends on how/where the van is used, and for how long. Nevertheless, I would imagine that trying to get everything required for a trip of much over two weeks would be difficult with a payload of 300Kg.I think it may pay you to weigh the van empty, i.e. with a full fuel tank, spare wheel and necessary tools, but no water, no gas, no driver/passengers, and no contents. You will then establish a reliable baseline from which to operate. Water weighs 1Kg per litre, so the weight of a full tank is easy to calculate. The quoted weights of LPG cylinders refer to the weight of the gas when full, the cylinder itself is in addition. For example, ours takes two 13Kg cylinders, so the weight of gas + cylinders is 2x13 + 2x15 (the cylinders) = 56Kg. Then add the actual weights of yourself + wife. The difference between the product of that sum, and your 3,500Kg MAM will be your true, reliable, payload. What I'm trying to say, is that as your payload is relatively small, the scope for "fudge" is limited, and things such as "some water" will prevent you from knowing, with any certainty, where you stand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 The weight of the recessed awning alone looks like it added 24kg, then of course there's the extra heavy weight 'special auto-Trail umbrella', about 1kg! The whole pack looks like it adds 29kg. If you had a second leisure battery too that's anywhere upto another 25kg. The engine upgrade added 50kg, so you've already got up to around 104kg before you do anything else with it. The fresh water tank holds 100 litres, so there's 100kg if you fill it. The only way for you to be sure would have been if they had weighed a van that already had the options fitted that you wanted. http://www.auto-trail.co.uk/autotrail_exterior_tracker-range.htm http://www.auto-trail.co.uk/autotrail_dimensions.htm http://www.auto-trail.co.uk/autotrail_upgrades.htm If you also had such things as a bike rack, ladder, corner steadies etc added, then they will have added to the weight too. The dealer really should have told you how much the optins woudl add to the weight, seeing as it was obviously important to you. I can see a 'camper diet' coming on! :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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