LACK OF SPARE WHEEL AND BREAKDOWN INSURANCE

[Wills Wagon]

I saw this tread awhile a go. I too was worried about the wording of breakdown insurance and its requirment to have a seviceable spare wheel if we had a puncture. Our next van won't have a spare but will have a "fix and go kit". Our insurers Caravan Guard have said their recovery company would come out and try to repair the puncture with the "fix and go kit" but if this was not possible they would recover the vehicle in the usual way. All covered by the policy. But if you dont have a"fix and go kit" we would be charged for any assistance used.

[Clive]

I was looking at a pair of new motorhoms last week.

 

With one the spare wheel, tools and jack were an optional extra and because of this their weight would also be deducted from the payload if you decided to carry them. No humans, water gas or fuel were included in the base vehicle weight stated. So the payload figure quoted was severely deminished before you added any household bits.

 

On the other hand another motorhome I was looking at included 80% fill of fresh, waste and fuel tanks and gas bottles plus 75Kg for the driver as part of the basic vehicle before giving the residual carrying capacity.

 

You need to look very carefully at the small print and if possible take the vehicle to a weighbridge and weigh each axle seperately to be sure. In my case the stated weights were 200Kg below what the weighbridge said.

 

Sorry, a bit off topic but related to the spare wheel!

C.

 

 

 

[Derek Uzzell]

Clive:

 

That's very unusual nowadays, as the vast majority of motorhome manufacturers give vehicle 'mass in ready-to-drive condition' figures according to the EN 1646-2 standard. This standard appears to permit some variation in the percentage capacities used for fuel, fresh water and gas, and the manufacturers' brochure wording often differs, but (when EN 1646-2 is involved) allowances for such consumables are always included.

 

UK motorhome converters lagged well behind when it came to conforming to EN 1646-2, but (10 years and more ago) even they were including the weight of a tank of fuel and a 75kg driver allowance in their vehicle on-the-road weight statistics.

 

Which manufacturer was quoting a totally 'bare' weight figure, please?

[Mel E]

Derek, I believe EN1642 permits a tolerance of around 5%. Not a lot you might say, until you resalise that's 175 Kgs on a 3500 Kg chassis and 210Kgs on a 4200 Kg chassis.

 

With many 3500 Kg chassis stretching it to give a payload of even 400 Kgs, loss of 175 Kgs is rather serious!!

 

Mel E

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[RonB]

What's so magical about the 3500kg cut off point anyway and why can't it be increased to take account of the many advances made in chassis design over the years?

 

This weight, which seems to have been conceived in medieval times, is leading to some dubious practices in my view to enable converters to achieve a half decent payload figure. The non conforming to EN1646-2, the lack off a spare wheel and lack of a full length chassis (even on 50% overhangs with garages containing 150kg+ of storage and both water tanks) are only three examples.

 

 

[djchapple]

The 3500kg could be changed but it would mean that an awful lot of national and RU laws/regulations would need amending.

 

It's a lot to expect just to please a handful of motorhomers.

 

I imagine that we are stuck with it for the foreseeable future and even then I believe that it will be adjusted downwards as all values are when the safety experts get their hands on them.

 

Goo example - look at the speed limits in Eire.

[Clive]

Derek,

Interestingly both manufacturers were German. The vehicle I really wanted was 3 litre 6 pot Merc based A class but ended up with a shortfall of 350 Kg as I know exactly what I want to carry as i already do and have recently emptied our existing MH and weighed all the clutter.

 

The alternative MH only has a 3 litre 4 pot engine, a very similar layout and size but is on a 6.5 tonne chassis down plated to 6 tonne. This still left us with half a tonne spare.

 

And its all Mels fault as he raised concerns about overlaod which grew in Janets mind resulting in a trip to the weighbridge a few years back and a revelation of about half a tonne over! So for the last 3 or so years its been a trailer which I want to dispose of and put our clutter in the MH garage. It will be our last big MH. Panel Van conversion I expect after this one.