[bitingmidge]

Forgive me if similar figures have been posted before, but I've been fiddling round with some numbers while thinking about what to pack for the next excursion, and have an overwhelming need to share.

We've always kept things light, but for reasons that aren't particularly clear, on the spur of the moment I decided to see what the GV was designed to carry.

By my simple sums, this can be calculated fairly quickly by subtracting the Kerb (Curb) weight 1550 kg's) from the Gross Vehicle Mass.

Unless someone cares to correct me, I get to carry 520 kgs including myself and my beloved, and all the bits, which didn't seem to be a lot really, until I started checking other vehicles:

Pajero SWB (Kerb Mass 2085) - 575 kgs

And even more extraordinarily Land Cruiser (Kerb Mass 2580) a mere 719 kgs

Frankly I was shocked to see the Cruiser is only capable of carrying 200 more kg than the Vitara for it's extra ton of steel!

Then I did the power to weight sums empty and at max load and let's just say the results were even more surprising to me!

Fortunately as I have said, we travel relatively light, so won't have to get rid of our fridge or battery to make the cut!

On the other hand, what (apart from not having as much fun as suspension bits break) are the consequences of "technically" overloading?

Cheers,

P

[Damo]

bitingmidge wrote:

On the other hand, what (apart from not having as much fun as suspension bits break) are the consequences of "technically" overloading?

Gday P, interesting figures huh? One consequence of overloading might be braking and handling. It's reasonable to assume the factory engineers design the brakes around being able to pull up a certain mass from a certain speed. More weight also affects handling so surely they'd take that into consideration too when setting spring rates, swaybars etc.

I found a couple of good definitions of terms here.

[TZAR]

The one for concern is insurance.

If you have a nasty accident and they do not want to pay, and they can PROVE that the overoading was a contributing factor to the accident then you are screwed.

Handling is another concern.

But 575kgs isn't a lot. Average man 80kgs +average woman 60kg and there is 140 gone already. and camping gera, food extra fuel, water and it adds up quick.

Lucky you don't have an LJ they can carry 250kgs

[royce]

Keep in mind tare weight may not include fuel and fluids as well, how much does the water in your washer bottle weigh

[Scrawny]

Tare weight should include all fluids and driver shouldn't it? That was my understanding

[royce]

think it depends where you get teh numbers from and what they say, pretty sure there is something about the 200 series only including enough fuel to maybe start it twice, so you lose a few hundred kg once you fill it

[TZAR]

royce wrote:

Keep in mind tare weight may not include fuel and fluids as well, how much does the water in your washer bottle weigh

And don't forget blinker fluid...

[bitingmidge]

Kerb weight doesn't include any fluids, I'm not even sure about engine oil!

Fortunately we've always been rather conservative when it comes to loading our Zooks. Well maybe not always! Our original 1 litre Sierra did a sterling job launching and retrieving a ton of boat and carrying our three tiny kiddies in a custom built back seat.

OK apart from that minor transgression that only went on for a few years, we've been really conservative!

I'll expand a bit on our full camping set up and how (if) we get it below GVM~

Cheers,

P

[bitingmidge]

Took off the spare tyre cover today, that saved 6 kg and the door closes with a satisfying thunk now instead of that nasty plasticy thwack!

Cheers,

P