Vehicle Weight - How heavy is the bus?

[cunning plan]

Planning out my max train weight etc for trailering the bus to paint.

Anyone know how heavy the bad boy is?

arty0021:

 

[Frankie]

complete bus 2.5 tons is that correct. Frankie

 

[NickJ]

According to my '72 model handbook an unladen Micro Bus L is 1425 kg including the seats but not the driver
Cheers Nick.

 

[Graham L]

I usually work on approx 1400kgs for a complete bus so I'm glad that Nicks figure isn't too far off :mrgreen:

 

[cunning plan]

Tanks for replies guys..

Arr.. The trailer im renting has a maximum of 1200kg but ive totally stripped the bus - gearbox, engine, windows etc, its just a shell really- do you think this will be more to 1200kg? I dont know how much the engine and box weigh?

 

[Frankie]

Sorry mate I was well out just checked the 1425kg work out over 3000 lb good luck with it cheers Frankie.

 

[cunning plan]

Tanks for the confirmation chaps, but now im concerned that its over weight..

Does this look like over 1200kg to you? No interior, no engine or box and no glass. The doors, slider, deck lid and boot will be back on it though and thats quite a bit of weight..

 

[Graham L]

Cunning

With nothing in it like that I would say you are probably looking in the region of 1100 -1200Kg

 

[cunning plan]

Tanks Graham L, I think the trailer will be right on the limit but the limit is there for a reason I guess - and thats getting to but not exceeding..

Going to have to go for it 8) :msn4:

 

[karlos]

Mine's not long back from the body shop. It's in a similar state of build but engine & gearbox are in plus a few additional kg's of filler/paint

That's 1011kg with the engine, gearbox and doors but no glass, interior or bumpers fitted yet. Without the engine/box it would probably be down to 800-900kg so well within your trailer limits.

I'll have to check out my suspension heights now (still standard non-adjustable but it doesn't look wonky) 85kg difference at the rear! :roll:

 

[cunning plan]

Karlos! Wow tanks buddy, that helps loads! It should be a bit more of a relaxing drive if i know im not right on the limit! I would be constantly looking for v0sa!

Its cool you are getting the distribution of weight spot on, probably a thing most people overlook..

 

[karlos]

No worries CP, glad to help make that journey a little less stressfull!

I hadn't planned to fiddle with the corner weights but now that I see how far out they are I won't be able to help myself...

I can't find a stowaway so I guess that the 40+ year old left-rear or right-front springs have sagged :?

 

[cunning plan]

Red9 kit time eh?

 

[cunning plan]

Worked it all out - should be okay ive taken worse case senarios:

Ford Mondeo 1.8 Estate.
Ford Mondeo Weight - @ 1,393 kg
Max Train Weight 3,325 kg

Fully built VW T2 Micro Bus - 1,425 kg
Bus with no Engine / Box / Glass - 1,100 - 1,200 kg (800 - 900 kg actual)

Trailer Gross Weight - 400 kg
Max Trailer Load Weight - 1,200 kg

Total:
Gross Train Weight: 2,993 kg

Thanks for everyone's help :beerchug:

 

[NickJ]

I thought you were going to pull it with the Micra :lol:

 

[cunning plan]

:lol: :lol:

No sir! Not the most powerful car in the world the Mondeo, but better than a Micra arty0009:

 

[Graham L]

Cunning

Its not just the Gross Train Weight you need to look at but what the maximum permitted tow weight is on your car, if its petrol then its only likely to be about 1500kg, if its a diesel then its only likely to be about 1800kg, worth checking. The gross train weight is about passengers and luggage as well as what you might be towing, it shouldn't all be allocated to your trailer and its load.

To put this in context my T5 T32 130BHP only has a permitted tow weight of 2000kg and when I have my trailer and a bus on it I'm close to that maximum, train weight is higher on the van but the extra capacity is for whats in the van not whats behind it if you see what i mean.

You should still be OK but it would be worth checking what your handbook says about towed weights,

 

[cunning plan]

Thanks Graham, but you have confused me now.. I figured that the Gross train weight IS the total weight that the car can cope with. On my Mondeo the Vin Plate is stamped with 3,325 kg - so wouldnt this mean that the car can cope with weights UP to this?

In gross train weight I am including:

Everything in the car
The car itself
The trailer
What is loaded on the trailer

I have heard about towing limits for the car, but I figured this is represented by the MAXIMUM weight the car can carry / tow - which in this case is 3,325 kg? arty0051:

 

[Graham L]

Cunning

Yes it is but there is still a limit to how much can be towed behind it as part of the GTW, your towbar should have a plate on it appropriate for the car saying what the max permissible weight is or as I said before it will be in your handbook,

Just because you have the GTW doesn't mean you can tow all the spare, the comfortable towing limit is 85% of the max permissible tow weight of your car, the danger is that if you exceed this the brakes on your tow car will not be sufficient to stop the car and a laden trailer behind it pushing you each time you want to stop. Your tow bar and its fixing are only designed to tow a certain weight and have a certain noseweight (50kg usually for cars) ie you should not apply a load of more than 50kg onto the tow hitch of the car in a downward direction. All the caravans you see on the motorway with the tail of the car down and the nose of the caravan down are breaking this rule everytime :roll: :roll:

Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to put you off just wanting to make sure you know the facts

 

[cunning plan]

Arr okay, that makes more sense. Thanks Graham, well explained.. I will double check the handbook as there is nothing on the tow bar (got it from a Ford breakers)..

Thinking about it, i remember seeing 85% on a towing website, but it didnt mention what it refered to..

Hopefully, as i have taken worse-case senerios above and its still well under GTR, it will still be within limits anyway..