Any autotrail cheyenne motorhome owners out there?

[philv]

Hi

Any autotrail cheyenne motorhome owners out there?

Cntemplating buying one and have a few questions.

If anyone has a mercedes version id be pleased to hear from you.

Cheers

Edited by philv on Monday 21st July 18:28

[nagsheadwarrior]

I'm sure someone on here will own one o.p.

If not I'm in the trade and have sold loads of em over the years, what's the questions or fire a p.m if you prefer.

[philv]

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

Basically, im looking to buy an aurotrail 635 mercedes auto around 2001 to 2004.

Its going to be driven on licence valid up tp 3500 kg.

For the 2.2 merc engine the net weight is listed by autotrail at about 2960 kg before any extras.

Now i believe autotrail weights were approx and could be out 5% either way.
Also i think their quoted weights didnt include driver, gas bottles, water, disealetc.


The 635 had a max authorised weight of 3800 kg.

I will need to downgrade to a 3500 kg plate with dvka.

I realuse that my payload of personal affects, foid, toileteries, bedding etc might be around 100 to 150 kg.
(Travellng with non full fuel and water tanks)

The question is, will downplating to 3500 practical on the autotrails?
Is the net weight they wuote fairly accurate?

Will i have problems?

The net weight of the fiat versions are essentially the same as for the merc versions.
And the fiat versions have a max weight of 3500 kg.
So im assuming it should be possible to get the mercedes down to 3500 aswell.

I ntend to buy, downplate to 3500'
Have it weighed at several weighbridges.
Take the average weight and ise that as my net weight.
Then go from there.

Just a bit worried about buying nly to find autotrail weights are way out and theres only 100kg for water, dieseal, personal affects etc.

If we get stopped by vosa then we should jooefully be ok as well have kept to the weighbridge given netweights.
We could then only be overweightbby any error in the weighbridge readings.
Im thinking that vosa will allow rhe equivalent tolerance when weighing at any checkpoints.

Thoughts?

Cheers

Edited by philv on Tuesday 22 July 10:31

Edited by philv on Tuesday 22 July 10:36

[Rosscow]

Phil, why not just pass your C1 license?

A couple of hundred kilos is nothing, especially if your fuel and water has to come out of it.

Edited by Rosscow on Tuesday 22 July 10:39

[philv]

Rosscow said:

Phil, why not just do your C license?

A couple of hundred kilos is nothing, especially if your fuel and water has to come out of it.

Hi

Girlfriend will drive.
Auto licence only.

She would have to get a manual car license and then do cat c.

You can only do cat c with a manual.

Or she could go straight to ngv license.
Not really practical!

[philv]

Im calculating weights as follows -


Net weight 2982 kg
39 awning / pack
80 me
47 girlfriend
38 child
60 (70 litres) diseal
35 (35 litres) water
26 gas bottle 1 x 13 kg
5 Tv
10 Bike rack
30 bikes
6 chairs
5 Table

Total 3363

Leaves 137 kg for food and clothes and bedding and toileteries and tools

Other possible weight savings/reductions -
Awning weighs 24 approx
Bike rack weighs 5
Spare tyre weighs 10
Spare steal wheel 10
Cooker weighs 27
Standard table
Jack

100 to 140 kg will be fne.

So all possible u less autotrail weight given in theirbbrochures is out by significantly more than the tolerance allowed by vosa.

[philv]

If tne real weight leaving tne factory is plus 5% tnen theres nothing left for even a toothpaste after adding the list above, as 5% is more that 140 kg.

But surely how can that be possible?
For owners of the fiat versions with a max weight of 3500, if tneir true net weight is plus 5%, then they would be at max weight before even the driver gets on boatd!

My only other option is to buy a friends knaus sun ti. 6500.
A better motorhome i believe, but less practical for us spacewise because of the fixed bed.

[Rosscow]

Does the listed weight include a leisure battery? That'll take a fair chunk if it doesn't.

What a pain in the arse!

Mind you, my wife can't tow our caravan as I'm the only one with B+E license (this is probably a very good thing!)

[Simond S]

The child will get heavier so unless looking to move to a different van fairly quickly I would put child in at 55kg.

100kg is nothing, we always have a 6 pack of 1.5ltr water bottles "just in case" and that would be 10% of your total free weight. Shoes, clothes, coats, towels all add up pretty quickly.

[philv]

Thanks -
Battery and growing child noted.

Now i have listed 35 litres/kg for water.

Im assuming i can get rid of waste water and water on by the side of the road if i come across a checkpoint.
So thats a pontential 35 kg saving when travelling.
Or on tne road we can emoty tanks and only have bottled water.

Were quite flexable as for 3 people auto 3500'kg max we are down to only a choice of 2 motorhomes.

[philv]

Ok. Spoke to sutotrail.

Figures in brichure would include driver (75kg) and 90% fuel.

No water or accesories.
Weights given have error upto 5 percent.
Can assume that would be 5% heavier as the system was used to try and make vehichles seem lighter than they actually were.

So, its still posdible, but definately need to weigh before buying.

[philv]

New approx total 3245 plus 5% autotrail weight error = 3407

So close

[nagsheadwarrior]

I've seen a number of 3500kg sprinter based Cheyennes so it is possible and it looks about feasible.
As you've figured just go weigh the van before purchase then get Sv tech in Leyland to sort the payload for you.
What about seat belts for the kid though, we're all 635s the 3 seatbelt ones or were some twin sofa no belts I can't remember.
Another, lighter option of equal quality if less flashness would be a Transit based Autosleeper Amethyst, Pollensa or Ravenna, all available in auto upto 06 ish and all 3500kg as standard and all with seatbelts.

[philv]

There were half a dozen variants of the 635.
Some with seatbelts.
Only one has extra seat belts towards tne front.

Ive also identified knaus and burnster as potential purchases.
They are a bit more specific about weights.

[nagsheadwarrior]

Quite a few Renault based auto's from the European brands, Adria Izolas were normally 3500kg, Lunar Fivestar is too and various Renault based Homecars and Lunar Premiers.

It's just nailing an auto that's tricky as they sell so quick.

[philv]

Thanks.
Ill have a look at those aswell.