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Title: Help with weights, plates and packers!
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tassle
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Rank:Dodge Fan

Score: 54
Posts: 27
Registered: 26/06/2007
Time spent: 0 hours

(Date Posted:29/07/2007 02:31:31)

Hey all!I'm pleased to announce I am now a 'real' member of the community, having purchased a Mk II S56 community bus today which will be my european home next summer (I hope!). I need a few words of wisdom to get me on my way though. I don't quite get the weight regs and hoped someone could explain it definitively for me. The bus is currently plated at 5.6 tons and I need to bring it down to 3.5 as I'm on a post 97 licence. On one hand I've heard all i need to do is modify the suspension withpackers and send off the relavent form to the DVLA but on the other I've been told I don't need to modify it at all, I just need to tootle off to my nearest weigh station and show it is already under 3.5 without its seats etc (which I'm guessing it is).If I do need to modify the suspension with 'packers' can anyone tell me where I can find a walkthrough so that my mechanic knows what he's doing. I understand from the PDF I need to fabricate something but I'm unclear what I'm attempting to make and where i'm fitting it!Many thanks!

mutantdodge
1# 



Rank:Dodge Fan

Score:138
Posts:69
Registered:16/09/2006
Time spent: 14884 hours


(Date Posted:29/07/2007 18:18:02)

Downplating to 3.5 ton by just telling DVLA and fitting a new weight plate giving a GVW of 3500kg is a voluntary downplate and can be done to any vehicle with a GVW of 5500kg or less. Unfortunately for you yours is 5600kg GVW which means it can be done, but the required modifications will need to be carried out, and then it will need to be inspected so the ministry can see it has been done.

Somewhere on the site here is a section where all the modifications are detailed. Further info can be found by going to your nearest VOSA HGV testing station and asking there.
tassle
2# 



Rank:Dodge Fan

Score:54
Posts:27
Registered:26/06/2007
Time spent: 0 hours


(Date Posted:30/07/2007 19:29:10)

How annoying that it is over the voluntary limit!
mutantdodge
3# 



Rank:Dodge Fan

Score:138
Posts:69
Registered:16/09/2006
Time spent: 14884 hours


(Date Posted:30/07/2007 19:36:03)

And only by 100kg!!!!!!!
tassle
4# 



Rank:Dodge Fan

Score:54
Posts:27
Registered:26/06/2007
Time spent: 0 hours


(Date Posted:04/08/2007 23:38:47)

Hey all, sorry to keep wittering on about weights but has anyone had any experience downrating an S56 to 3.5 tons? My Mk2 Welfare bus has a plate weight of 5.6 tons and an unladen weight of 3.9 tons including all the seats. Is it wishful thinking to try and get a 3.5 ton camper out of it? cheers for replies!
mutantdodge
5# 



Rank:Dodge Fan

Score:138
Posts:69
Registered:16/09/2006
Time spent: 14884 hours


(Date Posted:05/08/2007 16:36:38)

To be safe you need to lose 500kg from your unladen weight which you might do by taking out all the seats. The trouble is you will put all that weight back in (and probably more) doing the camper conversion. Even if you downplate it, although you can then drive it, you won't get the full benefit because you can't do the conversion properly. Getting fined for being overweight costs a lot of money, and as far as I can see you'd be better putting that money into taking a C1 driving test allowing you to drive up to 7500kg.
Karrier
6# 



Rank:Ummmmmmm

Status:Eating Marmite on Toast
Score:4106
Posts:2053
From: England
Registered:02/10/2003
Time spent: 16904 hours


(Date Posted:05/08/2007 18:15:51)

My converted mk2 bus weighed 4,000kgs with seats, it now weighs 4,800kgs converted and 5.500kgs with my circus kit and full tank of gas, fuel and 100 litres of water.

I think you would be lucky to get it under 3.100kgs.

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tassle
7# 



Rank:Dodge Fan

Score:54
Posts:27
Registered:26/06/2007
Time spent: 0 hours


(Date Posted:27/08/2007 15:12:14)

Is it possible to run a dodge 50 as a 3.5 ton camper or are they just to heavy to start with? I'm in love with my dodge but i'm thinking she's just too heavy, even with her fiberglass body. I really want to tour europe with a bunch of mates and we'd all need to be able to drive it on a car licence. If you were aiming for a 3.5 ton tourer what chassis size, body type & gearbox would you look for? Should I try to find a small horsebox (extra space above cab) or stick with a medium wheelbase van? cheers you guys are great!

 
tassle
8# 



Rank:Dodge Fan

Score:54
Posts:27
Registered:26/06/2007
Time spent: 0 hours


(Date Posted:02/09/2007 20:02:33)

Reply to : tassle
Is it possible to run a dodge 50 as a 3.5 ton camper or are they just to heavy to start with? I'm in love with my dodge but i'm thinking she's just tooheavy, even with her fiberglass body.I really want to tour europe with a bunch of mates and we'd all need to be able to drive it on a car licence. If you were aiming for a 3.5 ton tourer what chassis size, body type & gearbox would you look for? Should I try to find a small horsebox (extra space above cab) or stick with a medium wheelbase van? cheers you guys are great!

 

anyone?

mutantdodge
9# 



Rank:Dodge Fan

Score:138
Posts:69
Registered:16/09/2006
Time spent: 14884 hours


(Date Posted:02/09/2007 20:21:48)

It won't be what you want to hear, but I don't think that you'll ever get a Dodge 50 camper to weigh less than 3500kg when its all fitted out.
Karrier
10# 



Rank:Ummmmmmm

Status:Eating Marmite on Toast
Score:4106
Posts:2053
From: England
Registered:02/10/2003
Time spent: 16904 hours


(Date Posted:03/09/2007 04:03:48)

IF YOU get a s46 or s 56 van and convert you can keep under 3100 kg, just and get as plg,

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tassle
11# 



Rank:Dodge Fan

Score:54
Posts:27
Registered:26/06/2007
Time spent: 0 hours


(Date Posted:07/09/2007 04:19:39)

thanks guys, I think i know what my next purchase is going to be now ;D
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