My Grand California 600 weight

[Eber123]

Hello,

This morning I drove to an official weighbridge (listed on County Kildare webpage), because I wanted to know how heavy the camper is when prepared for a tour.

This morning I prepared the camper as follows:

• Grand California 600 (standard Irish Specification)
  • Full Diesel tank
  • Full water tank (I know all the disadvantages about a full water tank, but that is what we feel comfortable with)
  • Full Gas bottles
  • Almost empty grey water tank
  • Empty (but setup ready for use) black water container
  • Tools and spare parts
  • BBQ
  • Camping supplies
  • Driver, passenger, dog

Weight 3,471,5 kg

Weight estimate for the following:

• Cloth - 15 kg
• Food / drink - 30 kg
• Other - 15 kg

Total weight of the Grand California (at the start of the tour): 3,531.5 kg

With all this information I believe we will get away with the weight. It is a wee bit over the 3,500 kg, but it is marginal. If stopped Diesel is less and water is less. And if we get challenged we can reduce our fresh water easily of 50%.

But thinking about all this, weight can be a real issue. The camper plus the people in it can bring up the weight a lot that there is not much left for other things. If we would be more than 2x people I think there is no option than to increase the total weight at least to 3,880 or even a wee bit higher (to be on the save side).

Just not to heavy Grand California
Eberhard

 

[andyinluton]

Could you clarify which if any of the extras you have on your van?
Awning
Tow Bar
Extra bed
Aircon

I think those are the important heavy ones.

Also do you have approx weight of your gas set up?

 

[Eber123]

Hello @andyinluton,

Let's see if I can get the configuration together:

• GC 600
• Loft Bed
• Awning

What I don't have is:

• Tow bar
• Air Condition
• Full spare wheel

About the gas installation I have no idea how heavy this is. I recently got the 2x 11 kg Gaslow LPG installed. The bottles are out of steel so they should be rather heavy.

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[andyinluton]

I think the cylinders are about 12kg each empty.
We have the "lightweight" retrofit towbar to add to your figure but save approx 30kg on the gas so I am guessing the vehicle side of things is about the same.

Three of us plus the dog come to about 180kg, how would that compare to your Humans + dog figure?

We don't have a local available weighbridge otherwise I would just go there......

 

[Eber123]

I think the cylinders are about 12kg each empty.
We have the "lightweight" retrofit towbar to add to your figure but save approx 30kg on the gas so I am guessing the vehicle side of things is about the same.

Three of us plus the dog come to about 180kg, how would that compare to your Humans + dog figure?

We don't have a local available weighbridge otherwise I would just go there......

Hello,

The weight of us and the dog is similar, maybe 5 kg more.

Our dream was to bring the camper to North America for a road trip. For that I wanted a spare wheel, but this is only possible if I increase the weight to 3.88 t. I don't know how much that is now. I need to go to my local vw dealer tomorrow, I will ask him about that.

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[The Merle]

Hello,

The weight of us and the dog is similar, maybe 5 kg more.

Our dream was to bring the camper to North America for a road trip. For that I wanted a spare wheel, but this is only possible if I increase the weight to 3.88 t. I don't know how much that is now. I need to go to my local vw dealer tomorrow, I will ask him about that.

Regards,
Eberhard

View attachment 90690

Looks great, glad you got all them teething problems out the way and are get to enjoy the van
Hopefully others will post pics of GC on here as not many do.

 

[Vagophile]

I don't know how much that is now. I need to go to my local vw dealer tomorrow, I will ask him about that.

I don't know about Ireland, but here in England there are specialist companies that upgrade motorhomes, likely to be a better bet than VW (but may cause warranty problems).
Any problems with your driving licence requirements? Speed limits can be different too.
In general, the problem that you face is becoming all too common, some vehicles have only about 250kg of payload at 3500kg. It's something that catches out a lot of people. Some manufacturers are working on vehicles where the USP is a high payload @3500kg.
If you can, an upgrade is the answer, but sadly, more expense.

We don't have a local available weighbridge otherwise I would just go there......

Any aggregate quarries that might fit you in on a Saturday morning?

 

[B J G]

I don't know about Ireland, but here in England there are specialist companies that upgrade motorhomes, likely to be a better bet than VW (but may cause warranty problems).
Any problems with your driving licence requirements? Speed limits can be different too.
In general, the problem that you face is becoming all too common, some vehicles have only about 250kg of payload at 3500kg. It's something that catches out a lot of people. Some manufacturers are working on vehicles where the USP is a high payload @3500kg.
If you can, an upgrade is the answer, but sadly, more expense.

Any aggregate quarries that might fit you in on a Saturday morning?

There are problems with a Licence for Public weighbridges needed which is why, unless on the QT, you won't get it done by a Quarry weighbridge. Many Farms have weighbridges

 

[B J G]

Hello,

This morning I drove to an official weighbridge (listed on County Kildare webpage), because I wanted to know how heavy the camper is when prepared for a tour.

This morning I prepared the camper as follows:

• Grand California 600 (standard Irish Specification)
  • Full Diesel tank
  • Full water tank (I know all the disadvantages about a full water tank, but that is what we feel comfortable with)
  • Full Gas bottles
  • Almost empty grey water tank
  • Empty (but setup ready for use) black water container
  • Tools and spare parts
  • BBQ
  • Camping supplies
  • Driver, passenger, dog

Weight 3,471,5 kg

Weight estimate for the following:

• Cloth - 15 kg
• Food / drink - 30 kg
• Other - 15 kg

Total weight of the Grand California (at the start of the tour): 3,531.5 kg

With all this information I believe we will get away with the weight. It is a wee bit over the 3,500 kg, but it is marginal. If stopped Diesel is less and water is less. And if we get challenged we can reduce our fresh water easily of 50%.

But thinking about all this, weight can be a real issue. The camper plus the people in it can bring up the weight a lot that there is not much left for other things. If we would be more than 2x people I think there is no option than to increase the total weight at least to 3,880 or even a wee bit higher (to be on the save side).

Just not to heavy Grand California
Eberhard

Being overweight will invalidate Insurance.

In UK The DVSA have said that they are targeting Vans, caravans more due to the high percentage found overloaded previously.
Axles are more critical than Grosse weight.

 

[Eber123]

I don't know about Ireland, but here in England there are specialist companies that upgrade motorhomes, likely to be a better bet than VW (but may cause warranty problems).
Any problems with your driving licence requirements? Speed limits can be different too.
In general, the problem that you face is becoming all too common, some vehicles have only about 250kg of payload at 3500kg. It's something that catches out a lot of people. Some manufacturers are working on vehicles where the USP is a high payload @3500kg.
If you can, an upgrade is the answer, but sadly, more expense.

Any aggregate quarries that might fit you in on a Saturday morning?

Hello @Vagophile,

There are always pros and cons for everything.

Using a campervan or motorhome up to 3.5 t tools are cheaper, I presume ferry crossings are cheaper, speed limits etc. In our case my wife wouldn't be able to drive the camper (I am old enough that my driving license covers up to 7.5 t).

Well, it explains why VW did not add a full size spare wheel to the camper....

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[B J G]

Hello @Vagophile,

There are always pros and cons for everything.

Using a campervan or motorhome up to 3.5 t tools are cheaper, I presume ferry crossings are cheaper, speed limits etc. In our case my wife wouldn't be able to drive the camper (I am old enough that my driving license covers up to 7.5 t).

Well, it explains why VW did not add a full size spare wheel to the camper....

Regards,
Eberhard

Ferries base charges on the length & height not weight,

 

[Eber123]

Being overweight will invalidate Insurance.

In UK The DVSA have said that they are targeting Vans, caravans more due to the high percentage found overloaded previously.
Axles are more critical than Grosse weight.

Hello @B J G,

I hope that it will not end in a disaster because our camper is 31.5 kg overweight....

In our case I see it a bit more relaxed. The weight of our camper is 3,531.5 kg that is when we leave home. If we drive to Rosslare to get the ferry we already under 3,5 t.

We like the freedom of the camper to change spontaneous our tour or stay shorter or longer as planned. Because of this we like to have the fresh water tank full as well as the gas supply. But if we get into trouble it is good to know that we can just "dump" a few liters fresh water and be on the "good side of the law".

How others getting around this, I don't know. 2x adults, 2x children and a dog is not seldom. Even if the there is only 20 L in the fresh water tank I assume there is a problem with weight. Because of this I believe that almost every second campervan / motorhome is over the limit of 3.5 t (even if it is only a little like us).

Kind regards,
Eberhard

 

[Eber123]

Ferries base charges on the length & height not weight,

Hello,

Oh, that could be.

Beginning of the year we planned to go to Scandinavia. So I started to look into it. I can't remember 100% but it might be that some crossings (bridge or small ferries) charge more for "bigger" campers. But I might remember this wrong.

Kind regards,
Eberhard

 

[andyinluton]

Its a risk - insurance may potentially be invalidated but they would have to prove being overweight was potentially a cause. As the van is designed to be 3.88tnne but downplated to 3.5tnne they would have a hard time proving it unless you were way over.

The fines for anything up to 5% overweight are minimal in the uk, in any event having found the nearest weigh bridge, their website states that they are only accurate to +/- 30kg

I understand that in Ireland the GC680 is sold as under 3.5tnne but with no rear seat belts to make it only a 2 seater.

At UK registration you have to have sufficient payload for the same number of passengers & their luggage that you have belted seats, I cant remember the weight that you have to allow per person for this, but its why you can't have certain combinations of options as that takes you below minimum payload, but you can retrofit them after registration.

 

[The Merle]

Its a risk - insurance may potentially be invalidated but they would have to prove being overweight was potentially a cause. As the van is designed to be 3.88tnne but downplated to 3.5tnne they would have a hard time proving it unless you were way over.

The fines for anything up to 5% overweight are minimal in the uk, in any event having found the nearest weigh bridge, their website states that they are only accurate to +/- 30kg

I understand that in Ireland the GC680 is sold as under 3.5tnne but with no rear seat belts to make it only a 2 seater.

At UK registration you have to have sufficient payload for the same number of passengers & their luggage that you have belted seats, I cant remember the weight that you have to allow per person for this, but its why you can't have certain combinations of options as that takes you below minimum payload, but you can retrofit them after registration.

I was told you have to allow for 75kg for each belted seat, the joker is only built on 3.2t now.

 

[B J G]

Its a risk - insurance may potentially be invalidated but they would have to prove being overweight was potentially a cause. As the van is designed to be 3.88tnne but downplated to 3.5tnne they would have a hard time proving it unless you were way over.

The fines for anything up to 5% overweight are minimal in the uk, in any event having found the nearest weigh bridge, their website states that they are only accurate to +/- 30kg

I understand that in Ireland the GC680 is sold as under 3.5tnne but with no rear seat belts to make it only a 2 seater.

At UK registration you have to have sufficient payload for the same number of passengers & their luggage that you have belted seats, I cant remember the weight that you have to allow per person for this, but its why you can't have certain combinations of options as that takes you below minimum payload, but you can retrofit them after registration.

If found overweight by DVSA or Police check that's when the Insurance issue kicks in also.
Never regarded £300 plus fines as minimal risk when I operated HGV's.

 

[andyinluton]

My insurance is not invalid if I am caught overweight at a roadside check. For peace of mind make your own checks with your own insurers. Same as its not if I get caught speeding or most other offences.

I would not call the fines in the Uk a huge risk -


Scale of fines cut & pasted without any editing from the DVLA website as of 23rd March 2022 unfortunately the table doesn't display quite correctly:


The table below shows the current graduated penalty levels for excess weight matters.

Severity Endorsable Fixed penalty amount
Less than 10% No £100
10% up to but not including 15% No £200
15% and over No £300
A £100 penalty will be given for a 0% to 9.99% overload, but DVSA examiners will allow a 5% leeway before issuing a fixed penalty or prohibition, unless the relevant weight has been exceeded by 1 tonne or more.

Normally, a fixed penalty would be inappropriate for serious cases of overloading - for example when the vehicle is overloaded by 30% and over, or the excess weight is 5 tonnes - so a court summons would be issued instead.

If the excess weight and the way the load is carried is having a significant effect on road safety - for example, serious instability or loss of control, these other offences will mean a court summons, with the excess weight being part of the offence/s.

 

[Jim2007]

My insurance is not invalid if I am caught overweight at a roadside check

Correct. Just like it’s not invalidated by travelling at excess speed, having a tyre under the legal minimum, not wearing a seatbelt and so on. Doing any of the above may reduce a payout if you are injured, but they don’t trump your insurer’s liability to third parties, and that’s what the law requires.

False declarations are another matter, however.

I’d be surprised if there are any members on here (driving our generally highly polished and well-maintained Californias) who have been taken off the roadside by a DVSA inspector and weighed, let alone the police.

DVSA press statements are a bit like TV Detector vans. Good in the press, but whether they actually follow through in to reality is another matter.

 

[Vagophile]

Of course, if you travel in Europe, things can get interesting.
I had a motorhome which a previous owner had down plated from 3850 to 3500 and bought a vignette when travelling through Austria. I was pulled over off the motorway and told that I should have had a Go Box. I showed the log book and they agreed that a vignette was appropriate. I don't know what details they have, but the policeman who dealt with me told me that they had recorded the change.
When crossing various borders Hungary/Bulgaria/Romania/Greece, you have a good chance of being randomly asked to drive onto a weighbridge. This happened to me when crossing to Bulgaria from Romania and I was about 220kg over weight. (this would still have been under the original plated weight and I could have dumped about 120kg of water). Luckily it was Easter day and the officials on duty were too merry to be concerned.

 

[leeb]

Just returned from H Ripley weighbridge, Hailsham.
GC 680
Aircon unit (35kg)
Thule Omnister awning (?40Kg)
Kathrein sat dish (15-20Kg)
Tow bar and rear door mounted Fiamma bike rack
Twin (full) Gaslow bottles
Full tank of diesel

Empty water tanks/loo/grey water.

All drawers/cupboards/fridge etc empty, no camping stuff at all

Total weight 3360Kg

Mrs B and myself around 150Kg....so we can pack up to 370 Kg

 

[WelshGas]

Hello,

Oh, that could be.

Beginning of the year we planned to go to Scandinavia. So I started to look into it. I can't remember 100% but it might be that some crossings (bridge or small ferries) charge more for "bigger" campers. But I might remember this wrong.

Kind regards,
Eberhard

Most tolls in Norway are under 3.5 Tons or over 3.5 Tons, but there are environmental discounts. You can register your vehicle and provide Emissions Data so you get the correct toll.
You can register with an account in which case the card registered is deducted appropriately or register without an account in which case you will be sent an account about 1 month after the last toll and you pay online.

Foreign vehicles

www.autopass.no

 

[The Merle]

Just returned from H Ripley weighbridge, Hailsham.
GC 680
Aircon unit (35kg)
Thule Omnister awning (?40Kg)
Kathrein sat dish (15-20Kg)
Tow bar and rear door mounted Fiamma bike rack
Twin (full) Gaslow bottles
Full tank of diesel

Empty water tanks/loo/grey water.

All drawers/cupboards/fridge etc empty, no camping stuff at all

Total weight 3360Kg

Mrs B and myself around 150Kg....so we can pack up to 370 Kg

Wow that’s lucky you aren’t a 3.5t then as 100l of water you would be nearly be maxed out.
270kg after water is plenty.

 

[andyinluton]

Wow that’s lucky you aren’t a 3.5t then as 100l of water you would be nearly be maxed out.
270kg after water is plenty.

That's why in the uk market all 680s are 3.88tnne an empty 600 weighs in about 190kg less than a 680 so a 3.5tnne 600 is a bit tight but still doable as long as you are sensible.

 

[The Merle]

That's why in the uk market all 680s are 3.88tnne an empty 600 weighs in about 190kg less than a 680 so a 3.5tnne 600 is a bit tight but still doable as long as you are sensible.

I misread there post thought they had a 600

 

[The Merle]

That's why in the uk market all 680s are 3.88tnne an empty 600 weighs in about 190kg less than a 680 so a 3.5tnne 600 is a bit tight but still doable as long as you are sensible.

How are you getting on with your GC are pleased with it?