# Rapido 983F unladen weight/payload- info please



## waterloo (Mar 6, 2009)

Hi,
Can anyone help me in finding out what the payload of an 983F is.
For such a large van, a 3500kg MAM seems small.
thanks
terry


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## ColinC (Oct 19, 2007)

*Rapido 983f Unladen Weight etc*

Hi Terry

You do not say which year yours is but I suspect there will not be much difference from year to year. The 2008 technical spec published by Rapido gives the 'vide' (ie empty) weight as 3100kg. Bear in mind that this is not a totally unladen weight because it assumes fuel and water tanks 90% full and an allowance of 75kg for the driver. However the published weight also has a caveat that there is a +/-5% margin. ie individual vans can (and do) vary. Furthermore this does not include carpets, oven etc for the UK market and you have to add on things like awning or bike rack if fitted.

The only safe way to answer your question is to go to a public weighbridge (the one local to me only charges £7) and weigh the van empty. You then know how much payload you have left and can plan your packing accordingly.

By way of example, my van is a 9048df with a published 'vide' weight of 3080 (very similar to the 983f). I established from having it weighed that it is nearly 100kg heavier (partly because we had awning and bike rack fitted). So my payload was about 25% less than I had anticipated when buying the van. We have had to be quite careful about what we take, and avoid filling the water tank except when stationary on site.

I believe it is possible to replate the vans to 3700 or 3800 without uprateing chassis etc. You would need to speak to a specialist Rapido dealer such as Wokingham Motorhomes.

I hope this helps. PM me if you need any other info.

Colin


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## sirhandel (Mar 5, 2008)

waterloo said:


> Hi,
> Can anyone help me in finding out what the payload of an 983F is.
> For such a large van, a 3500kg MAM seems small.
> thanks
> terry


We have a 783f - the payload f is 460kgs which is not generous but manageable. We filled it up recently ready for a trip and took it to a weighbridge. With 2 up, full fuel tank, 20 ltrs water, 50cc scooter, mountain bike, awning, folding chairs, BBQ, spare wheel, food, books, clothes, self-seeking sat dish/TV, 126w solar panel, extra leisure battery, 2x6kg gas bottles, etc we were at 3470kg so you have to be careful especially if more than 2 up. But amazing what you can pack into 460kgs.
We went for the 3500kg to avoid any hassles with drivers license when I'm 70.


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## sirhandel (Mar 5, 2008)

sirhandel said:


> waterloo said:
> 
> 
> > Hi,
> ...


Having said that - for peace of mind I have now uprated my Rapido 783f from 3500 to 3700 kgs. Quite straightforward - ring SVtech (ask for Gareth Marsh) who supply the necessary certificate for a fee of £248+VAT and then you need to visit your local DVLA office with an armful of documention - they will give you a new tax disc, V5C and a refund on your license fee. Always got the option of downrating to 3500 kgs at 70 if medical conditions dictate.


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