# Ugrading / Uprating 97 Swift Royale weight limit



## riverboat2001 (Apr 2, 2009)

Hi All.
Just really starting to get to grips with our first "proper" motorhome.

Both Paul and I have pre-97 driving licences, and i also have a psv.

We have started loading up the van and when finished, i'm going to run it up to my friendly local tip, who will quite happily weigh it for a couple of quid "T money"

The manual is slightly confusing as it doesn't seem to give maximum axle weights.

Anyway, according to the "Swift Motorhome Owners Manual" for 97

Unladen Mass =2647kg
(Unladen Mass includes 75kg Allowance for driver plus maximum fuel limit)
Maximum Authorised Weight = 3400kg
Maximum Authorised Payload = 753kg

I thought this was pretty decent until i read the small print.

For 2.51 Turbo Diesel increase Unladen Mass and Decrease Payload by 120kg

So to sum up, us two, two dogs, fuel, water,gas,waste/solar panel/two big batteries....etc

I know this has an Alko chassis which should help the issue, but i'm wondering if i shoulld try to get it uprated? If so, what benefits would i get?

Finally can Swift fill in the blanks for the Axle Weights, i guess they are on the van, but i'm stuck in boring work at the mo!


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Glad you got your van at last! On our Kontiki there is a plate under the bonnet with all the weights on it. It should show you the max weight for each axle as well. Your doing the right thing getting it weighed as this is the only real way to find out. You will need however to make sure that the local tip can not only weigh the whole van but each axle independently as you can be under for the total weight but over on one axle. If they cant do it then there should be a weigh bridge nearby that can. My local one is Farmway who are a big Agricultural place. Costs a fiver for 3 print outs of total weight, rear axle weight and front axle weight. Since we got our new axle we could have upgraded by another 400KG but I havent bothered and perfer to keep it under 3500KG. In theory my payload is now nearly a ton.


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## riverboat2001 (Apr 2, 2009)

Cheers for that, the local tip does indeed do both axles for us, then gives us a total, always thought it was strange that they didn't add up!


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## riverboat2001 (Apr 2, 2009)

barryd said:


> Glad you got your van at last! On our Kontiki there is a plate under the bonnet with all the weights on it. It should show you the max weight for each axle as well. Your doing the right thing getting it weighed as this is the only real way to find out. You will need however to make sure that the local tip can not only weigh the whole van but each axle independently as you can be under for the total weight but over on one axle. If they cant do it then there should be a weigh bridge nearby that can. My local one is Farmway who are a big Agricultural place. Costs a fiver for 3 print outs of total weight, rear axle weight and front axle weight. Since we got our new axle we could have upgraded by another 400KG but I havent bothered and perfer to keep it under 3500KG. In theory my payload is now nearly a ton.


Did you only need to get it uprated due to the scooter on the back?


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

riverboat2001 said:


> barryd said:
> 
> 
> > Glad you got your van at last! On our Kontiki there is a plate under the bonnet with all the weights on it. It should show you the max weight for each axle as well. Your doing the right thing getting it weighed as this is the only real way to find out. You will need however to make sure that the local tip can not only weigh the whole van but each axle independently as you can be under for the total weight but over on one axle. If they cant do it then there should be a weigh bridge nearby that can. My local one is Farmway who are a big Agricultural place. Costs a fiver for 3 print outs of total weight, rear axle weight and front axle weight. Since we got our new axle we could have upgraded by another 400KG but I havent bothered and perfer to keep it under 3500KG. In theory my payload is now nearly a ton.
> ...


No, dont know if you recall but the last Axle the springs started to snap. We were on the limit weight wise but I dont think the axle was ever greased and they should be every year. All that driving across Europe in dusty conditions with max load and no grease and it started to go. The replacment Axle is the one with the torsion bars as the old one is not available any more. the new one would take the van from 3400KG to 3800kg so an increase in payload of 400KG I guess if I did the paperwork but Im not bothered. I think insurance goes up, there can be issues with breakdown recovery trucks and the resale value may drop as you are ruling out certain classes of drivers I believe so I just left it.


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## riverboat2001 (Apr 2, 2009)

Sorry Mate, probably being a bit thick here.

But is your maximum weight still 3500kg?

Do you have any problems with Payload? As i think our vans are very similar.

The payload on mine sounds quite large, but the devil on my shoulder is niggling at me a bit.

I'm getting a few bits done on my van and so am not ready to go to the weigh bridge yet!

Cheers
Sharon


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

No worries, it is quite complicated. Yes the official allowed payload is still 3500KG (or just under). I have around 690 KG _officially_ of payload. However with the new upgraded axle if I wanted to I could apply to have that increased to 3850KG giving me nearly a ton of payload. So officially my payload is the same but the van is capable of taking much more and it would only be a paper exercise to upgrade it but I wont bother as I dont need to.


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## riverboat2001 (Apr 2, 2009)

So judging by your reply, i should be pretty much okay.
I'm guessing after the gas bottle, the TV's and Laptops are the next heaviest item, plus us and the dogs of course.

Does the Alko chassis give you that extra weight capacity?

I'm a bit confused as to whether the manual for the van that gives the weight limits includes any allowances for the van.

Bit annoyed really was messing about in the van this morning and forgot to check the plate!


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I think the payload usually allows for one driver at 75KG and half a tank of fuel but I am not certain. The only way to be sure is to fill it with you, your family and all your bits and pieces for a trip and get down to the weigh bridge. Thats the only real way of seeing what you have left. I suspect you will be fine. ITs not like you have hung a motorbike off the back or added anything really heavy so you should have plenty. I think the more modern vans generally are more lardy and have more stuff in them and therefore less payload.


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