Pam's weight problem

[pamsicle]

OK that got your attention. What I mean is I was under the impression that the Romini weighed 375kgs. My tow car Fiat Panda 1.1 can tow up to 800kgs. 85% of that is about 714 kgs(I think). BUT on reading the spec info from the brochure that Niloc(thanks again) supplied. It say's the max gross weight is 600 kilos. In which case that does not leave me a lot of weight to play with, when loading up the van. what is the difference with the 2 weights. Will I be buying another car? Pam

[Twolitre]

OK that got your attention. What I mean is I was under the impression that the Romini weighed 375kgs. My tow car Fiat Panda 1.1 can tow up to 800kgs. 85% of that is about 714 kgs(I think). BUT on reading the spec info from the brochure that Niloc(thanks again) supplied. It say's the max gross weight is 600 kilos. In which case that does not leave me a lot of weight to play with, when loading up the van. what is the difference with the 2 weights. Will I be buying another car? Pam

Hi Pam,
The figure for your car means you can haul a heavier caravan or trailer than your Romini with that car. A bigger car might be capable of more, but your Romini suspension is the deciding factor for the 600 kilos specified.
It means you have 225 kilos (about 4.5cwt) "payload" capacity in the Romini.
Surely that is adequate? If not you should be able to carry the rest in your car?
Jim.

[pamsicle]

Pam's weight

thanks Jim. I was having a little mini panic. I had noticed on the way back from Berwick that I seemed to be struggling a bit on inclines. But everything was in the van (heavy stuff over the axles).Maybe should have put some stuff in the car duh! It's amazing how much I've forgotten in the 11 years since I last caravanned. Pam

[Twolitre]

OK that got your attention. What I mean is I was under the impression that the Romini weighed 375kgs. My tow car Fiat Panda 1.1 can tow up to 800kgs. 85% of that is about 714 kgs(I think). BUT on reading the spec info from the brochure that Niloc(thanks again) supplied. It say's the max gross weight is 600 kilos. In which case that does not leave me a lot of weight to play with, when loading up the van. what is the difference with the 2 weights. Will I be buying another car? Pam

Pam, I have just looked at the brochure and the max weight is 650kg not 600kg. That gives you another 50kg (about 1cwt) to play with. Of course, spreading the same load between car and van will not give better performance, Just save damage to the Romini.
On the subject of the brochure. I suddenly realised that someone once passed me a photocopied version years ago. I have found it and while the front and back pages are the same (though in black and white) there are two further pages. As soon as I can figure out how I will put them on the Forum.
I'm afraid that 1100cc will not give you very sparkling performance when towing. You can help by making sure all essential contents are as light as possible. For instance, Melamine crockery is much lighter than pottery. Which is a start. And leave all the silver tableware at home!
Jim.
P.S. I like your Avatar! The first time I saw that from a distance I thought an aeroplane had crashed tail-first into the ground!

[pamsicle]

Pam's seats

Exactly Jim. That is what I've always said about it. That a plane had taken a nose dive. But you've got to admit, it is certainly an eye catcher and when I see it, I know I haven't got far to go. Pam

[pamsicle]

Pam's weight

Pam, I have just looked at the brochure and the max weight is 650kg not 600kg. That gives you another 50kg (about 1cwt) to play with. Of course, spreading the same load between car and van will not give better performance, Just save damage to the Romini.
On the subject of the brochure. I suddenly realised that someone once passed me a photocopied version years ago. I have found it and while the front and back pages are the same (though in black and white) there are two further pages. As soon as I can figure out how I will put them on the Forum.
I'm afraid that 1100cc will not give you very sparkling performance when towing. You can help by making sure all essential contents are as light as possible. For instance, Melamine crockery is much lighter than pottery. Which is a start. And leave all the silver tableware at home!
Jim.
P.S. I like your Avatar! The first time I saw that from a distance I thought an aeroplane had crashed tail-first into the ground!

You're right about the tow car. I never noticed when I was just taking it 5 minutes down the road to the caravan place and that did include going up and down a hill with no problem. But going to Berwick I did feel the xtra weight even though I thought I'd packed carefully. I'll either have to pack lighter(darn there goes the silver candleabra) or get a bigger car. I know which is cheaper. Pam

[jayjay]

They say you can tow mine with a mini, harharhar, my 1600 auto struggles a bit going up long slow hills, I have a 650kg max payload. The minimum is 450kg, so I have 200kg to play with before I'm overladen. You can feel any car pull a caravan, no matter what size up a hill. My dad has an 1800cc new corsa and he can feel his lightweight 'van on the back going up hills as well. from what I've read, towing anything - you will feel it there, especially when on loaded weight.

One thing I have noticed, twice now on the way home, the 'van had been 'twitchy'. Puzzled over that for a while, the same stuff coming and going home? Yes, but less the food in the fridge, and some tins less.

I wouldn't have thought that an empty fridge and a few less tins would have made that much difference, but in a microlite 'van it seems to. Everything else is the same, so that must be the answer.

...unless it's because I just throw things anywhere when I'm coming home... life is too short. Spic and span going, but upside down going home. I really must try harder!

[Twolitre]

You're right about the tow car. I never noticed when I was just taking it 5 minutes down the road to the caravan place and that did include going up and down a hill with no problem. But going to Berwick I did feel the xtra weight even though I thought I'd packed carefully. I'll either have to pack lighter(darn there goes the silver candleabra) or get a bigger car. I know which is cheaper. Pam

I must confess that I have never tried towing mine with a car engine as small as that. My usual car has a twolitre (surprise, surprise!) engine and probably weighs less than yours. I know it is capable of towing the Romini at over 75 miles an hour! I'm not telling you how I know, nor would I like you to think that is my norm. But that illustrates the difference in engine size. By the way, at that speed the van is absolutely stable. Wouldn't like to think I had to stop in a hurry though.
I do not carry more of anything than I need. I carry enough tinned stuff for an emergency meal and the same with water. The toilet is always primed, but empty (when I start!) and I always carefully consider what clothes I need and what I can do without. It is amazing how much stuff that is not really needed accumulates. Remember that however high that hill is your car has to LIFT its own and the van weight VERTICALLY to whatever height the hill is and the steeper it is the more quickly it has to try to do it!
Now for the Benediction...........
Jim.

[pamsicle]

Pam's weight

I really noticed on long slow hills, the drag. My foot on the floor most of the time. I'm sure I wasn't overladen. Still confused about how much a Romini actually weighs. I've heard 375kg quoted lot's of times. The spec in the brochure quote gross weight 650kgs. The max for my car is 800kgs but doing the 85% thing it is actually 714kgs. If the weight of the Romini is 650kgs, then I don't have a lot to play with. Which weight do I actually go off?
Pamhttp://www.smallmotorhome.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/confused.gif

[pamsicle]

Pam's weight

:I really noticed on long slow hills, the drag. My foot on the floor most of the time. I'm sure I wasn't overladen. Still confused about how much a Romini actually weighs. I've heard 375kg quoted lot's of times. The spec in the brochure quote gross weight 650kgs. The max for my car is 800kgs but doing the 85% thing it is actually 714kgs. If the weight of the Romini is 650kgs, then I don't have a lot to play with. Which weight do I actually go off?
Pam

[Twolitre]

I really noticed on long slow hills, the drag. My foot on the floor most of the time. I'm sure I wasn't overladen. Still confused about how much a Romini actually weighs. I've heard 375kg quoted lot's of times. The spec in the brochure quote gross weight 650kgs. The max for my car is 800kgs but doing the 85% thing it is actually 714kgs. If the weight of the Romini is 650kgs, then I don't have a lot to play with. Which weight do I actually go off?
Pamhttp://www.smallmotorhome.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/confused.gif

The 650kg is the designed "SAFE" WEIGHT of the Romini and has nothing to do with the capabilities of the tow car.
The 800kg is the designed "SAFE" weight for the tow car can pull (design and mechanical capability of the car) and is not to be confused with the WEIGHT of the car.
THEY ARE NOT RELATED.
The 85% figure is the figure used to (try to) ensure the "tail cannot wag the dog" even with novice drivers. That is calculated using the KERBSIDE WEIGHT of the car (not its towing capability) and will in your case, I think, be higher than the fully laden recommended van weight. I have said "I think" because I do not know the kerbside weight of your car.
Oh dear, Another Sermon.
Regards, Jim.

[Twolitre]

Sorry Pam, I'm sticking my nose in again!!

Part of tackling hills when towing is anticipation.
Try to anticipate early the steepnes of a hill and change gear early to keep the engine spinning. The torque (turning power) of the engine falls dramatically as engine speed falls below mid-range. For your car I think you should try not to let the revs. fall below about 3000 when climbing hills. If you have no rev. counter, experiment. Your ears will soon tell you what engine speed is critical.
Jim.

[pamsicle]

Pam's weight

The kerb weight of my car is 840kgs

Pam

[jayjay]

Hi Pam,

try doing an outfit match on http://www.whattowcar.com/basic_3.php

You might not find your particular make of car (I used a fiat punto 1200cc 8 valve) and my Kip Kompakt 300 classic as a tow car as there isn't a Romini. The Predom range are a similar weight too. The results I got seem with this match seem to bear out your experiences, the engine is too small.

Like Jim, I have also had to watch the rev counter and shift down gears to go up a hill.

[pamsicle]

Pam's weight

Hi Pam,

try doing an outfit match on http://www.whattowcar.com/basic_3.php

You might not find your particular make of car (I used a fiat punto 1200cc 8 valve) and my Kip Kompakt 300 classic as a tow car as there isn't a Romini. The Predom range are a similar weight too. The results I got seem with this match seem to bear out your experiences, the engine is too small.

Like Jim, I have also had to watch the rev counter and shift down gears to go up a hill.

So much for being able to tow with a mini. I'm going to try another run early September up the Northumberland coast. I'll take the bare minimum and see how I cope. I'm a bit disappointed. I thought I'd be able to tow with my Panda, that's why I bought the Romini. I'll have to think about my car(next year) Pam