Weight matters

Just had Rufus weighed at Hatfield weighbridge. The operator tells me it's closing down in March due to lack of customers, which is sad but a sign of the times!

Result = 2420kg overall gross weight,
Front axle = 1260kg,
This includes full petrol and LPG tanks and important stuff like the spare wheel, jack and electric cable but excludes all people, clothes, food, water and bedding.

That means the payload is 2800mvw - 2420miro = 380kg

So we've got 380kg to play with which on my very basic reckoning should be more than sufficient. It's more than I thought and I'll stop mentioning the weight in every conversation from now on, maybe!

Where can the spare wheel go?

LPG is definitely a great purchase, but the only place for the tank takes the spare wheel bay under the back of the transporter... So, for 2 months the spare wheel has entertained me no end with it's passive company inside the van. Every movement or door opening or guided tour has involved first moving the really quite dirty steel chappie. So, it had to be evicted.

The logical place is on the rear of the van, replacing the bike rack. We're unlikely to want use of the bike rack, so some sort of replacement construction to hold the wheel is what's needed.

Cue genius and skilled contacts who know about this sort of thing and following some cold and frosty days of fabrication, drilling, welding, grinding and painting we have a rather great addition to the van. The wheel has been evicted and the whole internal experience is massively improved. Thank you Richard.