I'm a bit overweight and panicking

[emiloberg]

Hi,

I'm panicking a bit here. Me and my girlfriend just started our 6 months trip, planning to go through Europe and Eastern Africa.

Stupid enough we didn't weigh our 2010 2.5D Dual Cab, flatbed, with camper, before we took off. I was convinced that our camper was light weight. However, yesterday we drove into a weigh station, which showed 3100 kilos and 1800 kilos when only the rear wheels was at the scale. This is a fair bit over the numbers on our registration papers, which is:

• Total weight: 2715 kg
• Unladen/Curb weight: 2095 kg
• Max payload: 620 kg
• Axis: 1280 kg / 1600 kg

Notice the really low payload, which I think may have something to do with taxation brackets, but I'm not sure. When googling for specifications for a 2010 D-Cab I've never seen a figure so low

I've new Old Man Emu suspension all around, +80 kg in front to handle the bull bar and +400 kg at the back.

Legality is one thing, safety is another.

• Is this dangerous when it comes to the car, like can I snap the frame, break suspension, etc?
• Is this dangerous when driving?
• Can I do anything about this? Like up-rate it? I can throw out some luggage, but as the camper weights quite a bit, I can never cut 400 kg.

I'm not all to good with cars, which makes my anxiety levels go really high right now.

[dave g]

You need a GVM up grade.
Don't know what the rules are in Sweden

[emiloberg]

Thanks, that I knew! The vehicle will be outside of Sweden for a long time. I’m interested in if driving like this could be dangerous or damage the car.

[DeadlyBeast]

Yes - it is possible to break the rear chassis. But you dont appear to be running airbags so that is in your favour

Yes danger risk goes up with weight - braking distances will be greatly increased

You could get a brake up grade which will help to a degree. Could try to get in touch with artic trucks and see it they can help with brake upgrade parts. At the very least get some softer compound brake pads and flush new brake fluid.
Seeing that you have already started your trip take it easy, drive slow over bumps, and maintain extra traveling distances

[emiloberg]

Thank you! And yes you saw that right, no airbags.

Might be hard to answer but what would you do in my situation?

I’ve had a friends Hilux which has been GVM up-rated a few years back. They added a spring (extra suspension i take it) between the rear axis and the chassi. That might be something I could find here in Italy (even if I won’t get any new ratings in my official papers)

Thanks again!

[HK1837]

Tyre loading. Check that, 1800kg rear axle means at least 900kg per tyre. Rims will be overloaded too.

[DeadlyBeast]

Good point HK

Might be hard to answer but what would you do in my situation?

In your situation I'd lighten the load by ditching anything i havnt used in the past 2 weeks - apart from the esentials.

In Italy? Definately do anything possible to upgrade brakes.... those guys are nuts behind the wheel.
Id imagine travel through the alps , Austria and Switzerland will be on the itinerary? Brakes brakes brakes.

Your leaf pack still has some curve to it - not flat yet so just keep monitoring it. Even if you can ditch as little as 100kg those leaves might just hold up until you can get gvm upgrade done

[emiloberg]

Tyre loading. Check that, 1800kg rear axle means at least 900kg per tyre. Rims will be overloaded too.

I'm not totally sure I understod you.

Looking at the specs for my tires, BFGoodrich T/A KO2, 245/70/16, it says that max load is 1150 kg at 4.48 bar (65 psi, which is also max pressure). However, I'm currently running them om 3.2 bar. How would that affect the max load?

Did I understand you correctly?

[emiloberg]

Good point HK

In your situation I'd lighten the load by ditching anything i havnt used in the past 2 weeks - apart from the esentials.

In Italy? Definately do anything possible to upgrade brakes.... those guys are nuts behind the wheel.
Id imagine travel through the alps , Austria and Switzerland will be on the itinerary? Brakes brakes brakes.

Your leaf pack still has some curve to it - not flat yet so just keep monitoring it. Even if you can ditch as little as 100kg those leaves might just hold up until you can get gvm upgrade done

100 kg I can probably ditch. Hopefully a tad bit more, but we're not talking massive amounts here.

Other way around, I'm going south. Came from Sweden and intend to ship from Italy down to Egypt (talking about nuts behind the wheels...) and then continue south down to South Africa. So a long 6 months trip, on bumpy roads. Hence my idea of trying to get an Italian shop to do a GVM upgrade (but of course I wont be able to get it on paper until I get it back to Sweden and jump through all the hoops of the Swedish department of motorvehicle).

Or should I just get back to Sweden, get the GVM upgrade and call that month a loss? I'm quite convinced that I won't have any legal problems because of this going south, but I want to keep safe!

[HK1837]

If they are 1150kg then the tyres are OK, but the wheels probably wont be. Probably a mute point though as all the bearings, axles, control arms etc are also overloaded. Plus the clutch, these are notoriously weak.
As Deadlybeast says, brakes as well.
The GVW is correct. In Australia a 2010 Xtra cab diesel is 2710kg for the diesel or 2730kg for the V6. Kerb Weight you have is variable, in Australia they estimate 1795-1860kg for the SR and 1810-1865 for the SR5, both diesels. 1705-1750kg for the V6.

[emiloberg]

If they are 1150kg then the tyres are OK, but the wheels probably wont be. Probably a mute point though as all the bearings, axles, control arms etc are also overloaded. Plus the clutch, these are notoriously weak.
As Deadlybeast says, brakes as well.

When doing a GVM upgrade, how do they deal with added stress on parts like these? Looking at the GVM upgrade "kits" from Ironman and ARB, they only seem to change the suspension (not even the brakes). Or do they simply just don't do anything about it?

[HK1837]

They’d have to assess all that as part of the Engineering done for the upgrade. When you look at the stuff GMH changed between a Holden ute/van with a 2200kg GVW to go to 2660kg GVW on a cab-chassis it is a fair bit:

Massively bigger rear axles, heavily heat treated.
Heavier springs.
Rear wheel bearing retainer twice as large.
Heat treated front stub axles.
Fully welded centres on all wheels.
Bigger front and rear uni joints.
Massive tailshaft.
V8 diff used regardless of engine.
Heavier duty radiator.
Bigger clutch.

Some for reliability but most for the extra load.

[dave g]

For where you are on your trip. I wood fit a helper spring and not stress adout it. If you haven't had any brack issues just get same softer pads to help with the weight.
Having softer pads grab a couple of spare sets.

Than keep all of us up to date on your trip travel safe and have fun


P.s. if you check the in side of the rims they will be stamped with their maximum weight to give you peace of mind.

[emiloberg]

@HK1837, Once again, thanks!

Found a 4x4 mechanic in Italy (actually thanks to looking at the distributor list of ARB). We’re in that town right now and will drive there when they open tomorrow morning. Hopefully the can assess the situation. And help us.

Drive on to another weighbridge today just to get a second opinion. It showed the same, 3100kg. I measured the front and rear axis by only having the front/rear wheels on the scale (this should give the axis weight, right?) and the front axis is just below allowed weight whereas the rear axis is about 200 kg above. (Because if you add the allowed rear and front axis weights together, they’re a bit more than the total maximum weight of the car)

[emiloberg]

For where you are on your trip. I wood fit a helper spring and not stress adout it. If you haven't had any brack issues just get same softer pads to help with the weight.
Having softer pads grab a couple of spare sets.

Than keep all of us up to date on your trip travel safe and have fun


P.s. if you check the in side of the rims they will be stamped with their maximum weight to give you peace of mind.

Thanks a million! Makes me stress out (a little ) less!

Will most definitely look into the breaks, but so far in Italy I’ve had to panic push the breaks a few times for more than one Fiat Punto who thinks its wise to turn out on a street without looking... breaks feels solid. But of course this is at speeds < 70 km/h.

[gaspergartner]

You have very little options for GVM upgrade in Europe for 2010 hilux.

Trip-tec in Germany has the neareat configuration for hardware as yours, maybe you can call them and ask:
https://www.trip-tec.de/auflastung-fuer ... ung-202113

There was someone that I read who managed to upgrade to UK specs, because hardware is suposedly the same It was just Toyotas decision to write in lower values. But this option will give you only 200 kg aditional or around there somewhere. And I think this is only for the 2011+ model.

All other options include air suspension (MAD) or are more expensive (Nestle).

What did happen when you got weighet, did they let you back on the road?

[ktm300]

Not that this is related but recently i walked past a ford ranger being used as a 5th wheeler
'so turn table in the back of a dual cab < so I thought i would have a look at his rear springs
and you wouldnt believe it they were flat sitting on the bump stops (nothing left)
.
So there are plenty of fools out there and no doubt he would be the first to complain when it snaps in half.

[nicebike]

Tyre loading. Check that, 1800kg rear axle means at least 900kg per tyre. Rims will be overloaded too.

I'm not totally sure I understod you.

Looking at the specs for my tires, BFGoodrich T/A KO2, 245/70/16, it says that max load is 1150 kg at 4.48 bar (65 psi, which is also max pressure). However, I'm currently running them om 3.2 bar. How would that affect the max load?

Did I understand you correctly?

There is a rule of thumb to let you determine tyre pressure, particularly for highway running. Called the "4PSI Rule" . It is described in this article.

https://www.outbacktravelaustralia.com. ... -pressures

Briefly - check tyres cold. After they have warmed up (maybe an hour on the road) check again. Increase of more than four PSI means cold pressures are too low. Less than four PSI increase means cold pressures are too high.

Other tyre info in the article will also be helpful for you, particularly in Africa.

[HK1837]

Not that this is related but recently i walked past a ford ranger being used as a 5th wheeler
'so turn table in the back of a dual cab < so I thought i would have a look at his rear springs
and you wouldnt believe it they were flat sitting on the bump stops (nothing left)
.
So there are plenty of fools out there and no doubt he would be the first to complain when it snaps in half.

I saw a D40 Navara Xtra cab being used as a 5th wheeler recently, and a BIG trailer at that. The Xtra cab in these was only ever available in the lower power 2.5L grenade, and manual only. Imagine having that coming at you on the freeway! You have to wonder sometimes what people are thinking. I can only praise the OP (emiloberg) for thinking about the issue and trying to solve it or at least make it safer and make informed decisions on what he is doing. Some people don't even understand GVW (or GCM for that matter), even worse some do but choose to ignore it. I have a feeling someone is going to have to die as a direct result of overloading before the road Authorities take it seriously enough to start blanket defecting such cars for over-GVW, over-size tyres, over-GCM etc. To me a 4x4 with tyres bigger than allowed or towing something in excess of its capacity is far worse (driver actions aside) than a lowered Commodore with loud exhaust, yet the Police will very quickly pick on these and defect them

[emiloberg]

Hi all!

So I’m currently sitting in the parking lot outside a 4x4 mechanic in Italy. Unfortunately they’re all fully booked for weeks with all the Wranglers next to me.

However I had a chat with them and their solution would be to add another leaf to my Old Man Emu leaf pack. I already have the 400 kg leaves (EL045R). Old Man Emu says about that extra leaf (EL13XL) that it will “increase the loading capacity at design height by approximately 200kg).

Good thing is that they have those leaves in stock for not much money at all, and all we need to do is to find a mechanic to install them.

Adding that leaf and replacing the break pads, how does that sound to you guys? Will we make it through Africa without a major breakdown?