Broadway storage

eagerly waiting for our new Broadway EK TB LP to arrive hopefully in a couple of weeks:smile!: I'm looking at under chassis storage and wondering; is it a practical option?

Have any owners tried to source something like this?
Having been a caravanner over the last 30 years, I've always had a car to store items that don't store well in the van..e.g I've just purchased a couple of ramps they are quite large and bulky, an ideal item to fit under the MH if possible!


Ray

Hi Ray

Wait until you get the van and have loaded in all your stuff.

We manage OK, although it is a bit tight at times and we do have to be a bit careful. You will have an extra two feet of internal volume (illogical comment, but you know what I mean ) and it will make an enormous difference.

We have friends on this forum who just changed from a Nuevo to a lovely new Broadway, and they can't believe the extra storage space. You may well find you have more than enough room.

Dave

Ion't be easy to secure stuff underneath in a way whereby they can easily be brought out - esp if it's raining or dark.

The ever-practical Gromit has recently shown us a brilliant way of storing ramps on a bike rack. If you are installing a bike rack, that's an excellent solution to your problem.

I'll dig out the link and post it.

We have the 2014 EK TB LP and, with the spare wheel, gas tank and water tank under the van don't think there would be sufficient space to fit anything substantial. 

We carry 2 bikes, on a double bike rack. If you had a triple or even quadruple rack fitted then there would be ample space to fit the levelling blocks on the bike rack. 

What you do have to be careful of is the axle weight at the back. With the weighty kitchen at the back we found we were perilously close to the maximum weight back there; something to think of if you do add extras to the back.

There is a wet locker with outside only access and our levelling blocks fir in there along with the usual assortment of greases and sprays.  Under the driver's seat ( access from the footwell) there is a goodish space which will hold 2 tool boxes.

Thanks all for your ecouragment, my good wife worries more than I do about storage room...however..commitment made....it is what it is at the end of the day!
My worry, as noted! Is the weight....I carry approaching 100kg of astromomical photography gear (its very heavy) and I have convinced myself that I still have 400kg load capacity left out of the 500kg quoted in the Broadway specs!   (Nieve or what)...

Ray

I used to have this model which had plenty of storage under the bench seats, this will soon fill up, so my advice would be, to take only what you know you will actually use. I would place the levelers, electric cables etc near the outside access door to the storage area, saves lifting the seat all the time.

For our first long term trip which was for two months, we loaded the van very carefully, (nothing underneath) then weighed it at a local weighbridge to verify we were road legal.

I would also say storage underneath, from a safety point of view is deffinately  no.

This is a golden opportunity to discard things you carry, but never use.

Hope this helps
Leighton.

Cheers Leighton...yes I agree with the bench storage capacity, it does look capacious on the passenger side, less so on the drivers side! Battery etc stored there.
It's a learning curve..
If the quoted 500kg User payload capacity is to be believed..it sounds a lot, but it will get quickly eaten into.
To be honest, I don't fully understand what constitutes (user payload)..and the weigh bridge is a necessity for me!

Ray

Be careful with what is specified as "user payload" Be aware that it  does not include anything fitted post conversion; eg winter kit, upgraded heater, awning, bike rack and so on. When we bought our van the payload figures given in the online spec and in the brochure did not agree. This was sorted and a new brochure issued but it meant we had less payload than we originally bargained for. 

We have up-plated to 3800 kg to give us peace of mind but that still does not alter the issue of mass stored behind the rear wheels and the rear axle payload.  

We are quite spare campers and we do go away for up to 3 months at a time but have never missed anything and have never been overweight.  We usually travel with plenty of water as we are never sure where we will be for the night and if water will be available.

Yes Quilter..up- plating is something I'm considering might ...I stress might! Be an option for me!
This kind of info really helps me to form a wider viewpoint on what I need to consider and how to get the best out of the Broadway for our uses!
I'm simply new to Motor homes and though I recognise there are lots of similarities to caravanning, there are differences that require some consideration.
E.g one of the first things I will do, will be to fit air suspension...aka...air assist to the rear.
This I feel is a good thing but of course it has its pit falls..additional weight being one..
So when I've finished with all the additional fittings, up-plating may be a necessity but if I can, I will try to avoid it!

I've read avidly comments about all aspects re: motors homes on this forum..it is; at least to me! Indispensable.

Ray

Re: my last post....can I ask...is front axle weight as limited as rear axle?

Ray

Usually the front axle loading is less  critical. Weight placed behind the rear axle, transfers extra weight onto the rear, off the front. The "User Payload" actually available depends a lot on where in the van you put the load.

Cheers Peter

Ray

Hi Ray

A suggestion.

Wait until you have identified a need or a problem before you fix it!

Initial enthusiasm is great and it affects us all - but you should see some of our lofts and garages!!!!  Loads of "must have" gadgets and gizmos that filled up the storage space in the van, were carried around for several years and used twice. Hence their final resting place.

Will you really need air suspension? Admittedly much of it is unsprung weight, but it still registers on the weighbridge and as said already, rear axle loadings are often not very generous.

Dave

Hi Dave yes I do accept that point of view..
Truth is...I don't know if I need it or not, but my commitment to air assist is based upon what I see as a concencous both from this forum and others that it has benefits over and above its gizmo status.
Handling, softening the ride, sagging prevention, a little bit of levelling use etc.
Will I regret it? ....a good question, however I have budgeted for it and I hope that it's a wise decision, I'll certainly feed back after a good trial period has passed.

Ray

Ray: once you have the van, before you add anything to it at all, you might like to make use of this site: 

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

and weigh it.  Ask at the weighbridge that they do the full weigh which gives you front axle mass, rear axle mass and total mass. That will give you a better idea than the rather mythical " user payload" of what you have to play with and whether doing an up- plate is going to be desirable.  

We have tried, between vans, getting everything in one place and weighing each item individually, then allowing X kg for each of us and 100+ kg for water and so on. Fine as far as it goes but then you come to the dozens of last minute bits that " don't really weigh anything" and the food and drink bought en route and it soon adds up. 

There are times when you wish you'd gone for narrow boating instead....

Ray, I fitted the Dunlop air suspension on my Devon and it added 14Kgs to the weight. The jury is still out on the benefits. It certainly doesn't soften the ride since it goes between the axle and the chassis and once you put air in it it effectively stiffens the springs.

Cheers Willy, that's useful info, I'll research a little more.

Ray

Ray, one thing to remember re payload is, don't travel with very much water in your tank, this can be filled on arrival at a camp site. I say this, as 100 litres of water equates to 100kg. I know some on this forum will disagree with this, but they tend to use Aires or similar and will carry copious amounts, but it is a saving worth using if payload is not enough.

Leighton

Bad Penny wrote:Ray, one thing to remember re payload is, don't travel with very much water in your tank, this can be filled on arrival at a camp site. I say this, as 100 litres of water equates to 100kg. I know some on this forum will disagree with this, but they tend to use Aires or similar and will carry copious amounts, but it is a saving worth using if payload is not enough.

Leighton

No, you're absolutely right Leighton. It does seem daft to go around with the extra 100 kg or so of water if you don't ever intend to camp away from a ready source of supply. 

However, the snag is that we, and many others, do both sorts of stops and need to be prepared, weight-wise, for both. If you work on the assumption that you will never, ever need to carry more than the odd 5 litres of water for en route use and you pack your van to close to capacity, then, should you do want to use an aire, Brit Stop, France Passion or the like and be prepared with enough water, your only choice is to go over-weight or ditch some of the things you packed originally.

I don't subscribe to the opinion that we'll never get caught so it doesn't matter. I don't want to be overweight because it has implications for braking, control and so on.  

We pack light so that we can, if we need to, carry enough water to see us over a few days showering, washing up and washing without going over the limit. Many is the time we have been glad we did so !

Have to agree with Quilter as we have similar holiday habits, and without wishing to be too rude (snigger! ) when you see some people get out of their van you wonder if they are overloaded on the front axle!!

I'm not joking either - if both Mr and Mrs are 4 or 5 stone overweight (which is not too unusual these days) that's quite a lot of extra payload gone, which they probably have not factored into the equation. Payload is a bit of a minefield anyway, and you shouldn't take the figures quoted in the handbook as gospel, although A/S are nowhere near as "optimistic" as some! The weighbridge is the only way to get the truth.

With a small van we have no option to pack fairly light, but for peace of mind I put the bikes on the back, filled up with diesel, filled the fresh and waste water tanks, and with everything ready for a holiday we got the van weighed with both of us in it - and the dog!!

Very shortly afterwards I was in contact with SVTech to get the van plated from 3300kg up to 3500kg - and we still have to be a bit careful! It's quite surprising where the weight comes from!

Dave

The water capacity whilst traveling is an interesting one, with a capacity of 100+ litres there's opportunity to save quite a bit by running perhaps half full or less.
Fortunately we don't impose too much on the passenger / driver allowance.
I'm glad we chose the Broadway as our first MH, it's a nice vehicle and as quoted earlier, has a little more storage potential on its wheelbase.
Just getting eager to get it now and put all the good advice into practise

Ray

Just looked up the figures as I couldn't remember.

Only 75kg per passenger is allowed for in calculating the maximum user payload. That's less than 12 stone in old money, and is clearly not enough in many cases.

Mrs Gromit and I are both well within our BMI green zones (which means we are fairly slim) and our combined weights are almost exactly 150kg. Anyone who is substantially overweight should take that into serious consideration.

As Quilter intimated, it's unlikely that one will be pulled up and checked on a weighbridge, but it does happen and the consequences do nothing to enhance a relaxed and enjoyable holiday.  

Dave


P.S. Bike racks (and bikes of course) towbars, roof boxes, air con units etc., etc., soon gobble up the payload - not to mention the amount of wine some folk bring back across the Channel!

Currently on our first trip in our Broadway after having Dunlop air suspension fitted
My findings are, so far, the additional weight is more than offset by the difference in ride quality.
We have a fiamma ultrabox fitted to the cycle rack and store the water tanks,  chairs and table within.
These are bulky items and we find this frees up space in without too much weight being added to the rear.

JT

Encouraging JT how did you choose your air assist?

Ray

I was having a chat with the chap  who recently did my habitation service.
He has an Autotrail and was espousing the virtues of his.
He fitted the full Dunlop kit with compressor. He liked the ease of fitting and the mounts are galvanised.
I do not have the compressor fitted but each bellow can be individually inflated and deflated by scrader valves to the RHS of the steering column.
They are on a purpose made plate and fit in the small recess with twin pressure gauges. They were supplied by Marcle Leisure
Big difference on roundabouts, passing wagons and a smoother ride.
It looks like a good move.

JT