I remember discovering how poor the brake was with the 500 kg load last
time. I was behind an 18 wheeler. I suddenly saw smoke behind the rear
tires from the truck. It was very scary that I had to pull the brake
hard with 500 kg of load on the Westy. I did drive at 65 MPH when
the traffic became lighter on the freeway.

I guess I will need to either go ahead and drive slower or have a friend
to help with another truck. I have to haul the whole thing once . I can't
take half and return to get another half. The tires will be critical
for the load. I will make sure they are properly inflated.

David

--- Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:

> 700 kgs =1540 pounds. I think that puts a Westy close or at overload. You
> won't do any immediate damage if the tires are up to the task and the
> weight is evenly distributed. Why not make two trips?  If you go the
> trailer route it needs brakes. Braking would be the biggest concern
> especially on the 83. Consider the liability issues should you get into an
> accident if you are over the GVWR of the vehicle.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> David Kao
> Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 1:48 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: How much weight of a load can a 83.5 Westy haul?
>
> I anticipate a need to haul a load of about 700 kgs of stuff for
> 60 miles on the freeway. I have done it before for about 500 kgs.
> But this time it will be about 700 kgs. My tires are reinforced
> tires with at least half of the tread remaining. Can a Westy with
> a 1.9 WBX engine handle such a load? It's not a question about
> if the engine is able to haul such a weight. It is a question
> about the Westy chassis. Will such a weight cause any damage
> to the suspension (rear and front) of a 83.5 Westy? Maybe I
> should use a trailer instead. I believe it will be fine if I use
> a trailer.
>
> David
>