General Fiat 500 Twin Air Lounge

[chas379]

I have recently purchased a new Fiat 500 Twin Air Lounge and am used to going to France a couple of time a years to purchase wine. With 2 adults up front and the rear seats folded down plus taking into account the boot space, what weight is safe enough to carry? A case of 6 bottles weigh 14lb. (1 stone)

 

[frupi]

Mmm, I'd check the handbook for safe weights if I were you. Last Sunday, I bought a small chest freezer which fitted perfectly in our 500 sideways (seats down) with all the packaging on. I think it said that the freezer weighed 27 kilos on the packaging. However, if you consider that you can just about comfortably get two 15 stone people (I am 6 feet 2 inches and 15 stone by the way) sat on the back seat, you could probably carry a fair bit! Just remember, you might want to put extra air in the rear tyres to compensate for any additional weight, but again, check the handbook - you don't want to pop your rear shocks or get stopped by the boyz in blue for scraping the tarmac!

 

[306maxi]

You're not likely to overload the car. The weight details should be on a plate somewhere in the car. You're not going to pop your shocks or be scraping on the tarmac unless you have the whole rear of the car filled with wine.

 

[loveshandbags]

I have recently purchased a new Fiat 500 Twin Air Lounge and am used to going to France a couple of time a years to purchase wine. With 2 adults up front and the rear seats folded down plus taking into account the boot space, what weight is safe enough to carry? A case of 6 bottles weigh 14lb. (1 stone)

I went to France about 2 years ago with a mate in a newish 525D saloon with an M tech suspension and and we loaded the car up with wine. You could really feel the weight in the car.
On a trip down country where I purchased some blue bangor tiles carrying 80 of them was fine but on the last trip I greedily carried 100 - the car (Marea weekender) was never the same afterwards.
Looking at the 'carrying capacity' of the 500 as 440kgs (including the driver) - it isn't that much. I personally would be concerned on the effect of shortening the life of the rear shocks if you overloaded that car and travelled on a 'bumpy' road. Some the 'regular' Irish guys that I have seen travel over on the boats use trailers but they would generally travel as a 'threesome' and make a weekend of it.

 

[306maxi]

I went to France about 2 years ago with a mate in a newish 525D saloon with an M tech suspension and and we loaded the car up with wine. You could really feel the weight in the car.
On a trip down country where I purchased some blue bangor tiles carrying 80 of them was fine but on the last trip I greedily carried 100 - the car (Marea weekender) was never the same afterwards.
Looking at the 'carrying capacity' of the 500 as 440kgs (including the driver) - it isn't that much. I personally would be concerned on the effect of shortening the life of the rear shocks if you overloaded that car and travelled on a 'bumpy' road. Some the 'regular' Irish guys that I have seen travel over on the boats use trailers but they would generally travel as a 'threesome' and make a weekend of it.

Considering that the average person weighs 80 kg's or so, 280kg's of wine is quite a lot......

 

[arorat]

Considering that the average person weighs 80 kg's or so, 280kg's of wine is quite a lot......

off topic : I didn't find the prices that cheap in france, unless you live near dover / ferry ports and get a cheap return ticket. Perhaps the OP does not buy the cheap stuff

 

[306maxi]

I don't drink at all so it doesn't bother me either way The last time I went I picked up a shedload of pastries though

 

[Venters]

I don't drink at all so it doesn't bother me either way The last time I went I picked up a shedload of pastries though

No Greggs in Wales? :devil:

 

[arorat]

I don't drink at all so it doesn't bother me either way The last time I went I picked up a shedload of pastries though

You know what its a great day out... I did have a moment in the vast Auchen Hypermarket in Dunkirk and felt one with the planet

btw isn't it a crime for an Aussi not to drink Fosters, arn't you letting your country down

 

[306maxi]

No Greggs in Wales? :devil:

French stuff > British stuff. When it comes to pastries

 

[FloJo]

I love stocking up on french groceries to bring back

 

[loveshandbags]

Considering that the average person weighs 80 kg's or so, 280kg's of wine is quite a lot......

The difference is going from the UK to France and Ireland & France is our one is a 17 hour crossing and for 2 people would typically cost around €300 (€240 + eat). To recover the cost of the trip involves a spend of around €1000 each so taking a 'decent' bottle (no point in buying cheap) with an average cost of say €10 = 100 bottles / 6 = 17 cases each. If one got 30 cases (will this fit ?) the weight is 234kg (bottle is 1.3kg). The average guy going to France to buy wine/beer would weight a bit more than 80kgs ! = at least 400kgs. Add on 2 overnight bags and the spare wheel = 440kgs = technical carrying capacity of the 500.
And I was wondering why my mate's 525D felt a bit low down.

P.S. The thread should probably be renamed 'How many bottles of wine can you carry safely in a 500'

 

[arorat]

that is one gem of an answer

 

[306maxi]

btw isn't it a crime for an Aussi not to drink Fosters, arn't you letting your country down

That's why I got kicked out of Australia.

 

[306maxi]

The difference is going from the UK to France and Ireland & France is our one is a 17 hour crossing and for 2 people would typically cost around €300 (€240 + eat). To recover the cost of the trip involves a spend of around €1000 each so taking a 'decent' bottle (no point in buying cheap) with an average cost of say €10 = 100 bottles / 6 = 17 cases each. If one got 30 cases (will this fit ?) the weight is 234kg (bottle is 1.3kg). The average guy going to France to buy wine/beer would weight a bit more than 80kgs ! = at least 400kgs. Add on 2 overnight bags and the spare wheel = 440kgs = technical carrying capacity of the 500.
And I was wondering why my mate's 525D felt a bit low down.

P.S. The thread should probably be renamed 'How many bottles of wine can you carry safely in a 500'

But this thread isn't necessarily about someone from the Emerald Isle going over, I would imagine most people who go over to bring cheap booze back, live in the south east of England and for them it's more worthwhile. It's a lot cheaper to drive from somewhere in Kent, do a daytrip and take a shedload of booze over. Not my sort of thing of course, but people seem to find it worthwhile.

 

[chas379]

Thanks for all of the information. I'm pleased the 'post' promoted so much discussion about the aspect of buying wine in France. I go to Majestic in Calais where the wine is pre ordered on the 'net' so that when you get there it is waiting for you to collect. We know what wines we like and we get a saving of at least £2 per bottle.

Taking into account the value of our spend we get the ferry trip paid for. We get cheaper wine but not 'cheap wine'.

 

[306maxi]

I'm glad the resident scaremonger didn't scare you with tales of shortened rear suspension life I'm sure if you've done this before you'll take it easy and know to be sensible with speed and weight

 

[chas379]

Thanks for that. As an aside I have now got just over 1100 miles on the clock and can see some improvement in the mpg over my initial report. My Eco Drive still criticises me on acceleration but after 44yrs of driving I don't think I'll let it bother me.

 

[FunkwhiteCinque]

Hey that would be us then! as we live in Dover about 5 mins from the port-it certainly used to be cheaper but now with the exchange rate it's gettting increasingly worse-we do still love it though as we can just nip across and if you know the wine you like you can just do a big shop on the way back from holiday-which is what we do-but places like Carrefour have actually halved the wine shelves as people aren't shopping like they used to-particularly us Brits-
that would be interesting though when I do eventually get my 500 (on order!) to see how many cases we can fit (hic!)

oops was replying to 306maxi!

 

[chas379]

My Saving Running a 500 Twin Air Lounge:

Having had the car for just over 2 months, I have calculated my annual savings, taking into account, Fuel (assuming it doesn't escalate too much in price), Road Tax and Insurance, it is in the region of £1800 per year. This will increase as there should be a reduction in servicing costs.

My comparison is with a 2.2 litre diesel Merc C Class. This equates to a good holiday and if my wife makes a saving with her 1.2 Pop, she may be able to come along with me.