Probably not a question that keeps you awake at night, but it can be handy to know and also a good tool to help diagnose other problems with your Moke.

 When Mokes were new they were classed as commercial vehicles and had to have the tare and aggregate weight painted on the side. Those requirements have long gone, and most owners now are unaware of how much a Moke weighs. The best way to find out is to weigh it!

OnTheScales

Fortunately I have access to a registered weighbridge - and although it's only accurate to the nearest 10kg, it's near enough. The Moke I weighed is a 1982 Californian 1275, with all original parts intact. No hood, but fitted with rear seats. No tools in the side boxes apart from a jack, spare wheel on the back and an almost full fuel tank.


And the answer is....... 680 kgs.

TotalWeight

Front weight - 440 kgs.

FrontWeight

And rear.... 240 kgs.

RearWeight


While the total weight and front/rear split is good to know, it's when you measure the individual corners that it gets interesting. Most Moke bodies have a twist built in from the factory, which can be made worse by later repairs. Also with most Mokes now fitted with Hi-lo's, owners try to level the body by adjusting the suspension - which can really throw things out!

It took a bit of manoeuvring, but here are the corner weights as measured.

 

Weight Drivers Side Pass. Side
Front 210 230
Rear 120 120

 

 

 

 

To be honest, these are about as good as they get. Remember the passengers side has around 30 kgs of fuel on board, so should weigh a bit more. In extreme cases there can be over 100 kgs difference between sides!

In a perfect world our Mokes would sit flat with an equal weight on each wheel. But being front engine and front wheel drive, it is obvious we are going to have more weight at the front than the back. Throw in the body twist, and all four wheels can be quite different. If you are having handling/traction problems, a trip to the nearest weighbridge can be well worthwhile!