Beware motorhome on weight limit (1 Viewer)

[mentaliss]

has anyone mentioned the speed restrictions in France for MH over 3.5 ton??
not to mention that the French are installing the so called drive over ground weight bar in certain roads and the entrances to the Toll booths

 

[DuxDeluxe]

has anyone ever been stopped and weighed, not your greataunt twice removed, but personally?

In a word - yes! South Mimms services. Got pulled, asked if I knew the max weight of the vehicle, told him 4 tonnes - he disbelieved me and said he thought it was 3.5 tonnes (like most small A/S vans) so pointed to the tax disc and then had a look under the bonnet at the plate. Still got weighed as did the trailer. Well under, as I told him it would be.

has anyone mentioned the speed restrictions in France for MH over 3.5 ton??
not to mention that the French are installing the so called drive over ground weight bar in certain roads and the entrances to the Toll booths

Yes, and there are about 14 in place in the UK and more being installed. Gareth from SV Tech did a FOI request (I think it is on heir website) and they weren't too open about where they were. Basically, drive over one overweight and it flags up a marker and you may be pulled for a weight check. It is supposed to be accurate - Google "Weigh in motion"

 

[TheDogMan]

As I said - through the clubs - RAC arrivals is the Camping & Caravannning Club members' scheme, you cannot get it without belonging to them.

I Have RAC heavy recovery with my Comfort insurance ( Aviva ) for a 5 ton plus c class, it was just over £80

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[Sheddy]

and how much do they weigh

Reply from Continental.
Cheers

Based on the Continental 225/75 R16 CP 116R vancoCamper the pressure
requirements are:

Front Axle
Axle weight: 1750Kg
Inflation Pressure: 3.25bar (47psi)

Rear Axle
Axle weight 2100Kg
Inflation pressure: 4.5 bar (65psi)

 

[kcy]

what is a cI licence and did I read right that you have to have one to uprate the MH

 

[Gorse Hill]

Often wondered how many people travel with the fresh water tank full,I don't personally,but must be a considerable weight rough calculation 20 galls = around 200lb.

Or 1kg to 1 litre

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[DuxDeluxe]

Reply from Continental.
Cheers

Based on the Continental 225/75 R16 CP 116R vancoCamper the pressure
requirements are:

Front Axle
Axle weight: 1750Kg
Inflation Pressure: 3.25bar (47psi)

Rear Axle
Axle weight 2100Kg
Inflation pressure: 4.5 bar (65psi)

Yes - I use the weighbridge data to determine the correct tyre pressure to use. It's a Linear ratio.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

what is a cI licence and did I read right that you have to have one to uprate the MH

https://www.gov.uk/driving-motorhome

https://www.gov.uk/vehicles-can-drive

 

[martin2603]

I had this dilemma when I ordered a new Chausson, many calculations, many sleepless nights, cancelled the order without penalty and bought a tag axle. Weighed it minus extra clothes ( and the wife) otherwise ready to go with half tank of water still 420kg spare payload.
If those friendly VOSA chaps do weigh you there is usually a small margin allowed, after that its unload the excess ! Making the wife walk will not take excess from the rear axle for it is usually the rear axle that will be over .

Up rating is the best choice.

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[Puddleduck]

So what is your total weight?

Fully loaded with two seakayaks and two electric bikes, all the gear for both, fuel tank of full and half a tank of fresh water, waste tanks empty, two new gas canisters and the two of us we were at 3, 429kg and within limits on the axles. If anyone else was coming with us we might have the bikes but not the kayaks.

Usually we would have either the kayaks or the bikes not both.

Also we are looking at getting day boats which are a metre shorter and about half the weight of the seakayaks. We no longer do long multi-day paddles.

 

[martin2603]

As a footnote the WIMS Weight in Motion sensors used on most Motorways can weigh you as you drive along, This is more applicable to HGV S . The system instantly passes information of overweight vehicles to the VOSA patrol waiting just up the road. They get a photo and full spec of the plate info including all axle weights high lighting the overweight axle. Very clever stuff!

 

[sadlonelygit]

just a heads up............
The legislation shows that a £60.00 penalty will be levied for a 0%-9.99% overload, but
VOSA examiners will allow a 5% tolerance before Fixed Penalty or Prohibition issue unless the relevant weight has been exceeded by 1 tonne or more.
so that gives a 3500 van an allowance of an extra 175kg before vosa get out the black pen..........not that i am advocating running overweight

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[Puddleduck]

Before we set off again next year we'll do another weighbridge check. After the last one I am not too worried though - we do tend to travel light. Maybe years of kayak touring when you have to drag everything with you in the boat helps with this!

The way we motorhome won't suit everyone but it works for us. The Chausson isn't what I would call winterised, certainly not as as the Hymer was but you get what you get and some things have to be a compromise.

 

[Puddleduck]

just a heads up............
The legislation shows that a £60.00 penalty will be levied for a 0%-9.99% overload, but
VOSA examiners will allow a 5% tolerance before Fixed Penalty or Prohibition issue unless the relevant weight has been exceeded by 1 tonne or more.
so that gives a 3500 van an allowance of an extra 175kg before vosa get out the black pen..........not that i am advocating running overweight

Worth knowing but still not worth running overweight.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

just a heads up............
The legislation shows that a £60.00 penalty will be levied for a 0%-9.99% overload, but
VOSA examiners will allow a 5% tolerance before Fixed Penalty or Prohibition issue unless the relevant weight has been exceeded by 1 tonne or more.
so that gives a 3500 van an allowance of an extra 175kg before vosa get out the black pen..........not that i am advocating running overweight

....but you will still be made to lose the excess before being allowed to proceed, otherwise they are aiding and abetting.......

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[tonyidle]

To quote JeanLuc,
In the UK, since goods vehicles above 2 tonnes MAM are limited to 50 on single carriageways, 60 on dual and 70 on motorways, and motorhomes are based on commercial vehicles, I would not want to try and argue the toss with 'plod'. I would have thought it highly unlikely that any motorhome with a MAM of more than 3.5 tonnes would have an unladen weight below 3.05 tonnes - perhaps any automotive experts might comment?,

I would argue that most A class motorhomes are not based on commercial vehicles having only the engine/Transmission components. By the way, I am not an expert

Another question I would like to ask is where there are weight limits ie 3.5t, if towing a trailer, does this apply just to the motorhome or to the motorhome plus trailer?

Most A class motorhomes include ALL of the underlying commercial other than the cab and front outer wings. Those with ALKO chassis are as above but with everything behind the cab removed.

 

[SomeoneElse]

what is a cI licence and did I read right that you have to have one to uprate the MH

I don't thing you need a C1, I've only got a Group A and this is what the gov.uk web site says I can drive:

You can drive vehicles up to 3,500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) carrying no more than 8 passengers and driver with trailer up to 750kg; trailer over 750kg if combined vehicle and trailer weight isn’t more than 3,500kg MAM; Vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,500kg carrying no more than 8 passengers and a driver with trailer up to 750kg; Vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,500kg carrying no more than 8 passengers and a driver with trailer over 750kg if combined vehicle and trailer weight isn’t more than 8,250; Vehicles with up to 16 passenger seats and a driver with trailer up to 750kg;

Automatic versions of the vehicles quoted above;

You can also drive vehicles in groups C, E, F, K, L and N below:

Any motor trike less than 410kg (500kg laden); Moped up to 50cc (max speed 50km/h); Agricultural tractor; Mowing machine or pedestrian-controlled vehicle; Electrically-propelled vehicle; Vehicles (exempt from duty) under section 7 (1) of the vehicle (excise) Act 1971​

So it looks like I can drive a MH up to 7.5 tonnes.

 

[tonyidle]

.

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[DuxDeluxe]

You do not have to be stopped to be weighed. "Weight in Motion" sensors are at present being installed on certain roads. See:

http://www.tdcsystems.co.uk/solutions/weigh-in-motion/high-speed-weigh-in-motion

As per my earlier post on the same subject, if the WIM flags you up, you get pulled further down the road and checked, then ticketed. Makes sense if you think about it as they cannot knowingly allow overweight vehicles continue on their journey. Ticket = 3 points as well as far as I know

 

[2657]

just a heads up............
The legislation shows that a £60.00 penalty will be levied for a 0%-9.99% overload, but
VOSA examiners will allow a 5% tolerance before Fixed Penalty or Prohibition issue unless the relevant weight has been exceeded by 1 tonne or more.
so that gives a 3500 van an allowance of an extra 175kg before vosa get out the black pen..........not that i am advocating running overweight

I wish they had that fixed penalty system in the past, I was fined around £650 +costs for an 11% overload on the front axle of a 7.5t truck 25 years ago. VOSA said to the magistrates(numpty's) that I was dangerously overloaded, took me 5 minutes to move 10 cartons to the back and all was OK as I was not over the Max. Gross.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

The guy that did our doors was done a couple on months ago for overloading his transit - a bit light on detail but he said it cost him £550. May have been another penalty in there as well. Reading about it, if you are one axle over that is one offence. If you are an axle over and also over on gross then that is two offences, not one. A bit like defective tyres, really

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[GJH]

I always travel with 137 balloons filled with helium. Seems to do the trick

So that's why you talk funny. I just thought it was a Southern accent

 

[gus-lopez]

Lower speed limits come in over 7.5 ton

Don't see many roads with a 3.5 ton weight limit on most are 7.5 ton exept for acess

My Rv is 17 ton 21 with the trailer RAC arrivals recovery £87 a year covers all my cars and at home so not bad, I may be wrong but I think with arrivals you get the same hospitality cover, but would check that one, unlikely the AA will cover over 3.5 ton at all.

100% true on axle weights so unless they can be altered it can be a begger getting the load distributed to keep within them

Rick

All over France you see 130kms/hr < 3,5T & 110 kms/hr > 3,5 T.
Or variations on the limits.

Are you allowed a percentage overweight in Spain/portugal as you are in GB?

No. if you think it is tight over in UK don't come here. The manufacturers& converters plates mean nothing . It is what is on your 'Ficha Tecnica' ( Log book ) that counts & that is decided by our version of the dvla which is the DGT ( Dirección General Trafíco ) which is the traffic arm of the Guardia Civil.

My MH is rated at 2350kgs tare & reduced to 3300kgs on the converters weight plate. All well & good until you read the Ficha Tecnica to find that " for circulation within Spain" 2350kgs is the limit !!!!!!!!
I am alright elsewhere as I weighed it in >NOrth Devon at 2600kgs. Mind you on my insurance policy they've put 1700kgs as the capacity .lol I queried that & they said don't bother the GC will go by the ficha. This was after they'd already corrected 4 errors.
It is the same nonsense with panel vans. I bought a new ford with a manufacturers capacity of 800kgs. The DGT reduced that to 450kgs. Or the VW LT 28 they reduced from 1500kgs to 490kgs ????

has anyone mentioned the speed restrictions in France for MH over 3.5 ton??
not to mention that the French are installing the so called drive over ground weight bar in certain roads and the entrances to the Toll booths

Yes that's quite correct.Fortunately I don't use toll roads in France/Spain when in the motorhome.

I saw a motorhome locked up in the weigh station at J27 M5 when I was there in the summer. Must have been some sort of problem as place was locked up &there was no one with it.

 

[Speve]

I know they ain't cheap but I bought a Reich Motorhome scales you can then weigh each wheel & axle individually.have found it really useful to distribute loads evenly.

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[DrRogerRam]

Having just had our Hab check at Edgehill Motorhomes Lee, the owner suggested we have a weighbridge check on our Hymer Exsis i578, since we had fitted a solar panel, spare wheel, sat dish & tracker. We are currently living in our motorhome prior to house-hunting in France in January 2015.

To my surprise we weighed 3700 kg & our weight limit is 3500kg. Chassis upgrade is not an option for me since I'm insulin dependant diabetic & lost my C licence some years ago & can't be bothered to re apply for it!

However, once I removed heavy tool box, box of books I intend to flog on Amazon & our inflator kit (not necessary with spare wheel, I guess) we were under 3500kg. Also had half a tank of fresh water & half a tank of diesel plus half a dozen bottles of wine & a printer!!!

I'm really quite worried & think I need to check again once I fill up with diesel, ditch the fresh water, drink the wine, get rid of those cans, books & hefty toolbox! Really do not like being so close to the limit.

Those Reich Motorhome Scales sound like a good idea as well-anyone got a link to a cheap offer?

 

[Phill D]

PM sent Roger re scales

 

[TheBig1]

or get a decent box trailer even if only whilst living in the van. then the excess weight is included within the allowable train weight

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[DrRogerRam]

Used to tow a caravan & previously a 505 boat as a camping trailer (!) & really want to avoid towing anything if I can. Thanks for the info tho'.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Used to tow a caravan & previously a 505 boat as a camping trailer (!) & really want to avoid towing anything if I can. Thanks for the info tho'.

Interesting use for a 505!

Used to race an Osprey.........

 

[DrRogerRam]

Ah, Ospreys-used to hate those pursuit races & Fireballs-those were the days. The 50 trailer went like a train-no wind resistance!

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