Has anyone had their motorhome weighed by the police whilst in France (1 Viewer)

Sue

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We are totally on the limit with our payload...just can't work out how to reduce it...
How do you manage! . And has anyone actually had their MH weighed by the authorities whilst away? Any stories to tell?
 
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No, never, either abroad or in the UK in 12 years. In the UK only police with a special 'weighing ticket' can order you to travel to a weigh bridge, and then only if there is one within a certain distance. Not all traffic police have such authority. In my experience, motorhomes are likely to be weighed only as part of a campaign, not as an individual initiative (unless they look obviously overloaded with sagging springs, etc.) Such campaigns often involve VOSA or other authorities' staff who do the weighing.

If all that deals with the likelihood of being caught, you should consider carefully the safety aspects of being overloaded: instability, inadequate braking, excessive tyre strain, etc.

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Don Quixote

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Not long enough, but a little common sense helps..........
Carrying FULL water tank is a waste of fuel. 120lts is around 100kilos ( correct 120 kilos ) you could save. We travel with 20lts in a plastic container and top up / fill up on site. Same as food - why carry loads of food when you can shop just short of site. Travelling with 1/2 tank of fuel can save you weight as well - yes I know more stops...... but your in no rush. Every kilo counts when your on the limit.
 
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Badknee

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We are totally on the limit with our payload...just can't work out how to reduce it...
How do you manage! . And has anyone actually had their MH weighed by the authorities whilst away? Any stories to tell?
Have you been over a weigh bridge? Are you sure your on the max? Having your vehicle MGW increased may be the answer and there are plenty of threads on here about it or try the tips above.
 

GeebeeJaybee

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Carrying FULL water tank is a waste of fuel. 120lts is around 100kilos you could save. We travel with 20lts in a plastic container and top up / fill up on site. Same as food - why carry loads of food when you can shop just short of site. Travelling with 1/2 tank of fuel can save you weight as well - yes I know more stops...... but your in no rush. Every kilo counts when your on the limit.
120l is actually 120 kilos!
The density of any substance is the mass (in kg) of the substance posessed by unit volume( 1 cubic meter) of the substance. The Density of Water is approximately 1000Kg/m3. Hence converted in litre, density of water becomes 1 Kg/Litre.

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Allanm

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Carrying FULL water tank is a waste of fuel. 120lts is around 100kilos ( correct 120 kilos ) you could save. We travel with 20lts in a plastic container and top up / fill up on site. Same as food - why carry loads of food when you can shop just short of site. Travelling with 1/2 tank of fuel can save you weight as well - yes I know more stops...... but your in no rush. Every kilo counts when your on the limit.
That's ok if you are going to a site with a water tap and nearby shop. We always travel with a full water tank and well stocked up on supplies.
But, we have around a 500kgpayload, excluding me, 80% water and fuel.
We have travelled home with an almost empty tank and low on food but never noticed our fuel consumption change. We also have the cab air con on all the time.
You can save more fuel by anticipating road conditions, braking gently and accelerating gently. Or, just fill the tank and drive.....
 

Movinon

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Carrying FULL water tank is a waste of fuel. 120lts is around 100kilos ( correct 120 kilos ) you could save. We travel with 20lts in a plastic container and top up / fill up on site. Same as food - why carry loads of food when you can shop just short of site. Travelling with 1/2 tank of fuel can save you weight as well - yes I know more stops...... but your in no rush. Every kilo counts when your on the limit.
Very good if you use sites, not so good if you don't. Anything you don't have with you can easily become a problem. We carry enough water to last at least 3 days, and enough food to last at least the same. If we find a spot we like, and want to stay at for a few days, we don't want to lose it or have to move on just because we can't get water there or a running out of food.

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Don Quixote

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Not long enough, but a little common sense helps..........
That's ok if you are going to a site with a water tap and nearby shop. We always travel with a full water tank and well stocked up on supplies.
But, we have around a 500kgpayload, excluding me, 80% water and fuel.
We have travelled home with an almost empty tank and low on food but never noticed our fuel consumption change. We also have the cab air con on all the time.
You can save more fuel by anticipating road conditions, braking gently and accelerating gently. Or, just fill the tank and drive.....
Firstly the OP question was "limit with our payload"
Very good if you use sites, not so good if you don't. Anything you don't have with you can easily become a problem. We carry enough water to last at least 3 days, and enough food to last at least the same. If we find a spot we like, and want to stay at for a few days, we don't want to lose it or have to move on just because we can't get water there or a running out of food.
I'm been "off grid" for 29+ days now ( don't use sites in the UK as they are rip off ) and not had any problems with getting drinking water and getting food and staying in one place for 10+ days. If you read the OP they asked about weight, so I gave them some ideas on how to travel lighter.
DON'T shoot the messenger...........
 

Movinon

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Firstly the OP question was "limit with our payload"

I'm been "off grid" for 29+ days now ( don't use sites in the UK as they are rip off ) and not had any problems with getting drinking water and getting food and staying in one place for 10+ days. If you read the OP they asked about weight, so I gave them some ideas on how to travel lighter.
DON'T shoot the messenger...........
Sue asked about how people managed, had anyone been weighed and had anyone a story to tell. I answered the question about how we managed. Carrying full water and plenty of food is only a waste of fuel if you don't need it. Each to their own...
 
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Chris

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Water is really heavy.

Why only this weekend I was struggling with a bucket of grey waste trying to tip it in the hedge without my neighbour seeing me.

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DuxDeluxe

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That's daft, why struggle and have a bad back for the rest of your holiday, just leave the grey waste tank tap open, easy innitt. :whistle:

:reel:
Never, ever leave the grey waste tap open when you are parked. How on earth do you think that French criminals inject their anaesthetic gas into the van???

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Badknee

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Oh my word your going to get slatted for that post:whistle::whistle::whistle::whistle::whistle::whistle::whistle::whistle:
Why DQ? Just watering the parched grass under my MoHo, I ALWAYS close it before going out on the pristine grease, oil, diesel, mud free roads of our great country. ............. Honest. :whistle:

Haha, caught one :reel: Next! :active:
 

Badknee

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Never, ever leave the grey waste tap open when you are parked. How on earth do you think that French criminals inject their anaesthetic gas into the van???
Oh bugger, never thought of that! (n)

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Don Quixote

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Not long enough, but a little common sense helps..........
Why DQ? Just watering the parched grass under my MoHo, I ALWAYS close it before going out on the pristine grease, oil, diesel, mud free roads of our great country. ............. Honest. :whistle:

Haha, caught one :reel: Next! :active:
None the less good idea for OP - do not travel with gray waste full - saves weight. Back on topic.
 

Badknee

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They don't do it that way anymore, according to top racing driver it's delivered down the aircono_O

Sorry to the OP I aways said I would not digress on subjects. Slapped wrist.
None the less good idea for OP - do not travel with gray waste full - saves weight. Back on topic.
see, we were on topic all the time! Sort of :LOL:

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Lenny HB

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That's ok if you are going to a site with a water tap and nearby shop. We always travel with a full water tank and well stocked up on supplies.
But, we have around a 500kgpayload, excluding me, 80% water and fuel.
We have travelled home with an almost empty tank and low on food but never noticed our fuel consumption change. We also have the cab air con on all the time.
You can save more fuel by anticipating road conditions, braking gently and accelerating gently. Or, just fill the tank and drive.....
Likewise always travel with a full tank and often with additional 40 lt in 2 x 20 Lt containers in the garage, never know when you are going to be able fill up. Been caught ot in the past with Stellaplatz with not water tap had to go to the Lidl and by half a doz 2 lt bottles so we could have a wash & have a cupper, hate missing my morning shower.
Now upgraded weight so I can run legally with full tanks.

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Nov 28, 2007
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To answer the original question, no we have never actually been weighed in France but last March whilst 5 miles or so south of Limoges whilst heading north we were pulled in along with another motorhome and several lorries to a special area just off the motorway.

We were waiting in a line of a dozen or so lorries and they were obviously having trouble with one old wagon so they waved myself and the other motorhome around the wagon and straight back out. I was feeling a bit apprehensive as we were pretty close to the limit as we had filled the water tank as water can be a bit scarce on aires at that time of year.

RD
 
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ludo

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YES WE HAVE!

We were pulled over on the French Autoroute, (toll/peage), between Perpignan and Narbonne. This was in June 2010. The van, at the time, was 9 months old.

We had to follow a police car to an Aire, (picnic type, which was closed), where our van was x-rayed, searched and weighed. This took 1hr 10 minutes. Each axle was weighed on portable pads and fortunately we were within limits and allowed to go, but a very scary experience. We make sure now that we are never over weight either here in the UK or on the continent.

Our van was x-rayed by an "HCV" mobile machine and we had to vacate the van while it was done. During this I asked if I could take a photograph and was told that I could. Photo below. Mrs Ludo is in the foreground, to the left. They told us that there were bikes and bottles in the garage before they asked me to open it.

Don't risk it, it isn't worth it!

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mentaliss

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That's daft, why struggle and have a bad back for the rest of your holiday, just leave the grey waste tank tap open, easy innitt. :whistle:

:reel:
Well I just hope your Greasy waste water ( it always contains some slippery ingredient) if being dumped on the highway doesn't cause another motorist grief:(
 

Movinon

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YES WE HAVE!

We were pulled over on the French Autoroute, (toll/peage), between Perpignan and Narbonne. This was in June 2010. The van, at the time, was 9 months old.

We had to follow a police car to an Aire, (picnic type, which was closed), where our van was x-rayed, searched and weighed. This took 1hr 10 minutes. Each axle was weighed on portable pads and fortunately we were within limits and allowed to go, but a very scary experience. We make sure now that we are never over weight either here in the UK or on the continent.

Our van was x-rayed by an "HCV" mobile machine and we had to vacate the van while it was done. During this I asked if I could take a photograph and was told that I could. Photo below. Mrs Ludo is in the foreground, to the left. They told us that there were bikes and bottles in the garage before they asked me to open it.

Don't risk it, it isn't worth it!
Interesting. I wonder if this is largely restricted to Peages.
 
OP
OP
Sue

Sue

Aug 13, 2014
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Suffolk. Near Bury st Edmunds
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IH 600rl/rd
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Like PVCs the best
Interesting. I wonder if this is largely restricted to Peages.
YES WE HAVE!

We were pulled over on the French Autoroute, (toll/peage), between Perpignan and Narbonne. This was in June 2010. The van, at the time, was 9 months old.

We had to follow a police car to an Aire, (picnic type, which was closed), where our van was x-rayed, searched and weighed. This took 1hr 10 minutes. Each axle was weighed on portable pads and fortunately we were within limits and allowed to go, but a very scary experience. We make sure now that we are never over weight either here in the UK or on the continent.

Our van was x-rayed by an "HCV" mobile machine and we had to vacate the van while it was done. During this I asked if I could take a photograph and was told that I could. Photo below. Mrs Ludo is in the foreground, to the left. They told us that there were bikes and bottles in the garage before they asked me to open it.

Don't risk it, it isn't worth it!
Wow!
Do you know why they chose you to weigh? Was it part of a campaign at the time? Did they tell you why you were targeted?

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