Motorhome Payloads (2 Viewers)

[Billggski]

Don't know what VOSA inspector you've been talking to, it's not existed for over two years.
It's the DVSA now.
My local hgv depot charges £7 for both axles and total, I get it weighed regularly, and have just put bigger tyres on as I was getting close to maximum on the rear.

 

[Puddleduck]

This is all very well and good.........where can the average Joe Motorhomer check his weights in this day and age.

Access to weigh bridges is becoming more an more of a problem as all of the public ones that i know of are now closed/gone.

I asked our local trading standards office and they sent me a list with contact numbers. They know because they test them!

 

[Jim]

Took this pic on Sunday. A substantial box here has the potential to overload the rear axle. This guy's suspension looked a little low at the back but not too bad and it's a short overhang so there is a good chance he'd be within limits.

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[Bobby22]

I asked our local trading standards office and they sent me a list with contact numbers. They know because they test them!

I contacted GDC waste management, the boss allowed me to use the weighbridge and got all three weights.

Thanks to Glasgow DC

 

[jonandshell]

Here's a good question;

Has anyone ever been nicked for being overweight whilst en-route to a public weighbridge to check their weight?

 

[martin2603]

Where you find a VOSA Checkpoint you will find a WIMS (weight in motion ) in road weight point. Reigate Hill M 25 M3 Winchester M 23 Bolney M6 Stafford M6 CARLISLE , Many Check points are being refurbished ad this equipment operates to assist VOSA Officers stopping the bad guys . Goods Vehicle Operators are graded under a traffic light system , if you are clean and green ( no recent maintenance or test failure issues you have less chance of being stopped than a bad operator who constantly fails in his maintenance management . This grading system is linked on the APNR System. Clever stuff!!
Re MH payloads it really is laughable that any manufacturer gives a MH a 300kg payload an the advertises it as a four berth vehicle . Add 4 people goodbye payload . Two axle vans with long overhangs are most at risk of being overweight. Put too much weight in the back and you seriously diminish your stopping ability.
Euro A Class vans amaze me. The Cathargo s and Burstners look really too close to the 3500kg to have any useable payload .

Off to the NEC on the 14th. I will make a point of asking for axle weights as well as the unladen Miro weight. Shoul be interesting

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[bigtree]

I contacted GDC waste management, the boss allowed me to use the weighbridge and got all three weights.

Thanks to Glasgow DC

@Bobby22 What depot did you use?

 

[funflair]

Where you find a VOSA Checkpoint you will find a WIMS (weight in motion ) in road weight point. Reigate Hill M 25 M3 Winchester M 23 Bolney M6 Stafford M6 CARLISLE , Many Check points are being refurbished ad this equipment operates to assist VOSA Officers stopping the bad guys . Goods Vehicle Operators are graded under a traffic light system , if you are clean and green ( no recent maintenance or test failure issues you have less chance of being stopped than a bad operator who constantly fails in his maintenance management . This grading system is linked on the APNR System. Clever stuff!!
Re MH payloads it really is laughable that any manufacturer gives a MH a 300kg payload an the advertises it as a four berth vehicle . Add 4 people goodbye payload . Two axle vans with long overhangs are most at risk of being overweight. Put too much weight in the back and you seriously diminish your stopping ability.
Euro A Class vans amaze me. The Cathargo s and Burstners look really too close to the 3500kg to have any useable payload .

Off to the NEC on the 14th. I will make a point of asking for axle weights as well as the unladen Miro weight. Shoul be interesting

Best of luck with that one, if you get an answer at all I bet it is the standard brochure figure before all the options were added to the van for the show.

Martin

 

[2657]

Here's a good question;

Has anyone ever been nicked for being overweight whilst en-route to a public weighbridge to check their weight?

You are allowed to drive to your nearest available weighbridge.

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[2657]

Where you find a VOSA Checkpoint you will find a WIMS (weight in motion ) in road weight point. Reigate Hill M 25 M3 Winchester M 23 Bolney M6 Stafford M6 CARLISLE , Many Check points are being refurbished ad this equipment operates to assist VOSA Officers stopping the bad guys . Goods Vehicle Operators are graded under a traffic light system , if you are clean and green ( no recent maintenance or test failure issues you have less chance of being stopped than a bad operator who constantly fails in his maintenance management . This grading system is linked on the APNR System. Clever stuff!!
Re MH payloads it really is laughable that any manufacturer gives a MH a 300kg payload an the advertises it as a four berth vehicle . Add 4 people goodbye payload . Two axle vans with long overhangs are most at risk of being overweight. Put too much weight in the back and you seriously diminish your stopping ability.
Euro A Class vans amaze me. The Cathargo s and Burstners look really too close to the 3500kg to have any useable payload .

Off to the NEC on the 14th. I will make a point of asking for axle weights as well as the unladen Miro weight. Shoul be interesting

The problem being that most of these are not open to the public, there is one that I know of on the A23 at Shoreham that is.

The one at Junction 20, Rochdale, on the M62 is not, there is a trading standards one near Leeds but that has been out of operation for quite a while, I tried it in March and again in July.

 

[peterc10]

The problem being that most of these are not open to the public, there is one that I know of on the A23 at Shoreham that is.
.

Do you mean the one near the airport on the A27?

 

[OldWomble]

The one at Shoreham is on the A27 not A23. Its on the westbound side just after the Shoreham flyover in the big lay-by. Used it recently, 486kgs light on front axle, 20kgs light on back axle. That was fully loaded on route home from 5 weeks away so, plenty of wine onboard plus about half a tank of water. So we're well happy Wombles. For info; A class Hymer 694. 4250kgs gross weight.

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[Badknee]

Long post but stick with it.
When I did my CPC last year we were shown a video from a motorway camera that showed a WIM scale. A waggon and drag were shown as overweight. The waggon was cab, hiab crane, porta cabin. The drag was a close coupled twin axle with another empty porta cabin on it.
When bought new the waggon didn't have a hiab fitted so it was retro fitted by the new owner and the load bed was moved back. They needed the hiab to load and unload the porta cabins. When stopped the DVSA explained this and another vehicle had to take the front porta cabin off before he was allowed to move and the vehicle had to have remedial work done. They should have bought a twin steer Chinese six or an eight wheeler. Trying to save money didn't work unfortunately. This was spotted @56mph.

 

[gus-lopez]

Only place I've ever seen chinese 6's in the last 30 years is over here. I think that was mainly for the cranes with the builders lorries as it is very unusual for a builders merchant to have a lorry without a crane.

As posted by @pappajohn , I was not aware that DVSA had records of motorhome axle weights . The V5C only shows gvw . Presumably something for the future.

An additionally if they do not have a police officer with them then they cannot stop a motorhome or any private vehicle.

Best of luck with that one, if you get an answer at all I bet it is the standard brochure figure before all the options were added to the van for the show.

Martin

I was thinking that myself.

 

[OldWomble]

Erm I thought VOSA operators have the authority to stop anyone if they believe there is an offence being committed under construction and use regulations.

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[funflair]

I had read that they only had authority over Commercial/goods vehicles.

this is from the DVSA web site. I know it doesn't say they can't stop private cars and motorhomes But.

1. Checks on your vehicle

As a commercial driver, you might be asked to stop by the police or a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) officer. They can stop lorries, buses and coaches.

The police and DVSA have the power to carry out spot checks on your vehicle and issue prohibitions if necessary. A prohibition prevents you from driving until you get a problem with your vehicle fixed.

Police and DVSA officers can also issue fixed penalties if you commit an offence. Some of these are graduated depending on the circumstances and seriousness of the offence.

 

[2657]

Do you mean the one near the airport on the A27?

Yes that's the one, should have looked at a map

 

[2657]

The one at Shoreham is on the A27 not A23. Its on the westbound side just after the Shoreham flyover in the big lay-by. Used it recently, 486kgs light on front axle, 20kgs light on back axle. That was fully loaded on route home from 5 weeks away so, plenty of wine onboard plus about half a tank of water. So we're well happy Wombles. For info; A class Hymer 694. 4250kgs gross weight.

That's the one, see post above, used it myself a few weeks ago...a little over on gross but axle weights OK, near to limit on front though. Carry less water now, 100l tank right behind drivers seat!

On ourPVC there is very little overhangand most storage space is forward of the rear axle so the front axle weight is the one to be cautious of.

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[Bobby22]

@Bobby22 What depot did you use?

Link Removed

I used the Shieldhall one @bigtree, they were very helpful. I phoned first and they told the operator on the weighbridge that i was coming. No problems.

The bloke wouldn't even take the tip i offered.

 

[ceejayt]

I have just searched the web to try and find a weighbridge near me in York - can't see one - there is a 3 year old out of date list - anyone know where there is one close to me?

 

[Bobby22]

http://www.northyorks.gov.uk/article/25693/Weighbridges

Try this

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[bigtree]

Link Removed

I used the Shieldhall one @bigtree, they were very helpful. I phoned first and they told the operator on the weighbridge that i was coming. No problems.

The bloke wouldn't even take the tip i offered.

Thanks @Bobby22
had looked at Dawsholm but it's quite a steep approach plus the last time it cost me £15 dumping stuff as I got a puncture.
And don't fancy the scrappy on Balmore road for the same reason.

 

[martin2603]

County Councils all list Public weighbridges . Try to avoid a scrap metal dealer or Quarry , always abused.

 

[Speve]

With all this talk of on road weight checks I would be interested to know how they would know how to do a Motorhome with a car trailer on the back if they have anything it would only be Gross train as trailer not registered with authorities.
Also worth asking are weigh bridges able to weigh our vans accurately enough to give confidence that they will be within the +- 20kg quoted by one post earlier.

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[2657]

With all this talk of on road weight checks I would be interested to know how they would know how to do a Motorhome with a car trailer on the back if they have anything it would only be Gross train as trailer not registered with authorities.
Also worth asking are weigh bridges able to weigh our vans accurately enough to give confidence that they will be within the +- 20kg quoted by one post earlier.

Most modern trailers have a manufacturers plate, and if one was not present then a look at the load rating of the tyres would give some guidance but as you say the gross train weight would be the most likely to result in a fine.

All public weighbridges have to be accurate to certain tolerances, 20kg may be correct, I do not know, and trading standards do carry out checks. I would think it likely that they have to be regularly calibrated and display a notice to that effect.

Not all weighbridges are public, if they are for private use then as far as I know they do not have to be calibrated.

 

[Speve]

Most modern trailers have a manufacturers plate, and if one was not present then a look at the load rating of the tyres would give some guidance but as you say the gross train weight would be the most likely to result in a fine.

All public weighbridges have to be accurate to certain tolerances, 20kg may be correct, I do not know, and trading standards do carry out checks. I would think it likely that they have to be regularly calibrated and display a notice to that effect.

Not all weighbridges are public, if they are for private use then as far as I know they do not have to be calibrated.

Problem with the weigh bridge calibration is geared for lager vehicles than Motorhomes and I have been told that when you weigh your vans separate axles there can be discrepancies, don't know if this is correct only going by what weigh bridge operator told me.

 

[2657]

Problem with the weigh bridge calibration is geared for lager vehicles than Motorhomes and I have been told that when you weigh your vans separate axles there can be discrepancies, don't know if this is correct only going by what weigh bridge operator told me.

They still have to be accurate within certain parameters whether a large vehicle or small, but obviously 20 kg is more significant when weighing 1500kg rather than 40000. Weighing separate axles on plate weighbridges can lead to small discrepancies if the approach to the plate is level. If not level then the discrepancy can be significant.

Most, if not all, VOSA (and it does still exist) operated weighing facilities use dynamic axle weighers

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