there is currently considerable discussion on french forums [ or should that be fora? ] about the implications of having a motorhome over 3.5 ...this has been brought about by two things , the reduced speed limits with speed stickers on the back , and the availability of upgrades to 3.85 etc
for the french it is much more problematic to have an over 3.5 vehicle ...the basic car licence became 3.5 many years ago , so basically only some older drivers and those with an hgv can drive one ; insurance rates become much higher ; move from toll rate 2 to toll rate 3 on peages ;annual mot starting after one year instead of four , and yearly instead of every 2 years
now the tolls , speed limits and stickers apply to ALL vehicles driving in france , but what is the practical answer ?
if you drive a vehicle which is obviously over 3.5 tonnes you had better comply ! 80 instead of 90 , 100 instead of 110 , 110 instead of 130 ; stickers on back [ looks like someone has started to produce rather smaller stickers than the truck sized ones ] ; pay up at the peage
but if you have a more typical 2 axled motorhome , the 3.5 upgrades type , my counsel would be to just ignore the whole thing ; the peages will see no stickers on the back and ignore it , class 2 therefore up to 3 metres height ; the gendarmerie will normally ignore you as long as keep to the 3.5 speed limits if you are in a foreign registered vehicle ; even if you should be checked the no spikka de french usually works on a minor technicality like this
when the current weight bands were introduced many years ago vehicles of 3.5 were much more difficult to drive than today's models ; hgv bands have been upped more than once to reflect vehicle improvements ...but 3.5 carries on for no logical reason
it cannot be much longer before the basic licence is upped to , say , 4 tonnes , and the basic vehicle band as well ; it is said that 80% of motorhomes are overloaded ....the law currently doesn't reflect the realities and the actual capability of the vehicles
so , if you bend the french law a little , you are just being a little premature
for the french it is much more problematic to have an over 3.5 vehicle ...the basic car licence became 3.5 many years ago , so basically only some older drivers and those with an hgv can drive one ; insurance rates become much higher ; move from toll rate 2 to toll rate 3 on peages ;annual mot starting after one year instead of four , and yearly instead of every 2 years
now the tolls , speed limits and stickers apply to ALL vehicles driving in france , but what is the practical answer ?
if you drive a vehicle which is obviously over 3.5 tonnes you had better comply ! 80 instead of 90 , 100 instead of 110 , 110 instead of 130 ; stickers on back [ looks like someone has started to produce rather smaller stickers than the truck sized ones ] ; pay up at the peage
but if you have a more typical 2 axled motorhome , the 3.5 upgrades type , my counsel would be to just ignore the whole thing ; the peages will see no stickers on the back and ignore it , class 2 therefore up to 3 metres height ; the gendarmerie will normally ignore you as long as keep to the 3.5 speed limits if you are in a foreign registered vehicle ; even if you should be checked the no spikka de french usually works on a minor technicality like this
when the current weight bands were introduced many years ago vehicles of 3.5 were much more difficult to drive than today's models ; hgv bands have been upped more than once to reflect vehicle improvements ...but 3.5 carries on for no logical reason
it cannot be much longer before the basic licence is upped to , say , 4 tonnes , and the basic vehicle band as well ; it is said that 80% of motorhomes are overloaded ....the law currently doesn't reflect the realities and the actual capability of the vehicles
so , if you bend the french law a little , you are just being a little premature
