What Tyres Do I Need To Raise My Load Rating? (1 Viewer)

Jul 12, 2013
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Recently I had my van weighed by the Tech people. They told me that I was 30kg overloaded at the rear, but because I have air-suspension fitted, I could buy tyres with increased load rating.
At present, like many vans I have VancoCamper tyres fitted (215/70 R15 CP 109R), what tyres should I be looking to buy to increase my load rating please. I would like to shop around when I know what I need.

Alan
 

Minxy

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Recently I had my van weighed by the Tech people. They told me that I was 30kg overloaded at the rear, but because I have air-suspension fitted, I could buy tyres with increased load rating.
At present, like many vans I have VancoCamper tyres fitted (215/70 R15 CP 109R), what tyres should I be looking to buy to increase my load rating please. I would like to shop around when I know what I need.

Alan
For only 30kg to be honest I'd instead be looking to see where I could lose or move the weight, ie by shedding some kit, or transferring some of the heavier items to the front, assuming that the front axle weight has sufficient spare capacity and it would still be within your overall MAM.

Once you've paid for your new tyres you'd then still have to go through the process of uprating/amending your axle capacity figures with SV-Tech at a cost of £312.
 
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Oops

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Techno

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Recently I had my van weighed by the Tech people. They told me that I was 30kg overloaded at the rear, but because I have air-suspension fitted, I could buy tyres with increased load rating.
At present, like many vans I have VancoCamper tyres fitted (215/70 R15 CP 109R), what tyres should I be looking to buy to increase my load rating please. I would like to shop around when I know what I need.

Alan
First port of call would be a 225
 

Techno

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112 load index will give you 90 kg per wheel over a 109 load index tyre

Member @Brian and Jo is best placed to answer your question with authority (y)
 
OP
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rosalan
Jul 12, 2013
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Thank you Andys, Minxy and Oops Scotzsue for your help and warnings.
It was SV-Tech that weighed my van and said I only needed to change two tyres. For the life of me, I do not understand how I can be putting any less weight on my axle by changing the tyres but I bow to their greater knowledge.
I thank you all for I was not sure which number represented the weight carrying capacity of my tyres, which I now understand is 225 instead of 215.
Alan
 

TheBig1

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215 is the tyre width so a 225 is 10mm wider/taller

109 is the load index

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tonka

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I am confused as well..
If your 30kg overloaded, changing tyres you will still be overloaded ???
Ok the tyres will take a heavier load but your legal / maximum rear axle weight is still the same, as stated on your weight plate....
Do they mean, change the tyres and then you can be upgraded ( at a cost).. ?
 

Minxy

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Thank you Andys, Minxy and Oops Scotzsue for your help and warnings.
It was SV-Tech that weighed my van and said I only needed to change two tyres. For the life of me, I do not understand how I can be putting any less weight on my axle by changing the tyres but I bow to their greater knowledge.
I thank you all for I was not sure which number represented the weight carrying capacity of my tyres, which I now understand is 225 instead of 215.
Alan
Their KNOWLEDGE in this case appears to be lacking as far as I can ascertain!

Before you do ANYTHING else go and get an independent weight check done on a proper weighbridge, with both front and rear axles done separately and compare them to your weight plate. If, as I suspect, this weight check was done at a show I believe others have commented on the 'innacuracy' of these and the 'over-reporting' of the weight on the axles, and when they had their MH weight confirmed on a standard weighbridge it was a different story and the weight was lower ... thus making the uprate unnecessary.

AFAIK there's no way you can uprate the rear axle plated capacity of your MH just by replacing the tyres and doing nothing else, it sounds to me, as I suggested earlier, that this is the first stage in the process and then you would need to continue with a weight upgrade via SV-Tech at a cost of £312.
 
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AFAIK there's no way you can uprate the rear axle plated capacity of your MH just by replacing the tyres and doing nothing else

In the OP he says he's already got air suspension so he quite probably can get an upgrade just by changing tyres in this case. If he didn't have the AS you would be right. You're also right that the process has to be followed through properly and a new weight plate fitted.

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Shrimp

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Sounds like 'they' are 'trying it on'!
I can't imagine how bigger/stronger tyres can suddenly make your van capable of carrying more weight! Legally that is.
 
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Deleted member 29692

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Sounds like 'they' are 'trying it on'!
I can't imagine how bigger/stronger tyres can suddenly make your van capable of carrying more weight! Legally that is.

On their own they can't but when paired with air suspension they can allow you to update the rear axle.

The OP already has the air suspension hence the advice to only change the tyres.
 
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Charlie

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We have "Air" on our van and in the instructions is states that having it does not increase the load capability.
Its there to aid ride quality and give a certain amount of leveling capability .
Increasing the load capabilities of your tyres will not mean you can carry more gross vehicle weight.
If you are weight checked and are over then you are over and what suspension or tyres you have will matter not.
As others have said look at shedding some weight elsewhere if possible.

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tonka

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We have "Air" on our van and in the instructions is states that having it does not increase the load capability.
Its there to aid ride quality and give a certain amount of leveling capability .
Increasing the load capabilities of your tyres will not mean you can carry more gross vehicle weight.
If you are weight checked and are over then you are over and what suspension or tyres you have will matter not.
As others have said look at shedding some weight elsewhere if possible.

Not quiet right... !
Just adding AS yourself, as you say does not allow / increase the payload. In most cases it is used for ride improvement or to increase the ride height.
But My previous Apache 700 was rated at 3850. SVTECH advised to me to have AS fitted and then I WAS able to replate up to 4100kg. There was also an increase load on the rear axle but I cant remember what that was.
 

Charlie

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Not quiet right... !
Just adding AS yourself, as you say does not allow / increase the payload. In most cases it is used for ride improvement or to increase the ride height.
But My previous Apache 700 was rated at 3850. SVTECH advised to me to have AS fitted and then I WAS able to replate up to 4100kg. There was also an increase load on the rear axle but I cant remember what that was.

The handbook states categorically that Air does not increase the GVW . So with respect that's surely got to be the guide ?

If the unlikely were to happen and lets face it it is unlikely and we find ourselves on the weighbridge the GVW is the GVW end of.

There would be no defense quoting some chap of the internet no matter how ell intended said it would be fine.

If you like I will get the book and quote verbatim what it says ? But be assured it does not give licence for us to exceed the given GVW.
 

TheBig1

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SVTech and other specialists are engineers registered and accepted by DVSA to perform the calculations needed to up-plate a vehicle. as an individual it is nigh on impossible to up-plate a vehicle as you need to have the relevant qualifications.

increasing the load index so the weight carrying ability of the tyres on an axle will help, as will uprating the suspension with air bags. These are facts and there is a proven record and paperwork to prove that the neccessary work has been carried out to comply with the up-plating of a vehicle

You CANNOT just replace tyres and add air assisted suspension, then claim that the vehicle can carry extra weight. the engineers calculations and report is what you pay the specialist engineer for.

SVTech may be the most well known engineering firm in this field and they use this virtual monopoly to charge more. however there are independent engineers that do the same for 1/3 of the cost

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Aug 6, 2013
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Of course SVTech might simply be saying that the vehicle is already within its plated weight but that the rear tyres are under-rated for the plated weight?
 
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Deleted member 29692

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Of course SVTech might simply be saying that the vehicle is already within its plated weight but that the rear tyres are under-rated for the plated weight?

You can sometimes get a bit more on the rear axle without changing the maximum weight.

They suggested this for me when we uprated but I haven't done it because we don't really need it. We're at the highest MTLPM we can go to but by adding air suspension and changing the tyres we could update the rear axle by 200kg. We would still have to remain within the existing MTLPM though.
 

Lenny HB

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225 tyres will give a max of 2240kg providing your axle can take it, should be OK.

Our Al-Ko axle is rated at 2000kg but can be uprated to 2240 by increasing tyres width to 225 & adding air assist.

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On their own they can't but when paired with air suspension they can allow you to update the rear axle.

The OP already has the air suspension hence the advice to only change the tyres.

And the vehicle will need replating to make it legal..BUSBY.
 
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Deleted member 29692

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And the vehicle will need replating to make it legal..BUSBY.

Yes, of course. I mentioned that in another post. You still need to go through the process of submitting the relevant info to the DVLA and getting a new weight plate.
 

keith

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Our van was plates at 3500 kg, probably down rated so all us old sods could drive it without doing silly things like having medicals.
So a simple paper exercise can be performed by SVTech to increase the overall weight to 3700 kg and this will be agreed by DVLA (or whatever there name is by the time you read this).
In order to increase it further you would have to add air assisted suspension to the rear. This has many benefits and the rear axle can me uprated to 2240 kg and the total weight to 3850. If the tyres are not able to take this weight then they WILL have to be changed.
Our van has gone through this process and our tyres were OK as Autocruise had fitted higher rated tyres.
At the end of the day there is no overall specification that applies to all MH as it will depend on the converters decision as to the tyres fitted, and the weight plate they decide to fit.

Edit, We had to take photos for SVTech of the tyres so they knew we had the right ones, 225/70R/15 112/110S

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Minxy

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SVTech may be the most well known engineering firm in this field and they use this virtual monopoly to charge more. however there are independent engineers that do the same for 1/3 of the cost

Just as I have done at a cost of £76! (y)
 

mentaliss

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I fitted my Dunlop rear air assisters to the rear of my 3500 (with photo evidence of such) and upgraded all the tyres to Michelin Agilis camping tyres 225/70R15 loading index of 112, this is all you have to do under current regulations to apply for replating which you can do yourself or use the experience of SVTech Services.
We also test weight our MH at the local weight bridge a few days before a planned tour and sometimes adjust the load accordingly
 

Minxy

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I fitted my Dunlop rear air assisters to the rear of my 3500 (with photo evidence of such) and upgraded all the tyres to Michelin Agilis camping tyres 225/70R15 loading index of 112, this is all you have to do under current regulations to apply for replating which you can do yourself or use the experience of SVTech Services.
Just to clarify ... when you say replating do you mean you still kept to the 3500kg MAM and just increased the weight allowance for the individual axles, or did you uprate above 3500kg?

When did you do this and who/how did you then apply to for the replating.

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mentaliss

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Just to clarify ... when you say replating do you mean you still kept to the 3500kg MAM and just increased the weight allowance for the individual axles, or did you uprate above 3500kg?

When did you do this and who/how did you then apply to for the replating.

Sorry, did I say that I have replated my vehicle ??
After many advisory phone calls to SV Tech ( very helpful ) what I was describing was what I did late 2014 to meet my personal requirement to upgrade my vehicle from 3500 to 3850 and then to apply to the DVLA to replate when I wish to, ....For instance if you were unfortunate to get stopped (more likely by the Uk police) for suspected overloading/accident etc, etc they would have to take the overhaul weight of the vehicle ie, with the total of the two axles weights being over the Plated weight of the vehicle , I have never heard of anyone being prosecuted over individual axle weights where the rear and front axles combined weights/load meet the vehicles plated weight..perhaps someone here knows better?
but as far as I'm concerned I have made the changes that will allow me to replate as described.
 

TheBig1

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, I have never heard of anyone being prosecuted over individual axle weights where the rear and front axles combined weights/load meet the vehicles plated weight..perhaps someone here knows better?
several horse box owners I know plus numerous builders/tradesmen. oh and a few boat trailer owners too for good measure. I know of several motorhomers done for being over plated weight down here
 

Minxy

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Sorry, did I say that I have replated my vehicle ??
After many advisory phone calls to SV Tech ( very helpful ) what I was describing was what I did late 2014 to meet my personal requirement to upgrade my vehicle from 3500 to 3850 and then to apply to the DVLA to replate when I wish to, ....For instance if you were unfortunate to get stopped (more likely by the Uk police) for suspected overloading/accident etc, etc they would have to take the overhaul weight of the vehicle ie, with the total of the two axles weights being over the Plated weight of the vehicle , I have never heard of anyone being prosecuted over individual axle weights where the rear and front axles combined weights/load meet the vehicles plated weight..perhaps someone here knows better?
but as far as I'm concerned I have made the changes that will allow me to replate as described.
I'm even more confused now!:D

I have just been down this road to uprate my camper to 4250kg as it does not require any modification at all being built on the Fiat Ducato Maxi 'heavy' chassis which, in effect, was downplated by the converter (Dethleffs/Globecar) to 3500kg, but I could not simply apply to the DVLA to have the weights changed based purely on this, which is what you seem to presume you can do. When I contacted the DVLA they referred me to SV-Tech as they will ONLY agree to change the weight on production of a document from an 'engineer' to support the application. I was able to contact another engineer who did the same documents including a 'design weight certificate' for me for less than a quarter of the cost.

If you are thinking that you can use the DVSA VTG10 form (Details of Notifiable Alterations or Application for Change of Plated Details of a Goods Motor Vehicle or Trailer or Application for Design Weight Certificate) then I'm afraid this CANNOT be used for an already registered Private Goods Vehicle ... I know 'cause I tried that! :rolleyes:

Now, from what you've said, I understand that:
  • you've changed your tyres for ahigher load index
  • you've put on some Dunlop rear air suspension assistors
  • but you have NOT applied to uprate your vehicle so it still has a registered MAM of 3500kg
I assume therefore that you are still running no at no more than 3500kg in total, but are loading one of your axles heavier than the original plated weight for it?

I understand what you are saying about the axle weights being 'higher' than they were originally due to the effect of your 'improvements' but if this isn't show on a plate I'm not aware that it is 'legal' to load over the original weights, regardless of whether anyone has been prosecuted or not. I'm also not aware of what effect this would have on an insurance claim in the event of an accident. It is one thing to say you've done this and that but AFAIA unless it is officially 'registered' it is still only legal on the original figures.

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