consequence for overweight? (1 Viewer)

[Cece]

hi all
Does anyone know what, if any, the consequences are if you are found to be overweight?
We know how to uprate the gross vehicle weight and the cost for this going through SVTech is around £350 inc VAT, but feel it is just a paper exercise for DVLA as the van has an extra 400kg weight potential (based on testing certs).
The question is, if you are stopped, weighted and found to be over weight using the noted weight on the V5 what can the authorises (both in UK and a EU) do?
Are there any such cases of people being 'done'?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Badknee]

Big clothes, chest problems, could have heart problems, can't see your man bits ............. Oh, not you, your MoHo?

Note to self, read post all way through!

 

[funflair]

I think there is more chance of being stopped abroad, not sure about financial penalties but they will not let you proceed with an illegal vehicle.

Martin

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[Flamenca]

From what I understand they will not let you proceed if you are more than 5% overweight but will allow you to offload something (empty water tank?) or someone at the roadside

 

[Flamenca]

We know how to uprate the gross vehicle weight and the cost for this going through SVTech is around £350 inc VAT, but feel it is just a paper exercise for DVLA as the van has an extra 400kg weight potential (based on testing certs).

You do not have to use SvTech. A consultancy recommended to me by MinxyGirl has completed the same excercise for me for the total sum of £94. I now have a certified additional payload of 400kg. That is less than a fine on a single axle

 

[Badknee]

To be serious, I've been stopped over here a few times when I was a trucker, I was fine each time but others weren't so lucky. You will have to lose weight, drain tanks, unload excess weight, but! You can't just dump it at the weightwatchers site. You have to arrange for it to be picked up by family or friends, I've seen trucks trans shipping pallets etc. tippers having to handball loads onto another vehicle.

Can't speak for Europe though.

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[PORKSTER]

You do not have to use SvTech. A consultancy recommended to me by MinxyGirl has completed the same excercise for me for the total sum of £94. I now have a certified additional payload of 400kg. That is less than a fine on a single axle

can you share this companys info please ?

 

[tonka]

As badknee says,, Here in Uk you will most probably be issued with a notice that prevents you from moving until excess weight is taken off. Plus a fine or court appearance..
Can comment from experience as stopped years ago in a transit van and had to dump load at side of road plus the fine wiped out my profit on the delivery..
On the continent much the same except the fine will be on the spot and have to be paid there and then... Not me this time but someone we met had been stopped and weighed near Irun spain border, had to dump books and other items plus a €90 fine..

 

[Charlie]

They can if they decide to fine you by the Kilo for overweight.

40 years in construction and not once have any of our vans or trucks ever been taken to the wieghbridge. ..

That's not to say it's advisable or safe and I definitely would not encourage it.

Frankly the police have so little time to do it neither have VOSA or whatever they call themselves now. But the consequences if an overweight vehicle is in an RTC are not good .

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[vwalan]

vosa as was and the police are regularly out on summer weekends on the main roads south . they use drive over mats then make you drive to a near by weigh bridge if it looks like you are over weight . not far from here is a regular place near fraddon . there is a weigh bridge just a few hundred yards away from the main a30. thery take over it at weekends etc . being ex heavy transport all i can say is they do and will be out there . its much more common than many think. you may be amazed just how many get caught . our local blokes talk about 6 out of every ten they stop are over weight . thats trucks and campers . campers at weekends are the worse.

 

[Stealaway]

How many motor homes are stopped on a yearly basis?

 

[grumps147]

Lots of threads on this if you do a search. VOSA have for some years had Weigh In Motion Sites, WIMS. The one I am aware of is M6 South near Stafford. All vehicles weighed on the move and checked via ANPR, linked to vehicle details including weights. When they have the staff you will be stopped if overweight and directed to their check site where a full weighing will take place, and probably mechanical check as well. If you gave Twitter access look at the @NWMPG and @CMPG sites, they frequently show photos of overweight vehicles - favourite seems to be white van man sprinters.

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[vwalan]

How many motor homes are stopped on a yearly basis?

hundreds .they are an easy target . remember all your weights are checked at the mot station . certainly the 3.5 ton campers using a coach built are almost unfit for purpose.

 

[Stealaway]

Mine has never been weighed except by me at the local weigh bridge and certainly never at an MOT station

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

If I recall correctly the fine is usually worked out at £100 plus £10 kg for everything over 10% above the plated weight. Dynamic weigh bridges in the road linked to ANPR are more common than you think.
What I do not understand is why anyone would want to drive it overweight with all the crap that will come your way should it go Pete tong when upgrading the weight legally will reduce your road tax to £165. You will be legal and get your upgrade cost back in a couple of years.
If you only have a restricted licence at 3.5t and drive overweight, you will only add to the grief if (when) caught of not having the correct licence. Also for good measure this offence can lead to being charged for no insurance due to the insurance condition of having a correct valid licence for the insured vehicle.
Off loading weight at the roadside is allowed to let you proceed but that does not stop the summons as the offence/s have already been committed.

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[Badknee]

Yes, ours has been upgraded to 3.7 as I put it over the weigh bridge empty and it was 3.2
500kgs is much more liveable than 300kgs.

 

[Baycott]

You do not have to use SvTech. A consultancy recommended to me by MinxyGirl has completed the same excercise for me for the total sum of £94. I now have a certified additional payload of 400kg. That is less than a fine on a single axle

Could you let us know what company you used please Flamenca?
Would be very interested in having this done.

 

[Allanm]

If I recall correctly the fine is usually worked out at £100 plus £10 kg for everything over 10% above the plated weight. Dynamic weigh bridges in the road linked to ANPR are more common than you think.
What I do not understand is why anyone would want to drive it overweight with all the crap that will come your way should it go Pete tong when upgrading the weight legally will reduce your road tax to £165. You will be legal and get your upgrade cost back in a couple of years.
If you only have a restricted licence at 3.5t and drive overweight, you will only add to the grief if (when) caught of not having the correct licence. Also for good measure this offence can lead to being charged for no insurance due to the insurance condition of having a correct valid licence for the insured vehicle.
Off loading weight at the roadside is allowed to let you proceed but that does not stop the summons as the offence/s have already been committed.

If your V5 says 3500kg and you are overweight, you would get done for being overweight, not for having an incorrect licence. That could only happen if your V5 says over 3500kg and you don't have the C1 category on your licence.

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[martin2603]

Don't forget it is the individual axle weights which catch people out. Four wheelers can easily be over on the rear axle if you have a long overhang.
All dealt with by fixed penalty ticket now, plus of course loose the excess or redistribute your load to get weight of the offending axle.

 

[jongood]

But interestingly:- no posts from anyone who has actually been weighed by Vosa/police etc - again.

 

[2657]

Weighed many times by VOSA (now DVSA) over the years, lots of checkpoints and weighbridges throughout UK, in a truck though.

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[jongood]

Weighed many times by VOSA (now DVSA) over the years, lots of checkpoints and weighbridges throughout UK, in a truck though.

So, anyone been done in a motorhome?

 

[vwalan]

Mine has never been weighed except by me at the local weigh bridge and certainly never at an MOT station

many have a weigh bridge in the brake testers . you may not even know it.

 

[Judge Mental]

So, anyone been done in a motorhome?

What's your point exactly....breaking distance affected as well as handling, insurance not valid. What else is there not to worry about

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[busby]

hi all
Does anyone know what, if any, the consequences are if you are found to be overweight?
We know how to uprate the gross vehicle weight and the cost for this going through SVTech is around £350 inc VAT, but feel it is just a paper exercise for DVLA as the van has an extra 400kg weight potential (based on testing certs).
The question is, if you are stopped, weighted and found to be over weight using the noted weight on the V5 what can the authorises (both in UK and a EU) do?
Are there any such cases of people being 'done'?
Thanks in advance.

I was fined £900 once in an Escort Van. BUSBY. That was £100 for driver and £400 each for myself and the wife because we were business partners...Back in 1999.

 

[jongood]

What's your point exactly....breaking distance affected as well as handling, insurance not valid. What else is there not to worry about

Just editing to say that the OP was about the consequences of being overweight.

My point is that there is a lot of fear being generated about this subject and having been an LGV Licence holder and driver for 25 years and a motorhomer for 10 years, I ve never seen a Motorhome being weighed at the roadside.

I do take your point about safety but we are talking fractions here, people are uplating for 3-400kgs, in many cases to the orginal design weight of the vehicle before the dealers downplated them for the UK market. I dont believe it would have a marked impact on the drivability of the vehicle unless it was loaded really badly whence it would become an issue anyway regardless of plated weight.

Jon

 

[Landy lover]

When pulling our Burstner Caravan about 2004 we were pulled over a couple of times at roadside checks - one in Hampshire and one in Dorset both by the police with VOSA in tow - initial was a lights check but they were prepared to weigh but as I was towing with a Land Rover discovery and the van was near brand new they were not interested and waved me on after checking lights tyres and a walk around. They were looking for badly loaded and mismatched units they told me as well as unsafe vehicle and caravans

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[Ethle the wondervan]

I'm pretty sure you would be expected to resign from the House of Lords, Standards Committee. So keep clear of that one!

 

[TheBig1]

personally got pulled in when towing a boat behind a car. warning but not fined. never (yet) been checked in a motorhome but seen dozens pulled in for checks. A338 Ashley Heath and M27 Rownhams are hotspots in the summer months

the trick is to keep legal and not attract attention

 

[PORKSTER]

Unfortunatly I have been pulled on weighbridge 3 times its under 2 miles from my house a 24hour public/vosa jobbie. everytime I was in my mercedes sprinter conversion used for Moto X quick and easy story is I was under everytime just luckily I empty the jet wash tanks coming home. The last time a bike cop followed me and pulled me in followed by a plain car he said " I have pulled you in to weigh you as these vans are always over

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