Check, check and check again (1 Viewer)

[pappajohn]

with all the recent posts regarding weight and V5 discrepancies it will pay you to check yours...
there seems to be a lot of errors and you could be driving illegaly.

look at your tax disc....under 3500kg and it will be PLG.....over 3500kg and it will be PHGV

look at the vin plate....it will show the gross weight xxxxkg
C class anD panel vans will be under the bonnet..A class may be on a door post or footwell/step.

look for other plates..Alko, converter etc...they may show the true weight

look on your V5 (log book) for revenue weight...it may be blank but should show the registered weight.
whatever is on there is the recorded weight at DVLA regardless of what any plates say.

check that the V5 states 'MOTOR CARAVAN' under 'body type' if it doesnt then contact DVLA...its still registered as a commercial van.

if ANY of the above are incorrect or there is no revenue weight shown (if your plate weight AND tax disc (PLG orPHGV) tally then theres no need) then its advisable to contact DVLA asap !!!

if its wrong dont think it will be ok as if stopped by VOSA you may be in deep do-da !!!

 

[Mikemoss]

Well, well Pappajohn what a timely post that was, for me at any rate.

I've always taken the max weight of our 1998 Bessacarr E695 to be 3400kg (which is what it says on the VIN plate under the bonnet) but noticed that my tax disc is for the PHG category.

Great, I've thought, that saves me £10 a year until I get to 70, when I'd better tell the DVLA they've got it wrong so I don't have to go through that medical.

However.....having just checked the registration document for the first time, I see that the revenue weight is 3850kg (and the Swift brochure of that era does mention that an upgrade to this would have been possible). I'm the fourth owner by the way.

So, the revenue weight and tax disc both agree with one another, I'm more than happy to have rather more carrying capacity than I thought I had, but which is right: the log book (sorry, can't remember the proper name for it) or the VIN plate? And what, pray, should I do about it....if anything?

 

[Larrynwin]

Soon after buying ours I checked docs against weight plate , the plate read 7121kg the log book read 6900 kg. My first visit to weighbridge with wife, water, fuel, food, bikes etc on board was 7000 kg. I was overweight to log book but under to vehicle plate. Dunno which would have been referred to with VOSA but got log book changed to correct weight of 7121 kg anyway.
regd as Private HGV

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[pappajohn]

Well, well Pappajohn what a timely post that was, for me at any rate.

I've always taken the max weight of our 1998 Bessacarr E695 to be 3400kg (which is what it says on the VIN plate under the bonnet) but noticed that my tax disc is for the PHG category.

Great, I've thought, that saves me £10 a year until I get to 70, when I'd better tell the DVLA they've got it wrong so I don't have to go through that medical.

However.....having just checked the registration document for the first time, I see that the revenue weight is 3850kg (and the Swift brochure of that era does mention that an upgrade to this would have been possible). I'm the fourth owner by the way.

So, the revenue weight and tax disc both agree with one another, I'm more than happy to have rather more carrying capacity than I thought I had, but which is right: the log book (sorry, can't remember the proper name for it) or the VIN plate? And what, pray, should I do about it....if anything?

is the plate under the bonnet a fiat or swift plate.
evidently swift have taken to hiding their plate in obscure places....behind the seat on the woodwork is a popular place.

cant understand why the V5 says PLG yet the tax is PHGV as the V5 is the same details as DVLA hold.

(my mistake...read it wrong)

 

[Mikemoss]

I'm confused now. There are three VIN plates - the (presumably original) Fiat one gies a max weight of 3200kg, the Alko one ups that to 3400kg with axle weights to match, and the Swift/Bessacarr one agreeing at 3400kg. Yet the V5 has the revenue weight at 3850kg and the category as Private Heavy Goods with teh type of vehicle as a Motor Caravan.

I'm inclined to let sleeping dogs lie as the figre ont he V5 suits me fine for the next five years until I hit 70. I might then see how the land really lies before taking any action.

It's a curious situation though....

 

[Minxy]

Mike

I would be very wary of leaving things as they are - if the case of an accicent you may find that youre insurers use it to wriggle out of paying up!

I would imagine that the weight which would be taken as being 'correct' would be the highest of the VIN plate weights. As has been already confirmed, the DVLA etc make mistakes so the most obvious weight declaration to trust by the Police et al would be that which is firmly attached to the van.

Don't forget that there are speed restrictions for van's over 3,500kg weight which you will also have to adhere to.

I suggest you get it sorted sooner rather than later.

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[markymark]

What are the speed restrictions please Minx

 

[dellwood33]

Regarding speed limits, provided the motor homes are "motor caravans" then
they are subject to pasenger vehicle speed limits, which are 70 mph on a motorway or dual carriageway and 60mph on other roads unless a lower speed limit applies, provided the unladen weight (not MAM) is not over 3050 kg.
If the UW is over 3050 kg then the speed limits are 70 mph on a
motorway, 60 mph dual carriageway and 50 mph on other roads

 

[Kon tiki]

One other thing for our 'younger' members is that if you passed your test after 1997 then you can legally only drive up to 3500 kgs
I was under the impression that the weight on the V5 is the one that is recognised as the correct weight, but the plates should match.

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[pappajohn]

One other thing for our 'younger' members is that if you passed your test after 1997 then you can legally only drive up to 3500 kgs
I was under the impression that the weight on the V5 is the one that is recognised as the correct weight, but the plates should match.

you're correct on the V5 weight Ed, but it appears a lot of V5s dont have any weight stated.

if there is a weight then that is the weight recorded by DVLA whether its correct or not.

if there is no weight then look at your tax disc PLG is under 3500kg and PHGV is over 3500kg.

if this doesnt tally with your weight plate, ie: plate says 3850kg and disc says PLG or vice-versa then contact DVLA and your converter.