Vehicle weight abroad

[HappyG]

Afternoon all - we head of to europe next month for a month and I'm starting to worry a little about our payload with all of the usual gear, paddleboards, bikes, oh and kids. As first-time motorhomers I'm just wondering how likely we are to be weighed when travelling in france and how much of a big deal it is if you're a few kgs over. I apprewciate the insurance and safety aspects.....Booked in at a weighbridge this weekend to get a clearer idea of where we are fully laden but I've done a rough tally-up in my head and I think we may not be able to take everything we want to.....Our vehicle is a Burstner Nexxo A645 so we have a quoted payload of 430kgs but
Family - 200 kgs
Bikes/bike rack - 90kgs
Awning - 30kgs
kayak/paddleboard - 80kgs
and that's before we think about clothes/food etc

 

[Brains]

The "Quoted Payload" is as good as a Politicians promise.
The only guarantee is that the figure will be les than quoted.

Load up with as much stuff as you think you will need.
Remember water weighs 1kg per litre, so you can very accurately get the weights right by having a full fuel tank and a full water tank (and even a full grey water tank if needed) to substitute for people or projected kit.

Remember not only to get the overall weight, but also the individual front and rear axle weights.

Then adjust accordingly.
You may find by jettisoning the wife the overall weight comes down considerably and the shoe locker is empty!
However this option can be very expensive long term !

 

[Speve]

Remember water weighs 1kg per litre, so you can very accurately get the weights right by having a full fuel tank and a full water tank (and even a full grey water tank if needed) to substitute for people or projected kit

You omitted to say that water and fuel will come out of your payload very often as not all manufacturers use the same formula

 

[tonka]

As Brain said payload quoted figure is never accurate, has the van had any accessories fitted ie bike rack, towbar, extra battery ? That all comes off payload.
Weighbridge check is a great idea.

Chances of a stop. 50/50. Never been weighed in 20 years but have met people who have. Often it's a cash on the spot fine and then you may have to decide what items you are going to leave at the roadside before they let you continue.
Fingers crossed.

 

[Fdhadi]

Don’t forget Gas bottles.
Will you be taking clothes or just what you’re wearing
Fridge full or empty?
Spare wheel?

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[HappyG]

Don’t forget Gas bottles.
Will you be taking clothes or just what you’re wearing
Fridge full or empty?
Spare wheel?

I actually visited the weighbridge today as it was bugging me. We weighed 3300kgs with most things on board including gas bottles etc. I was just missing wife, 3 kids, and 5 bikes which gets us up to around 3480. So we have capacity for 20kgs and all I need to add is five people's clothes for a month, food, 1/2 tank of fuel, AC unit, fishing gear, laptops/tablets. Should be fine......right??

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

I actually visited the weighbridge today as it was bugging me. We weighed 3300kgs with most things on board including gas bottles etc. I was just missing wife, 3 kids, and 5 bikes which gets us up to around 3480. So we have capacity for 20kgs and all I need to add is five people's clothes for a month, food, 1/2 tank of fuel, AC unit, fishing gear, laptops/tablets. Should be fine......right??

You have time to look at solutions;
If you have C1 category on your licence, you could get SV Tech to update the plated weight. It takes about 3 weeks, costs £280 +VAT. Key point is getting the replacement vehicle plate as that is what will be used when you get weighed.

 

[WESTY66]

Not to mention a few spare water pumps

 

[stevewagner]

I actually visited the weighbridge today as it was bugging me. We weighed 3300kgs with most things on board including gas bottles etc. I was just missing wife, 3 kids, and 5 bikes which gets us up to around 3480. So we have capacity for 20kgs and all I need to add is five people's clothes for a month, food, 1/2 tank of fuel, AC unit, fishing gear, laptops/tablets. Should be fine......right??

The individual axle weights are as important the overall weight

 

[Soycd]

I actually visited the weighbridge today as it was bugging me. We weighed 3300kgs with most things on board including gas bottles etc. I was just missing wife, 3 kids, and 5 bikes which gets us up to around 3480. So we have capacity for 20kgs and all I need to add is five people's clothes for a month, food, 1/2 tank of fuel, AC unit, fishing gear, laptops/tablets. Should be fine......right??

You can't do much about the weight of people so thats a fixed figure. You don't need enough cloths for a month, work on a week or two's worth. Plenty of launderettes around in Europe and campsites have washing machines. Don't travel with a full tank of water, just enough to flush the toilet. Cut down the amount of food/drink you take. Give the kids a weight limit for their non cloths stuff, bit of a competition? In reality you are going to struggle, but have a good look at what you REALLY need to take. As already mentioned, if you have a C1 licence consider up plating.

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[headlight]

I actually visited the weighbridge today as it was bugging me. We weighed 3300kgs with most things on board including gas bottles etc. I was just missing wife, 3 kids, and 5 bikes which gets us up to around 3480. So we have capacity for 20kgs and all I need to add is five people's clothes for a month, food, 1/2 tank of fuel, AC unit, fishing gear, laptops/tablets. Should be fine......right??

What were the axle weights ?

 

[suavecarve]

I ve done worse than that before I realized.
God knows how overweight I was

I wouldn't do it now though

You can look at your weight plate to see what it is capable of as the van could probably be uprated to that weight. So it would be safe to drive it at that weight just illegal. Knowing how to dump all your water quickly and getting wife and kids out of habitation side and walking away may be a good idea if the gendarmes pull you over and speak to them on the opposite side

 

[Guffy60]

You have time to look at solutions;
If you have C1 category on your licence, you could get SV Tech to update the plated weight. It takes about 3 weeks, costs £280 +VAT. Key point is getting the replacement vehicle plate as that is what will be used when you get weighed.

About 3 weeks SvTech and six weeks at present DVLA to approve, still awaiting log book , at least their website updated.

 

[pappajohn]

I actually visited the weighbridge today as it was bugging me. We weighed 3300kgs with most things on board including gas bottles etc. I was just missing wife, 3 kids, and 5 bikes which gets us up to around 3480. So we have capacity for 20kgs and all I need to add is five people's clothes for a month, food, 1/2 tank of fuel, AC unit, fishing gear, laptops/tablets. Should be fine......right??

Not a chance.
Why take food, they too have shops.
You do know you need permits for each region you intend fishing .. even for sea fishing.....and they aren't free.
Why take relatively heavy laptops when a tablet, or even a phone, does the same thing
As an average you need around 200kg per person (maybe less for the kids if they're young and small) including you,, all personal stuff and cloths etc.
A few kg over and it could be a small fine and have to ditch some things to get the weight down .....if it's a lot over it could lead to your van being impounded and a heavy fine.
It may not happen but it's a big risk.

 

[Tiger Bear]

I actually visited the weighbridge today as it was bugging me. We weighed 3300kgs with most things on board including gas bottles etc. I was just missing wife, 3 kids, and 5 bikes which gets us up to around 3480. So we have capacity for 20kgs and all I need to add is five people's clothes for a month, food, 1/2 tank of fuel, AC unit, fishing gear, laptops/tablets. Should be fine......right??

So, it looks like you'll be leaving your wife and your least favourite child behind; that means one and a half bikes are also staying at home. You'll then need to tell the other two that they'll have to leave their computers and gadgets at home, and you'll need to teach them card games. Leave the fishing rods behind and get a €3 net each when you get over there. Just take crisps and Pot Noodles, and buy everything else over there each day. Oh yes, I'm afraid Nude Tuesday will have to be every day!


Scottish Scrutineer's advice is sound! As soon as we bought our first van, I got the certification from Auto-Trail to uprate it to 3650kg; that was free. Maybe you could contact Burnster to see if they could help you with that. But, a company like SV Tech (others available) may be able to uprate it to at least 3800kg without changing the suspension.

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[HappyG]

So, it looks like you'll be leaving your wife and your least favourite child behind; that means one and a half bikes are also staying at home. You'll then need to tell the other two that they'll have to leave their computers and gadgets at home, and you'll need to teach them card games. Leave the fishing rods behind and get a €3 net each when you get over there. Just take crisps and Pot Noodles, and buy everything else over there each day. Oh yes, I'm afraid Nude Tuesday will have to be every day!


Scottish Scrutineer's advice is sound! As soon as we bought our first van, I got the certification from Auto-Trail to uprate it to 3650kg; that was free. Maybe you could contact Burnster to see if they could help you with that. But, a company like SV Tech (others available) may be able to uprate it to at least 3800kg without changing the suspension.

Yes lots of great advice in the thread, thanks everyone. I'm tempted to get it uprated before we go but I'm the onloy one with a C1 licence, and while I do all the driving in normal circumstances, it would mean that we were stuck if I broke an ankle or something while we are away.....

PS Nude Tuesdays are fine with me but the rest of the site may have objections!!

 

[Holly's mum]

Yes lots of great advice in the thread, thanks everyone. I'm tempted to get it uprated before we go but I'm the onloy one with a C1 licence, and while I do all the driving in normal circumstances, it would mean that we were stuck if I broke an ankle or something while we are away.....

PS Nude Tuesdays are fine with me but the rest of the site may have objections!!

If you do uprate the van and your wife doesn't have a C1 licence then remember to take her off the insurance.

 

[LostInSpace]

If you do uprate the van and your wife doesn't have a C1 licence then remember to take her off the insurance.

Hmmm. Maybe, not.

 

[Holly's mum]

Hmmm. Maybe, not.

Maybe not what? Uprate the van or take his wife off the insurance?

 

[BrochMike]

Afternoon all - we head of to europe next month for a month and I'm starting to worry a little about our payload...

I'd have thought payload would also be a concern in UK (unless you are renting /borrowing)? Definitely worth looking at up-rating soon...

In the meantime, chances of being weighed are certainly slim but, as you mention, there are other considerations.

If you want to keep 'legal'...

We manage fine without our bikes (sites/aires/carparks usually well located within walking distance of interesting stuff) and you can easily rent boards/bikes locally if really needed.

Fuel, food & water available everywhere (so you don't need much of those).

Laundry facilities everywhere.

AC seems like a heavy luxury?

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[Bill-H]

Got a towbar?, can you borrow a small trailer for some heavy stuff - even put bikes in as well