a weight question (1 Viewer)

tulketh

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hi all i'm new to motorhoming our motorhome is plated at 3.650 were going to tour europe around easter for 9-12 months would it be best to leave as it is or down grade to 3.500 thinking about tolls and vignettes thanks
 
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Leave it as it is.

Don't worry about tolls. We're over 3500 and we've only ever been asked to pay Class 2.

If you down plate it there's every chance you won't have a usable payload anyway.
 

GWAYGWAY

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DON'T . You'll be running too close to the wind if you think it would be OK at 3500, There is very little spare capacity on most of the lying figures that the trade spew out about weights., You might find that you actually need it for a tank of fuel and a bit of water as well as a passenger, let alone clothes and supplies. You need to fill it up, as for a trip and then GO TO a weighbridge and be prepared for a nasty surprise. You might well find that you are , and always have been overweight.
Stay as you are it will probably be the minimum you can drive with and not be overweight.. Toll are little different between weight Austria might be a problem but Tolls are much the same for all sizes.
 

OldAgeTravellers

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Basically weight does not matter at Tolls, none that I know of especially in France have the ability to weigh you. So you will be charges as Classe 2 unless you are over 3mt which they do measure. We are 4.5 tonne and always get charged as Classe 2 and I am not about to upset the que behind me by pressing the alarm button and arguing that I have not been charged enough. But if you get a toll tag you have to sign that you will only use it on a Classe 1 or 2 vehicle so you would be telling an untruth. Also if you have twin wheels at the rear you will be charged extra in Spain. Vignettes I do not know about except that I have heard from people who have paid for a Go Box that it has turned out cheaper than a Vignette which I think is a fixed price.
I would leave your vehicle at 3650 if you are full timing and have the licence to drive it as you will find that you need every ounce of Pay-Load you Can get. Or at least we do. In the UK VOSA regularly set up portable weigh stations at weekends to catch Motorhomes. And I have heard that the French have started doing similar, probably only for foreigners at the moment as 99% of French Vans are probably overweight as they are mostly plated down to 3.5 tonne.
My last Moho which was French had just 40kg to spare with it empty and me not sitting in it! I have now bought another at 4.5 tonne to stay legal. Bear in mind that. It is compulsory to carry fifty litres of wine in a French registered Motorhome;)
Steve

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GWAYGWAY

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Great information, I am looking to upgrade I have C1 licence and did not know about the difference in road tax. Well worth the £15 subscription fee
If you have the C1 then it should also have an E on it, that allows you the trailers so if you wanted to you could drop it to 3500 and pull a trailer but that will cost more in tolls, and would be a real pain in the butt as well. My new van is at 3860 kg and I have a short time before I must drop it to 3500 but I do have a towbar and trailer. to allow me to pull the extra weight that I drop off the garage.
 
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tulketh

tulketh

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thanks for all your replies will leave it as it is as we get near our off date no doubt you'll hear from me again

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Mikey RV

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thanks for all your replies will leave it as it is as we get near our off date no doubt you'll hear from me again

Don't be shy, that's what's so good about this forum lots of peaple = lots of knowledge and we all had to start somewhere. Happy travels. (y)
 

John & Joan

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If you have the C1 then it should also have an E on it, that allows you the trailers so if you wanted to you could drop it to 3500 and pull a trailer but that will cost more in tolls, and would be a real pain in the butt as well. My new van is at 3860 kg and I have a short time before I must drop it to 3500 but I do have a towbar and trailer. to allow me to pull the extra weight that I drop off the garage.

I don't understand the sentence "I have a short time before I must drop it to 3500". I am 73 heading for 74 and still driving a 4600kg (and towing a car trailer from time to time). I would rather have a medical to confirm that I am fit to drive, for my own peace of mind. It may cost a bit extra at renewal every 3 years. I also have a voluntary eye sight test every year. I know, only to well, that DVLA can be a bit of a pain with renewals, but you are still permitted to drive for up to 12 months, after lodging your renewal application, at the same weight and categories, providing you are fit to drive and are not disqualified in any way, while they procrastinate in their renewal processes, although driving limited to the UK, unless you can get written permission from the other countries licencing body.
If anyone has doubts about their medical fitness, dropping to 3500kg does not remove the doubts. Better safe than sorry.
 
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Badknee

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We were maxed out @3850k as the Moho weighed 3200k so we have just changed to one weighing 3600k and GW was 4500k and then we upgraded to 5250k as I was always worried about being overloaded.

I would get it weighed empty ( half tank of fuel, you don't need any water on board but the driver needs to be in it) then as has been said, load up for the trip and re weigh same as but any passengers have to be on board.

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GWAYGWAY

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I don't understand the sentence "I have a short time before I must drop it to 3500". I am 73 heading for 74 and still driving a 4600kg (and towing a car trailer from time to time). I would rather have a medical to confirm that I am fit to drive, for my own peace of mind. It may cost a bit extra at renewal every 3 years. I also have a voluntary eye sight test every year. I know, only to well, that DVLA can be a bit of a pain with renewals, but you are still permitted to drive for up to 12 months, after lodging your renewal application, at the same weight and categories, providing you are fit to drive and are not disqualified in any way, while they procrastinate in their renewal processes, although driving limited to the UK, unless you can get written permission from the other countries licencing body.
If anyone has doubts about their medical fitness, dropping to 3500kg does not remove the doubts. Better safe than sorry.
I do not have any doubts about my fitness to drive BUT the GP I have does, I have never seen him apart from once when I handed £150 to him to sign a form to allow me to fly a light plane under new rules. He said he did not believe in it but the rule said OK so he HAD to sign them. He did say that he would NOT SIGN anything for me that allowed me to drive AN HGV LORRY. as all people over 60 were a danger and especially me as I had had an angioplasty 26 years ago. He would demand Exercise ECG, nuclear medicine scan , and and a specialist cardiology consultant referral BEFORE he would even consider me fit to drive a LORRY..
Pease do no try and tell me to change GP practice, as they have no vacancies in ANY of the local ones whose area I am in . Too many extra immigrants in the area and they are all overwhelmed. I am not prepared to wast money chasing a rainbow when a bigoted doctor has his own agenda, mostly money. I would try doctors on wheels but the DVLA only refer back to the listed GP for confirmation.
 

Minxy

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@GWAYGWAY if there is another doctor at the practice can you not change to him/her ... if not then I'd be very tempted to report your GP as he's a bully!
 

GWAYGWAY

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It is all on the record, the record is what he goes by and also what the others will go by. I lost my commercial pilots licence in 1992 and it is all on there. You cannot beat the system. It is the system. The GP that I went to is not my registered one and he is the principle GP in the practice and does all the private work.

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pappajohn

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I am 73 heading for 74 and still driving a 4600kg (and towing a car trailer from time to time). I would rather have a medical to confirm that I am fit to drive, for my own peace of mind
Your C1e expired at age 70....even if the expiry date on your licence is still current.
If you haven't already had and passed a medical for DVLA you are driving (theoretically) without a correct licence.
It's your age (70) which applies, not the expiry date of your licence.
 

Billggski

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You don't need to go to your own doctor, use an hgv/taxi doctor.
Look them up on the net.
 
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thanks for all your replies will leave it as it is as we get near our off date no doubt you'll hear from me again
Just check your license covers you to drive over 3500kg,,BUSBY,,

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Emmit

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You don't need to go to your own doctor, use an hgv/taxi doctor.
Look them up on the net.
I second that comment.

I am not prepared to allow my pevious medical history to be used as a guide as to my fitness to drive.
 

Billggski

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Just fill in the form honestly, the hgv doctors know how to fill them in, you don't need a separate optician's examination.
 

PeteH

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In My View MOST "Euro" motor-homes (especially Coach-builts) are sailing close to the wind at 3500kg. I have upgraded mine as have many others for just that reason!. The "Industry" is in my opinion largely to blame, as they try to build down to a weight, but still install all the modern goodies. therefore inevitably the "payload" is not fit for purpose!. It`s way past time that "WE" had a proper category for Leisure use, with a sensible weight limit (4t?) still drivable on a B or B+E licence. BUT try getting that past the Numpties who "advise" our law makers!. Someone did tell me once that he thought the 3500kg came about because the French (who else?), who have the biggest say on these matters make all their Motor-homes to that weight because of their domestic licence rules?.

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GWAYGWAY

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My first chausson oddesee came into the country at 3500 AUW and weighted almost that whilst having no fuel or extras let alone 4 people in it. I believe that the first one sold got returned to the dealer after the owner got booked overweight empty .
So the French aren't that glorious when it come to weights.
 

ianandkath

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In My View MOST "Euro" motor-homes (especially Coach-builts) are sailing close to the wind at 3500kg. I have upgraded mine as have many others for just that reason!. The "Industry" is in my opinion largely to blame, as they try to build down to a weight, but still install all the modern goodies. therefore inevitably the "payload" is not fit for purpose!. It`s way past time that "WE" had a proper category for Leisure use, with a sensible weight limit (4t?) still drivable on a B or B+E licence. BUT try getting that past the Numpties who "advise" our law makers!. Someone did tell me once that he thought the 3500kg came about because the French (who else?), who have the biggest say on these matters make all their Motor-homes to that weight because of their domestic licence rules?.
you can drive a 44 foot rv in the states at 17, weight does not matter.
its the silly laws in this country that are the problem

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Puddleduck

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If anyone has doubts about their medical fitness, dropping to 3500kg does not remove the doubts. Better safe than sorry.

Multiple like.

If you have ANY doubts about your fitness to drive then stop driving. Give back your licence on a voluntary basis, do not wait for it to be taken from you for whatever reason. If you do hand back voluntarily you can drive again once the DVLA have received your application for restoration, you do not have to wait for them (but check this as the rules can and do change).


Just fill in the form honestly, the hgv doctors know how to fill them in, you don't need a separate optician's examination.

The HGV Doctors probably have the check charts so they can do this. My GP doesn't so I needed the optician's report.

. It`s way past time that "WE" had a proper category for Leisure use, with a sensible weight limit (4t?) still drivable on a B or B+E licence.

There has to be a cut off somewhere ..... not sure why it is 3,500kg

I read somewhere that is some parts of the EU there is provision for driving larger / leisure vehicles if further training was undertaken..... might have been in one of the club magazines or MMM. I'll try to find it.

Found it !!! Jan 17 issue vol 112 no 1 of Camping & Caravanning, page 14. Sorry it is about towing not motorhome limits. It's a B96 extension and allows a car and trailer combo of up to 4250 kg on a standard B licence is extra training is undertaken. No mention of a test. If that was extended to leisure vehicles (motorhomes) it would make more sense. I've seen far more accidents with caravans than motorhomes. But maybe caravans take longer to clear after an accident.

The Caravan Club appear to be in discussion with the DVLA about weight limits and the advice given by DVLA team members. They are asking for examples of incorrect advice given.
 

ianandkath

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There has to be a cut off somewhere ..... not sure why it is 3,500kg
why is it not 44 tons, thats what im allowed to drive.
its a motorhome, not a goods vechile.
as i said allowed in the states but not here, also 44 foot allowed in southern ireland , but not in europe.
thought southern ireland was in europe
 

Emmit

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Earlier this year I came across a small motorhome 'show' in southern Brittany and was shocked at how many 'vans had an apparent Max Mass of 3500Kgs that I would have automatically assumed to be well in excess of 3500kgs. I was looking at 16" wheeled A Classes that gave all the appearance of being 4250kgs.

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ianandkath

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Earlier this year I came across a small motorhome 'show' in southern Brittany and was shocked at how many 'vans had an apparent Max Mas sof 3500Kgs that I woud have has automatically assumed to be well in excess of 3500kgs I was looking at 16" wheeled A Classes that gave all the appearance of being 4250kgs.
cant answer that, only know what i can drive.
you should have asked the people selling the vans the laws.
thank you duck, glad you agree
 

Puddleduck

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why is it not 44 tons, thats what im allowed to drive.

A big difference between a Fiat 500 and a big truck though :)

I think that you should be able to upgrade from the B licence to a leisure vehicle licence after extra training :) and maybe certification.
 

PeteH

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My Reasoning ( I dont like "argument"), would be that Physically there IS no difference between 3.5t and 4t in a leisure vehicle, apart from, some (very) small potential change in braking distance. That which in itself would be no more "dangerous" than (say) between a Range Rover and a Smart Car?. Both of which are drivable on a B or B1E?. It just takes a few Minutes of Brain effort of the part of the "Numpties" who control the minds of the "Lawmakers". And the issue would be solved!.

As for the USA. Whilst I find some of their attitudes a bit strange, They do not have the same "Controlling" outlook as we Europeans do!. The Winnebago was 10.65 OLD tons. And though I have a Texan Licence I could and did drive it on the UK Licence LEGALLY.

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