Beware motorhome on weight limit (1 Viewer)

Dec 10, 2013
3,420
11,960
South Staffs
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29,333
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Pilote P740GJ
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Bought our first used motorhome last summer and today i decided i would have it weighed. Full tank of fuel, full gas bottles no water waste, food or clothing, just the wife and i. Guess what, right on the 3500kg limit. The only add ons that i know to are spare wheel, sat system,bike rack, solar panel and cameras. How many of us are driving around blissfully unaware untill we get stopped at a road check. Dave :Smile:
 
Oct 1, 2013
7,487
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Lanzarote
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What would happen if you were caught over ? :whistle:

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Oct 1, 2013
7,487
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Lanzarote
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No insured for a start!


Hmm, sure mine is OK when it's empty.

I should really get it checked when full as will be about 300Kgs heavier.


Do driver and passenger count in the weight ?

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Jim

Ringleader
Jul 19, 2007
36,197
128,643
Sutton on Sea, UK
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1
MH
Adria Panel Van.
Exp
Since 1988
Bought our first used motorhome last summer and today i decided i would have it weighed. Full tank of fuel, full gas bottles no water waste, food or clothing, just the wife and i. Guess what, right on the 3500kg limit. The only add ons that i know to are spare wheel, sat system,bike rack, solar panel and cameras. How many of us are driving around blissfully unaware untill we get stopped at a road check. Dave :Smile:

You have 4 options..


  1. Sell it
  2. See if you can uprate it? Broken Link Removedwill let you know
  3. Tow a small trailer, which may give you half a ton or more of extra payload.
  4. Ignore it
Those are in my preferred order, you only have 3 really, you should ignore 4:Smile:

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treetops1

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Feb 25, 2013
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yorkshire/ lincolnshire.
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24,843
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Sold last van-
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a long time,since 1996
Start walking lol.You have to arange someone to come and take your passengers and anything that will bring the weight to below the 3500kg.I never carry drinking water or grey water between sites to keep my weight to the minimum. Have a good look before you set off if you are not going to use it leave it at home. ps if you are not going far treat the wife to a bike lol.:Blush:
 
Nov 6, 2013
1,403
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S. Ayrshire
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28,914
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The usual
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Since the beginning
Start walking lol.You have to arange someone to come and take your passengers and anything that will bring the weight to below the 3500kg.I never carry drinking water or grey water between sites to keep my weight to the minimum. Have a good look before you set off[HI] if you are not going to use it leave it at home[/HI]. ps if you are not going far treat the wife to a bike lol.:Blush:

I tried that, but the wife got the hump :ROFLMAO:
 

hdvrod

Free Member
Dec 27, 2011
859
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Often wondered how many people travel with the fresh water tank full,I don't personally,but must be a considerable weight rough calculation 20 galls = around 200lb.

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OP
OP
daveandsan
Dec 10, 2013
3,420
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Pilote P740GJ
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Since 2013
You have 4 options..


  1. Sell it
  2. See if you can uprate it? Broken Link Removedwill let you know
  3. Tow a small trailer, which may give you half a ton or more of extra payload.
  4. Ignore it
Those are in my preferred order, you only have 3 really, you should ignore 4:Smile:
Thanks Jim, I am going to get it uprated. Dave :Smile:
 

DuxDeluxe

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 10, 2008
14,628
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Often wondered how many people travel with the fresh water tank full,I don't personally,but must be a considerable weight rough calculation 20 galls = around 200lb.

You are right. I always fill the water tank and travel with it full (personal choice, yes I know it is wasteful, but it is my money that I am wasting) but we have a considerable payload and even loaded to the gills was 400kg under the max.

I worry about a lot of vans that are around - 3.5 tonne van with a big garage and a very long rear overhang (probably a tow bar as well) stuffed full of electric bikes BBQ's and goodness knows what else. you can almost see the suspension sagging
 
Oct 1, 2013
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I worry about a lot of vans that are around - 3.5 tonne van with a big garage and a very long rear overhang (probably a tow bar as well) stuffed full of electric bikes

Mine's got real bike in the back :roflmto:

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hdvrod

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Dec 27, 2011
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I have Air suspension fitted (on when I bought it) guess this must help by taking weight of the springs.
 

Terry

LIFE MEMBER
Dec 27, 2007
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What would happen if you were caught over ? :whistle:

BIG fine and points ::bigsmile: also have to unload and leave stuff behind at weigh station before being allowed to continue :Smile:EVERYTHING that goes in or on the van counts to weight inc you wife and dog ::bigsmile:
terry
 
Aug 18, 2011
12,091
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derbys
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17,808
MH
AUTOSLEEPER SYMBOL
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since 2007.Tugger before since 1970
I have Air suspension fitted (on when I bought it) guess this must help by taking weight of the springs.

Will not make any difference to your van unless you have uprated its gross weight. Sorry. BUSBY::Sad::Sad:
 

DBK

LIFE MEMBER
Jan 9, 2013
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Plympton, Devon
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Bought our first used motorhome last summer and today i decided i would have it weighed. Full tank of fuel, full gas bottles no water waste, food or clothing, just the wife and i. Guess what, right on the 3500kg limit. The only add ons that I know of are spare wheel, sat system,bike rack, solar panel and cameras. How many of us are driving around blissfully unaware until we get stopped at a road check. Dave :Smile:

There is something not right here. Even with those extras there should be be payload to spare.

The vehicle could have some hidden contraband under the floor or inside the spare tyre but perhaps there has been water ingress somewhere and the walls are full of water? This might sound a bit far fetched but somehow this vehicle has put on perhaps a couple of hundred kgs after it left the factory. Possibly more.

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hdvrod

Free Member
Dec 27, 2011
859
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devon
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Will not make any difference to your van unless you have uprated its gross weight. Sorry. BUSBY::Sad::Sad:
Realise that Busby,just meant with the air suspension fully loaded the MH handles better,no "roll" on the bends.
 

Scattycat

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Jan 3, 2013
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Am I right in thinking that when folks go to get their 3.5 ton vans uprated all that happens is a change in the paperwork and nothing physical is actually changed on the van?
or have I got it wrong?
 

JeanLuc

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Nov 17, 2008
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Hymer B630 Star-Line
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I have Air suspension fitted (on when I bought it) guess this must help by taking weight of the springs.

Unless the air suspension was fitted as part of a MAM upgrade, then its presence has no effect on the maximum load you can carry - in fact, if it was fitted merely for comfort and not as part of a weight upgrade, then its effect will be to reduce the available payload as the weight of the suspension units increases the basic weight of the van.

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JeanLuc

Free Member
Nov 17, 2008
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Am I right in thinking that when folks go to get their 3.5 ton vans uprated all that happens is a change in the paperwork and nothing physical is actually changed on the van?
or have I got it wrong?

It depends on the specification of the van. Some that are plated at 3,500 kg MAM can be uprated if the original specification allowed for this (happens when motorhomes have been down-plated to enable people without C1 licences to drive them). If the base vehicle is not designed to be plated above 3,500 kg then it may need modifications in order to get an upgrade - if this is indeed possible at all.
As Jim has noted earlier, check with SVTech.
 

Steve

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May 8, 2013
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Compton Berkshire
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on and off for 40 years
You have 4 options..


  1. Sell it
  2. See if you can uprate it? Broken Link Removedwill let you know
  3. Tow a small trailer, which may give you half a ton or more of extra payload.
  4. Ignore it
Those are in my preferred order, you only have 3 really, you should ignore 4:Smile:
I had same problem went for option 2 cost £250 now gvm is 4000 so now no problem. I have small scooter in back two large gas bottles tank full of water plus food clothes etc and sometimes genny. But on the plus side the wife is at home:thumb:
 

MikeD

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Dec 21, 2011
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IH PVC
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Since 2012
I am fairly sure that most of us are over our max weight when we start some of our extended oversea tours. :Blush::Blush:







And all of us are when we come back via our preferred wine shop in France :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

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Mousy

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Sep 13, 2013
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Hymer S840 Merc auto
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So how does this paper exercise make your van safer than mine?

I don't understand that if we are both driving along fully laden, you've up rated yours, I haven't. We both get pulled over, I'm fined for being unsafe overloaded but cos your paper work is done you are ok?
Assuming similar original vans, similar load etc.

What am I missing? Sorry for being thick.
 

Steve

LIFE MEMBER
May 8, 2013
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Compton Berkshire
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on and off for 40 years
So how does this paper exercise make your van safer than mine?

I don't understand that if we are both driving along fully laden, you've up rated yours, I haven't. We both get pulled over, I'm fined for being unsafe overloaded but cos your paper work is done you are ok?
Assuming similar original vans, similar load etc.

What am I missing? Sorry for being thick.
Yes you are right it is 90% a paper exercise but you do get to know your van a little better ie suspension correct tyres etc, oh and cheaper road tax::bigsmile:
 

Ed Excel

Free Member
Nov 27, 2012
870
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Ribble Valley
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23,815
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Coach built
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Started 2007
I wanted to know the weight of my MH, to adjust tyre pressures for a comfortable ride, as much as anything. So I bought one of these:

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