We bought our Autotrail Cheyenne 740SE in late 2009. It had been up for sale for six months, which is unusual. We were told it was because it had been upgraded via SVTech from 3500kg to 3900kg so restricted it to C1 license, which they said was good for us as it allowed extra carrying weight. What they didn't tell us was that even with the upgrade the motorhome weighed 3850kg with none of our equipment in it. This obviously meant it was always overweight from new. As we then went into lock-down with Covid it was over two years before it got weighed to find this out. It had bothered me since then because it meant I had to be overweight every time I went out. Last month we decided we had to do something positive about it.
I looked at the only two companies that did the upgrades, SVTech and Van Weight Engineering. As SVTech did not do such a good job of upgrading (more on that later) I went with Van Weight Engineering. Wow, what a super efficient, helpful and quick in replying company they turned out to be. Operated by Dee and Claire their knowledge of what I personally needed to do saved me a fortune (more on that too later).
Lots of photographs and measurements later they had almost all the information they needed.
Now, this is where SVTech seem to have messed up as their plate under the bonnet showed no Gross Train Weight, which meant that I had no towing allowance. That meant for the last three years we had towed a 980kg car illegally unknowingly.
VWE requested a Certificate of Conformity to get me back my towing allowance. I looked around how to get it as I did not have one and to get a copy was around £120 from several sources. I spoke to VWE and they said contact Autotrail. Autotrail said there never was one as it did not become law until 2012 to supply one; our motorhome is a 2019. VWE said they would accept a statement of weight from Autotrail as evidence. Autotrail were brilliant too and supplied the statement to VWE in a few hours of requesting. Hence VWE had saved me £120 and, I would have got a negative result.
I was sent the computer printout which showed Green Highlights that it could be legally upgraded to 4400kg plus 1040kg towing limit making a total of 5440kg total weight. The process to this point had taken just five days.
Eight days after the start of the process I received the five page Engineer Report and the Design Weight Certificate, both of which are winging their way off to DVLA this morning, The engraved Weight Plate for the vehicle has been ordered and will be here within around ten days. Now that is what I call outstanding personal service. I did not feel any pressure whatsoever, though greatly relieved when the upgrade was approved. Even SWMBO will never exceed that with her clothes and Cosmetics, lol.
As part of the process we changed the two back tyres to match the front to take the extra weight with Maxxis All Seasons 10 ply 225/75/R16 rated at 121
Learning points....
Check that the Motorhome Makers plate matches their online weight limits and you don't just have the Vehicle Makers plate on it.
Check that there is MTW figure from the Motorhome Makers, not just the Vehicle Maker. As the Autotrail had a two metre extension on the chassis the weight figures obviously change.
Total Cost was £276...a bargain in my opinion.
I looked at the only two companies that did the upgrades, SVTech and Van Weight Engineering. As SVTech did not do such a good job of upgrading (more on that later) I went with Van Weight Engineering. Wow, what a super efficient, helpful and quick in replying company they turned out to be. Operated by Dee and Claire their knowledge of what I personally needed to do saved me a fortune (more on that too later).
Lots of photographs and measurements later they had almost all the information they needed.
Now, this is where SVTech seem to have messed up as their plate under the bonnet showed no Gross Train Weight, which meant that I had no towing allowance. That meant for the last three years we had towed a 980kg car illegally unknowingly.
VWE requested a Certificate of Conformity to get me back my towing allowance. I looked around how to get it as I did not have one and to get a copy was around £120 from several sources. I spoke to VWE and they said contact Autotrail. Autotrail said there never was one as it did not become law until 2012 to supply one; our motorhome is a 2019. VWE said they would accept a statement of weight from Autotrail as evidence. Autotrail were brilliant too and supplied the statement to VWE in a few hours of requesting. Hence VWE had saved me £120 and, I would have got a negative result.
I was sent the computer printout which showed Green Highlights that it could be legally upgraded to 4400kg plus 1040kg towing limit making a total of 5440kg total weight. The process to this point had taken just five days.
Eight days after the start of the process I received the five page Engineer Report and the Design Weight Certificate, both of which are winging their way off to DVLA this morning, The engraved Weight Plate for the vehicle has been ordered and will be here within around ten days. Now that is what I call outstanding personal service. I did not feel any pressure whatsoever, though greatly relieved when the upgrade was approved. Even SWMBO will never exceed that with her clothes and Cosmetics, lol.
As part of the process we changed the two back tyres to match the front to take the extra weight with Maxxis All Seasons 10 ply 225/75/R16 rated at 121
Learning points....
Check that the Motorhome Makers plate matches their online weight limits and you don't just have the Vehicle Makers plate on it.
Check that there is MTW figure from the Motorhome Makers, not just the Vehicle Maker. As the Autotrail had a two metre extension on the chassis the weight figures obviously change.
Total Cost was £276...a bargain in my opinion.
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, even with the mods I just mentioned, so how did you manage to get it up to 4400Kg's without further mods like bigger brakes and a brake test doc?What is your rear axel weight allowance now with the upgrade?
