Motorhome Weight

Perhaps now the time has come for more pressure to be put on a change in the law for ordinary licence to all MH up to 4000 kg. It is almost impossible for a family to enjoy all the pleasures of MHing without all the hassle that @Mickey1 is currently going through. It is difficult enough for those of us with a 2 berth to stay within the law.

It is crazy that families should be driven to going down the caravan route, not least because towing a large object like a caravan requires more skills than driving MH.

Hopefully the newly renamed C&MC will take up the challenge.

Do any of you living in EU know if same laws apply throughout? Not that that will bother us much longer.
 
gus-lopez said:
Good point. If a hard brexit then you'll be non-eu & be able to carry the wine allowance, 4 litres, as a foot passenger.:D2

Alcohol allowance
How much you can bring depends on the type of drink. You can bring in:

  • beer - 16 litres
  • wine (not sparkling) - 4 litres
You can also bring in either:

  • spirits and other liquors over 22% alcohol - 1 litre
  • fortified wine (eg port, sherry), sparkling wine and alcoholic drinks up to 22% alcohol - 2 litres
You can split this last allowance, eg you could bring 1 litre of fortified wine and half a litre of spirits (both half of your allowance).
Click to expand...
Sounds like a good excuse for more trips to France.:D

ludo said:
When buying a motorhome, new or old, the ONLY safe way of establishing the payload is to insist the dealer/seller has the van weighed completely empty of goods, gas, fuel, people, etc., and supplying you with an official weighbridge ticket. You can then choose to carry what you want. If the seller won't do this then don't buy from them. In our case, the van, completely empty and without any extras, weighed 2820 kg.
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Or buy a Hymer, both new Hymers we have had have been under the stated weight and friends ones have been as well.:D
 
Thanks @Riverbankannie , I have a Hgv licence so everything's good. I agree with what you say, even after a uprate to 3850kg , you still struggle to have 4 people + gear , luckily it will be just me and wife, but there will come a time when daughter and boyfriend will want to come.

Mickey.
 
Mickey1 said:
Update, I was about to leave for the weighbridge and received a email from the dealer which makes me feel a little better.
Morning Mick. I have posted the paperwork to you I have also started the paper work process to upgrade the vehicle weight to 3850. Giving you more payload. This also reduces the road tax
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Do make sure you get individual axle weights, no point in upgrading if you are on the limit on the rear axle.

The dealer gave in very easy so he obviously knew there was a problem, don't you just hate salesmen.

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@Lenny HB , yea I guess he knew alright. So should I go to the weighbridge and tell them I need front and back axles weighed?.

Mickey.
 
@Mickey1
You ideally want three weighs - Front, Back & Total
Plus you want a print out.

This will cost a few quid but worth it in the scheme of things.
 
Mickey1 said:
@Lenny HB , yea I guess he knew alright. So should I go to the weighbridge and tell them I need front and back axles weighed?.

Mickey.
Click to expand...
Yes make sure you get 3 weights, front & Rear axles and total, any charges I would pass on to the dealer.
 
chaser said:
Has anyone seen one of these in action, quite cheap as motorhome accessories go, especially if shared between one or two.
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=302200729467&globalID=EBAY-GB
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Wouldn't it be great if the dealerships invested in them, absolutely negligible cost to them - but perhaps not a great sales tool when it proves published payload figures are as accurate as new car fuel consumption figures!

I'm a little surprised that there appears to be none 2nd hand on eBay - I'd have thought that once you'd used it a few times, you'd know the weight of your van.

Presumably, it's one of those gadgets that doesn't cost too much, doesn't clutter the garage & you never know when it might be useful again.

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Mickey1 said:
Update, I was about to leave for the weighbridge and received a email from the dealer which makes me feel a little better.
Morning Mick. I have posted the paperwork to you I have also started the paper work process to upgrade the vehicle weight to 3850. Giving you more payload. This also reduces the road tax


Kind regards

Thanks to all, so glad I joined fun.

Mickey.
Click to expand...
At HIS cost I assume and not yours!
 
Riverbankannie said:
Hopefully the newly renamed C&MC will take up the challenge.

Do any of you living in EU know if same laws apply throughout? Not that that will bother us much longer.
Click to expand...

1) I would not be holding my breath waiting for the C&MC (CC) or the CCC, to make representation. They refused to fight the earlier proposals when they where "suggested" by the EU`s Unelected "Harmonisation Tsars"!. And all the towing limits Etc; got changed.

2) Not sure, but I "have been told", that the French limits are 3500kg, and heavier vehicles have more onerous restrictions on use, access, toll fees, Etc:?
 
@Langtoftlad , you could have a great little business there, hiring them out to prospective buyers, don't think the dealers would be too happy though.

Mickey.
 
Langtoftlad said:
Wouldn't it be great if the dealerships invested in them, absolutely negligible cost to them - but perhaps not a great sales tool when it proves published payload figures are as accurate as new car fuel consumption figures!

I'm a little surprised that there appears to be none 2nd hand on eBay - I'd have thought that once you'd used it a few times, you'd know the weight of your van.

Presumably, it's one of those gadgets that doesn't cost too much, doesn't clutter the garage & you never know when it might be useful again.
Click to expand...
Thing is , as far as I can see, they are light enough and small enough to keep in the van , so that you can weigh anytime , if you are loading up with wine or whatever, just check you aren't going over, not just wine , but if you are putting a trailer on or as we did a couple of years ago bought two electric bikes in France.
Unless anyone comes up with a reason they are no good think I am going to take a punt at this one
https://www.obelink.co.uk/caravan-weight-control-extra.html?sqr=RIECH &
That @Steve N Tracy recommends.(y)

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Got one in the garage at home only the orange one for heavier vehicles really good but as you say after a while you get to know weight but they are really useful just to check occasionally.
They recommend recalibration every two years.
 
chaser said:
Thing is , as far as I can see, they are light enough and small enough to keep in the van , so that you can weigh anytime , if you are loading up with wine or whatever, just check you aren't going over, not just wine , but if you are putting a trailer on or as we did a couple of years ago bought two electric bikes in France.
Unless anyone comes up with a reason they are no good think I am going to take a punt at this one
https://www.obelink.co.uk/caravan-weight-control-extra.html?sqr=RIECH &
That @Steve N Tracy recommends.(y)
Click to expand...
You'll need to start a list for people wanting to hire them from you, please can I be the first:D
 
IF the French weighing at 3,500 kg MAX, then we see 100's carrying crates of wine, Ebikes, Mopeds etc etc
The sensible Germans can drive up to 7.5 tonnes OVER the age of 70 ! ! !
EU rule apparently ! ! !
It seems we don't get the "good" bits of EU regs, just the crap ! ! !
Mitch. (Portugal ) xx
 
I feel for you, Mickey1. What a dreadful position to find yourself in and not a good one to be starting from. I think I’d take it straight back but, if you’ve set your heart on it, get it upgraded (or a lighter wife).

When I bought my last van the spec stated a ULW ±5% and, as the payload was small compared to what I had been used to, I wrote to my dealer stating that the ULW of the vehicle must be no more than the maximum quoted (including the 5%). I took it straight to a weighbridge after handover to find that it was just (15Kg) below. Had it been over, I was of a mind to return it but was greatly relieved not to find myself in that awkward position. My first port of call would’ve been Trading Standards but I don’t know how much help they’d have been. All tanks were empty except for a few drops of fuel, no gas bottle, driver or anything else.

5% of a 3tonne vehicle is 150Kg. So the ULW (forget MIRO) could be anywhere between 2850Kg and 3150Kg. You can be pretty sure that you won’t ever get one less than the declared weight (3000Kg, unless something had fallen off) and I guess that most are close to the top end of the range, if not over.

It was good to see some of the Hymer vehicles on scales at some of the recent shows but I did wonder whether they had been ‘specially prepared’ for the occasion. It did, at least, indicate that some manufacturers are aware of the need to watch vehicle weights. Beware, however, that several brochures quote weights for a (lighter) configuration that is not available to purchase in the UK.

I know someone who bought a vehicle with next to no payload. He’s been happy to use it for several years but has just kept away from weighbridges and would plead ignorance if stopped. I’m sure there are many more like that, but most will be travelling around in ignorance. Your vehicle is probably safe at 3850Kg. It’s the technicality of what your licence allows you to drive that matters.
 
For @Riverbankannie . I posted this last year after we stumbled across a french 'local' motorhome show/exhibition in South Brittany.
They had about 50/60 vans on display and despite the variation in form ie A Class, Luton/ Low Profile, I didn't come across any that had a weight displayed in excess of 3500Kgs.
I know for a fact that in the UK some of the models on display would have had a MTPLM of 4200 Kgs but no.
It seems that a cooker (which very little of these vans had) must weigh a hell of a lot because it allowed our french cousins to limbo under the 3500 Kgs limit.;)

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Update, just been to 2 more different weighbridges, first one, front axle 1540kg, back 1800 , total 3420. 2nd weighbridge, front 1500kg, back 1820, total 3420kg. So I've gained 20kg from yesterday, can someone please explain how the weights work, I thought you'd add front and back to get total, but it seems it doesn't work that way.

Mickey.
 
rogher said:
5% of a 3tonne vehicle is 150Kg. So the ULW (forget MIRO) could be anywhere between 2850Kg and 3150Kg. You can be pretty sure that you won’t ever get one less than the declared weight (3000Kg, unless something had fallen off) and I guess that most are close to the top end of the range, if not over.

It was good to see some of the Hymer vehicles on scales at some of the recent shows but I did wonder whether they had been ‘specially prepared’ for the occasion. It did, at least, indicate that some manufacturers are aware of the need to watch vehicle weights. Beware, however, that several brochures quote weights for a (lighter) configuration that is not available to purchase in the UK.
Click to expand...
Both Hymers we have had have been under the current one by 30kg, I think the last one it was 50kg.
 
Mickey1 said:
Update, just been to 2 more different weighbridges, first one, front axle 1540kg, back 1800 , total 3420. 2nd weighbridge, front 1500kg, back 1820, total 3420kg. So I've gained 20kg from yesterday, can someone please explain how the weights work, I thought you'd add front and back to get total, but it seems it doesn't work that way.

Mickey.
Click to expand...
The front & rear weights won't add up to the total because of leverage - even though you're weighing just one axle, you're still connected to the other & that's supporting some of the total weight.
The different weighbridge weights are within calibration tolerances.
How did you gain 20kgs? Is it raining where you are... weight of water on bridge plate and/or on van - just one theory...
Different clothes?
You had a large breakfast?
 
Langtoftlad said:
The front & rear weights won't add up to the total because of leverage - even though you're weighing just one axle, you're still connected to the other & that's supporting some of the total weight.
The different weighbridge weights are within calibration tolerances.
How did you gain 20kgs? Is it raining where you are... weight of water on bridge plate and/or on van - just one theory...
Different clothes?
You had a large breakfast?
Click to expand...
Think he means he's gained 20 kg load
 
Mickey1 said:
Update, just been to 2 more different weighbridges, first one, front axle 1540kg, back 1800 , total 3420. 2nd weighbridge, front 1500kg, back 1820, total 3420kg. So I've gained 20kg from yesterday, can someone please explain how the weights work, I thought you'd add front and back to get total, but it seems it doesn't work that way.

Mickey.
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Your front+rear won't add up to the total unless they were weighed with the van bang on level, the total weighed with both axles on the weighbridge will be as good as you get within the tolerance of the scales, you will have burned some diesel off running around so you should be down not up:LOL:

Martin

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Langtoftlad said:
The front & rear weights won't add up to the total because of leverage - even though you're weighing just one axle, you're still connected to the other & that's supporting some of the total weight.
The different weighbridge weights are within calibration tolerances.
How did you gain 20kgs? Is it raining where you are... weight of water on bridge plate and/or on van - just one theory...
Different clothes?
You had a large breakfast?
Click to expand...
Weighbridge yesterday 3440, two different weighbridges today, both 3420. Nothing different from yesterday, so i don't know. Are these front and back axles ok if he uprates me to 3850kg?.

Mickey.
 
funflair said:
Your front+rear won't add up to the total unless they were weighed with the van bang on level, the total weighed with both axles on the weighbridge will be as good as you get within the tolerance of the scales, you will have burned some diesel off running around so you should be down not up:LOL:

Martin
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He is down he was 3440 yesterday today 3420!
 
The original plate, and the one put on by the motorhome manufacturer, will show the plated weight of the van and will also show each axle capacity. This is where you will establish what each axle will carry. You need to check this before you attempt to upgrade the plated weight.
 
@ludo , did you read the email from the dealer, he's preparing the paperwork to uprate , surly he knows or could he be having me over again. I haven't replied to him yet , my wife is really not happy about the way he's treated us. Like she says, we'll be limited to who we sell to at a later date.

Mickey.

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