Van Weight Engineering - A New Option For Up-plating, Uprating & Downplating Motorhomes (1 Viewer)

[Lenny HB]

Sorry I thought I was replying to GirlyVanGirly comment about Hastings weighbridge. Yes the A27 was out of action two weeks ago when I went past.

It was still out a couple of days ago when my mate went up there, odd as it's a DVSA one normally fixed in 24 hours.

 

[POH]

That's good to know. I have booked in for a solar panel, that's all. Husband might have to choose which musical instruments to leave behind! It will be like asking him to choose his favourite child!

leave him at home " sorted "

 

[GirlyVanGirly]

Did you get a chance to try the weighbridge nr Hastings?.

Hi, I would love to be able to say yes!! But I am STILL waiting for my van! It's been at the dealership since 19th March, wish DVLA would pull their fingers out!

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[GirlyVanGirly]

leave him at home " sorted "

Tempting, but I will let him empty the toilet cassette

 

[orridge]

Hi, I would love to be able to say yes!! But I am STILL waiting for my van! It's been at the dealership since 19th March, wish DVLA would pull their fingers out!

Sorry to hear that hopefully soon.

 

[Nigeltheparrot]

Used van engineering to down plate from 3850 to 3500. Cannot fault this company cost £120 including new plate all paperwork and easily contactable. My only problem was with DVLA as I had Sorned vehicle but couldn't down plate as vehicle Sorned. So had to fill out V10 and return all paperwork . Six weeks later received new V5. Delays due to Covid.
Anyway successful outcome must say everything that van engineering did was correct.
Many thanks to Wombles for his original post with list of companies
John

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[TheTwoOfUs]

Used van engineering to down plate from 3850 to 3500. Cannot fault this company cost £120 including new plate all paperwork and easily contactable. My only problem was with DVLA as I had Sorned vehicle but couldn't down plate as vehicle Sorned. So had to fill out V10 and return all paperwork . Six weeks later received new V5. Delays due to Covid.
Anyway successful outcome must say everything that van engineering did was correct.
Many thanks to Wombles for his original post with list of companies
John

Ditto that, we've just done the same exercise with them.

 

[Jonno1103]

I have been reading as much as I can about uprating, and am very confused. I don't have my van yet and with all this about being overweight, and not being able to park anywhere I am beginning to wonder what I have let myself in for, getting a campervan was supposed to be fun, I am now finding it so stressful. I would not know where to start someone to fit 'air'? and feel I could be taken for a 'ride' (pardon the pun), I just don't have the knowledge to understand what to do for the best. As far as I know, maybe we will be able to put enough clothes, food etc on the van without going overweight. I am just feeling so scared about it right now.

Firstly which CV20 have you purchased? Is it a Standard Elddis/Compass model or a dealer special? They'll all have a different remaining payload.

Your mass in running order - MIRO - includes 75kg for the driver, 90% fuel & 90% gas.

If you take a look at Brownhills dealer special CV20 which has many extras fitted the payload is still 644kg.

Our 7.4m coachbuilt weighed in at 2868kg out of the factory gates giving us a 632kg payload.

Awning & aircon - Mass in Service now 2928kg payload of 572kg

Get ready to glaze over as this list is long and boring but only adds up to 169kg.

Hook up cables 9kg, tool kit 4kg, chairs 8kg, large table 6kg, med table 4kg, sml table 3kg, plancha 15kg, grey & fresh hoses 4kg, 4 full boxes 20kg, wastehog 5kg, aquaroll 4kg, awning mat 4kg, level blocks 4kg, 2 steps 3kg, windbreak 7kg, awning handle & tension bar 2kg, 10L Adblue 11kg, dishwasher 11kg, microwave 10kg, inflatable awning and accessories 35kg.

Add my weight, 139kg I also add two 6kg gas bottles - 28kg.

This leaves us 236kg, for food, clothing, laptop, tablets crockery etc.

If you don't think that's a lot then consider that I'm 6' 2" and as stated weigh 139kg my clothes for a week away weigh in at 12kg.

You have absolutely nothing to fear. Get out, enjoy your van and wave like a demented river dancer on acid when we drive by!

 

[royandsharont]

From one who has personal experiences there are many downsides for the heavier van if you tour on the Continent. Tolls in particular & even some countries do not allow you to pay tolls as you go, Austria as an example, you have to submit paperwork electronically in advance & then rent a GoBox with I think now €150 credit which gets deducted at a fast rate if about 30c/km so is expensive. For me to travel from top to bottom of France was around €300! To cross from Lake Garda to Perpignan was €200 and both these were likely to be less than the proper costs as the automatic system sometimes read us as a class 2 when we were actually a class 3. Then there are many road weight restrictions & speed reductions e.g in Spain you can only do 50mph on motorways and in France in particular many roads were limited to 3.5t in areas we campers like to visit. It was a major factor in us deciding to downsize. On the plus point without a doubt is the sheer size normally means you can take whatever you want and when stuck in rain for days on end there is room to move around inside so you don’t go stir crazy

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[Lenny HB]

From one who has personal experiences there are many downsides for the heavier van if you tour on the Continent. Tolls in particular & even some countries do not allow you to pay tolls as you go, Austria as an example, you have to submit paperwork electronically in advance & then rent a GoBox with I think now €150 credit which gets deducted at a fast rate if about 30c/km so is expensive. For me to travel from top to bottom of France was around €300! To cross from Lake Garda to Perpignan was €200 and both these were likely to be less than the proper costs as the automatic system sometimes read us as a class 2 when we were actually a class 3. Then there are many road weight restrictions & speed reductions e.g in Spain you can only do 50mph on motorways and in France in particular many roads were limited to 3.5t in areas we campers like to visit. It was a major factor in us deciding to downsize. On the plus point without a doubt is the sheer size normally means you can take whatever you want and when stuck in rain for days on end there is room to move around inside so you don’t go stir crazy

We are 4500 kg we don't find it a problem we don't use toll roads, no problem getting across Austria on non toll roads. If you want to go into Switzerland you have to pay to use any road but its fairly cheap.

 

[Speve]

From one who has personal experiences there are many downsides for the heavier van if you tour on the Continent

We have been travelling up and down through France, Spain & Portugal and other European trips in our 4500 kg + car on a trailer without any problem for the last 8 years. OK there are some limitations but as long as you are not in a hurry it’s great.

 

[GirlyVanGirly]

Firstly which CV20 have you purchased? Is it a Standard Elddis/Compass model or a dealer special? They'll all have a different remaining payload.

Your mass in running order - MIRO - includes 75kg for the driver, 90% fuel & 90% gas.

If you take a look at Brownhills dealer special CV20 which has many extras fitted the payload is still 644kg.

Our 7.4m coachbuilt weighed in at 2868kg out of the factory gates giving us a 632kg payload.

Awning & aircon - Mass in Service now 2928kg payload of 572kg

Get ready to glaze over as this list is long and boring but only adds up to 169kg.

Hook up cables 9kg, tool kit 4kg, chairs 8kg, large table 6kg, med table 4kg, sml table 3kg, plancha 15kg, grey & fresh hoses 4kg, 4 full boxes 20kg, wastehog 5kg, aquaroll 4kg, awning mat 4kg, level blocks 4kg, 2 steps 3kg, windbreak 7kg, awning handle & tension bar 2kg, 10L Adblue 11kg, dishwasher 11kg, microwave 10kg, inflatable awning and accessories 35kg.

Add my weight, 139kg I also add two 6kg gas bottles - 28kg.

This leaves us 236kg, for food, clothing, laptop, tablets crockery etc.

If you don't think that's a lot then consider that I'm 6' 2" and as stated weigh 139kg my clothes for a week away weigh in at 12kg.

You have absolutely nothing to fear. Get out, enjoy your van and wave like a demented river dancer on acid when we drive by!

Thank you very much! I am much calmer now, although still without a van, DVLA taking 10 weeks so far to register it!! It is a standard Elddis CV20, I am 64(ish) kilos Husband is about 80 kilos, no pet, no awning, sadly no dishwasher!! Your post is very reassuring, but we will get her weighed as soon as we can. Still thinking of a name for her. Waving... like mad!

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[Jonno1103]

Thank you very much! I am much calmer now, although still without a van, DVLA taking 10 weeks so far to register it!! It is a standard Elddis CV20, I am 64(ish) kilos Husband is about 80 kilos, no pet, no awning, sadly no dishwasher!! Your post is very reassuring, but we will get her weighed as soon as we can. Still thinking of a name for her. Waving... like mad!

Keep asking, we'll keep answering. It's what we're here for.

If at a later date you opt for an awning (I have a feeling you will) the Thule range are the lightest. A 4900 which is 3m long and has a wind out span of 2.5m weighs in at less than 20kg. The lightest Fiamma do is the newer F80 range, their 320, weighs 27kg. Fitting kits weigh around 2.5kg.

 

[tonyidle]

We have definitely decided against up-plating as it was so long and tedious trying to renew C1 when we were 70.

Unless you have existing health problems the medical costs around £50 and takes no more than 15 minutes. Once your application has been received by DVLA you don't have to wait for your licence to arrive - you can drive immediately. You will need the licence to carry abroad but in the UK your OK. I appreciate an existing health problem considerably complicates (and will delay) your application.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Unless you have existing health problems the medical costs around £50 and takes no more than 15 minutes. Once your application has been received by DVLA you don't have to wait for your licence to arrive - you can drive immediately. You will need the licence to carry abroad but in the UK your OK. I appreciate an existing health problem considerably complicates (and will delay) your application.

Yes it certainly does, took a year for both of us and that was before covid !

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[tonyidle]

Yes it certainly does, took a year for both of us and that was before covid !

I've read some of the horror stories ...............