Weighbridge use

the1andonly

the1andonly

Joined
Jan 27, 2018
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Location
Northampton
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52,151
MH
Rapido & Bongone
Yesterday was the first time I'd used a weighbridge and it threw up a few questions.
The MH is a Rapido 6m plated at 3.5 Tonne (Fiat plate 3650kg).
Our local recycling centre now has a weighbridge 10m long, used for charging for commercial waste.
I drove to the centre of the flat bit (ramps front and back). I told the attendant i wanted gross and axle weights. "I dont know how to do that i just charge for waste". So i get a ticket printed 3200kg . I drove forward, front wheels on ramp rear on table. He print outs value on the same ticket, in the same place obliterating original value making both unreadable. so I start again (including front and rear on ramp )and say if he needs to print it out turn the paper around. new values gross 3300kg front 1520kg rear 1640kg (3160kg).
I liked the price £5 in total but not the confusion. What have i done wrong, if anything.
I've got a choice of values to believe 3160, 3200 or 3300kg.
This was with full normal odds and sods no people no water or waste full tank diesel. is it worth the agro/cost upplating 150kg (licence not a prob)
 
You've done nothing wrong, in fact you've done what every owner should do. The change from 3200kg to 3300kg gross is puzzling though - think may have been an operator fault?
Whatever, take your gross weight indicating 3300kg, leaving you 200kg for the things you didn't have on board, which frankly is not a lot - wouldn't do for me. The other two, which are axle weights, should be compared with the latest weight plate on your vehicle to see how close you are to those quoted. (Don't worry about the total of front and back being different to the gross, it's a matter of physics/maths and for your purposes not particularly relevant.) You mustn't exceed the plated axle weights either.

Your MAUW will be shown on your V5 and it's that which any inspector will take note of. If it's 3650kg then you're probably okay - but still need to watch your loading. If it's 3500kg IMO you need to upgrade - it may just be a paper exercise and there is guidance elsewhere on here on how to do it. Personally I would use the professional services of SVTech - if you ring them first they may give you better advice.

http://www.svtech.co.uk/about-svtech/
 
I don't trust those weighbridges with the ramps as I don't think they give an accurate axle weight for vehicles of our size / weight. We use one with a flat plate and even from year to year it doesn't vary **that** much.

But for the original question I would want to uprate asap as 200kg for people and some water would not be enough.
 
Thanks for the replies
fiat plate front 1850 rear 2000kg
Rapido plate front 1850 rear 2000kg
so
 
the1andonly said:
Thanks for the replies
fiat plate front 1850 rear 2000kg
Rapido plate front 1850 rear 2000kg
so
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Rapido plate is the one you must use as that's the converter plate after the fiat has been made into a motorhome. (y)

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3200Kg is not unusual considering how many extras people expect in a modern motorhome.
Have a close look at what you really need to take away with you, you could make some big savings.
Although we travel light with minum of 'stuff'. Mine weighs 3000 Kg without any people and half tanks in it so even I am close.
 
I used to be a weighbridge operator what you need is a weighbridge that has a flat approach and exit , tell the operator that you want a front axle weight ,a gross weight and a rear axle weight he will then know what to do and will tell you to pull forward , stop weigh and repeat . Ramped bridges are not suitable as they will read wrong weights .Usually the older Weighbridges are flat .
 
so i'm stuck with 3500kg? Fiat plate.jpg plated limmits.jpg
 
It's made of paper
Yes
Would the paper exercise take it to the fiat limit 3650

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Ours being a tag they can only weigh axle two and three together (as with lgv trailers) so I drive on fully, reverse off to leave front axle on, drive forward to leave axle two and three on.
 
I have a Fiat light chassis based Carthago and have been told that I can uprate it to 3850kgs as a paper exercise. It was originally plated at the Fiat factory as 3650. Carthago registered it as 3500. SV tech or JR Consultancy will advise you. JR quoted me £180 total.
 
You can uprate further than 3650 but may need to add some semi air suspension ( rubber balloon over rear leaf springs) and possibly change the front springs. Maybe also change tyres. As @TerryL suggested, talk to SV and they will tell you what is needed.

I took my Rapido from 3650 to 4000, by doing everything I described above. It cost around £2000 including SV charges ( they don’t charge until you have decided what to do)
 
When you think that they have 44 ton tippers roaring on and off all day , some braking hard on the bridge causing it to bang about. I would of thought 100kg difference is very good with the abuse that the bridge gets.
 
Ivory55 said:
When you think that they have 44 ton tippers roaring on and off all day , some braking hard on the bridge causing it to bang about. I would of thought 100kg difference is very good with the abuse that the bridge gets.
Click to expand...
On old weighbridges with a beam scale and mechanical system they would weigh to the nearest 7 lbs todays systems weigh to the nearest 20 kilos and often have the load sensors replaced due to wear by impatient lorry drivers who drive on at speed and then brake hard causing the bridge to and load to slam about then you have wait for the system to settle down especially on an oil depot as the load sloshes about for ages .

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I have a Hymer rated as the plate as the AL_LO plate as: 4500. 1 (front) 2100. 2 (rear) 2500 but the garage has a big sticker that says no more load than 3500 - how does that work?
 
I have seen some Hymers that say max 350kg in rear garage. Others say max 250 kgs. I think it depends on whether you have the maxi or light chassis.
 
My Hymer on a light chassis exceeds the rear axle weight with 100kg in the rear “garage”.
 
mike mcglynn said:
On old weighbridges with a beam scale and mechanical system they would weigh to the nearest 7 lbs todays systems weigh to the nearest 20 kilos and often have the load sensors replaced due to wear by impatient lorry drivers who drive on at speed and then brake hard causing the bridge to and load to slam about then you have wait for the system to settle down especially on an oil depot as the load sloshes about for ages .
Click to expand...
Impatient drivers never. Haha
 
The brake testing machine at my MOT garage weighs each axle as it is driven on, and gives a reading of +/- 10 kg. Automatically checked each year. I always go “road ready”.
Maybe try your local garage and see if they have similar equipment.
( This is recently installed in the last couple of years)

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looks like i need to try another weighbridge (local is a flour mill) and consider up-plating seriously. Thanks to all.
 
For axle weight get as far it as possible with the excluded axles just off, get to the edge by just going on you risk weighing incorrectly. big time errors are possible depends on where the sensors are positioned unde the plate. Also clean and dry plate, the weight of dirt and especially wet dirt make a lot of difference.
 
Paul1958 said:
I have seen some Hymers that say max 350kg in rear garage. Others say max 250 kgs. I think it depends on whether you have the maxi or light chassis.
Click to expand...
And as an option I could have had 450 - still cannot work out the difference between the plate for the back axle and what they are suggesting. Ie 2100 but I can carry 3500
pandas said:
I have a Hymer rated as the plate as the AL_LO plate as: 4500. 1 (front) 2100. 2 (rear) 2500 but the garage has a big sticker that says no more load than 3500 - how does that work?
Click to expand...
Sorry a senior moment just reading again what i posted. The garage says 350kg not 3500! Sorry!
 
I went to a local weighbridge last week and got figures that matched the MOT weights given a month earlier. We then emptied everything out of the mh and I returned to the weighbridge and established we were carrying 340kg of permanent payload. We also weighed everything we have brought with us from home for a short winter trip, another 70kg giving a total of 410kg. As only one person is allowed for in the MIRO we need to add on another 75kg taking the total payload to 485kg. There are things I can do to reduce the permanent payload but it would be challenging if I needed to get below the 3500kg maximum.
 
Just reweighed the beast on a Axtec drive over dynamic system. The most accurate? Time to believe these results, as last measurement (3320kg) with driver full tank 20l water and most of other stuff (excluding fridge food). Front 1635 rear 1645 total 3280kg. So include swmbo 120kg left. No urgency to uplate! Not cheap though £18.

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the1andonly said:
Just reweighed the beast on a Axtec drive over dynamic system. The most accurate? Time to believe these results, as last measurement (3320kg) with driver full tank 20l water and most of other stuff (excluding fridge food). Front 1635 rear 1645 total 3280kg. So include swmbo 120kg left. No urgency to uplate! Not cheap though £18.
Click to expand...

Very very similar to my total weight although my axle weights were different , must find out my scrap of paper that I writ it on, or go back to work in it and re do it, oh luckily for me it doesn’t cost me owt:xThumb:
 
pandas said:
And as an option I could have had 450 - still cannot work out the difference between the plate for the back axle and what they are suggesting. Ie 2100 but I can carry 3500
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That’s just max load in the garage you carry a max of 2100 kg on the back axle that would include everything that puts weight on that end of your van,not just your garage.:xThumb:
 
the1andonly said:
So include swmbo 120kg left. No urgency to uplate! Not cheap though £18.
Click to expand...
You May just be under your max but there’s not much margin I would certainly consider updating.:xThumb:
 

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