Robmac
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I find it amazing how little manufacturers allow. My canoe has a payload of 363 kg!
Do You Weigh Your Motorhome ?
- Thread starter Wooie1958
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I find it amazing how little manufacturers allow. My canoe has a payload of 363 kg!
Siimplyloco
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DVLA coughed up our PHGV refund!
We got home last night - through wind, rain and endless roadworks- and that was only from Portsmouth, to find a cheque for £60 courtesy of the DVLA as a result of me 'correcting' the taxation class to Private Heavy Goods. I had to wrench it out of them because they reckoned that I hadn't sent them the old tax disc, which I had sellotaped to the covering letter. My chasing up emails were acknowledged but never answered, so I sent them the photocopy I had made of the letter, complete with facsimile tax disc. None of this was necessary because the disc had been made redundant by legislation! I now have a cheque and HUGO is completely legal. We now have to unload the goodies to restore the headroom on the payload!
Regarding lower speed limits for PHGV's, I'm quite happy to drive at 80kph on single carriageway roads, and I keep up with the trucks easily on bigger stuff. We just covered over 2000 miles without undue stress or breakdown. Scandinavia next year methinks...
John
We got home last night - through wind, rain and endless roadworks- and that was only from Portsmouth, to find a cheque for £60 courtesy of the DVLA as a result of me 'correcting' the taxation class to Private Heavy Goods. I had to wrench it out of them because they reckoned that I hadn't sent them the old tax disc, which I had sellotaped to the covering letter. My chasing up emails were acknowledged but never answered, so I sent them the photocopy I had made of the letter, complete with facsimile tax disc. None of this was necessary because the disc had been made redundant by legislation! I now have a cheque and HUGO is completely legal. We now have to unload the goodies to restore the headroom on the payload!
Regarding lower speed limits for PHGV's, I'm quite happy to drive at 80kph on single carriageway roads, and I keep up with the trucks easily on bigger stuff. We just covered over 2000 miles without undue stress or breakdown. Scandinavia next year methinks...
John
Wooie1958
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The easiest way is to ring them up and ask for Steve.
Have all the info, Tyre Size, Load Rating and the V5 at hand and he`ll tell you instantly what if any you can uprate to.
Obanboy666
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4 seat belts. I usually travel on my own plus the dog and reckon if I had 4 people onboard I would have to virtually carry nothing else !
Has this come about with the license change reference 3.5 tonne ? I have noticed on numerous websites that you can have the weight increased on a new vehicle as a no cost option.
izwozral
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Not sure if this makes any sense but couldn't you just weigh all the non-fixed items you are taking with you [take notes] then go to a weighbridge, weigh the front & rear axle then whole weight, drive home & start off loading the excess weight & discard the non-essentials? The maximum axle weights are on the vehicle plate so it would be easy to spot where the savings needed to be made.
I realise that you would be driving illegally to the weighbridge if you are over weight, I suppose that is the chance you take, but it would be a good 'thinning' out exercise & it would make you think harder about "do i really need to take that"?
I am dreading having my MH weighed because I have added so many fixed items, awning, leisure batteries, spare wheel, ladders, alarms, locks, camera's, solar panels etc etc. :scared::scared:
This isn't aimed at anyone in particular it is a general question to all.
I realise that you would be driving illegally to the weighbridge if you are over weight, I suppose that is the chance you take, but it would be a good 'thinning' out exercise & it would make you think harder about "do i really need to take that"?
I am dreading having my MH weighed because I have added so many fixed items, awning, leisure batteries, spare wheel, ladders, alarms, locks, camera's, solar panels etc etc. :scared::scared:
This isn't aimed at anyone in particular it is a general question to all.
mark61
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All down to cost I suppose. Virtually all new vans that MH's are based on are available as 4, 4.6 & even 5 tonne models, but convertors seem to start with the cheapest option. Punters have to do their homework before buying.
Trouble is with MH's is that, by and large they stay at the same weight, so drivers rarely experience driving a half loaded vehicle compared to a fully loaded or even over loaded vehicle.
Obanboy666
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Contacted SVtech this morning.
Gave details over the phone, I can have a 200kg increase with no modifications @ £360.00 and a £60.00 saving on road tax.
To update to 3850kg I would need air suspension fitting to rear end.
I will wiegh fully loaded motorhome next week and if I am near or over my present 3500kg max will go for the 200kg update.
In theory I intend keeping the motorhome for the foreseeable future so the saving on road tax will pay for the update in just over 3 years.
izwozral
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I don't understand, will the authorities recognise the upgrade & is it just a paper exercise?
Why is there a £60 saving on road tax & wont it take 6 years to cover the cost of the upgrade? 6 x 60 = 360
Confused.
Obanboy666
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Yes, it's just a paperwork exercise. It must be to do with the licence change some years ago, I think in 1997 which meant anyone taking their normal test is limited to 3500kg. I'm an old codger so not a problem to me lol.
Got the maths wrong, yes 6 years to recover cost. It's to do with the taxation change once uprated to over 3500kg.
Strangely enough I checked the plate on my motorhome for the axle weights and it states 1 - 1850 kg. 2 - 2000kg ?????
This confirms my suspicions around plating it at 3500kg to allow any driver to drive the vehicle.
in theory if I was stopped and they went of the axle weight plate I would be ok if under 3850 kg ??? Interesting.
Obanboy666
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Just been browsing through the Autotrail website.
I thought my payload was poor, some of the 3,500 kg Apache motorhomes have a payload of only 270kg's unless you go for the upgrade. I believe the upgrade is foc.
antiqueman
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I rang him and he emailed me forms to fill out, done it so will wait for result.
antiqueman
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me too
hmmm maybe he has got sick of folk ringing so sent me the forms interesting to know what exactly do they do for £360 I wonder? apart from knowing the rules.
hmmm maybe he has got sick of folk ringing so sent me the forms interesting to know what exactly do they do for £360 I wonder? apart from knowing the rules.
Obanboy666
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Yes, it seems quite a considerable cost for basically a paperwork exercise and I assume a replacement plate to stick / rivet on under the bonnet. I will print off the form from their website if I need to update after wieghing the motorhome next week.
RoadTrek Boy
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PLG or PHGV ? Help!
My V5 states PLG no weight listed, but my vehicle is plated GVWR 3955 and GAWR Front 1818 Rear 2609 KG, it's a Roadtrek 190v registered new in the uk
2001, is this in the correct taxation class?
I am having an Orbit Turny disability seat fitted which is quite heavy so will get it weighted when all bits sorted. :drive:
My V5 states PLG no weight listed, but my vehicle is plated GVWR 3955 and GAWR Front 1818 Rear 2609 KG, it's a Roadtrek 190v registered new in the uk
2001, is this in the correct taxation class?
I am having an Orbit Turny disability seat fitted which is quite heavy so will get it weighted when all bits sorted. :drive:
Tbear
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I am sure I read somewhere that there is a problem with recovery if you are over 3.5 tonne with several companies. May be worth a check before you start paying that sort of money.
Richard
Obanboy666
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Have any members used SVTECH ? I'm just sure what the procedure is once you have sent them the relevant forms etc.
Do they then get in touch advising the cost etc ? What will I have to do ie. DVLA.
Do they then get in touch advising the cost etc ? What will I have to do ie. DVLA.
Wooie1958
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I`ve used them but i only live 10-15 minutes away from them.
I took my van to them for Steve to inspect ( could have done it over the phone if i wanted ) but it was easy to take to them and no mistakes.
He checked the spec including the VIN plates, tyre size and load ratings and that i`ve also got Air Suspension which added 100Kg to the new GVW.
He then printed a new VIN plate sticker with all the new details on it and the date from which it applies.
He attached the VIN plate sticker to the drivers footwell as the area under the bonnet already has 2 VIN plates on it ( Peugeot & ALKO ).
You also get an Embossed Certificate which he tells you to copy and then send it along with the amended V5 to the DVLA Swansea.
That`s it, job done and it applies immediately.
P.S.
PM sent.
Kontiki
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I had my front axle weight upgraded from 1850 to 2000 kgs, didn't help my MGW that was stuck at 3850kgs. I spike to somebody at SVTECH to see if I could get it any higher, he explained that to get the weight of a chassis tested costs thousands, things such as tyres, braking perormance etc as well as it being put round a test track. Once a combination is approved then similat ones can be upgraded to the same, their costs are fixed so if you are going from 3.5 to 4 ton or like mine just one axle increased by 150kgs they charge the same. They issue a certificate & tamperproof sticker for you to fit. Not sure if they inform DVLA if the category changes or you do it yourself.
I was lucky my dealer paid for new uprated springs & SVTECH.
I was lucky my dealer paid for new uprated springs & SVTECH.
yeoblade
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Haha, it's not that tamper proof, used SVTEC to uprate mine from 3.4t to 3.750t. After my accident , I had to have the front steel panel where I fixed the new VIN plate they supplied too, replaced; bodyshop took it off the old panel and fixed it on the new one, no problem.