3500 KG - B License and why bother.

[Dizzyorwhat]

Stupid question coming here.....

Apologies if this is a very silly question but here goes. I know about the 3.5 tonne limit on a normal B driving license. Because of this we have only been looking at 3500 KG MHs and campervans. My question is this, if I bought one of these vehicles and then loaded it up with my collection of lead footballs which resulted in the overall weight of the vehicle exceeding 3.5 tonnes, what does this mean ? what are the risks ? I expect that if you were stopped by the police that they could take you aside and using a weighbridge weigh your vehicle, and if it exceeded 3.5 tonnes you would be in trouble ? (fines etc.).

Is this how it works ?
(I really don't have a collection of lead footballs...)

Do people need to weigh their vehicles fully loaded with deckchairs, bikes etc. to make sure that they don't weigh more than 3,5 tonnes before taking them on the road ?

I warned you... Sorry if I'm being stupid here, but this is something that I don't fully understand. When you buy a 3.5 tonne vehicle, does this mean that its under 3.5 when you drive it out of the showroom ? cos, obviously you can load it lightly or heavily depending on how many lead footballs you have.

Thanks for your patience on this one.

Regards
Ronan

 

[Richard n Ann]

if you were stopped by the police that they could take you aside and using a weighbridge weigh your vehicle, and if it exceeded 3.5 tonnes you would be in trouble

Yes you've got it, you have to be careful what you take
The dealer should tell you the payload or perhaps you can look it up on the manufacturer Web site.

MOTORHOME PAYLOAD

Understanding your motorhome payload and axle loading can keep you both safe and on the right side of the law!

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[RedFrame]

Essentially, the vehicle is rated to be driven at a maximum of 3500Kg when you have all passengers, fuel, water and lead footballs on board.

The main thing to concern you, if over this weight, should be if you were involved in an accident, especially if the weight of the vehicle was found to be a contributing factor and deaths were involved, you may then find one of those lead footballs chained to your ankle.

On a lighter note, I have known people to be told to unload a vehicle until it is at a legal weight before being allowed to continue their journey. They left their wife on the side of the road with the excess baggage, set up camp and returned to pick her up a number of hours later!

Cheers
Red

 

[snowbirds]

You need to keep within payload as if pulled you will be nicked, I load my van with full fuel ,water and every thing else you carry then take it to a weigh bridge ,I use a local feed merchant that charged me £11.00p last time.

 

[68c]

You also need to know the UNLADEN WEIGHT, as if over 3,050kg, yes - three thousand and fifty, you are subject to additional speed limits. 50 on single carriageway, 60 on dual and the usual 70 on motorways.

The unladen weight of any vehicle is the weight of the vehicle when it’s not carrying any passengers, goods or other items.

It includes the body and all parts normally used with the vehicle or trailer when it’s used on a road.

It doesn’t include the weight of:

• fuel
• batteries in an electric vehicle - unless it’s a mobility scooter or powered wheelchair.

As most vans have extra kit, awnings etc, the easiest way to find it is to weigh van empty but with a full tank of fuel, then subtract the weight of fuel.

Google DVLA speed limits etc.

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[The Wino]

If your lead footballs take you over the limit as others have said you could be in the doo doo if caught. The chances of getting caught are pretty slim though. We're lucky weighed us once fully loaded and filled with water and diesel 3350 kg so we know if we only have half water were ok for lots of wine

 

[Bessy765]

Stability and stopping distance may well be affected if you are severely overloaded. How long i a piece of string? So you are max 3500 kg so what’s another 100 kg then 200 and so on. When mini’s first came out there was a spate of lets see how fast we can make it go. Trouble was with 10” wheels there was not enough rubber on the road to stop them. Similar though extreme may develop from an overloaded van. As they get older motorhomes unlike the white van man spend most of their live fully loaded so suspension becomes a bit softer all the must haves become heavier and hopefully you do not have the episode I witness some years ago in Italy where the van in front of us going down a steep mountain road started to run away. We could see the smoke from the wheels but the van just kept going faster eventually running it to a tree as it failed to make the bend. The outcome is to horrific to describe. it was a European make about 6 metres mum dad four children and two dogs. And masses of gear, although hurt no fatalities.

 

[EuroTrotters]

You don’t want to be overweight on the continent!. Especially Switzerland

 

[Speve]

I think another important fact is that if you don’t hold a C1 licence you are limited to max gross weight vehicles of 3500 kg and that possibly your insurance would become invalid if caught over weight

 

[sonny]

I think you will find it is 70mph on dual carriageways for a registered motorhome/motorcaravan of 3.5 tonnes

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[Just smiffy]

Insurance will find anything to wiggle out of paying up….

 

[Lenny HB]

You also need to know the UNLADEN WEIGHT, as if over 3,050kg, yes - three thousand and fifty, you are subject to additional speed limits. 50 on single carriageway, 60 on dual and the usual 70 on motorways.

The unladen weight of any vehicle is the weight of the vehicle when it’s not carrying any passengers, goods or other items.

It includes the body and all parts normally used with the vehicle or trailer when it’s used on a road.

It doesn’t include the weight of:

• fuel
• batteries in an electric vehicle - unless it’s a mobility scooter or powered wheelchair.

As most vans have extra kit, awnings etc, the easiest way to find it is to weigh van empty but with a full tank of fuel, then subtract the weight of fuel.

Google DVLA speed limits etc.

I think he is in Ireland so doesn't apply.

 

[68c]

I think you will find it is 70mph on dual carriageways for a registered motorhome/motorcaravan of 3.5 tonnes

The important weight in this respect is 3,050kg, not 3,500kg. Being registered as a motorhome makes no difference. Google DVLA speed limits.

Motorhomes or motor caravans (more than 3.05 tonnes maximum unladen weight)	30 (48)	50 (80)	60 (96)	70 (112)

 

[68c]

I think he is in Ireland so doesn't apply.

Ah, may not be relevant then.

 

[Lenny HB]

Do people need to weigh their vehicles fully loaded with deckchairs, bikes etc. to make sure that they don't weigh more than 3,5 tonnes before taking them on the road ?

When we had a 3.5t van we use to weight before each big trip.
Then we saw the light and bought a 4.5t van with 1350kg payload. Weighed it a few times fully loaded always had 200-300 kg spare so don't bother now.

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[Phill D]

You should also be aware of the individual axle weight limits.
Most 3500kg vans have a max of 2000 over the rear axle.

 

[Lenny HB]

You should also be aware of the individual axle weight limits.
Most 3500kg vans have a max of 2000 over the rear axle.

And that can be a real problem.

 

[Old Gibber]

You also need to know the UNLADEN WEIGHT, as if over 3,050kg, yes - three thousand and fifty, you are subject to additional speed limits. 50 on single carriageway, 60 on dual and the usual 70 on motorways.

I have a friend who was a traffic police officer. He did not know this rule even existed. Also I wonder if speed camera systems check this element of the V5 document.

 

[barsteward]

THIS is an interesting link.
I think some people are unaware of this and although it is at the moment only used for HGV's I suspect it will be rolled out to cover LGV's
in the near future, an opportunity to increase the revenue streams will not be missed.

 

[barsteward]

And that can be a real problem.

IT is a problem and I am absolutely sure that most new to the hobby are blissfully ignorant of weight issues.

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[Brains]

I have a friend who was a traffic police officer. He did not know this rule even existed. Also I wonder if speed camera systems check this element of the V5 document.

Yes.
HGV's only at the moment, where they are automatically weighed at certain places whilst on the motorway system
However, technically, there is no reason for them to stop at HGV's, they could include all vans and tippers etc.

If it makes money, they will do it!

 

[sonny]

I’m wrong sorry, lucky I’m a slow driver in more than one way.

 

[Orion]

I have a friend who was a traffic police officer. He did not know this rule even existed. Also I wonder if speed camera systems check this element of the V5 document.

Don’t know how it applies to MoHos but it certainly works with our small leased Peugeot Partner vans which are registered as commercial. Only took one of the lads to be nabbed at over 60 on the local dual carriageway for them all to be very light right footed all of a sudden! The exact same vehicle registered privately has the normal car limits applied - go figure!

 

[Reallyretired]

I am considering doing without C1 next renewal. Renewing my licence last year cost around £300 in various fees umpteen emails and phone calls and took 10 months. Swmbo did hers for B only as she will not drive a motorhome and it took about 5mins online.

 

[Old Gibber]

I am considering doing without C1 next renewal. Renewing my licence last year cost around £300 in various fees umpteen emails and phone calls and took 10 months. Swmbo did hers for B only as she will not drive a motorhome and it took about 5mins online.

When I uprated to get my grandfather rights for C1 back it cost £50 for the medical, and a couple of weeks for the new licence to arrive.

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[Speve]

When I uprated to get my grandfather rights for C1 back it cost £50 for the medical, and a couple of weeks for the new licence to arrive.

Like wise no problem at all

 

[Lenny HB]

The exact same vehicle registered privately has the normal car limits applied - go figure!

The car limits only apply if the van is derived from a passenger carrying vehicle, if it was designed as a van the lower limits apply.
I don't believe it matters what it is registered as

 

[Reallyretired]

When I uprated to get my grandfather rights for C1 back it cost £50 for the medical, and a couple of weeks for the new licence to arrive.

I do have medical conditions, none relevant to driving, but thought it might avoid delays if I got the GP to do the medical form, wrong but charged £250. Also had to pay for an additional eye test.

 

[Gaston aires]

You don’t want to be overweight on the continent!. Especially Switzerland

And especially Austria.
Phil

 

[colyboy]

PLEASE TELL ME. Has anyone EVER been stopped by the police etc re the weight of their van and what happened?

colyboy