To be honest I haven’t asked them as it looks out of use and have never seen it in use on any of my many visits. Had thought of asking when collecting items only available in the office there. Have you used it ?
I have but as you say not recently it was back in 2015.
Hi Varti.This thread has moved on a bit since I last contributed!
But as promised a week or so ago, I’ve knocked together a (hopefully) useful “Bluffer’s Guide to Weighbridges and Vehicle weighing” to dispel some of the myths that seem to perpetuate on the forum.
First, a bit of back ground – I’ve been involved in “Legal Metrology” for most of my working life. Until retirement I was a qualified Inspector of Weights and Measures for 30 years, testing everything from medical weighing scales in hospitals, heating oil tanker meters, supermarket scales, retail forecourt fuel dispensers (including LPG autogas pumps) to vehicle weighbridges. In the earlier part of my career I weighed HGVs at the roadside who had been pulled over for weight checks, and then issued Prohibition Notices and summonses to court for infringements (this being pre-fixed penalty notices). It’s a long time now since I was involved in actual vehicle overloading checks, but the principles and actual practice haven’t really changed. More recently I’ve tested the calibration of weighing equipment used by VOSA / DVSA, in particular Dynamic Axle Weighers, and have provided witness statements to VOSA/DVSA for court use.
So, what is the likelihood of getting stopped and weighed in a camper / motorhome?
Years ago only commercial vehicles were stopped and weighed. In my enforcement days I certainly never weighed a motorhome. That is still mainly the case today. However, there are occasionally “themed” enforcement days aimed at particular vehicles, and these may be multi-agency (nickname, “Operation Mermaid”) Examples may include a day dedicated to stopping and weighing agricultural vehicles, animal transporters, horse boxes etc. HMRC may also attend and dip tanks for red diesel, and Local Authority Animal Health Inspectors may be present to check on welfare of livestock in transit.
Very occasionally these themed enforcement days will target leisure vehicles – e.g. caravans and motorhomes. Outside of these themed operations you chance of being stopped and weighed are minimal. However, if you are obviously taking the mickey (motorbike strapped on the back of the motorhome with the rear bumper scraping the tarmac) then you are increasing the risks of being stopped and weighed at anytime.
What happens if you get stopped?
You will be directed to a weigh station. This may be a standard static weighbridge (which will weigh the vehicle stationary and obtain only the total gross weight), a dynamic axle weigher (a smaller weigh plate which the vehicle drives over at a steady 2 or 3mph and which weighs each axle individually and then sums the total as the vehicle gross weight). The weighbridge may be owned and operated exclusively by VOSA / DVSA, or in some areas they may direct you to a public weighbridge.
The vehicle is weighed exactly “as is”, with driver (and any passengers) remaining in the vehicle, together with its load. The weight readings are then compared against the stated vehicle weights.
There has always been a 5% allowance. This was originally an unwritten understanding, but is now official published policy. Beyond this allowance there is a sliding scale of penalty notices depending on the level of overloading, already linked to in earlier posts in this thread. It’s also worth noting that whilst an overloaded gross vehicle is a contravention, each individual overloaded axle is also a separate contravention meaning that a single weighing can potentially lead to several offences. I believe that summons to court is now only reserved for extreme overloads or persistent offenders. Both the driver and the vehicle operator (if a commercial company) are potentially liable. If the vehicle is overloaded the driver will be issued with a Prohibition Notice. The vehicle will then not be allowed to proceed without reducing the load to within the stated limits and being reweighed.
Weighing your motorhome on a Public Weighbridge, etc.
It’s a really good idea to get your campervan / motorhome weighed in holiday trim. As is well known the manufacturers published MIROs and theoretical payloads are often wildly optimistic.
All commercial trade weighbridges, whether “Public” or “Private” have to comply with the same legally prescribed requirements. Weighbridges are in effect just “big weighing scales” and it is therefore the same set of regulations that cover all trade weighing equipment including butchers scales, supermarket checkout scales, industrial platform weighing machines and vehicle weighbridges. Essentially, the bigger the device, the larger the permitted increments and the errors allowed.
The standard vehicle weighbridge in the UK will most likely be of 50 tonnes capacity with an increment size of 20kg. Depending on the length of the weighing surface it will be supported on either 4, 6 or 8 load cells. It will only be certificated for use for a minimum weight of 400kg upwards – therefore it’s not suitable for weighing humans! The maximum errors allowed for this standard “50 tonne x 20kg divisions” weighbridge in normal use are -
Between zero and 10 tonnes = +/-20kg
Between 10 tonnes and 40 tonnes = +/-40kg
Between 40 tonnes and 50 tonnes = +/-60kg
Therefore, as you can see the legally permitted calibration error for the weight equating to all typical motorhomes from 3500kg PVCs right through to 7,500kg RV’s is only +/-20kg and can therefore be essentially disregarded.
Additionally, Public Weighbridges are specifically regulated. They will generally still be privately owned, but in order to operate as a Public Weighbridge will have to have got all their weighbridge operators certificated. They must also publish their opening hours and list of fees. Anyone can then turn up, and on payment of the fee demand to be weighed. In contrast non-Public weighbridges are not legally allowed to charge a fee for weighing a vehicle. (In practice, if you ask nicely at a non-Public weighbridge and they are not busy they may let you weigh your motorhome, and no one is going to get too excited if you offer them a tin of biscuits or box of Quality Street for their trouble. Don’t expect a weigh ticket though).
What’s the best method of weighing your motorhome?
To determine only the total gross vehicle weight just about any weighbridge will do. Position it in the centre rather than one end so that your weight is spread across all the loadcells.
If you also want to ascertain axle weights then this is more problematic and inaccurate. To have any chance of obtaining accurate axle weight readings the weighbridge needs to be level and flush to the surrounding approaches. Also, to minimise any errors from individual load cells, and any uneven approaches to the weighbridge, its best to position the axle being weighed as far onto the weighbridge as possible. Ask the weighbridge operator to note the front axle weight as you drive on and just before the rear axle contacts the plate. Remain stationary long enough for the reading to settle. Drive fully on so that both axles are on the plate, again stop so that the gross weight can now be noted. Then as you drive off, ask the weighbridge operator to note just the rear axle weight as soon as your front axle has driven off the plate, again stopping long enough for the reading to settle. (If you are lucky the weighbridge may also have an external remote indicator so that you can note the weights yourself - as in the attached photo below). Add up the weight reading of both individual axles. If the result matches (or nearly matches) the total gross vehicle weight you can be reasonably confident that these axle readings are fairly accurate. If they are miles out, then take them with a pinch of salt.
If the weighbridge is not flush to the approaches, but approached on ramps (again as in the photos below), then your chances of obtaining accurate axle weights are pretty negligible. Best to find another weighbridge with a flush plate and flat approaches.
Hope the above is useful. Any questions – I’ll try to answer.
View attachment 886869
View attachment 886870
Sorry Barti, didn't notice my spell corrector has decided to spell your name Varti.This thread has moved on a bit since I last contributed!
But as promised a week or so ago, I’ve knocked together a (hopefully) useful “Bluffer’s Guide to Weighbridges and Vehicle weighing” to dispel some of the myths that seem to perpetuate on the forum.
First, a bit of back ground – I’ve been involved in “Legal Metrology” for most of my working life. Until retirement I was a qualified Inspector of Weights and Measures for 30 years, testing everything from medical weighing scales in hospitals, heating oil tanker meters, supermarket scales, retail forecourt fuel dispensers (including LPG autogas pumps) to vehicle weighbridges. In the earlier part of my career I weighed HGVs at the roadside who had been pulled over for weight checks, and then issued Prohibition Notices and summonses to court for infringements (this being pre-fixed penalty notices). It’s a long time now since I was involved in actual vehicle overloading checks, but the principles and actual practice haven’t really changed. More recently I’ve tested the calibration of weighing equipment used by VOSA / DVSA, in particular Dynamic Axle Weighers, and have provided witness statements to VOSA/DVSA for court use.
So, what is the likelihood of getting stopped and weighed in a camper / motorhome?
Years ago only commercial vehicles were stopped and weighed. In my enforcement days I certainly never weighed a motorhome. That is still mainly the case today. However, there are occasionally “themed” enforcement days aimed at particular vehicles, and these may be multi-agency (nickname, “Operation Mermaid”) Examples may include a day dedicated to stopping and weighing agricultural vehicles, animal transporters, horse boxes etc. HMRC may also attend and dip tanks for red diesel, and Local Authority Animal Health Inspectors may be present to check on welfare of livestock in transit.
Very occasionally these themed enforcement days will target leisure vehicles – e.g. caravans and motorhomes. Outside of these themed operations you chance of being stopped and weighed are minimal. However, if you are obviously taking the mickey (motorbike strapped on the back of the motorhome with the rear bumper scraping the tarmac) then you are increasing the risks of being stopped and weighed at anytime.
What happens if you get stopped?
You will be directed to a weigh station. This may be a standard static weighbridge (which will weigh the vehicle stationary and obtain only the total gross weight), a dynamic axle weigher (a smaller weigh plate which the vehicle drives over at a steady 2 or 3mph and which weighs each axle individually and then sums the total as the vehicle gross weight). The weighbridge may be owned and operated exclusively by VOSA / DVSA, or in some areas they may direct you to a public weighbridge.
The vehicle is weighed exactly “as is”, with driver (and any passengers) remaining in the vehicle, together with its load. The weight readings are then compared against the stated vehicle weights.
There has always been a 5% allowance. This was originally an unwritten understanding, but is now official published policy. Beyond this allowance there is a sliding scale of penalty notices depending on the level of overloading, already linked to in earlier posts in this thread. It’s also worth noting that whilst an overloaded gross vehicle is a contravention, each individual overloaded axle is also a separate contravention meaning that a single weighing can potentially lead to several offences. I believe that summons to court is now only reserved for extreme overloads or persistent offenders. Both the driver and the vehicle operator (if a commercial company) are potentially liable. If the vehicle is overloaded the driver will be issued with a Prohibition Notice. The vehicle will then not be allowed to proceed without reducing the load to within the stated limits and being reweighed.
Weighing your motorhome on a Public Weighbridge, etc.
It’s a really good idea to get your campervan / motorhome weighed in holiday trim. As is well known the manufacturers published MIROs and theoretical payloads are often wildly optimistic.
All commercial trade weighbridges, whether “Public” or “Private” have to comply with the same legally prescribed requirements. Weighbridges are in effect just “big weighing scales” and it is therefore the same set of regulations that cover all trade weighing equipment including butchers scales, supermarket checkout scales, industrial platform weighing machines and vehicle weighbridges. Essentially, the bigger the device, the larger the permitted increments and the errors allowed.
The standard vehicle weighbridge in the UK will most likely be of 50 tonnes capacity with an increment size of 20kg. Depending on the length of the weighing surface it will be supported on either 4, 6 or 8 load cells. It will only be certificated for use for a minimum weight of 400kg upwards – therefore it’s not suitable for weighing humans! The maximum errors allowed for this standard “50 tonne x 20kg divisions” weighbridge in normal use are -
Between zero and 10 tonnes = +/-20kg
Between 10 tonnes and 40 tonnes = +/-40kg
Between 40 tonnes and 50 tonnes = +/-60kg
Therefore, as you can see the legally permitted calibration error for the weight equating to all typical motorhomes from 3500kg PVCs right through to 7,500kg RV’s is only +/-20kg and can therefore be essentially disregarded.
Additionally, Public Weighbridges are specifically regulated. They will generally still be privately owned, but in order to operate as a Public Weighbridge will have to have got all their weighbridge operators certificated. They must also publish their opening hours and list of fees. Anyone can then turn up, and on payment of the fee demand to be weighed. In contrast non-Public weighbridges are not legally allowed to charge a fee for weighing a vehicle. (In practice, if you ask nicely at a non-Public weighbridge and they are not busy they may let you weigh your motorhome, and no one is going to get too excited if you offer them a tin of biscuits or box of Quality Street for their trouble. Don’t expect a weigh ticket though).
What’s the best method of weighing your motorhome?
To determine only the total gross vehicle weight just about any weighbridge will do. Position it in the centre rather than one end so that your weight is spread across all the loadcells.
If you also want to ascertain axle weights then this is more problematic and inaccurate. To have any chance of obtaining accurate axle weight readings the weighbridge needs to be level and flush to the surrounding approaches. Also, to minimise any errors from individual load cells, and any uneven approaches to the weighbridge, its best to position the axle being weighed as far onto the weighbridge as possible. Ask the weighbridge operator to note the front axle weight as you drive on and just before the rear axle contacts the plate. Remain stationary long enough for the reading to settle. Drive fully on so that both axles are on the plate, again stop so that the gross weight can now be noted. Then as you drive off, ask the weighbridge operator to note just the rear axle weight as soon as your front axle has driven off the plate, again stopping long enough for the reading to settle. (If you are lucky the weighbridge may also have an external remote indicator so that you can note the weights yourself - as in the attached photo below). Add up the weight reading of both individual axles. If the result matches (or nearly matches) the total gross vehicle weight you can be reasonably confident that these axle readings are fairly accurate. If they are miles out, then take them with a pinch of salt.
If the weighbridge is not flush to the approaches, but approached on ramps (again as in the photos below), then your chances of obtaining accurate axle weights are pretty negligible. Best to find another weighbridge with a flush plate and flat approaches.
Hope the above is useful. Any questions – I’ll try to answer.
View attachment 886869
View attachment 886870
It's a great facility in Gateshead. The calibration centre is managed by Andy Haywood , ex- Cardiff Trading Standards, and previously a Metrology lecturer at the University of Wales. He knows his stuff when it comes to W&M. Looks like they managed to weigh your axles well too. Readings appear to be bang on.
Thanks Barti, the guy doing did seem to know his stuff, very friendly as well. They only took cash at the time.It's a great facility in Gateshead. The calibration centre is managed by Andy Haywood , ex- Cardiff Trading Standards, and previously a Metrology lecturer at the University of Wales. He knows his stuff when it comes to W&M. Looks like they managed to weigh your axles well too. Readings appear to be bang on.
You run a real risk of overloading the rear axle on many mohos if you just weigh it with scales and chuck it in the garage. If you need to run close to the limit you also need to work out how far from the axle you can put whatever it is you've weighed
This thread has moved on a bit since I last contributed!
But as promised a week or so ago, I’ve knocked together a (hopefully) useful “Bluffer’s Guide to Weighbridges and Vehicle weighing” to dispel some of the myths that seem to perpetuate on the forum.
First, a bit of back ground – I’ve been involved in “Legal Metrology” for most of my working life. Until retirement I was a qualified Inspector of Weights and Measures for 30 years, testing everything from medical weighing scales in hospitals, heating oil tanker meters, supermarket scales, retail forecourt fuel dispensers (including LPG autogas pumps) to vehicle weighbridges. In the earlier part of my career I weighed HGVs at the roadside who had been pulled over for weight checks, and then issued Prohibition Notices and summonses to court for infringements (this being pre-fixed penalty notices). It’s a long time now since I was involved in actual vehicle overloading checks, but the principles and actual practice haven’t really changed. More recently I’ve tested the calibration of weighing equipment used by VOSA / DVSA, in particular Dynamic Axle Weighers, and have provided witness statements to VOSA/DVSA for court use.
So, what is the likelihood of getting stopped and weighed in a camper / motorhome?
Years ago only commercial vehicles were stopped and weighed. In my enforcement days I certainly never weighed a motorhome. That is still mainly the case today. However, there are occasionally “themed” enforcement days aimed at particular vehicles, and these may be multi-agency (nickname, “Operation Mermaid”) Examples may include a day dedicated to stopping and weighing agricultural vehicles, animal transporters, horse boxes etc. HMRC may also attend and dip tanks for red diesel, and Local Authority Animal Health Inspectors may be present to check on welfare of livestock in transit.
Very occasionally these themed enforcement days will target leisure vehicles – e.g. caravans and motorhomes. Outside of these themed operations you chance of being stopped and weighed are minimal. However, if you are obviously taking the mickey (motorbike strapped on the back of the motorhome with the rear bumper scraping the tarmac) then you are increasing the risks of being stopped and weighed at anytime.
What happens if you get stopped?
You will be directed to a weigh station. This may be a standard static weighbridge (which will weigh the vehicle stationary and obtain only the total gross weight), a dynamic axle weigher (a smaller weigh plate which the vehicle drives over at a steady 2 or 3mph and which weighs each axle individually and then sums the total as the vehicle gross weight). The weighbridge may be owned and operated exclusively by VOSA / DVSA, or in some areas they may direct you to a public weighbridge.
The vehicle is weighed exactly “as is”, with driver (and any passengers) remaining in the vehicle, together with its load. The weight readings are then compared against the stated vehicle weights.
There has always been a 5% allowance. This was originally an unwritten understanding, but is now official published policy. Beyond this allowance there is a sliding scale of penalty notices depending on the level of overloading, already linked to in earlier posts in this thread. It’s also worth noting that whilst an overloaded gross vehicle is a contravention, each individual overloaded axle is also a separate contravention meaning that a single weighing can potentially lead to several offences. I believe that summons to court is now only reserved for extreme overloads or persistent offenders. Both the driver and the vehicle operator (if a commercial company) are potentially liable. If the vehicle is overloaded the driver will be issued with a Prohibition Notice. The vehicle will then not be allowed to proceed without reducing the load to within the stated limits and being reweighed.
Weighing your motorhome on a Public Weighbridge, etc.
It’s a really good idea to get your campervan / motorhome weighed in holiday trim. As is well known the manufacturers published MIROs and theoretical payloads are often wildly optimistic.
All commercial trade weighbridges, whether “Public” or “Private” have to comply with the same legally prescribed requirements. Weighbridges are in effect just “big weighing scales” and it is therefore the same set of regulations that cover all trade weighing equipment including butchers scales, supermarket checkout scales, industrial platform weighing machines and vehicle weighbridges. Essentially, the bigger the device, the larger the permitted increments and the errors allowed.
The standard vehicle weighbridge in the UK will most likely be of 50 tonnes capacity with an increment size of 20kg. Depending on the length of the weighing surface it will be supported on either 4, 6 or 8 load cells. It will only be certificated for use for a minimum weight of 400kg upwards – therefore it’s not suitable for weighing humans! The maximum errors allowed for this standard “50 tonne x 20kg divisions” weighbridge in normal use are -
Between zero and 10 tonnes = +/-20kg
Between 10 tonnes and 40 tonnes = +/-40kg
Between 40 tonnes and 50 tonnes = +/-60kg
Therefore, as you can see the legally permitted calibration error for the weight equating to all typical motorhomes from 3500kg PVCs right through to 7,500kg RV’s is only +/-20kg and can therefore be essentially disregarded.
Additionally, Public Weighbridges are specifically regulated. They will generally still be privately owned, but in order to operate as a Public Weighbridge will have to have got all their weighbridge operators certificated. They must also publish their opening hours and list of fees. Anyone can then turn up, and on payment of the fee demand to be weighed. In contrast non-Public weighbridges are not legally allowed to charge a fee for weighing a vehicle. (In practice, if you ask nicely at a non-Public weighbridge and they are not busy they may let you weigh your motorhome, and no one is going to get too excited if you offer them a tin of biscuits or box of Quality Street for their trouble. Don’t expect a weigh ticket though).
What’s the best method of weighing your motorhome?
To determine only the total gross vehicle weight just about any weighbridge will do. Position it in the centre rather than one end so that your weight is spread across all the loadcells.
If you also want to ascertain axle weights then this is more problematic and inaccurate. To have any chance of obtaining accurate axle weight readings the weighbridge needs to be level and flush to the surrounding approaches. Also, to minimise any errors from individual load cells, and any uneven approaches to the weighbridge, its best to position the axle being weighed as far onto the weighbridge as possible. Ask the weighbridge operator to note the front axle weight as you drive on and just before the rear axle contacts the plate. Remain stationary long enough for the reading to settle. Drive fully on so that both axles are on the plate, again stop so that the gross weight can now be noted. Then as you drive off, ask the weighbridge operator to note just the rear axle weight as soon as your front axle has driven off the plate, again stopping long enough for the reading to settle. (If you are lucky the weighbridge may also have an external remote indicator so that you can note the weights yourself - as in the attached photo below). Add up the weight reading of both individual axles. If the result matches (or nearly matches) the total gross vehicle weight you can be reasonably confident that these axle readings are fairly accurate. If they are miles out, then take them with a pinch of salt.
If the weighbridge is not flush to the approaches, but approached on ramps (again as in the photos below), then your chances of obtaining accurate axle weights are pretty negligible. Best to find another weighbridge with a flush plate and flat approaches.
Hope the above is useful. Any questions – I’ll try to answer.
View attachment 886869
View attachment 886870
Hi Laurence
I'd read the rest of the thread as a lot of this was considered nonsense
I doubt you'll pick up more than 5kg, even if you never wash the underside so not a problem
Hmm you've not been on the roads I have then
The state of the UK roads I drive would remove your fillings never mind a bit of belly mudHmm you've not been on the roads I have then
The state of the UK roads I drive would remove your fillings never mind a bit of belly mud
Hi Lawrence
There's a reason he hasn't been seen since the start of April.
Yes he went in to the finer details of how to fit someone up with no actual evidence. In his words you don't have to be actually overloaded just have the possibility to be overloaded. If your 60kg under but have a few extra empty seats then by his rules you have the potential to be overloaded so you're nicked mate
now its been mentioned i recallect one occation .
Thats the ocation i remeberYes he went in to the finer details of how to fit someone up with no actual evidence. In his words you don't have to be actually overloaded just have the possibility to be overloaded. If your 60kg under but have a few extra empty seats then by his rules you have the potential to be overloaded so you're nicked mate
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