Motorhome Weight

[Brains]

I am not advocating breaking the law, but I bet for every 10 motorhomes checked for weight, 8 of them will more than likely be over the limit!

At one of the Funster Rallies someone bought along 4 pads that you drive onto to get the weight of the van.
I'm sure someone on this forum can report back on the findings.

Bottom line is:
Next time you head off, fully loaded, go via the local tip.
Most local tips have weighbridges.
The cost is between free and £15.
Well worth the investment, even if only for peace of mind

 

[Googlebot]

What payload do you have? We’re just getting our first MH at 70 and are stressing about this!

What are you worried about?

Generally if there are just 2 of you you should be fine.

Children are more problematic.

 

[pelican]

We buy the boxes

We buy the boxes

 

[Lenny HB]

I would struggle with a 400kg payload as we are off grid most of the time so carry a lot extra gear.

If you have a German van you really need 600kg minium as lot of bits that are standard on Brit vans are on the options list so they reduce the payload by 100 - 200kg.
We have a payload over MIRO of just under 1350kg we have about 250kg spare when loaded for a trip with full tanks and we are a couple of lightweights only 120kg for the two of us.

 

[Dickie English]

Hi all,
My first post as a newbie to the group.
I’m travelling to France for September & October, but hit 70 years old mid Sept. Will be around 4300-4500kg…. Does anyone know if I will be able to get my licence updated/ renewed before I travel?

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[AllesP]

Well heading of to France shortly for a 90 day trip and decided to get the van weighed at our local weigh bridge. Was just being curious what the van weighed. So we have a Autortail Apache 700 (2017) Fully loaded with all our kit, 2 passengers, bikes, paddle boards, 2-11kg gasit cylinders full, full tank of water and diesel ans weighed in at 4160KG leaving us 340Kg for all that lovely wine

That's brilliant. Have a great time.

 

[Stealaway]

What payload do you have? We’re just getting our first MH at 70 and are stressing about this!

With this new Burstner I have around 600Kg
We only camp off grid so extra batteries - extra solar panels - bigger oven all reduce the payload.
I have lightweight Safefill gas bottles and I only fill the water tank with enough water for the journey.
I only ever half fill the diesel tank and always empty the grey tank ASAP. I don't carry a spare wheel
I have had it weighed a couple of times and it has been just below 3500Kg -------

So it is doable for two - just don't fill it with crap

 

[Lenny HB]

Hi all,
My first post as a newbie to the group.
I’m travelling to France for September & October, but hit 70 years old mid Sept. Will be around 4300-4500kg…. Does anyone know if I will be able to get my licence updated/ renewed before I travel?

You can apply up to 90 days in advance & the medical can be up to 90 days in advance as well. If leave it less than I think it's 56 days before expiry you have to send a new photo.
Once you have a applied you can carry on driving in the UK but not abroad once your licence has expired.

 

[gus-lopez]

and leave buyers to find out for themselves.

Some ,even when informed ,have no interest. My mate being one.

Next time you head off, fully loaded, go via the local tip.
Most local tips have weighbridges.
The cost is between free and £15.
Well worth the investment, even if only for peace of mind

as above 1€ here to weigh. My mate= not interested = can plead ignorance as well as he isn't bothered.

Hi all,
My first post as a newbie to the group.
I’m travelling to France for September & October, but hit 70 years old mid Sept. Will be around 4300-4500kg…. Does anyone know if I will be able to get my licence updated/ renewed before I travel?

I believe that you can apply 3 months prior & as long as you have no health problems you MAY get it back in time:

 

[Googlebot]

.

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[Stealaway]

crossing from Newhaven to Diepp. Stopover at Hornfluer for the first night then heading down towards Bergerac through the dordogne as far as Rocamadour then head down towards the coast at Gruissan then along the coast as far as Nice then make our way up to Annecy then make our way back up towards Diepp.

A couple of places well worth a look in the north and on your way. You can stay overnight at both places

Visit the submarine Espadon in Saint-Nazaire | Le Voyage à Nantes

Visit the submarine Espadon in Saint-Nazaire for a close-up look at life as a submariner: the only submarine afloat that can be visited in France.

www.levoyageanantes.fr

Château de Chambord | The Loire Valley, France | Attractions - Lonely Planet

If you only have time to visit one château in the Loire, you might as well make it the grandest – and Chambord is the most lavish of them all, and the…

www.lonelyplanet.com

 

[Rockpool]

At one of the Funster Rallies someone bought along 4 pads that you drive onto to get the weight of the van.
I'm sure someone on this forum can report back on the findings.

Bottom line is:
Next time you head off, fully loaded, go via the local tip.
Most local tips have weighbridges.
The cost is between free and £15.
Well worth the investment, even if only for peace of mind

Our local is weight bridge is free so well worth a stop at.

 

[Rockpool]

A couple of places well worth a look in the north and on your way. You can stay overnight at both places

Visit the submarine Espadon in Saint-Nazaire | Le Voyage à Nantes

Visit the submarine Espadon in Saint-Nazaire for a close-up look at life as a submariner: the only submarine afloat that can be visited in France.

www.levoyageanantes.fr

Château de Chambord | The Loire Valley, France | Attractions - Lonely Planet

If you only have time to visit one château in the Loire, you might as well make it the grandest – and Chambord is the most lavish of them all, and the…

www.lonelyplanet.com

looks like a detour coming on

 

[Guigsy]

Anyone driving a van over 6m on 3.5t should probably do at least a logic check on their payload as you probably don't have a lot to spare...

 

[Dickie English]

You can apply up to 90 days in advance & the medical can be up to 90 days in advance as well. If leave it less than I think it's 56 days before expiry you have to send a new photo.
Once you have a applied you can carry on driving in the UK but not abroad once your licence has expired.

Thanks Lenny

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[Rockpool]

With this new Burstner I have around 600Kg
We only camp off grid so extra batteries - extra solar panels - bigger oven all reduce the payload.
I have lightweight Safefill gas bottles and I only fill the water tank with enough water for the journey.
I only ever half fill the diesel tank and always empty the grey tank ASAP. I don't carry a spare wheel
I have had it weighed a couple of times and it has been just below 3500Kg -------

So it is doable for two - just don't fill it with crap

Well according to Autotrail our MRO is 3510kg which gives us 890kg. But with the extra Gasit bottles, Towbar, solar panels, bikes inc bike rack and paddle boards and all the other bits we’ve added along the way, full water and fuel tank comes in at 650 kg so not far away from the 600kg.
we will be reducing the water we carry as was try to get an idea of our weight when fully loaded.

 

[mikeg40]

I am not advocating breaking the law, but I bet for every 10 motorhomes checked for weight, 8 of them will more than likely be over the limit!

It is only a matter of time before the power that be realise they are missing out on a regular income stream from overweight motorhomes - especially 6 berth hire ones!!!

 

[Guigsy]

especially 6 berth hire ones!!!

To be fair, they are mainly made out of egg cartons and sticky tape. I'm sure they're fine.

 

[Googlebot]

It is only a matter of time before the power that be realise they are missing out on a regular income stream from overweight motorhomes - especially 6 berth hire ones!!!

Well, we have a lightweight A class made for 4. With not much stuff in it we barely make the 3500kg.

If it’s a 6 berth, it’s going to be illegal without anything but passengers in most cases. :-(

 

[Karl Hammond]

At one of the Funster Rallies someone bought along 4 pads that you drive onto to get the weight of the van.
I'm sure someone on this forum can report back on the findings.

Bottom line is:
Next time you head off, fully loaded, go via the local tip.
Most local tips have weighbridges.
The cost is between free and £15.
Well worth the investment, even if only for peace of mind

We don't have a local weighbridge. Well we do but they are very unfriendly! Got the m.o.t. tester to give me weights when he did brake test. Worked it out from there.

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[cyberyacht]

Carthago make a big thing about them being "super lightweight" to achieve 3500Kg. Loaded with the two of us, bikes, full fuel, gas and water and we are a whisker inside that limit. Not all manufacturers are as fastidious about weight reduction and, yes LennyHB, I know that they do go a bit over their quoted MIRO. It's just about doable at 3500Kg. What are the odds of being pulled having just that minute topped up with fuel AND water?

 

[Jewellbags]

crossing from Newhaven to Diepp. Stopover at Hornfluer for the first night then heading down towards Bergerac through the dordogne as far as Rocamadour then head down towards the coast at Gruissan then along the coast as far as Nice then make our way up to Annecy then make our way back up towards Diepp.

Rocamadour is a sight . On the way to Gruissan you can drop into homps and Argens-minervois and camp beside the canal

 

[TONCAZ]

We are off on 25th, change of route this time, instead of west coast of France heading for Girona for a change, 1st time for this route..

 

[Rockpool]

Rocamadour is a sight . On the way to Gruissan you can drop into homps and Argens-minervois and camp beside the canal

Thanks for that looks like a couple of nice spots

 

[Minxy]

To be fair, they are mainly made out of egg cartons and sticky tape. I'm sure they're fine.

You forgot about the metal coat hangers used for the wall construction

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[georgio]

Up here in happy Valley I go to the trading standards weighbridge self weigh at Gildersome j27 m62 which is free and 24 hours which is dead handy for a weight check on outward journey