Off to the weighbridge tomorrow

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97243

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Our commune's Mairie have told me that the quarry up the road offers a weighbridge service, so I have booked the Esterel in for tomorrow.

I've never done this before, so looking for opinions on whether to preload it as for a trip or to weigh the van empty? At the moment I have about a third of a tank of diesel, two full 13kg propane bottles, but I emptied the water tanks before the cold weather arrived.

My wife has a mobility scooter which weighs about 40 kgs and I can either put that in the garage or leave it out.

This is what we are plated at just now, but I don't think we will have very much payload to work with.

weight plate.jpg
 
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I would load it up with everything! Fuel, water, scooter, table, chairs etc.

I would weigh total weight and individual axles and then you will see if you are overweight, need to move things about to balance/lower axle weights or have a clear out, lose water and so on. if you are over it’s easy to lose some weight straightaway with dumping water etc.
 
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Fill her up.

then weigh what you throw out at home (if anything)
 
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FREXPT said:
Our commune's Mairie have told me that the quarry up the road offers a weighbridge service, so I have booked the Esterel in for tomorrow.

I've never done this before, so looking for opinions on whether to preload it as for a trip or to weigh the van empty? At the moment I have about a third of a tank of diesel, two full 13kg propane bottles, but I emptied the water tanks before the cold weather arrived.

My wife has a mobility scooter which weighs about 40 kgs and I can either put that in the garage or leave it out.

This is what we are plated at just now, but I don't think we will have very much payload to work with.

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Agree it may be best to weigh yourselves in travelling trim.

Out of interest, during your enquiries did you find out whether it's a very common thing for motorhomers in France to weigh their vans?

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I did our last one to test if the MIRO sums were correct (it was in fact under) and then later loaded up, literally as we were going away for a month. I'd weighed most of the stuff except cloths, food etc. We were still under with about 50kg to spare.
 
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We weighed when we were fully loaded including ourselves. Only thinf we didn't have on board was much food!
 
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We never travel with full water..just enough for overnighting...our diesel tank is sometimes full...we have some food and drink..
Our payload is taken up with sports gear, bikes etc...
Before we set off on a longish summer trip we go to the weighbridge...get a printout...if the Guardia Civil stop us I would produce my ticket...this is to show them we care about the law and try to keep our weight down...
On our last trip to Norway suprisingly our wine cargo may have put us over a little (lot)..👍🥴
 
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jumar said:
Before we set off on a longish summer trip we go to the weighbridge...get a printout...if the Guardia Civil stop us I would produce my ticket...this is to show them we care about the law and try to keep our weight down...
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Do they often stop and weigh motorhomes in Spain?
 
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PaulW2 said:
Do they often stop and weigh motorhomes in Spain?
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Not to my knowledge....however just like to be one step ahead, so to say...There are locations for weighing trucks and of course the mobile units..
If your vehicle looks overweight it could draw attention ....
There is another thread on fun, asking the same... Peavy a Spanish National gives an accurate reply to being caught..check it out..👍🇪🇦
 
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2250kg on the back axle is a good start, we normally need air & tyre upgrade to get that.
1800kg on front is a bit odd, but loading the front is never easy
Mike.

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I seconded the option to load as if you were going away, including your wife. That way you will know, rather than guess.
 
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Looking forward to hearing the result. It’s important to load it as near to real conditions as possible as it’s not only the total weight that’s important but how that weight sits on the two axles.
 
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FREXPT said:
I'm completely open minded, hence the exercise in the first place. What are you thinking ?
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I've had 14 vans (motorhomes, camping cars) ranging from self converted vans in the 70's through many manufacturers and types, currently a Pilote G691. Almost without exception (other than a couple of 5 ton ones a few years ago) they have all been at least tight on payload, the absolute worst was a Frankia, which was French registered as 3500Kg although built on a Maxi chassis with the original Alko plate showing 4250 Kg and the Frankia one showing 3500 Kg I took it to a weighbridge in the trim I had just returned from a trip in, to find it actually weighed 4320Kg admittedly I did have rather a lot of kit with me and moved it on soon after that.
I do hope yours is OK and useable I think that Esterel quote unladen of 3150Kg but that is before the likes of awning etc are added.
 
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Forgot to say, don't know whereabouts in France you are (we're in Mayenne), but if anywhere near rural agricultural area most all of the larger agri merchants have a weighbridge and usually happy to weigh it for you.
 
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Living near a free Coucil run weighbridge, we weighed our first new van empty. This showed that the manufacturer's lies had cost us near 200kg of payload. Now we weigh new vans full with everything in and work with what we've got.

ps. Wives don't like being at the top of the "items that we could do without" list.
 
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If you are happy using a spreadsheet, this may help. I produced it after going to a weighbridge so I could see what effect on axle weights I got by subsequently adding, moving or removing items.

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Motorhome Weight Calculator

The aim of this Spreadsheet was to allow me to add or remove items from my MH, once I had been to a Weighbridge, but to still know the actual axle-weights. Although I am confident that I have sufficient Payload, I wanted to know accurate Axle...
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk
 
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eurajohn said:
Forgot to say, don't know whereabouts in France you are (we're in Mayenne), but if anywhere near rural agricultural area most all of the larger agri merchants have a weighbridge and usually happy to weigh it for you.
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I'll bear that in mind. We are in the Deux Sevres, just off the A10 between Poitiers and Niort.

I have actually had dealings with the local quarry owner in the past and he is a really nice chap, likes to practice his English ;)
 
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