Off to the weighbridge tomorrow

[97243]

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.

 

[97243]

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.

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

Thanks, I will definitely have a look at that

 

[nabsim]

If you are worried about freezing leave the water out but load everything else as if going on a trip. Easy enough to get the weight of the water without putting any in

 

[Just smiffy]

I’d load what you can….

 

[97243]

If you are worried about freezing leave the water out but load everything else as if going on a trip. Easy enough to get the weight of the water without putting any in

No problem, it's 13° here now. We had just a few very cold days forecast, so I drained everything beforehand.

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[Southpark]

Go with what you normally take. I've have weighed our last two motorhomes. I after say it's peace of mind and good to know.

 

[dunnah01]

You've only got 340kg above your PV so be prepared to lose some weight from your normal travelling trim

The PV includes the vehicle in working order,
the driver - (75kg),
a gas bottle - 15kg
fresh water (20l) - 20kg
fuel tanks up to 90 % of their capacity - 75kg
with a tolerance of +/-5 % (in accordance with European Directive EC 92/21).

 

[starquake]

Food beer & wine could easily come to 25kg.

I'd load with beer, it's way more than 25kg if you going for a week. We reakon a week away at Christmas was 150kg in food/drink loading.

 

[starquake]

I'd load with beer, it's way more than 25kg if you going for a week. We reakon a week away at Christmas was 150kg in food/drink loading.

Should clarify it's about 10kg per slab of tins we clocked. A slab = 24 so taking 2-3 slabs for a week to week and half away from supermarkets is 30kg alone. And remember it's 2kg per 2l of fluid for cola etc.

 

[68c]

I would weigh twice. First completely empty including no gas bottles, spate wheel, jack, bedding etc. But full fuel. This will give you a true empty weight once you deduct the weight of the fuel. Then weigh and reload each item. If the total added keeps you well inside your limit, all OK. But if close or even over get it rewieghed full taking note of the axle loading.

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[cyberyacht]

She thinks she's going out for the day tomorrow, so I will somehow have to break the news gently that it's just to the local quarry !

Diamonds are a girls best friend. Tell her you are going to look at some 'rocks'.

 

[97243]

Okay, so here we go. We weighed with pretty much a normal load in the garage, but minus bedding, clothes and food and fridge contents in the hab. Filled up with 100 litres of water and one third tank of diesel, plus two full gas bottles. Driver and passenger 155 kilos.

Axle weights fine individually, but 200 kgs over total. There really isn't much option to shed weight, and even exchanging fuel for water, it will not make a lot of difference. What to do next ?.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

The vans not over loaded, on either axle as it stands.However, for you it may be a different matter in respect of your licence limits

 

[PaulW2]

Okay, so here we go. We weighed with pretty much a normal load in the garage, but minus bedding, clothes and food and fridge contents in the hab. Filled up with 100 litres of water and one third tank of diesel, plus two full gas bottles. Driver and passenger 155 kilos.

Axle weights fine individually, but 200 kgs over total. There really isn't much option to shed weight, and even exchanging fuel for water, it will not make a lot of difference. What to do next ?.

View attachment 858177

Your vehicle could, presumably, be up-plated by about 300 or 400kg as a paper exercise. With the same axle weights, and with a combined weight still below the sum of axle weights, but just a bit less than at present.

If that is right, then from a real safety perspective it will make no difference at all. It then becomes a regulatory question. What do you prefer to comply with and what risks do you want to run?

1. The risk of being fined for being 200kg over, and (as one is told could happen) the risk of this potentially affecting liability after an incident,

or

2. The need to have angles morts stickers, needing to comply with different speed limits (or potentially being fined), having access restrictions for certain roads etc, needing to have and keep a C1 driving licence.

What do other French drivers do? Do you see many vans like yours with angles morts stickers?

 

[eurajohn]

Big problem in France ref up plating is that it is nowhere near so easy as UK, definitely not just a paper exercise.
As already mentioned possibly not actually overweight for the build of the van, what does the original Mercedes plate show?

What to do next, well probably just do as most French camping caristes do and carry on regardless !

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[97243]

Big problem in France ref up plating is that it is nowhere near so easy as UK, definitely not just a paper exercise.
As already mentioned possibly not actually overweight for the build of the van, what does the original Mercedes plate show?

What to do next, well probably just do as most French camping caristes do and carry on regardless !

The plate is in the original post, but here it is again ....

 

[Emmit]

With a total of 4050Kgs by adding the two axle weights together with a Gross of 3500Kgs for the whole vehicle, it's obvious that the manufacturers have deliberately downplayed the gross in order to include as many potential customers as possible.
As others have pointed out, France authorities are not as accommodating as in the UK.
Other than driving with permanently crossed fingers, (or moving back across La Manche) I'm struggling to offer a solution.

 

[PaulW2]

This is not advice, but I would, without too much anguish, simply carry on and use it as it is.

 

[97243]

With a total of 4050Kgs by adding the two axle weights together with a Gross of 3500Kgs for the whole vehicle, it's obvious that the manufacturers have deliberately downplayed the gross in order to include as many potential customers as possible.
As others have pointed out, France authorities are not as accommodating as in the UK.
Other than driving with permanently crossed fingers, (or moving back across La Manche) I'm struggling to offer a solution.

We are new to all of this but are learning fast. There is a wealth of experience on this forum generally, but there are also a few French residents who will hopefully offer their perspective on things.

This van is only 6.65 metres, so I would say that pretty much every A class on a Sprinter chassis in France is going to have the same consideration. That said, I don't see very many medium sized vans, if any, with the Angles Morts stickers, so I reckon everyone is flying by the seat of his pants.

I do have a C1 licence, but the process to up plate here appears to be less that straightforward (who would expect anything else in France?).

Definitely a two or three glass consideration.

 

[Emmit]

The 'standard' up plate of a vehicle with your weights would be 3850Kgs.
Whilst I appreciate that in France it would not be as straightforward as here, I would jump through that hoop rather than drive around in the knowledge that one incident could cause untold problems.

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[eurajohn]

The plate is in the original post, but here it is again ....

View attachment 858182

That is not the Mercedes plate, ETAPE 2 tells you that is the Esterel one, on the Merc base they are often on the drivers seat base.
The manufactures plate will determine what is possible for an up plate, anything over the figures on that will be close to impossible to increase.

The French rules on vehicle modifications are unbelievably strict, if you present a vehicle for a Control technique with modifications (even tyre choice or size) will see a fail, my Son in Law has a 4 wheel drive car that had the front prop shaft removed that was deemed illegal and could not be tested until it had been returned to original specification.

 

[Lynne Roy]

We always weigh fully loaded and then remove excess weight. We usually get a shock

 

[gus-lopez]

hence the difficulty in finding a weighbridge.

Here in spain we are inundated with them I can probably count around 15 withing 5miles of me.all certified with ticket.

Your vehicle could, presumably, be up-plated by about 300 or 400kg as a paper exercise.

as said not easy in France

I don't see very many medium sized vans, if any, with the Angles Morts stickers, so I reckon everyone is flying by the seat of his pants.

I think most are over weight.many now tend to tow trailers when running at 3500kgs

The French rules on vehicle modifications are unbelievably strict, if you present a vehicle for a Control technique with modifications (even tyre choice or size) will see a fail, my Son in Law has a 4 wheel drive car that had the front prop shaft removed that was deemed illegal and could not be tested until it had been returned to original specification.

Same here in spain.

 

[97243]

That is not the Mercedes plate, ETAPE 2 tells you that is the Esterel one, on the Merc base they are often on the drivers seat base.
The manufactures plate will determine what is possible for an up plate, anything over the figures on that will be close to impossible to increase.

The French rules on vehicle modifications are unbelievably strict, if you present a vehicle for a Control technique with modifications (even tyre choice or size) will see a fail, my Son in Law has a 4 wheel drive car that had the front prop shaft removed that was deemed illegal and could not be tested until it had been returned to original specification.

The stricter CT rules on modifications were brought in because of the number of poor quality van conversions that were still masquerading as basic vehicles.

My son's Transit was specified at new to include wheelchair lift and hand controls, but didn't require registration as a disabled vehicle. To pass a CT now, it is necessary to remove the chair lift for the test and then replace it. We have looked at having the van registered PMR, (person de mobilité réduite) but the DREAL want so many modifications, it's unreal. The irony is that the vehicle is caught by the same rules brought in to target camper van conversions, even though his van left the factory already modified.

 

[97243]

That is not the Mercedes plate, ETAPE 2 tells you that is the Esterel one, on the Merc base they are often on the drivers seat base.
The manufactures plate will determine what is possible for an up plate, anything over the figures on that will be close to impossible to increase.

The French rules on vehicle modifications are unbelievably strict, if you present a vehicle for a Control technique with modifications (even tyre choice or size) will see a fail, my Son in Law has a 4 wheel drive car that had the front prop shaft removed that was deemed illegal and could not be tested until it had been returned to original specification.

Here is the Merc plate, virtually the same as the Esterel one. Slightly more towing weight maybe

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[eurajohn]

Here is the Merc plate, virtually the same as the Esterel one. Slightly more towing weight maybeView attachment 858327

Oh dear I think you'll need a visit to your local DREAL office for advice, from the figures on both plates I would guess it will be able to enable up to 3700 Kg but only the relevant authority will decide.
Good luck and be prepared for much frustration.

 

[97243]

Oh dear I think you'll need a visit to your local DREAL office for advice, from the figures on both plates I would guess it will be able to enable up to 3700 Kg but only the relevant authority will decide.
Good luck and be prepared for much frustration.

How do you arrive at 3700 ?

 

[Nirvanauk]

Has this van actually been weighed and I missed it or not?

 

[97243]

Has this van actually been weighed and I missed it or not?

Yes a few posts above.

 

[Lenny HB]

Here is the Merc plate, virtually the same as the Esterel one. Slightly more towing weight maybeView attachment 858327

So you could go up to 4050 without any mods, just French beauroacy to deal with.

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[EuroTrotters]

Im looking at a camping trailer for our summer trip with grandchildren.

I did have a cracking Little fold up trailer, Duuo Plus. Sold it, now I can’t find another .