Overweight: Payload issues with my Burstner Ixeo Motorhome

[Chrissy Thimbals]

First motorhome and actually feel really upset after going to weighbridge. Had loaded basics but did not weigh with me or 3 dogs and weight is already 3480kg. If you add me and dogs that another 120kg and still need to add clothes and some basics. We off loaded table, dog pen and 2 chairs when we got back but that only was 28kg. Just don't know what to do.

 

[stevewagner]

If you have a C1 licence you could look at getting the weight uprated.

 

[Threeracers]

I had a similar weighbridge experience prior to my last MOT but unfortunately mine was stepping over 7.5 tonne so my licence options are trickier and get a little more expensive.

I had a big clear out to correct things and have put my dog on a diet.

Don't forget you have a 5% error margin before they fine you.

M

 

[Chrissy Thimbals]

First motorhome and actually feel really upset after going to weighbridge. Had loaded basics but did not weigh with me or 3 dogs and weight is already 3480kg. If you add me and dogs that another 120kg and still need to add clothes and some basics. We off loaded table, dog pen and 2 chairs when we got back but that only was 28kg. Just don't know what to do.

Wondering if I should take out spare wheel and remove towbar ?. I'd like to keep cycle rack so we can take one bike

 

[Chrissy Thimbals]

I had a similar weighbridge experience prior to my last MOT but unfortunately mine was stepping over 7.5 tonne so my licence options are trickier and get a little more expensive.

I had a big clear out to correct things and have put my dog on a diet.

Don't forget you have a 5% error margin before they fine you.

M

My husband suggested me and dogs drive in my car !

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[Threeracers]

Water is heavy, roughly a kg per litre so if you can travel empty and fill up at your destination that might help you. Unfortunately I live full time in mine and wild camp most of the time so it doesnt work for me.

And you could also fill the dogs with helium......

M

 

[bobnick]

Ditch the twin tub washing machine.

 

[EuroTrotters]

I had a similar weighbridge experience prior to my last MOT but unfortunately mine was stepping over 7.5 tonne so my licence options are trickier and get a little more expensive.

I had a big clear out to correct things and have put my dog on a diet.

Don't forget you have a 5% error margin before they fine you.

M

Is “they” all of Europe too ?

 

[Googlebot]

We had the same issue.

I had to decide to not use it as we wanted or uprate it, I uprated it even if it meant Lucy couldn’t drive it which is a pain, but at least we can take stuff now.

Ditch the towbar if you don’t use it. Instead of spare wheel get a pump and gunk, you could go lithium batteries which would save 25KG if you have 2 batteries.

The 5% tolerance is UK only, get weighed abroad and a kilo over, you get a fine.

It is far easier to uprate and is £300ish if you don’t need anything but paperwork. You get that back in 3 years as the tax is cheaper.

Do beware though LEZ is eye watering over 3.5t so if you regularly go through one, it’s a non starter.

 

[andyelbac]

What weight does your Burstner plate (on drivers door pillar I presume) actually state and what driving licences class do you both have? Our Burstner Lyseo was plated at 3850kg when purchased. I have a C1 license but my partner doesn't. We had a decent payload even after our first weighbridge but we wanted to put a Honda 125cc in the rear garage so we spent £300 on the uprate paperwork with SVTech and then £1500 on air suspension at rear ftim Rosmia and that took us to 4,000kg. Although al that cash only got us another 150kg overall, more importantly iymt gave us an additional 240kg on the rear axle. Worth considering. Would definitely ditch the tow bar but you might want to look at the various threads on here about the merits (or not) of carrying a spare wheel.

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[FrankNicklin]

I had a similar weighbridge experience prior to my last MOT but unfortunately mine was stepping over 7.5 tonne so my licence options are trickier and get a little more expensive.

I had a big clear out to correct things and have put my dog on a diet.

Don't forget you have a 5% error margin before they fine you.

M

I thought the 5% only applied to the manufacturers tolerance in the declared weight, I didn’t think it applied to the owner being 5% over weight in accordance with their license condition. I’ll stand corrected If that’s the case.

Edit:

I’ll stand corrected, interesting post here showing the tolerances.

% OVERWEIGHT ALLOWANCE ?

Is there a unspoken rule that you get a allowance if overweight before a fine /prosecution. With all our stuff we are 1 % over =35kg. This could easily be used up with fuel burn and water usage but at some times we would be full up and overweight. I know manufacturers state a 5% under or over...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[busbuddy]

You need to empty the van completely, back to the very bare van that you purchased....then go to weighbridge to give you a proper starting point to make decisions from

Any advice about leaving this or that out would be moot if the van weighs anywhere near 3500 bare

 

[poppycamper]

Do beware though LEZ is eye watering over 3.5t so if you regularly go through one, it’s a non ststarter.

Ah.. even more Ulez confusion!!
I thought emmision zones works on how much your vehicle produces...(ye right)
Therefore let's say, for instance, I have a 3.5t euro6 motorhome which is compliant and then up plate said motorhome to over 3.5t how does that vehicle then suddenly become non compliant, the ommissions surely remain the same..
Confused.com.

 

[WESTY66]

Ditch the twin tub washing machine.

NEVER!!!

 

[buzz1]

Try going through every thing and only take what you really need , surprising have much we don’t actually need. If travelling Europe in winter I go quite light as mainly on aires etc . And we are mainly in van during night and walking during the day time site seeing. Only take small table and couple chairs. I’ve Removed the big table in van as it gets in the way most of times and gives more room for my pony to lie down when travelling
I just carry travelling water of 20L in ixeo which is plated at 3850 at the moment.
But I will be going down the up plating road
In spring time maybe.

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[DangerMousy]

Ah.. even more Ulez confusion!!
I thought emmision zones works on how much your vehicle produces...(ye right)
Therefore let's say, for instance, I have a 3.5t euro6 motorhome which is compliant and then up plate said motorhome to over 3.5t how does that vehicle then suddenly become non compliant, the ommissions surely remain the same..
Confused.com.

You're kind of correct, and so is post #9. Most emissions zones are based on the engine, not the weight (ie. the London ULEZ and the CAZs in other cities). So our Euro 6, 4.25t Carthago is compliant everywhere, but our old Euro 5, 3.5t Bailey would have been charged in some of them.

The London LEZ does have a weight criteria, and only applies to MHs if they're over 3.5. So an older MH under 3.5t isn't affected by the scheme at all, but a heavier one is (unless its Euro 6 then there's no charge).

Practically speaking though, most people only need to worry about the CAZs and ULEZ, very few people will drive far enough into central London to be affected by the LEZ.

Edited because I just remembered the LEZ covers the same area as the now-expanded ULEZ, its the CC that only covers central London.

 

[FrankNicklin]

Ah.. even more Ulez confusion!!
I thought emmision zones works on how much your vehicle produces...(ye right)
Therefore let's say, for instance, I have a 3.5t euro6 motorhome which is compliant and then up plate said motorhome to over 3.5t how does that vehicle then suddenly become non compliant, the ommissions surely remain the same..
Confused.com.

You pay less VED as well, I think £165. The whole VED system is screwed.

 

[cyberyacht]

The London LEZ does have a weight criteria, and only applies to MHs if they're over 3.5. So an older MH under 3.5t isn't affected by the scheme at all, but a heavier one is (unless its Euro 6 then there's no charge).

My 2016 Compactline, 3500Kg and Euro 5 gets caught by the LEZ. £12.50 a go in the unlikely event I stray inside the M25 with it. The strange thing is that before the zone was expanded out to the M25, it was compliant according to TFL website. I rechecked after the expansion just to be sure.

 

[poppycamper]

You pay less VED as well, I think £165. The whole VED system is screwed.

Yes indeed.... VED I understand over 3.5t = less VED..
However TFL charges I find totally and utterly confusing to the point where i am beginning to believe nobody actually fully understands it.
Over the years and many many threads on this subject I still don't gave a clue.
Myself or someone else might ask a question and someone will answer said question, with an explanation that makes sense..... then someone else will also come up with a totally differant answer, which also makes sense...
Sorry maybe just me( but I dont think so) that find this subject mind blowing??

 

[DangerMousy]

My 2016 Compactline, 3500Kg and Euro 5 gets caught by the LEZ. £12.50 a go in the unlikely event I stray inside the M25 with it. The strange thing is that before the zone was expanded out to the M25, it was compliant according to TFL website. I rechecked after the expansion just to be sure.

I think you're probably confusing the LEZ and the ULEZ.
£12.50 is the ULEZ charge, the LEZ charge would be £100 per day.

From How to pay a LEZ charge:

The daily charge is:

• £100 for vans or specialist diesel vehicles (over 1.205 tonnes unladen weight up to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight) or minibuses (up to 5 tonnes) which do not meet Euro 3 standards.
• £100 for HGVs, lorries, vans and specialist heavy vehicles over 3.5 tonnes as well as buses/minibuses and coaches over 5 tonnes which do not meet Euro VI (NOx and PM) standards, but meet Euro IV (PM)
• £300 for HGVs, lorries, vans and specialist heavy vehicles over 3.5 tonnes as well as buses/minibuses and coaches over 5 tonnes which do not meet Euro IV (PM)

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[Brains]

Do beware though LEZ is eye watering over 3.5t so if you regularly go through one, it’s a non starter.

My Euro 6 MoHo is 3.9t.
I live inside the the ULEZ zone
I do not pay a fee as the van is compliant.

The easiest way to find out what you have to pay to drive in London is simply put your numberplate in here and see what the result is!
Simple!

 

[Brains]

First motorhome and actually feel really upset after going to weighbridge. Had loaded basics but did not weigh with me or 3 dogs and weight is already 3480kg. If you add me and dogs that another 120kg and still need to add clothes and some basics. We off loaded table, dog pen and 2 chairs when we got back but that only was 28kg. Just don't know what to do.

I hate to say it.
But there are many many posts and articles saying get a weight certificate before parting with any money.

No weight certificate = No money.

If you have a C1 licence, then get the van up-plated to a bigger weight.

If you don't, then look into getting a C1 licence (over £1k per person)
or look at reducing weight.
or sell the van and a get a PVC

It has been stated many times that most motorhomes (box on the back, not van conversions) where the weight is plated at 3500kg will have very little payload and you need about 400kg for two people.

 

[Chrissy Thimbals]

Another though I had was towing a small trailer. Does anyone do this ?

 

[Chrissy Thimbals]

I hate to say it.
But there are many many posts and articles saying get a weight certificate before parting with any money.

No weight certificate = No money.

If you have a C1 licence, then get the van up-plated to a bigger weight.

If you don't, then look into getting a C1 licence (over £1k per person)
or look at reducing weight.
or sell the van and a get a PVC

It has been stated many times that most motorhomes (box on the back, not van conversions) where the weight is plated at 3500kg will have very little payload and you need about 400kg for two people.

I know that now but as newbies we didn't find this site till after we bought it. I did mention to sales person and he made out it wasn't a problem and we had plenty of excess weight. Lesson learnt in a big way !

 

[Chrissy Thimbals]

Try going through every thing and only take what you really need , surprising have much we don’t actually need. If travelling Europe in winter I go quite light as mainly on aires etc . And we are mainly in van during night and walking during the day time site seeing. Only take small table and couple chairs. I’ve Removed the big table in van as it gets in the way most of times and gives more room for my pony to lie down when travelling
I just carry travelling water of 20L in ixeo which is plated at 3850 at the moment.
But I will be going down the up plating road
In spring time maybe.

Have just taken out table and thinking of removing spare wheel. We also have tow bar and cycle rack which is adding to weight. May take off tow bar or possibly buy a trailer. Our dream is actually turning into a nightmare.

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[Soycd]

First thing is don't panic.
As others have said strip it right back to next to nothing other than what it came with, then weigh. Last year I actually weighed individual all the stuff (not cloths etc) we put in our van and put it in a spreadsheet (yes, I'm a geek) so when we get our new van I'm not guessing all the time.
You didn't mention how much fuel, water and gas you had on board?
Also if you have C1 licences? If you have you can uprate, it's likely to be a paper exercise. There could be an ULEZ issue with increased weight, but simple to resolve, don't drive to London!
It's amazing what you can save on weight by stripping back and starting again.

 

[DandJ]

Chrissy...as newbies ourselves....do as has been suggested above by busbuddy #12.....strip it to the bare MH and take it to be weighed. Start at the point. If it's base weight means it would be nigh on impossible to enjoy it as a 3500kg MH you then have the choice of swapping it for one that does provide a healthy payload or up-plate it.

 

[gus-lopez]

Is “they” all of Europe too ?

No in spain varies region by region.I do know that in Pais Vasco a few years back it was 50€ per kilo over.

The easiest way to find out what you have to pay to drive in London is simply put your numberplate in here and see what the result is!
Simple!

Unless you are a foreigner.
& totally discriminatory against anyone foreign & was illegal when in the eu &quite possibly still is as yto my knowledge the law hasn't been changed & the reason they also had to drop potential charging for eu citizens re-registering .

& towing a trailer is a good idea.

 

[bobnick]

Yes tow a 1 ton box trailer stick your twin tub in and off you go, sorted.

 

[Dusty_Rhoades]

I thought the 5% only applied to the manufacturers tolerance in the declared weight, I didn’t think it applied to the owner being 5% over weight in accordance with their license condition. I’ll stand corrected If that’s the case.

Edit:

I’ll stand corrected, interesting post here showing the tolerances.

% OVERWEIGHT ALLOWANCE ?

Is there a unspoken rule that you get a allowance if overweight before a fine /prosecution. With all our stuff we are 1 % over =35kg. This could easily be used up with fuel burn and water usage but at some times we would be full up and overweight. I know manufacturers state a 5% under or over...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk