Police checking motorhomes and caravans on M5

[headlight]

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Let's hope some vans were returned to thier rightfull owners

 

[DT]

Hope they are paying attention to legal ownership. May find a dodgy one.

 

[DJT]

Looks like the DVSA are using motorhomes themselves, going by the yellow and black decals on the motorhomes on the left of the photo.

Unless they have pulled chaser in for a check!

 

[PP Bear]

There’s one under the rear of the motorhome in the picture, think he’s checking for all the peas and carrots that comes from the grey tank.

Prosecuted for being a dribbler

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[stewartwebr]

Added afterthought......

It's more a case of protecting others from your irresponsible attitude.

If their intentions were to protect others then surely an immediate intervention should be made to remove the risk by stopping the unsafe act. What they are currently doing is imposing financial penalty which if repeated sufficiently would eventually eliminate risk by removal of driver entitlement. Therefore, I stand by my point that these operations are more about raising revenue than reducing risk to road users.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Will they have a DVLA Manager in attendance to explain to the Police why there are discrepancies on V5c forms?

I think the V5 for ours states 6500kg, when it is far less

 

[stewartwebr]

Perhaps you’re not aware of the sadly inevitable and regular accidents, overturned caravans, etc that happen during the holiday periods down here on the A38, A361, and A30?

I’ve seen too many families with their P&J scattered over the hard shoulder, not to mention the major disruption to other road users, to equate it to the speed cameras. If these operations prevent even one of those occurring then the authorities can crack on with them.

So what will a camera van do? Most slow down when seeing them then speed up afterwards, or those that do get caught and are speeding continue at the same speed potentially oblivious to the fact they have been caught and continue unsafe practices for remainder of the journey.
If this really was about safety then the Police should be dealing with it where an immediate intervention is made, speeding ticket issued and a stern conversation by the officers. All the speed vans do is collect revenue and add very little to road safety.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Yesterday lunchtime M5 southbound stationary around Bristol from Thornbury down to goodness knows how far. I wonder how the police were picking off MHs to direct them off? Must have been adding to driver frustrations.

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

Had our new to us VW T5 t30 campervan weighed on Thursday with pop-top roof and full conversion, plus 80 ltrs diesel as full and 6kg water, plus gas at 3kg.
GVW unladen is 3000kg.
Van came in at 2180kg.
With 2 adults at 75kg each and grand kids at 21kg each makes us at 2372kg ready to load and roll.
Payload therefore at 628kg!!!
Was quite surprised at this and we won't use anywhere near this as we are completely downsizing.
Oh, and van has uprated tyres for weight.

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[Emmit]

Had our new to us VW T5 t30 campervan weighed on Thursday with pop-top roof and full conversion, plus 80 ltrs diesel as full and 6kg water, plus gas at 3kg.
GVW unladen is 3000kg.
Van came in at 2180kg.
With 2 adults at 75kg each and grand kids at 21kg each makes us at 2372kg ready to load and roll.
Payload therefore at 628kg!!!
Was quite surprised at this and we won't use anywhere near this as we are completely downsizing.
Oh, and van has uprated tyres for weight.

I'm struggling a bit on your water and gas figures.

 

[gus-lopez]

and will get people educated to understand exactly what they can and should do regarding weight restrictions,

I doubt it. Most have no interest whatsoever. Why would they?

Weightwise...I'm still staggered that people will pay tens of thousands on a motorhome/campervan but baulk at paying a tenner (and maybe a 50 mile round trip) to get it weighed to have a starting point.

.. none will ever weigh the cars they buy so why would it occur to them to weigh a motorhome?

 

[1967bowesj]

Good advert for the services of VWE and SV tech?

No so much for VWE as he’s is now suspended from upplating while he gets reassessment for the necessary certifications
Not sure why but his certificate was revoked

 

[Spriddler]

If their intentions were to protect others then surely an immediate intervention should be made to remove the risk by stopping the unsafe act.

I understand that's what they do by making people unload until at the legal weight.

Therefore, I stand by my point that these operations are more about raising revenue than reducing risk to road users.

I don't disagree with that and I respect everyone's opinion so you don't need to 'stand by your point' as I didn't suggest that protecting others was the only benefit, but up til the point they unload some stuff at the check point it seems logical to me that they may have been a potential hazard to others.
I don't know the amount of the fines issued but I guess they must defray some of the cost of operating the check point.
In short, the checks and fines don't concern me at all as I use a weighbridge and never travel overweight but I'm keen not to be wiped out on account of someone else's vehicle being overweight.

 

[nicholsong]

The checks were yesterday the 26th I thought ?

I looked at the date and time at the top of the report.

If their intentions were to protect others then surely an immediate intervention should be made to remove the risk by stopping the unsafe act. What they are currently doing is imposing financial penalty which if repeated sufficiently would eventually eliminate risk by removal of driver entitlement. Therefore, I stand by my point that these operations are more about raising revenue than reducing risk to road users.

DVSA will not allow a vehicle to proceed if dangerously overweight.

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[enark]

No so much for VWE as he’s is now suspended from upplating while he gets reassessment for the necessary certifications
Not sure why but his certificate was revoked

Surely just an admin glitch, he does the most thorough of reports, and great advice.

Used both and they have both been great.

 

[headlight]

I looked at the date and time at the top of the report.


DVSA will not allow a vehicle to proceed if dangerously overweight.

The report was the 27th but the checks were carried out on the 26th as per the date below the picture.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

At voluntary, confidential, weigh-in of Funsters at Peterborough a few years ago, we found about 30% to be overloaded, 10% of those were seriously overloading rear axles. Almost every van that was overweight was plated at 3.5t

Yes, I remember that. As I recall, mine was 880kg which made me think a lot about payloads

 

[Jim]

Should the BBC be publishing this at 0922 on Sat morning, giving drivers ample warning to be able to avoid that stretch of M/way.

Well they count aircraft out of airbases to give our enemy a heads up. (Not that the BBC ever called them the enemy) So why not warn motorhome owners

 

[CAB96]

I'm struggling a bit on your water and gas figures.

It's a VW.

3kg of gas is probably a 904 camping gaz. A 907 would be 5-6 kg with the bottle.

Lots of different water containers if no underslung tank, so a slim 6 litres is a popular option.

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[The Wino]

I think once the penny drops how many are overloaded and the potential cash cow this could create we shall see more of these checks. I may sound cynical and I am in no way advocating driving with an overweight vehicle, but these days it has very little to do with safety and more to do with revenue collection. It gets my why they can call speed camera vans “safety units” if they had anything to do with safety they would scream at you and force you to slow down and make your journey safer. Sending you a fine through the post 10 days later has done nothing to promote your safety. They are revenue generators and nothing more, just another form of tax.

I disagree. In North Yorkshire we have no fixed cameras but mobile vans that can be almost anywhere. It means you have to drive always within the limit or close to it unless you want a ticket. I think we ought to have more mobile cameras around the country and they should be allowed to operate anywhere.

 

[PP Bear]

Well they count aircraft out of airbases to give our enemy a heads up. (Not that the BBC ever called them the enemy) So why not warn motorhome owners

Auto Trail with twin Browning 50 cal fitted. That would make them think twice about parking so close in an Aire

 

[Bessy765]

ink its time the whole business of weight/payload was overhauled. We bought an Elddis Aspire 255 in 2012, it was rated at 3500kg at the NEC the supplying dealer threw in a paper upgrade to 3700 kg but two adults tow dogs and a packet of crisps we were 3580 kg. We bought a new Burstner IEXO 736 4 berth 2019 rated at 4000kgs even with 20 litres of water minimum bedding and food we were 4120 kgs with four adults. Even we uprated to 4500 kg we have to be careful when loading.

 

[stewartwebr]

ink its time the whole business of weight/payload was overhauled. We bought an Elddis Aspire 255 in 2012, it was rated at 3500kg at the NEC the supplying dealer threw in a paper upgrade to 3700 kg but two adults tow dogs and a packet of crisps we were 3580 kg. We bought a new Burstner IEXO 736 4 berth 2019 rated at 4000kgs even with 20 litres of water minimum bedding and food we were 4120 kgs with four adults. Even we uprated to 4500 kg we have to be careful when loading.

I don’t think it needs overhauled, what it needs is manufacturers to build motorhomes fit for purpose.

 

[stewartwebr]

I looked at the date and time at the top of the report.


DVSA will not allow a vehicle to proceed if dangerously overweight.

I was referring to mobile speed cameras which do nothing more than issue fines No intervention to make the situation safe. The offender continues at excessive speed so how can they claim they are safety vans?

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[denisejoe]

I don't go past very frequently but I've seen weight checks being carried out at the DVSA vehicle inspection site on the A23 here..........

View attachment 928535

If that’s the on A23 going north it’s been there for years got pulled with an artic 40 years ago

 

[Spriddler]

If that’s the on A23 going north it’s been there for years got pulled with an artic 40 years ago

Yes it is, and it has been there more than 40 years. I've lived 6 miles down the road for 42 years and for the 10 years until I retired I passed it twice a day on my commute.

 

[denisejoe]

If I remember right it at the top of a long uphill section

 

[Emmit]

I disagree. In North Yorkshire we have no fixed cameras but mobile vans that can be almost anywhere. It means you have to drive always within the limit or close to it unless you want a ticket. I think we ought to have more mobile cameras around the country and they should be allowed to operate anywhere.

As I found when I drove my son's car in N.Yorks, the 'Waze' app seemed to be one step ahead of the mobile vans on the Scarborough A64.

 

[DandJ]

I was referring to mobile speed cameras which do nothing more than issue fines No intervention to make the situation safe. The offender continues at excessive speed so how can they claim they are safety vans?

I'm half with you...if a uniformed cop in a dayglo jacket stood at the side of a road and shook his/her head and pointed at people who weren't driving to the letter of the law...they'd slow down/put their phone down etc etc. You could argue his/her presence contributes to safety as people slow down. The same sort of thing with camera vans...people see them and slow down....but I'd rather they were just honest and called them speed camera vans. "Speeding is against the law, speed and you may get done, don't moan about it, just slow down" sort of thing.

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[The Wino]

As I found when I drove my son's car in N.Yorks, the 'Waze' app seemed to be one step ahead of the mobile vans on the Scarborough A64.

They will be ahead of the vans most of the time but before enough users report them for it to show up they will get a few! I actually would be in favour of apps reporting speed camera positions being made illegal