Police checking vehicle weight in France?

[Sevensixtwo]

Hello all. During a recent CT (Controle Technique) here in France, the mechanic warned me that French cops make frequent checks on the actual weight of motor homes. Have any of you been weighed - either in France or elsewhere? Cheers 762.

 

[Figaro]

Just once I was weighed in Italy and it was voluntary, they weren't after motorhomes, but hgv's.
I assumed they were and spoke to the policeman who said I could continue, but offered the option of being weighed.

 

[tonka]

Not weighed ourselves but been stopped twice for routine checks in the past..
Had friends who were stopped near Bordeaux, over weight limit so a 90 euro fine and had to dump a load of books at the side of a roadside wastebin to help reduce the load.

 

[Phill D]

Never in 18 ish years

 

[flatpackchicken]

Yes I was pulled into lay-by on opposite side of road (normal 2 lane road) a couple of years ago along with another MH that was in convoy behind me and I had a trailer on carrying my car too, difficult turn across road into lay-by but police insisted I go into lay-by and every axle was weighed, my gross MH was 8m at 5t and trailer was 5m at 1650kg, the ministry checked all my plated weights and axle weights along with my v5 but all was ok as just inside all parameters!!!!!!!
Police then checked my docs, insurance, v5, and mot, + driving licence, but all was in order as was MH behind me too. They were predominately pulling vans and trucks on the southbound side but upon seeing me coming northbound, the police stopped southbound traffic to stop me going northbound and directed me into the lay-by so police actually watching for MHs too.
All was ok and then had to go southbound again into village to try and turn around as could not make the swing northbound from the southbound lay-by
Lay-by was just south of Chartres on the N10 at La Bourdinière-Saint-Loup
48.3233930, 1.4309065

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[Spriddler]

Hello all. During a recent CT (Controle Technique) here in France, the mechanic warned me that French cops make frequent checks on the actual weight of motor homes. Have any of you been weighed - either in France or elsewhere? Cheers 762.

Do you travel overweight?

 

[gus-lopez]

Hello all. During a recent CT (Controle Technique) here in France, the mechanic warned me that French cops make frequent checks on the actual weight of motor homes. Have any of you been weighed - either in France or elsewhere? Cheers 762.

Yes ,just north of Bordeaux. They were weighing hgv's & commercials & I got pulled by mistake. I was 900kgs under

 

[Sevensixtwo]

Just once I was weighed in Italy and it was voluntary, they weren't after motorhomes, but hgv's.
I assumed they were and spoke to the policeman who said I could continue, but offered the option of being weighed.

Did you come in over or under your estimate?

 

[Sevensixtwo]

Not weighed ourselves but been stopped twice for routine checks in the past..
Had friends who were stopped near Bordeaux, over weight limit so a 90 euro fine and had to dump a load of books at the side of a roadside wastebin to help reduce the load.

Interesting. My hymer has an option to dump the potable water supply to 20L or to zero - I guess that would be my first step before losing my library. Although he could have returned later when the police had moved on…

 

[Sevensixtwo]

Yes I was pulled into lay-by on opposite side of road (normal 2 lane road) a couple of years ago along with another MH that was in convoy behind me and I had a trailer on carrying my car too, difficult turn across road into lay-by but police insisted I go into lay-by and every axle was weighed, my gross MH was 8m at 5t and trailer was 5m at 1650kg, the ministry checked all my plated weights and axle weights along with my v5 but all was ok as just inside all parameters!!!!!!!
Police then checked my docs, insurance, v5, and mot, + driving licence, but all was in order as was MH behind me too. They were predominately pulling vans and trucks on the southbound side but upon seeing me coming northbound, the police stopped southbound traffic to stop me going northbound and directed me into the lay-by so police actually watching for MHs too.
All was ok and then had to go southbound again into village to try and turn around as could not make the swing northbound from the southbound lay-by
Lay-by was just south of Chartres on the N10 at La Bourdinière-Saint-Loup
48.3233930, 1.4309065

Yikes. Sounds intensive. Wonder if they target foreign plates? I’m on Frog plates me.

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[Sevensixtwo]

Do you travel overweight?

Not sure. I rarely travel with a full fuel tank and my grey water tank is usually empty as well but until I weigh the vehicle I’m unsure. I just bought a weighing gizmo from Berger here in France that purports to be quite accurate doing one wheel at a time.

 

[Brains]

Been pulled in the UK (we were just under).
And seen others pulled in the UK.

There is also a Faceache page run by the police who publish several new pictures every day of vehicles they have pulled, usually for being overweight.
It mostly seems to be scaffolding lorries and 3.5t recovery transits with a car bigger than a mini on the back.

 

[Figaro]

Did you come in over or under your estimate?

Under

 

[Brains]

Interesting. My hymer has an option to dump the potable water supply to 20L or to zero - I guess that would be my first step before losing my library. Although he could have returned later when the police had moved on…

As do most Hymers.

They are not designed to travel with a full tank.

(I know this the hard way, when full the plastic tank flexes over bumps, which causes the rod to drain the tank to disengage, which means you can not empty the tank, and it needs the skills of a gynaecologist to re-engage it to the drain)

Hence we almost never travel any distance with a tank more than 20% full (unless it's on motorways all the way)

 

[DandJ]

Not yet...but we'll be underweight. First thing I did when we bought it last September was take it, empty, to the local weighbridge. Been back twice, the last time when we were full with water, clothes, food, bikes etc...still way under.

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[Waveski]

v5, and mot, + driving licence, but all was in order as was MH behind me too. They

L lol
N0

 

[Nyvern]

Was checked coming out of Germany near Strasbourg and I was underweight.

 

[nicholsong]

We always weigh with full water and diesel before a trip and are usually about 50kg under.

The only scenario I can envision tp be over is if we had just filled both water and diesel and not emptied half-full dirty water - unlikely.

 

[Ingwe]

Deleted

 

[Ingwe]

Deleted

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[Barryh]

On our last trip in September, the French police had set up after the Péage booth. The one at ours looked at the van, then down at the reg and nodded us through. All sorts being weighed there.

 

[Sevensixtwo]

As do most Hymers.

They are not designed to travel with a full tank.

(I know this the hard way, when full the plastic tank flexes over bumps, which causes the rod to drain the tank to disengage, which means you can not empty the tank, and it needs the skills of a gynaecologist to re-engage it to the drain)

Hence we almost never travel any distance with a tank more than 20% full (unless it's on motorways all the way)

That’s interesting.

 

[Sevensixtwo]

Not yet...but we'll be underweight. First thing I did when we bought it last September was take it, empty, to the local weighbridge. Been back twice, the last time when we were full with water, clothes, food, bikes etc...still way under.

Seems like a good idea. At least then you have a base line for additions that you can weigh before adding/installation.

 

[Puddleduck]

I think pulling over and weighing is a good move.

It might delay you and be annoying if you are within the weight limit but for those overweight (perhaps dangerously so) and those who are ignorant of weights, licences and safe loading then it must make things safer for everyone if they are educated.

 

[Sevensixtwo]

On our last trip in September, the French police had set up after the Péage booth. The one at ours looked at the van, then down at the reg and nodded us through. All sorts being weighed there.

Hmmm maybe he had a rosbif relative

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[Lenny HB]

As do most Hymers.

They are not designed to travel with a full tank.

(I know this the hard way, when full the plastic tank flexes over bumps, which causes the rod to drain the tank to disengage, which means you can not empty the tank, and it needs the skills of a gynaecologist to re-engage it to the drain)

Hence we almost never travel any distance with a tank more than 20% full (unless it's on motorways all the way)

Over the last 16 years I've had 3 Hymers & now a Carthago they all have the same system. Always travel with a full tank never had a problem.

 

[bigtree]

Over the last 16 years I've had 3 Hymers & now a Carthago they all have the same system. Always travel with a full tank never had a problem.

Until now.

 

[Baggydave]

Hello all. During a recent CT (Controle Technique) here in France, the mechanic warned me that French cops make frequent checks on the actual weight of motor homes. Have any of you been weighed - either in France or elsewhere? Cheers 762.

No. Not in 16 years of travelling & living there. Uk plates

 

[Tigertom]

We were weighed by French police a couple of years ago whilst travelling along an urban dual carriageway.
I handed over all of our documents including base vehicle paperwork, conversion paperwork, certificate of conformity….everything.
We run at 3500kg, although with no modifications but the correct paperwork we can run at 3850kg.
Our Hymer was almost fully fuelled and we had a lot of fresh water in the tank.
The gendarmes told us we were under weight ………..I think they might have been wrong !
We didn’t ask how much we weighed , just drove off and didn’t look back.

 

[MichaelT]

Over the last 16 years I've had 3 Hymers & now a Carthago they all have the same system. Always travel with a full tank never had a problem.

Why wouldn't you, what's the point of a 150l tank of water if its empty

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