Stopped by the police

[David BW]

My PVC that I used to have had a maxi chassis and had to have air suspension to the rear axle to update to 4250kg

16" wheels? This makes a difference apparently. Maybe the age, ours is 2018.

 

[Emmit]

Its DVSA now and once upon a time they needed the police to pull vehicles over .

Not any more.

 

[MattR]

Catching uninsured drivers, vehicles without MOTs, recovering stolen motorhomes, advising ignorant drivers, discovering evidence of criminal activities .... Preventing potentially fatal situations? Seems like good uses of police resources to me.

 

[Emmit]

This is ironic because I am off to the weigh bridge next week. The way our Transit based motorhome rides I don’t think I have an issue with weight. I need the weights to sort out tyre pressures before the new tyres are fitted.
With a lot of vans being front wheel drive it can cause problems towing a heavy trailer if the van is already near its load limits.
I know of a guy towing a loaded car trailer behind a Talbot Express on a wet day on the A46 near Lincoln. When he got to the roundabout at the bottom of the hill he couldn’t steer or stop and finished up on the roundabout.
The van was full of tools and garage equipment so adding the loaded trailer was not a good idea.

Providing that the trailer was laden to the point that it's maximum weight wasn't exceeded and/or it's 'noseweight' didn't exceed either the trailers maximum noseweight or the vehicles towball maximum weight or the vehicles maximum weight AND the axles were within limits as well then the only problem that could occur was the engines ability to tow the weight. The stability wouldn't be an issue.

In the circumstances you have described, I would bet my pension that either (or both) the trailers Max Mass was exceeded, the noseweight of the trailer was exceeded and/or the rear axle weight of the towing vehicle was also over the limit.

 

[iandsm]

Good to see the boys and girls in blue not wasting time and energy on assaults, burglaries, petty theft and making their presence felt in our towns and villages.

Or wasting time preventing road accidents involving totally innocent people who through no fault of their own may be seriously injured or killed by idiots who cannot be bothered or don't have the intelligence to ensure they are not overweight with all the consequences that go with it. Or come to that have incorrectly inflated, or damaged tyres, or brakes that don't work, or who's motorhomes wouldn't pass an MOT etc.

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[iandsm]

Anyone here who has been unfortunate enough that they needed the police will know how stretched they are for resources and getting them to come to your aid is not without long delays , and imo to be wasting their time by again picking on the easy motorist is just BS , crimes are so hard these days to solve due to lack of police , so why are they our again targeting the easy targets , the motorist.

Does it not occur to the writer that criminals use vehicles to travel around the country committing crime.

 

[gus-lopez]

Precisely my point, none of those would attend until scene made safe by police.

Why would I ask for the police at a road accident? An ambulance yes, possibly fire brigade. Wouldn't even occur to me?

We kill 5 people a day on our roads, n

Yes it isnt enough to remove all the Darwin contenders

 

[iandsm]

I stand corrected but are the ‘traffic’ police completely different ‘ branch ‘ than normal shire police ?

Yes, they are, CID who would usually deal with burglary, assaults, offences against the person, sexual offences, etc don't normally get involved in vehicle checks and Roads Policing officers don't usually attend burglary offences , of course those who reach for the keyboard to type their uninformed comments don't give a thought to that.

 

[Russell's Dad]

My PVC that I used to have had a maxi chassis and had to have air suspension to the rear axle to update to 4250kg

SV Tech I presume? Maxi Chassis with 16 inch alloys can go to 4.5t with no mods.

 

[rosalan]

This is probably not where I should be asking this but (newbie here looking for first MH) but if I buy one which is say 3.5, surely as soon as I put some stuff in it, it’s going to be over that limit?
Very confused

Your vehicle will weigh less than 3.5 tons when you buy it. 3.5 is the maximum weight you are allowed after adding your goodies.

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[Bart]

Does it not occur to the writer that criminals use vehicles to travel around the country committing crime.

Ohh yes it does , but I still don't change a thing I said

 

[Verteuil Man]

I have always being concerned about 3500kg motorhomes. People I know that have them openly know they are overweight and are willing to flaunt the law. With the over 70's issue with C1 it pushes people down the 3500kg route and the still carry what they did before. The weight limit on a lot of motorhomes is purely a paperwork exercise the problem is licencing. I met a chap in Spain this winter who had a Kontiki (which always look overloaded) and was swaping to a 3500kg Adria as he did not want the hassle of reapplying for his C1. He was fully aware he would be overweight.

Traffic Police 0ften have a purge at the time of year as the motorhomes and caravans get dragged out of storage. Big place for this is Strencham on the M5.

 

[Reallyretired]

Unless things have changed (entirely possible) a driver can be reported for failing to produce;
a Driving Licence
A Certificate of Insurance and if required,
A valid MOT

when driving a motor vehicle on a road (and possibly public space) (that was coming in as I was going out?)

HOWEVER<<<<<( BIG However)
You would not be prosecuted for that offence (failing to produce) if you produced
those documents within 7 days at a Police Station. (Count yourself lucky!!! It was only 5 days in 1971.)

As said, things may have changed with the advent of Computers but why wouldn't you carry the licence.
It would get things off to a good start if stopped. After all, you wouldn't walk into a Bank and produce your Driving Licence
alone and ask for some money out of your account.

Hopefully that law would now be defunct as all of those are computerised and available to the police. I do carry driving licence and abroad also certificate of insurance. Mot certificate doesnt really exist any more, just a bit of printout if you're lucky. Driving licence no longer has endorsements, computer only.

 

[Reallyretired]

I have always being concerned about 3500kg motorhomes. People I know that have them openly know they are overweight and are willing to flaunt the law. With the over 70's issue with C1 it pushes people down the 3500kg route and the still carry what they did before. The weight limit on a lot of motorhomes is purely a paperwork exercise the problem is licencing. I met a chap in Spain this winter who had a Kontiki (which always look overloaded) and was swaping to a 3500kg Adria as he did not want the hassle of reapplying for his C1. He was fully aware he would be overweight.

Traffic Police 0ften have a purge at the time of year as the motorhomes and caravans get dragged out of storage. Big place for this is Strencham on the M5.

I did that very thing, and my low profile Hymer is under 3500kg with full tanks, two fatties and two dogs, even with all the crap I like to carry. Don't assume we are all overweight.

 

[jongood]

Surely these checks could be carried out by Traffic "Officers" / Vosa, with a token Police presence, to process any offences, thereby not taking so many front-line Police away from their normal duties,
Or is that too simple ??

Exactly what they do with lorry checks

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[Chrisvh]

Well done .youve personally solved more crime than the average local force.

I hope you got medals.

I defer to your superior knowledge. What is a medal?

 

[The general]

Have been stopped a fair few times over the years towing plant but always make sure it’s all legal

Plant ! I remember picking up a 6tonne digger /buckets / half full fuel drum , on a flat bed beaver tail arrived on site and being winter the track gear full of sodden mud took me best part of a hour to get most of the mud off best I could just thinking about dropping mud on highway , on way to depot got pulled on A31 weigh bridge I was just inside gross weight , the inspector noticed the state of the machine etc I told him about the mud he said could have put you over !!!! Axle weights to me were more important than gross , I mean you could be within limits but one axle overloaded ??

 

[The general]

That's the law,,why at 69 years and 11 months I can drive up to 7.5 tonnes and at 70 years and one day I am not legal.Making laws must be very difficult and keeping everyone happy harder still..How would you alter the law?BUSBY.

You got to draw lines somewhere

 

[The general]

Really? First if the MH is 50kg over the weight limit is it really dangerous to drive?

You got to have published limits like gross 3.5t?

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Plant ! I remember picking up a 6tonne digger /buckets / half full fuel drum , on a flat bed beaver tail arrived on site and being winter the track gear full of sodden mud took me best part of a hour to get most of the mud off best I could just thinking about dropping mud on highway , on way to depot got pulled on A31 weigh bridge I was just inside gross weight , the inspector noticed the state of the machine etc I told him about the mud he said could have put you over !!!! Axle weights to me were more important than gross , I mean you could be within limits but one axle overloaded ??

Funny how lads don’t like digging out tracks before they send machines back!

My mate charges £50 per dirty machine sent back you would be surprised how much mud you can wash off a machine.

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[mitzimad]

Yes, they are, CID who would usually deal with burglary, assaults, offences against the person, sexual offences, etc don't normally get involved in vehicle checks and Roads Policing officers don't usually attend burglary offences , of course those who reach for the keyboard to type their uninformed comments don't give a thought to that.

no one attends a burglary round here

 

[iandsm]

no one attends a burglary round here

With respect I doubt you know about each and every one and how it’s reported and investigated. You may be right. However it would be interesting have your statistics.

 

[tonyidle]

how about watching some of the aggressive lorry drivers who change lanes despite cars approaching with little or no warning

......... despite cars approaching who never notice that the lorry will need to overtake. A simple easing of the accelerator or a move to the outer lane + a flash of the headlights is all that's needed.

 

[JJ]

Over forty-five years of owning and driving a wide variety of campervans/motorhomes all over Europe.
Never ever weighed any of them.
Never ever had anyone wanting to weigh any of them.

JJ (what's happened to the smileys?)

 

[stevewagner]

16" wheels? This makes a difference apparently. Maybe the age, ours is 2018.

SV Tech I presume? Maxi Chassis with 16 inch alloys can go to 4.5t with no mods.

It was but I can’t remember the wheel size

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[Jenka]

Really? First if the MH is 50kg over the weight limit is it really dangerous to drive?
No other work that the traffic Police could be doing? I don't mean manning speed traps trying to catch as many safely driving cars as possible on straight downhill sections, how about watching some of the aggressive lorry drivers who change lanes despite cars approaching with little or no warning or trying to catch actual proper criminals?

Youve never driven a lorry ! There also why alk vehicles have weight limits .

 

[iandsm]

Over forty-five years of owning and driving a wide variety of campervans/motorhomes all over Europe.
Never ever weighed any of them.
Never ever had anyone wanting to weigh any of them.

JJ (what's happened to the smileys

Did you ever bother with little things like tyre pressure and condition. Or any other safety measures.

 

[hja]

In Lincolnshire we have just got a new "branch" of the police set up: Roads Policing Unit. "Their aim will be to reduce serious and fatal collisions, promote road safety, and to target criminals who use our road network to commit crime.".
There are real issues in Lincs with road accidents (separate to the A1),: lots of reasons - very little dual carriage way, very few straight stretches on A roads where sensible overtaking is possible, lorries now too big for the roads, too much speeding and bad overtaking, slow lorries and agricultural vehicles. Then add cyclists and motor bikes into the mix.
I know questionnaires and surveys only reach some people, but responses to these in Lincs has constantly highlighted road safety.
Apparently previously roads policing was part of the firearms unit!
These motorhome/caravan checks may have been by this unit, or might have been nothing to do with them - I could not say.

 

[St3v3]

A overloaded mh , is a danger to the public, I am all for it checking everything

Unless you've paid a few quid and had a cert issued to up-plate the van. Then those extra kilos are fine without any physical change to the vehicle

 

[nicholsong]

Hopefully that law would now be defunct as all of those are computerised and available to the police. I do carry driving licence and abroad also certificate of insurance. Mot certificate doesnt really exist any more, just a bit of printout if you're lucky. Driving licence no longer has endorsements, computer only.

Correct, available to UK police, but what about outside the UK?

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