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Don,
I don't know whether it is an Autotrail sticker or a Mercedes sticker. I will have a good look at it and the VIN plate tomorrow before I phone the DVLA on Monday.
It is certainly nothing like yours.
Peedee
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Thanks guys for your comments, very helpful. I am pleased to note Keith that you would give me some leeway 50K represents about 5 percent of my axle weights.
Peedee
I think you'd better check your figures again, 50k as 5% means you have a maximum axle weight of 1000 kilos - whether it be a Merc or a Sevel chassis, the weights are a fair bit higher than that - the weights given on the SvTech plate that Don has posted are the norm for most light goods vehicles, which is what most of our motorhomes are built on.
Quote:
The comments I made came from someone else whose job also involved checking vehicles. He gave me the 10 percent figure when I pressed him about a judgement. Mind you he did say if he thought it was dangerous the amount of overload was immaterial. It would not be allowed to continue the journey and they would be prosecuted. I have also heard about someone who had to lighten the load before they were allowed to continue their journey but were not prosecuted!
Under normal circumstances you would only be prohibited if the overload was under 10%, however, as your informant said, it depends on whether road safety is jeopordised, over 10%, well, you pays your money and takes your chance
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As far as I am aware the chassis manufacturer did what must be a standard upgrade and I am rather annoyed that the dealer did not register it correctly in the first place. I now suspect I will have problems proving it has been done and there is no way I can keep my gross at or below 3.5 tons.
You have the same problem a lot of motorhomers are faced with - the base vehicle is built to run at a particular weight - let's assume that weight is 3,500 kilos. It will spend half of it's life running at well under that weight, but, in the case of a motorhome it has to be converted to carry 1) a big box, containing, 2) a full set of equipment to allow the users a level of comfort close to that they would have at their home, and 3) everything else they want to carry with them on their journey.
Unfortunately, unless you are prepared to buy a base chassis of about 4.5 to 5 tonnes (there are a fair few about, including Mercs and Iveco's) then you have to compromise.
To be fair, the chassis manufacturer did not originally build the vehicle for the purpose to which we put it, but again, most chassis' have a tolerance and can be run at a higher weight dependant on the running gear - as an example, my own MH was plated at 3,500 kg, that was nowhere near the true weight, even partially loaded it was 3,800 kg. So, without doing anything to the vehicle (apart from fitting air-ride suspension, which I did as a matter of comfort prior to weighing it anyway), SvTech was contacted to have the chassis uprated. On the information I gave them they were able to uprate to 4,100 kg with the rear axle also being uprated from 2120 kg to 2,300 kg.
So there you go, there is an answer, you've just got to find it and make sure that it's the right one.
Finally, don't run overloaded, apart from the chances of being stopped and prosecuted, there's the question of insurance to consider, we all know that insurers will do anything they can to get out of paying out - running the vehicle in excess of it's plated design weight is just such an excuse (it can affect the handling characteristics and braking distances, which is what they will seize on) if you're involved in a collision of any sort.
Keith (Sprokit)
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I think you'd better check your figures again, 50k as 5% means you have a maximum axle weight of 1000 kilos - whether it be a Merc or a Sevel chassis, the weights are a fair bit higher than that - the weights given on the SvTech plate that Don has posted are the norm for most light goods vehicles, which is what most of our motorhomes are built on.
Keith (Sprokit)
Yup your right, sorry I used weight on each wheel. My rear axle weight is actually limited by the tyres which are limited to 1120Kgms each. That is where the confusion came in. It is plated at 3500Kgms with a rear axle of 2240Kgm and front of 1750Kgms. The sticker looks like it was put there by Mercedes on behalf of Autotrail. It simple says the vehicle has been fitted with Camping suspension Option CE6 and has a new gross weight of 3800Kgms with no change to axle loadings.
peedee
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Yup your right, sorry I used weight on each wheel. My rear axle weight is actually limited by the tyres which are limited to 1120Kgms each. That is where the confusion came in. It is plated at 3500Kgms with a rear axle of 2240Kgm and front of 1750Kgms. The sticker looks like it was put there by Mercedes on behalf of Autotrail. It simple says the vehicle has been fitted with Camping suspension Option CE6 and has a new gross weight of 3800Kgms with no change to axle loadings.
peedee
If that's the case, then it looks like your gross weight is 3,800 kg - I'd check with your local Mercedes dealer to make sure it's correct - if you give them the VIN (chassis number) from the plate, they should be able to confirm the gross weight for you. (Add up your axle weights, they come to 3990, so 3,800 is well within the total.)
Hope this is the answer, it would solve your problems - in the meantime, if you do get stopped and weighed, make sure you point out the Mercedes "uprating" plate to whoever it is weighs the vehicle.
Keith (Sprokit)
______________________________________________________________ As I get older my opinion may change - but not the fact that I am right
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Im a bit concerned as my reg doc doesnt give any weights at all. It just says 2 axle rigid body. vin number and colour & heavy oil. should it say more?
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Im a bit concerned as my reg doc doesnt give any weights at all. It just says 2 axle rigid body. vin number and colour & heavy oil. should it say more?
Hiya, just checked Adria's web site and yours is 2960kg unladen and 3500kg laden. These details should be on a plate either near the habitation door or on one of the door pillars.
Regards
bob
I will have a good look at it and the VIN plate tomorrow before I phone the DVLA on Monday.
Peedee
I see nothing but hassle on the horizon, Swansea did not want to know and asked me to write to the local DVLA office which I have done. They don't accept phone calls
peedee
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50K represents about 5 percent of my axle weights.
- whether it be a Merc or a Sevel chassis, the weights are a fair bit higher than that - the weights given on the SvTech plate that Don has posted are the norm for most light goods vehicles, which is what most of our motorhomes are built on.
there's the question of insurance to consider, we all know that insurers will do anything they can to get out of paying out - running the vehicle in excess of it's plated design weight is just such an excuse (it can affect the handling characteristics and braking distances, which is what they will seize on) if you're involved in a collision of any sort.
(Add up your axle weights, they come to 3990, so 3,800 is well within the total.)
