Quote: Originally posted by marg6 on 19/9/2020
so you dont take any things like an aquaroll, and wastermaster, toilet fluids, blocks of wood for levelling a tool kit, tv, pots and pans plates cups glasses, towels, step, the list goes on but soon could put you over the limit, ok your car can pull 1450, but whats the max weight for your caravan?
All of those except a TV, but doesn't everyone? We never take a TV, as that's not what we go on holiday for. If anything we like to get away from it. A good book does for us if the weather's bad, and they are often available on site. All I can say is that if I'm over the limit for our caravan, an awful lot of those I see on sites must be two or three times over their weight limits. I'm certain that I am well within the limit for our caravan, and if I had any suspicions that we weren't, there is loads of spare capacity in the back of the car. The back of an X Trail is huge, especially with only two people in it. Sadly there will be even more next time we go away as we no longer need our little dog's cage in there.
Colin you do know that for your caravan the max weight is 954 kgs? not 1000kgs ok i know your car can handle a bigger caravan but you must not go over 954kgs to remain legal, if you are then ok yes for you, you can put that in the car, but i do suggest you go and put your caravan on weighbridge even just the once to find out
Quote: Originally posted by birder99 on 19/9/2020
I for one don't want any points on my licence due to unsafe loading.
As far as I'm aware it's not an endorsable offence, just a Fixed Penalty.
You'd obviously have to adjust the weights to make your vehicle legal before being allowed to continue your way.
Quote: Originally posted by birder99 on 19/9/2020
I for one don't want any points on my licence due to unsafe loading.
As far as I'm aware it's not an endorsable offence, just a Fixed Penalty.
You'd obviously have to adjust the weights to make your vehicle legal before being allowed to continue your way.
Post last edited on 20/09/2020 03:14:20
It depends on the amount of overloading and if it means you are using a vehicle in a dangerous condition - See RTA section 40A
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The MTPLM plate on a caravan is a sticker therefore it is not a "legal" or mandatory plate and they cannot use those figures to fine you as they are "made up" by the manufacturer depending on the chassis.
The DVSA or police can fine you for exceeding the load rating of the tyres or exceeding the fixed plate on the caravan chassis for caravans from 2012 onwards. You can also be fined for a dangerous load which covers a multitude of sins.
To sum it up you cannot be fined for exceeding the MTPLM figure on the sticker as there is no legislation to cover a removable sticker that is not mandatory however it is always wise to stay within the MTPLM suggested by the manufacturer for safety and warranty.
As for weigh bridges they are allowed a tolerance of between 2-5% so on a caravan with a MTPLM of 1500kg it could should that you are 75kg over or under!
Quote: Originally posted by marg6 on 19/9/2020
Colin you do know that for your caravan the max weight is 954 kgs? not 1000kgs ok i know your car can handle a bigger caravan but you must not go over 954kgs to remain legal, if you are then ok yes for you, you can put that in the car, but i do suggest you go and put your caravan on weighbridge even just the once to find out
Yes thanks, I did know it was 954kgs, which is why I said less than 1,000kg in my previous post. It is a 4 berth caravan though and there are only two of us and therefore only provisions for 2 people, so I would imagine that we are well within. Might be worth checking one day though I suppose if I can find out where the nearest weighbridge is.
If we are over the limit though I don't know how a family of 4 would fare, with all the extra stuff that they would need to take for the children. I would have thought that a manufacturer building a caravan for a family of 4 would take that into consideration in the loading limits.
When I see what comes out of some caravans arriving on sites I do often wonder. Bikes, scooters, wind-breaks, tons of toys etc. They must have 4 or 5 times the weight of stuff in there than we carry. As pensioners we don't need much other than the stuff that everyone has to have, like water and waste containers.
An overweight tolerance of 5% is recognised by VOSA and no penalty issued,so colin's van could be just over 1000 kg without risk of a fixed penalty notice.
saxo1
I have a caravan list - used for keeping an eye on the weight as well as using as a check list. Everything that goes in gets weighed. Things that get taken for each trip - clothes etc go in the car. We uplifted our weight so we have 219kg to play with. Currently have about 40kg spare. Its not difficult to keep a track - I keep a set of those suitcase scale things in the caravan so I can weigh things.
Quote: Originally posted by Katieep on 20/9/2020
I have a caravan list - used for keeping an eye on the weight as well as using as a check list. Everything that goes in gets weighed. Things that get taken for each trip - clothes etc go in the car. We uplifted our weight so we have 219kg to play with. Currently have about 40kg spare. Its not difficult to keep a track - I keep a set of those suitcase scale things in the caravan so I can weigh things.
It is when you add on stuff like motor movers etc that you start losing payload and in a lot of circumstances an motor mover is essential. Ours weighs 60kg so big chuck off the payload.
(1) Sticker states 1640kg (Or there abouts)
(2) Plate in gas locker reads 1800kg (100% Sure)
(3) Axle plate under van on the axles states GVW 1000kg each axle. X 2 = 2000kg (100% Sure)
So which one shall of the 3, which are all on the caravan do we argue with DVSA police about.
Because all 3 could be used and all be legal?
So really the manufacturer is not that helpful in this case.
By the way i am rated at 1800kg on my bailey sticker as have the upgrade, which i do not see why i needed to pay for, when the plate was already on there in the gas locker lol, another rip off.
Quote: Originally posted by Ray Clayton on 21/9/2020
That's play devils advocate again.
(1) Sticker states 1640kg (Or there abouts)
(2) Plate in gas locker reads 1800kg (100% Sure)
(3) Axle plate under van on the axles states GVW 1000kg each axle. X 2 = 2000kg (100% Sure)
So which one shall of the 3, which are all on the caravan do we argue with DVSA police about.
Because all 3 could be used and all be legal?
So really the manufacturer is not that helpful in this case.
By the way i am rated at 1800kg on my bailey sticker as have the upgrade, which i do not see why i needed to pay for, when the plate was already on there in the gas locker lol, another rip off.
The only one where you could be prosecuted is exceeding the axle weight of 2000kg. The other two are manufacturer plates and doubt if they are mandatory plates.
Quote: Originally posted by iank01 on 20/9/2020
As for weigh bridges they are allowed a tolerance of between 2-5% so on a caravan with a MTPLM of 1500kg it could should that you are 75kg over or under!
Post last edited on 20/09/2020 09:04:28
I agree with the tolerance level, but as someone pointed out, the DVSA would be using the same types of scales with the same tolerance levels and calibration, so you're not going to win that argument, I'm afraid. I would find it hard to swallow that the margin of error is up to 50% of your payload (mine is 155kg).
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Quote: Originally posted by Ray Clayton on 21/9/2020
That's play devils advocate again.
(1) Sticker states 1640kg (Or there abouts)
(2) Plate in gas locker reads 1800kg (100% Sure)
(3) Axle plate under van on the axles states GVW 1000kg each axle. X 2 = 2000kg (100% Sure)
So which one shall of the 3, which are all on the caravan do we argue with DVSA police about.
Because all 3 could be used and all be legal?
So really the manufacturer is not that helpful in this case.
By the way i am rated at 1800kg on my bailey sticker as have the upgrade, which i do not see why i needed to pay for, when the plate was already on there in the gas locker lol, another rip off.
My Bailey Pursuit has a sticker by the door and a plate in the gas locker.
Sticker says MTPLM 1090kg, plate says MTPLM 1150kg.
I queried this with Bailey and they said the plate was the correct weight. Mine has lots of extras so needed and upgrade to be usable.
I get the feeling manufacturers state MTPLM low so those with a smaller car will buy them but they can easily be upgraded.
Quote: Originally posted by Katieep on 20/9/2020
I have a caravan list - used for keeping an eye on the weight as well as using as a check list. Everything that goes in gets weighed. Things that get taken for each trip - clothes etc go in the car. We uplifted our weight so we have 219kg to play with. Currently have about 40kg spare. Its not difficult to keep a track - I keep a set of those suitcase scale things in the caravan so I can weigh things.
It is when you add on stuff like motor movers etc that you start losing payload and in a lot of circumstances an motor mover is essential. Ours weighs 60kg so big chuck off the payload.
Thr motor mover is on the list - everything is on the list !
QUOTE]Originally posted by Ray Clayton on 21/9/2020
That's play devils advocate again.
(1) Sticker states 1640kg (Or there abouts)
(2) Plate in gas locker reads 1800kg (100% Sure)
(3) Axle plate under van on the axles states GVW 1000kg each axle. X 2 = 2000kg (100% Sure)
So which one shall of the 3, which are all on the caravan do we argue with DVSA police about.
Because all 3 could be used and all be legal?
So really the manufacturer is not that helpful in this case.
By the way i am rated at 1800kg on my bailey sticker as have the upgrade, which i do not see why i needed to pay for, when the plate was already on there in the gas locker lol, another rip off.
Option 2 is the satutory plate it is weight that the manufacturer has submitted for the certificate of conformance. If is required by law. Option 1 isn’t so draw your own conclusions.
Quote: Originally posted by katycymru on 22/9/2020
Quote: Originally posted by iank01 on 20/9/2020
As for weigh bridges they are allowed a tolerance of between 2-5% so on a caravan with a MTPLM of 1500kg it could should that you are 75kg over or under!
Post last edited on 20/09/2020 09:04:28
I agree with the tolerance level, but as someone pointed out, the DVSA would be using the same types of scales with the same tolerance levels and calibration, so you're not going to win that argument, I'm afraid. I would find it hard to swallow that the margin of error is up to 50% of your payload (mine is 155kg).
Remember that a weigh bridge is normally used to weigh vehicles carrying a couple of tons of stuff so a tolerance of 5% is not really that much in the scale of things.
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Topic: Do you stay within your MTPLM?
via mobile 20/9/2020 at 5:58pm
