Uprating my van weight.

[Squiffy]

Yesterday I took my van to the public weighbridge in Cardiff as I'm due to go down to Pompeii on Sept 1st, so as I've added stuff to it over the years and I'll be towing my Bonniville too I thought I'd check the vehicle weight and train weight.
I've always been close to max so it was beginning to concern me, well all loaded as I would be ready for the trip I weighed the front axle and van weight with the trailer off the scale plate and only having the nose weight of the trailer adding to the all up weight it worked out at 3620kg
This included full water tank at 95ltrs and full fuel tank at 125ltrs plus an 18 can box of beer + the wife ofcourse.
So with the 5% over rule that VOSA unofficially allow (Apparently), I would be into having to off load equipment and fluids were I stopped and weighed even if I wasn't fined it would be a bloody nuisance, not to mention being stopped in France or any other EU country come to that. So as I am lucky enough to have grandfather right to 7.500kg I thought rather than denuded the van of various things and travelling with little or no water
I would uprate the plate weight. I understand that you can do this yourself but info on exactly how to do this is thin on the ground so I phoned SV Tech and started the process through them. They I have to say seem very competent and friendly and after filling in their online form said they could increase the weight to 3900kg as a paper exercise at a cost of £280+ VAT which to me sounded good as they do all the paperwork and supply the weight plate to be placed on the lock plate of the vehicle. They said it would take 5-10 days to complete but then ofcourse the DVLA have to do their bit and issue a new V5 with the new weight.

They reckon that if DVLA have not returned the V5 before we go to Italy, if we take all the paperwork with us if we're stopped we should be OK (Hmmmm).

When I bought the van new about 9 years ago it was an order from a haulage company and had had uprated double rear leaf springs fitted, but decided they didn't want it just as it landed in UK, so Day's of Swansea offered it to me with several other upgrades on it like dab radio etc and these leaf spring upgrade. I think the chassis and extra springs would allow the plate weight of 4250kg but as 3900kg was more than I needed I didn't pursue the point.
My next licence application for C1 after 70 is Dec 2024 so the way I looked at it was even if the Doc said I wasn't fit enough to drive 7.500kg my wife can drive it or I can down rate it again to 3.500kg if I had to. Let's face it though if I wasn't fit enough to drive 7.500kg I certainly would not be fit enough to drive at all or ride the motorcycle with a pillion . Phil

 

[Squiffy]

I've since found out that if your van is not registered as a "motor caravan" I.e. its still registered as a panel van. You can go straight to Dvsa and fill in form VTG10. Send £25 and they will produce a weight plate for you do all the paperwork and up plate your particular van to its original design weight, as they hold all the plate weights to registrations for all commercial vehicles but guess what if its been re registered as a motorcaravan they do not get involved and direct you to companies such as SV Tech.

So that is one in the eye for those of us that manage to get our vans registered as " Motorcaravan" in the past. It's obviously not always the best route to follow nowadays.

I even stated it was a self build on a Ducato 35 heavy panel van chassis and gave her the original registration ( I've bought and registered a cherished private plate recently) but she said she couldn't find any details of either registration because it is now registered as a motorcaravan . Phil

 

[MarkJ]

one in the eye for those of us that manage to get our vans registered as " Motorcaravan"

I suppose I feel marginally better for knowing that!

But it still rankles.... From time to time I think about re-applying then instantly conclude I've better ways to waste my time!

 

[Squiffy]

I suppose I feel marginally better for knowing that!

But it still rankles.... From time to time I think about re-applying then instantly conclude I've better ways to waste my time!

To be honest Mark I've built 3 campervans since I did mine and got it registered as "Motorcaravan " all three are not registered as "motorcaravans" but all have insurance to their current value without a problem. 10 years ago it was a different story there were very few insurance companies that would entertain self builds and getting it registered with DVLA was almost imperative but now they seem to be competing for the business, probably because of the massive increase in people building their own. Adrian flux was one of the first few years ago and now seem to be leading the way. My sis in law is 81 and Adrian Flux was the only one that would entertain insuring her at a reasonable cost though she could have got insurance with a couple of others at extortionate prices. Phil

P.s. It seems that DVLA and DVSA treat motorhomes quite differently to commercial or private cars, probably due to the different rules and regulations as to MoT and speed limits etc putting them into a class of their own bit like vintage and steam driven vehicles. Though quite honestly I see little difference between a fully loaded commercial 3500kg vehicle travelling at 70miles an hour to a fully loaded 3500kg motorhome travelling at 70mph.

 

[Squiffy]

All the paperwork arrived from SV Tech on Wednesday and I have now sent of the V5C and the SV Tech documents to DVLA for it to be changed on its plate weight to 3900kg, so I hope that the 2-4 week return suggested by DVLA website turns into 2 week. The plate supplied by SV was an official looking sticker giving the usual plate weights but Mass weight having been changed to 3900kg.
The sticker is made of a very thin and very sticky white plastic sheet, you afix it in a similar way as you would a vinyl sticker but you have to be precise in placing it because its a once only positioning I.e. Once stuck it will be destroyed if you try to remove it. It can be placed in any position where it can easily be seen by an inspecting officer and SV suggest if possible to be adjacent to the original weight plate (Original weight plate stays on the vehicle). I just hope that if I'm stopped in the EU it's not going to be a point of confusion, though when we were stopped in Austria about 9 years ago they only wanted to look at the V5C and checked our weight by that.

We were going to Switzerland from Germany and because we were following the Satnav I didn't realise we had entered Austria, we were directed to the hard shoulder by a paddle waving policeman, another plain clothed guy came up and asked to see our registration documents which we duly gave him, he then asked me to accompany him to a VW T5 parked alittle further up the hard shoulder where he typed away on a computer then looked up and said that I was being fined 300 euros for not displaying a vignette to travel on Austrian motorways, my brother in law who was also stopped at the same time was charged 180 euros as he was only 3500kg and we were 4850kg ( At the time we had a Swift 630L coach built).
When I checked the Satnav we were only on the Austrian motorway for 8 miles, the motorway continued from Germany through the 8 mile stretch in Austria and then continued on into Switzerland for which we had already purchased a Swiss motorway vignette from the UK.
So the moral of the story is that I vowed then that I'd never ever set foot in Austria again. . Phil

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I've had two >3.5t vans Phil, both stickers were on the drivers seat base facing the door, easy to clean before applying and unlikely to get damaged.

 

[Squiffy]

And guess what, you just would not believe it, we had spent the weekend at the Brecon Jazz festival pitched on the Brecon cricket club grounds with the South Wals Camping and caravan club.
All available fields were packed with motorhomes and Caravans all around Brecon, we use to go regularly every year but over the last 5 years it has been a poor show but this year we decided to give it one last go and have to say it had improved to the point that we may go again next year. However on the way home on Monday morning going down the A470 to Cardiff just outside Brecon in the distance I spied a yellow coated black capped figure and I said to my wife that looks like the Law, sure enough as we approached he stepped out and guided us into a large lay-by where there was copious amounts of Police and DVSA officers going over lorries and motorhomes. We were ordered to stop and two officers one a policeman and the other a DVSA officer came up to the drivers window that I had opened " Good morning sir" said the copper " You have been stopped for a vehicle check, because it has been found that many motorhomes are being driven over weight" Oh I said as it happens I have just uprated this van to 3900kg, ahh says the copper can you show us the plate please.
So I duly got out lifted the bonnet and showed them both the spanking New SV Tech weight plate the copper says "Oh that's the second one we have seen this morning" "Yes says Mr DVSA , we've had a few of those in the last week. The police guy says we'll it's not worth putting it on the plates is it " NO Says Mr DVSA" I'll just check the lights. Just my luck the o/s front dip beam was not working which was obvious when we were stood in front checking the weight plate, anyway nothing else was found and my license was checked for Grandfather rights so he issued me a written statement to say that on inspection the o/s front dipped light was not working but as they were not required during hours of daylight the continued journey was allowed.

So it was unbelievable in so much as in 30years of driving a motorhome I have never been stopped in the UK for a vehicle check and the very week I uprate the van to 3900kg I'm pulled over, if I had been stopped a week earlier I'd have been over weight by 165kg. So as I say sods law doesn't come into it. Phil

 

[Duckato]

@Squiffy
I have mixed views of SV tech, Steve there messed me about something rotten after I discovered two of their previous customers had not sent the paperwork off to the DVLA on two separate occasions.

He refused point blank to provide copies of the original paperwork, it was all a bit suspicious but perhaps they were covering their backs!
Since then I know of at least one dishonest Trader that seems to be able to get hold of or print their own SVtech (style) weight Stickers to mislead customers in to thinking vans have been down or up plated.

Anyway after being pratted about by SVtech who then started saying the van had to be a Motor Caravan first before they would do the work I used Dee Thorne at Van Weight Engineering instead, he was cheaper faster and far nicer to deal with.

Last Jully it took the DVLA exactly three week to return the amended V5.

One thing to be aware of, now your van is PHGV the VED is obviously cheaper but you will probably now get caught for Congestion zone charges and you will find you cannot park in a lot of car parks as most have <3500kg limits. Some where you have to enter the registration number to pay or pay online often won't even let you pay!

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Some good points there Phil

 

[Squiffy]

@Squiffy
I have mixed views of SV tech, Steve there messed me about something rotten after I discovered two of their previous customers had not sent the paperwork off to the DVLA on two separate occasions.

He refused point blank to provide copies of the original paperwork, it was all a bit suspicious but perhaps they were covering their backs!
Since then I know of at least one dishonest Trader that seems to be able to get hold of or print their own SVtech (style) weight Stickers to mislead customers in to thinking vans have been down or up plated.

Anyway after being pratted about by SVtech who then started saying the van had to be a Motor Caravan first before they would do the work I used Dee Thorne at Van Weight Engineering instead, he was cheaper faster and far nicer to deal with.

Last Jully it took the DVLA exactly three week to return the amended V5.

One thing to be aware of, now your van is PHGV the VED is obviously cheaper but you will probably now get caught for Congestion zone charges and you will find you cannot park in a lot of car parks as most have <3500kg limits. Some where you have to enter the registration number to pay or pay online often won't even let you pay!

I have to say that although the price is in my view expensive, they have been very helpful and quick to service my uprating. As for having to be a motorhome that does ring true as DVSA as in my previous post said they do not deal with motorhome uprates so there must be a niche market for uprating them that folk like SV Tech have taken advantage of. I'm certain that given enough zeal and digging it would be possible for individuals to do it themselves at little or no cost, I just thought to hell with spending any more time delving into it and went with SV Tech. As I stated previously I'm now just waiting on my V5C return, the SV side of it was done and completed in less than 7 days. Phil

 

[Squiffy]

By the way take note all, I have found out that DVSA have in the last month ordered hundreds of portable weight plates and are on a mission apparently to stop over loaded motorhomes and that much was evident in Brecon this weekend. Phil

 

[MatijaSever]

To be honest Mark I've built 3 campervans since I did mine and got it registered as "Motorcaravan " all three are not registered as "motorcaravans" but all have insurance to their current value without a problem. gyuto knives 10 years ago it was a different story there were very few insurance companies that would entertain self builds and getting it registered with DVLA was almost imperative but now they seem to be competing for the business, dragoon miniatures probably because of the massive increase in people building their own. Adrian flux was one of the first few years ago and now seem to be leading the way. https://motorhomebuilder.com/threads/bike-racks-on-barn-doors.67557/ My sis in law is 81 and Adrian Flux was the only one that would entertain insuring her at a reasonable cost though she could have got insurance with a couple of others at extortionate prices. Phil

P.s. It seems that DVLA and DVSA treat motorhomes quite differently to commercial or private cars, probably due to the different rules and regulations as to MoT and speed limits etc putting them into a class of their own bit like vintage and steam driven vehicles. Though quite honestly I see little difference between a fully loaded commercial 3500kg vehicle travelling at 70miles an hour to a fully loaded 3500kg motorhome travelling at 70mph.

Certainly, the DVLA and DVSA handle motorhomes in a distinct manner when compared to commercial or personal vehicles.

 

[Squiffy]

Guess what!!! Today is four weeks since I sent my V5C and so I phoned them, haven't received it he says, oh yes you have I said I have proof of delivery, he then has a slight tone of defeat in his voice and asks for the tracking nr. Which I duly gave him, oh OK well I will open a special case file for you, oh! Like you did for my license two years ago when you said you had not received that either and gave you a tracking nr. Yes I'll open a special case.

Well I won't hold my breath as last time I had to make an official complaint because the special case was going on and on for for or five weeks until I made the complaint and low and behold 2 days later my license turned up with no hint of apology. Strange though that it turns up two days after my complaint.


Well our Italian trip will probably have to be put on hold now till next year. . Phil

 

[Pudsey Bear]

I feel your pain my fellow ranter.

 

[MatijaSever]

I suppose I feel marginally better for knowing that! music data analytics company

But it still rankles.... From time to time I think about re-applying then instantly conclude I've better ways to waste my time!

Time is precious, so if you've got better ways to spend it, go for those!

 

[Squiffy]

Well today is the 2nd day of Oct and finally I checked on the net on DVLA website for vehicle information and today they have at last changed my van to 3900kg this has taken them 8 weeks to sort a simple alteration on the V5C. I haven't got the physical V5 back yet of course and will not see it for another two weeks as we are still on our 4 week tour around the East Coast instead of going to Pompeii and won't be back home for another two weeks. The annoying thing is that today we passed over the Humber bridge and decided to go through the Tag exit instead of queueing to pay paying within the 72hr period allowed over the net, so now we're over the 3500kg which would have been £1.50 and now it will be £4 for being over 3500kg . Phil

 

[Pudsey Bear]

The system is designed to keep us down Phil.

Come on the revolution.

 

[Millie Master]

Nothing ever ceases to amaze me the way that government institutionns can delay things!

As an example, we are going through the throws of registering our Powers Of Attorney. Both were sent in at exactly the same time, mine came through almost 3 months ago but my most beloveds is still somwhere in their inept system!!