# Weight measurements



## Jmdarr

Hi all have noticed that the weight of some motorhomes comes out at 
3860kgs.
My motorhome adria matrix 680sp is plated at 4000kgs 
Can a run at 4000kgs or is max weight 3860 kgs
My weight at purchase was 3260kgs 
Have air suspension canopy ,solar panel and spare wheel so do I have 
740kgs to play with or do I only have 600kgs 
John and Angela


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## 113016

Jmdarr said:


> Hi all have noticed that the weight of some motorhomes comes out at
> 3860kgs.
> My motorhome adria matrix 680sp is plated at 4000kgs
> Can a run at 4000kgs or is max weight 3860 kgs
> My weight at purchase was 3260kgs
> Have air suspension canopy ,solar panel and spare wheel so do I have
> 740kgs to play with or do I only have 600kgs
> John and Angela


The maximum gross weight you can legally run at is would be what is on both your registration documents and the VIN plate.
They should be the same. If your vehicle has had an upgrade, there could be a second VIN which should have been fitted alongside the original, or somewhere around the door pillar area.


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## Jmdarr

Thanks for prompt reply 
Merry Christmas and happy new year to you 
John and Angela


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## 113016

Payload calculations can vary a little as the newer calculations are worked out with only (I think) 20 litres of water and one gas bottle. The older calculations were based on 90% water, gas and fuel

Basically, you have an empty vehicle, then add the weight of the above, gas, water & fuel, plus 75kg for a driver, and then deduct this figure from the permitted gross weight.
All fitted extras, passengers and pets would be part of the payload.
But, in practice, if you weigh the vehicle with all of the above, then you know what you have left.
Also don't forget individual axle weights, as M/H' rear axles can very often be overloaded, before the gross is over.

Something to consider is if you are wilding, you need full water tanks


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## ob1

Grath - Which 'newer calculations' are you referring too? The European Standard EN1646-2 has always used a 90% figure for water and gas. Has this changed or are you quoting from one manufacturers figures which are often next to useless.

Ron


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## 113016

ob1 said:


> Grath - Which 'newer calculations' are you referring too? The European Standard EN1646-2 has always used a 90% figure for water and gas. Has this changed or are you quoting from one manufacturers figures which are often next to useless.
> 
> Ron


Ron, I don't know the EN numbers, but most of the manufacturers seem to be using only 20 litres of water and one gas cylinder.
I have posted about this before, and I think it is a bit of a con to make the payload figures look considerably better  
I treat their figures as a pinch of salt. Anybody who is serious about this needs to visit the weighbridge!


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## ob1

Thanks Grath, Some of these manufacturers need shooting. It's OK for us who know what to look for and not to believe a word they say, but I do pity people new to our pastime who dont realise how far they will go to mislead people. There can only be one reason that they don't all sing from the same song sheet and that reason is deception.

How far can you get using 20lts of water and one gas bottle whilst using frozen up aires in the winter, or as you say, wild camping?

Ron


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## nicholsong

As I understand it the manufacturers can deviate from 90% and use a lower figure but they must state this in a note.

Geoff


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## Mrplodd

The ONLY safe way to be sure is to visit a weigh bridge with your MH in whatever state you choose.

My advice would be to load it up with everything you would normally take, full gas cylinders, full water tank and don't forget all the passengers you are going to carry (don't laugh, some people don't realise that the max weight is exactly that, the MAXIMUM the vehicle can weigh when in use on a road


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## Jmdarr

Thank you all for your replys will now have to find local weigh bridge in north london 
There is a vosa weigh bridge on m11 at harlow that would be putting your head in lions jaw 
John And angela


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## safariboy

I have used the VOSA weigh-bridge near Abingdon and they were very helpful. They are also much more accurate than commercial bridges.
The problem is that for obvious reasons they open at random unannounced times. What about taking it with little fuel and no water or gas. It is then quite easy to work out what will happen when you put them back.
I have also just used Johnson Bros near Broadway and they were also very helpful.
I notice that Auto-sleepers include 90% of fuel gas and water in their mass in running order.


Can anyone who has experience of "uprating" help me. If the vehicle is uprated from say 3500kg to 3700kg will the axle weights also go up if it is simply a paper uprating with no mechanical alterations? Looking at how our loading is going the rear axle is nearer the limit despite efforts to keep everything well forward. (Though we could do with another 100kg)

Thanks to anyone who has done this.

Safariboy


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## Webby1

*Uprating*

We had ours uprated to 3850 by SVtech.......................rear axle only

went up slightly.............BUT for our van we are able to uprate rear

axle to 2240 if we changed tyres from 215 rated 109 to 225 rated at

112 which allowed for the extra weight which we have just

done........................so now all safe and legal.

I fear insurance companies would use any excuse to avoid a payout


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## jiwawa

But you do still have to inform your insurance of an upgrade.


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## gaspode

Two points here that need clarification:



> I have used the VOSA weigh-bridge near Abingdon and they were very helpful. They are also much more accurate than commercial bridges.


Are you sure?
VOSA may have given you a more detailed figure but any commercial weighbridge should be set and maintained at the same level of accuracy as the VOSA one. They may however give you a rounded up version of the weight, especially if only given verbally.


> I fear insurance companies would use any excuse to avoid a payout


Never true in my experience - and I did spend many years asessing claims for insurers.
The reason is simple - almost inevitably the cheapest option for any insurer settling a claim is to pay up. Contesting or refuting claims is an expensive and drawn out procedure and in my experience they only do it when they have reasonable suspicion (and evidence) of an intention to defraud. That's why all the toe-rags get away with faking car crashes and claiming whiplash injuries, unless it gets out of hand it's far cheaper for insurers to pay up and move on. If it's outside the terms of the policy of course, that's a different matter - but up to the policy holder to make sure the policy fits his/her needs.


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## safariboy

I agree that I just assumed this. My reason was that the commercial ones that I have used show the weight in 20kg jumps and are not really designed for axle weighing. The VOSA one is both designed to weigh axles individually and weighs in 1kg jumps. It is also I assume evidence and so there must also be a proper calibration chain.


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## readyforoff

safariboy said:


> I agree that I just assumed this. My reason was that the commercial ones that I have used show the weight in 20kg jumps and are not really designed for axle weighing. The VOSA one is both designed to weigh axles individually and weighs in 1kg jumps. It is also I assume evidence and so there must also be a proper calibration chain.


VOSA for a bang on reading. They have to be. I weigh mine on a customers bridge that he has for his own vehicles. It's good enough for me because I'm always well under but it's only accurate to within a tolerance. Plod (Mr Plodd may know better) aren't likely to nail a truck for 100kgs over....if you load to the limit of your van don't pick up any tubby hitchhikers :wink:


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## emmbeedee

safariboy said:


> I have used the VOSA weigh-bridge near Abingdon and they were very helpful. They are also much more accurate than commercial bridges.
> Safariboy


Not true. *ALL* commercial weighbridges, just like all commercial weighing machines, have to meet the Weights & Measures limits. If not they are closed down & substantial penalties can be imposed. If you are that interested (& have enough time to spare ) all the W&M regulations are available on line. 
The limits are very small, last time I checked the amount of permissible error for the least accurate class of 40 ton weighbridge was 10 kg.


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