# Upgrading the GVW on a Fiat Ducato



## 127162 (Aug 21, 2009)

Hi. Just moved over to MH'ing from caravaning. Must admit I am dissapointed with the meagre weight allowance available, I could carry much more with the caravan.
My rig is the Geist Touring 690 on a Fiat Ducato with a GVW of just 3500Kgs. I believe this can be increased with a paper exercise and not involve additional strengthening. Am I right and if so can someone point me in the right direction. I have C1 on my license so can drive up to 7.5 tonnes.
Thanks in advance.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

If you can get it up to 7.5t I'd love to see the paperwork, seriously, ours is 3,850kg but I think they did it with bigger wheels/tyres.

Kev


----------



## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

These are the people to go to, very efficient, did mine last year and only took a couple of days. From memory the cost was around £230.

www.svtech.co.uk


----------



## 127162 (Aug 21, 2009)

Thanks to you guys for ur elp


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

javea03730 said:


> These are the people to go to, very efficient, did mine last year and only took a couple of days. From memory the cost was around £230.
> 
> www.svtech.co.uk


What did they do that took two days exactly, as mentioned we're at 3,850kg and would like to go to 4,000kg.

Kev.


----------



## time-traveller (Apr 23, 2007)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> javea03730 said:
> 
> 
> > These are the people to go to, very efficient, did mine last year and only took a couple of days. From memory the cost was around £230.
> ...


I think you'll find that to go further than 3850kg you'll need ABS


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Is that short for A BIG SPANNER :lol: I thought I already had ABS.

Kev


----------



## time-traveller (Apr 23, 2007)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> Is that short for A BIG SPANNER :lol: I thought I already had ABS.
> 
> Kev


You may have - it's an option from new. If you do have it'll certainly make upgrading easier. What makes you think you have? An ABS light on the dash is a good clue !


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

I just assumed they'd fit ABS before electric windows and mirrors, but it might not have it of course.

I'll have a look tomorrow, got all the seats out at the mo.

Kev.


----------



## sideways (Jun 2, 2008)

my advice is to do as i did and ring Geist direct at either Camper uk or there other depot at Gateshead, i have a phantom on a merc and spoke to their main man Kev Docherty, he was extremely knowledgeable and helpful, it was a paper exercise for me and cost £150.00 i got a new plate raising the GVW from 3500 to 3800kg. i went to the local lvo with the new plate and the v5 and sorted it ,it really was that simple.


----------



## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

> What did they do that took two days exactly, as mentioned we're at 3,850kg and would like to go to 4,000kg.
> 
> Kev.


They issued a plate to be attached to the motorhome confirming the weight increase from 3500kgs to 3850 kgs together with the documentation to present to DVLA for the registration document to be reissued. Think if I had wanted to go to 4000kgs air suspension might have been necessary but in my case I was happy at 3850 kgs.

Mike


----------



## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

If it's only a paper change I wonder what the reason for making the change is. Is it an insurance issue. Do motor homes ever get stopped and weighed? If you have an accident will the insurance company weigh you vehicle and refuse to pay if over weight? 

I'm guessing we may get over weight sometimes. But also on our recent trip from Italy to the Netherlands we ended up on a few roads with 3.5 posted as the limit so if we were officially rated over that we would not have been able to take them.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Motorhomes can and do get stopped and weight checked, but usually only if they look down at the rear end.

Yes it could be a insurance issue, they do there best to not pay out for accident which are not actually an accident IE your were overweight and your brakes failed or a spring broke because it was carrying too much.

As for 3.5t limits, well if you go over a bridge which clearly states a limit less then the weight of your MH, then you are really asking for it aren't you, and yes I know that is usually half of the weight it will support, but if it does collapse you'll look just a little stupid as well as being very out of pocket.

We avoid the 7'6" sign posted roads, but there's one near Settle (Nth Yorks) but we went up it in a car a couple of week ago, and we saw no signs of narrowness, nothing less than about 10 feet wide anywhere along the whole road and it off shoots, but here is no way I would take our MH up there.

Basically if there is a sign or a label and safety or insurance is involved, take the safe route and don't ignore it/them..

Kev.


----------



## 127162 (Aug 21, 2009)

*UPGRADING THE GVW ON A FIAT DUGATO*

Hi sideways. sounds simple. Is Kev Docherty at camperUK or at Geist?


----------



## sideways (Jun 2, 2008)

HI,He,s the main man at Geist direct at Gateshead, He,s the MD and answered the phone when i rang He,s that sort of guy, straightforward no bull**** and knows what hes on about, i,m on a merc so things may be different for you but he will know,let me know how you get on cheers Roger.


----------



## robflyer (Nov 17, 2006)

*GVW*

Don't forget that if you are over 3500 kgs you will have to get a 'Go-box' in Austria (on motorways and some major roads) and you will have to register as an HGV at the border if you enter Switzerland!
I downplated from 4000 kgs to 3500 kgs for this very reason.

Regards to all

Blue skies

Robflyer


----------



## 127162 (Aug 21, 2009)

*UPGRADING THE GVW ON A FIAT DUGATO*

Thats a new word to me. What is a go box??


----------



## robflyer (Nov 17, 2006)

Basically, when you cross the border into Austria you have to pay to use the motorhomes and some major roads. For under 3500 kgs you buy a vignette. See the following:

Use of the Autobahn system requires the purchase of a vignette (toll sticker) for passenger cars or a GO-Box (electronic toll system) for trucks and buses (over 3500 kgs). On routes which are more costly to maintain, mostly mountainous routes with tunnels, an additional toll is required which is collected at time of use via toll plazas.

Vignettes ("Pickerl") are available in varying lengths of validity (10 days, 2 months or a year). A vignette valid for a year currently costs 72.60 EUR. Since 2004 trucks (over 3500 kgs) must carry the GO-Box, a little white box which counts the length of the Autobahn used by way of electrical control points, queried by overhead DSRC microwave radio transceivers at different locations. Overhead 3-D infrared laser scanners are used to detect and photograph trucks travelling without it.
You have to pre-pay per kilometer for the distance you think you may be travelling. and you can only pay with a credit card issued in Austria or with cash!. As you can see the Austrians are extremely helpful!!

Have a look on the website under Austrian Go box and a number of sites will explain everything.

Best regards

Robflyer


----------



## 127162 (Aug 21, 2009)

*UPGRADING THE GVW ON A FIAT DUGATO*

Hi Robflyer. Thank you for that info, I am learning more by the hour. You are right about the Austrains, perhaps they would rather we didn't visit them. Thats Ok by me, I'll go round and visit them by car if I really need to.
Thanks


----------

