# French motorway tolls & vehicle height



## jrr (Oct 17, 2011)

Good day all,

we are in the process of moving from our van conversion to a coachbuilt motorhome; we have placed a preliminary order for an Autotrail Imala 615.

The technical spec for these beasties (Lo-line version) gives the height as 3.03m. Having just read that the cut-off to move from class 2 to class 3 for motorway tolls is 3m height, I've got two (probably daft) questions:

1) How does the toll system know your exact height?

2) I'm assuming that the 3.03m specified height is for MIRO -I wonder how much difference the 550 kg payload will make to this?

It's a bit galling to be clobbered for extra costs for a measly 3cm....


cheers


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

IMO at 3.03m you will PROBABLY be OK, but if it comes up as Class 3, then press the intercom and talk to someone and say _"Nous sommes un camping car, c'est classe deux s'il vous plait"_ and you will probably be reduced.

The height is measured at every toll by IR beams I believe and if you cut the beam you are over 3 m. It can function very rapidly and will even be set off by a load on the roof (we fell foul with a roof box and were reduced on asking).

You may also find that when laden the height IS reduced, measuring it accurately is not an easy task as if you use a piece of wood from the roof, it MUST be absolutely level (with spirit level) to ensure you are measuring it properly - not an easy task IMO.

Hope that helps, alternatives MIGHT include lower profile tyres, but that is way beyond my expertise for guidance, I would NOT be keen to let the tyres down, but of course as you drive and the tyres heat up the height will increase as the pressure rises - hence why there has to be some tolerance......

Dave


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## jrr (Oct 17, 2011)

Thanks Dave, that's most useful. 
No, we're not going to fiddle around with tyres - they're all that's between us and the ditch! 

cheers


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## nidge1 (Jul 26, 2009)

jrr said:


> Good day all,
> 
> we are in the process of moving from our van conversion to a coachbuilt motorhome; we have placed a preliminary order for an Autotrail Imala 615.
> 
> ...


Hi,
Not sure if the height or weight is measured and if it is I don't know how.
Don't worry about your height. Our Autotrail Apache is the same height as yours and have had no problem at all. Always been charged class 2 and on couple of occasions class 1. We have the Sanef tag and can honestly say it is the best thing sliced bread.

Nidge


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

My Arapaho is 3.07 with a TAG axle and >3.5t, have used tolls in France the last three years, including the Millau Bridge many times and have always been automatically classed a 2.

Was told the height gets calculated when you are at the booth and press for a ticket. Suspect this is correct as our over cab bubble would be the 3.07 height and the area the magic eye measures is less than 3m.

BTW in Spain it's always been 1.

Terry


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

We are 3.4mtr and 6 tonne. Should be class 3( because of wt) but have always been charged class 2 after pressing button and claiming "camping car s'il vous plait". The ht is determined by an infra red or similar rather than the ticket (high or low level) you take.

Tend to avoid tolls though. Probably my guilty conscious:laugh:

Dick


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Glandwr said:


> We are 3.4mtr and 6 tonne. Should be class 3( because of wt) but have always been charged class 2 after pressing button and claiming "camping car s'il vous plait". The ht is determined by an infra red or similar rather than the ticket (high or low level) you take.
> 
> Tend to avoid tolls though. Probably my guilty conscious:laugh:
> 
> Dick


I have found this depends on the operator of the Autoroute. It does not always work.
peedee


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## jrr (Oct 17, 2011)

Thanks all - very helpful.

cheers


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Just to re enforce what has been said for all the years I ran MH's (all over 3m) IF the toll fee came up as class 3 a quick press of the help button and "Jeus Suisse une camping car, classe deux silve vous plait" (ignore incorrect spelling, can't be arsed to correct iPad Auto incorrect!!!) always worked for me. 

Last week I came back from Frejus to Calais via motorways all the way, the class two peage cost (car + caravan) was €152 !!! Trouble is that old saying "You can save time or money, never both" 

Andy


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Penquin;2283809
You may also find that when laden the height IS reduced said:


> measuring it accurately is not an easy task as if you use a piece of wood from the roof, it MUST be absolutely level (with spirit level) to ensure you are measuring it properly - not an easy task IMO.[/B]
> 
> Dave


I think an alternatve way to do it without the spirit level, but providing the MH is on an absolutely flat surface whether or not level, is to measure from the piece of wood to the groud on both sides and then calculate the median of the two measurements. This should eliminate the errors for not being level.

Geoff


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## adonisito (Nov 6, 2009)

Yes, press the button. In our experience carrying fishing gear on the roof of the van made us out to be an HGV. Drivers behind always patient.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

adonisito said:


> Yes, press the button. In our experience carrying fishing gear on the roof of the van made us out to be an HGV. Drivers behind always patient.


are you sure that it was the gear and not the 5m long shark you had up there? :wink2::surprise:>


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## spence (May 25, 2008)

HI, We are over 3m in our Autotrail Scout but still have a sane tag. We have found that the booths around big towns (newer) don't always let us through as a class 2 but smaller booths usually are no problem. You can press the button but sometimes the staff still put you through as class 3.
I have found if you leave enough space to the car in front, drive in a bit quicker and a bit hard on the brakes while holding the tag up its worked very well  The nose dips enough to get you under. We do use the toll roads mainly due to time allowed and with the sanef tag you get the bill the following month when your back.
It cost about £300 for us to travel from Calais to Biarritz to Carcassone to Calais so best part of 1600 miles. not cheap!


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

spence said:


> HI,
> It cost about £300 for us to travel from Calais to Biarritz to Carcassone to Calais so best part of 1600 miles. not cheap!


and is the reason shy with a Class 3 vehicle I try hard to avoid toll roads. You can buy a lot of fuel with £300.

peedee


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

peedee said:


> and is the reason shy with a Class 3 vehicle I try hard to avoid toll roads. You can buy a lot of fuel with £300.
> 
> peedee


.....and croissants, tartes, vinyard wines and Routier lunches.

Toll roads are for the non-Time Lords:wink2:


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

nicholsong said:


> Toll roads are for the non-Time Lords:wink2:


It all comes down to whether you want to save time OR money.

I am a bit of a tight git so resent having to pay to use motorways, and usually avoid them like the plague BUT on occasions there is not a lot of options. A couple of weeks ago I was in Frejus (lovely warm weather) and reluctantly needed to return to Calais. The ONLY sensible option was to bite the bullet and cut across to Avignon and then up to Lyon (all Peage!) Bearing in mind I was towing a 7.5m 1.5 tonne caravan the alternative wasnt really a sensible option.

Andy


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Mrplodd said:


> It all comes down to whether you want to save time OR money.
> 
> Andy


Andy

I think that time versus money are not the only two considerations; we are usually time constrained, in that we cannot be away from Basia's Mother in Poland for more than 4 weeks, and we have the money to pay for tolls, but we would prefer to travel the 'back roads' for Serendipity - not easily found on a motorway:wink2:.

We prefer France to Germany and so we do cross Germany on Autobahns, which at the moment are free, but we would probably pay to do so quickly, but when we arrive in France, Spain we want to meander, which we do in Germany a bit, and also in Slowakia.

Just our way.

Geoff


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## delawaredandy (Oct 12, 2012)

Jrr, I would wait until you physically have the vehicle at home, Autotrail default all their vehicle heights at 3.03 mtrs I believe this is so if you have the satellite system fitted it falls into that measurement and to allow the over cab bed models to fall into it as well, I bet you will find it will be below this height unless you have the sat system installed.


We used to own a Autotrail Delaware Lo-Line with out the sat dome and the highest point on the vehicle from the ground measured 2.85mtrs so as you can see they do fall we below the 3mtr mark, but again as other have mentioned just tell them at the toll booths you have a Motorhome/camping car.


M


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

delawaredandy said:


> Jrr, I would wait until you physically have the vehicle at home, Autotrail default all their vehicle heights at 3.03 mtrs I believe this is so if you have the satellite system fitted it falls into that measurement and to allow the over cab bed models to fall into it as well, I bet you will find it will be below this height unless you have the sat system installed.
> 
> We used to own a Autotrail Delaware Lo-Line with out the sat dome and the highest point on the vehicle from the ground measured 2.85mtrs so as you can see they do fall we below the 3mtr mark, but again as other have mentioned just tell them at the toll booths you have a Motorhome/camping car.
> 
> M


I think the 3.03 refers to the Low Line models, my Arapaho is 3.07 and an Apache is 3.10. As previously stated we have always been automatically classed as 2 and have never had to resort to pressing the help button. :-D

Terry


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

We have a sanity Tag as well and our Comanche is supposed to be 3.03m high. We haven't used it for a year or two (the tag that is as we decided to give French MWays a miss (the chargeable ones anyway). We prefer to save the money rather than the time and enjoy the scenery.

Mind you in March when I go to the rugby in Paris with the nipper (he's 19 btw) we will be using the MWays as all the main roads into Paris seem chargeable...plus there is beer to be drunk when we get there so why dawdle?! :grin2:

I'll try the tag then and the 'allo allo' French regarding classe deux! Its worked before :smile2:

Graham :smile2:


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