# Chieftain Registration Problems.



## Bacchus (Mar 27, 2008)

When the dealer handed over my motrocaravan he mentioned that the tax disc was wrong in that it had been registered as a Light Good Vehicle (£190) but this had been sorted with the DVLA. A few weeks later a replacement disc arrived for a Private HGV (£165) with an appology from the DVLA. This morning I get a third tax disc, reverting my registration back to Light Goods Vehicle. 

Before I go into battle on this, can any Chieftain owners tell me whats on their disc/registration documents, please. I'm getting rather annoyed. I still haven't even received my documents. I'm sure it'll all be sorted before I go away to France at the end of May but I have no doubt that the French Police will impound my vehicle if I go without the correct papers.


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## sideways (Jun 2, 2008)

If Your Chieftan is more than 3500kg which i,m sure it will be, it will be PHG and the weight will be displayed on your v5 when you get it.Its important to get it right for insurance reasons.


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## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

Just checked on my V5 and Tax reminder, both say PLG, as this is a 4250 gross vehicle weight, this is wrong.

I now have to get a copy of the V55a that the dealer first taxed the unit with, and re classify my MH as a PHG at the local DVLA office.

So annoyed.

Steve


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## ytank (Jan 9, 2008)

my is a Private HGV (£165) the plate off fiat is 3800 to 5000 but the alco chassis plate is 6000kg just had some photos took at the fiat dealers for the recall on clutch judder and i got it weighed with all me stuff in and it come out at 4498kg


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## sprokit (May 1, 2005)

ytank said:


> my is a Private HGV (£165) the plate off fiat is 3800 to 5000 but the alco chassis plate is 6000kg just had some photos took at the fiat dealers for the recall on clutch judder and i got it weighed with all me stuff in and it come out at 4498kg


I have the feeling you've got a problem - you say your Fiat plate states 3800 to 5000 - impossible - it's either one or the other - more likely the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) is 3800 kg and the Gross Train Weight (GTW) is 5000 kg.

If, as I suspect, your GVW is 3800, you're a tad overweight at 4498 kg (like 698 kg or 18.37%).

Take a look at the attached pic, it shows an Iveco VIN (or chassis) plate, the top figure shows the GVW, the second figure shows the GTW (the maximum weight permitted for the vehicle and any trailer being towed) - the figures below this are the maximum weights for 1- first axle weight and 2- second axle weight.

My own vehicle, also a Fiat, has a GTW of 5000 kg, so that's the most likely meaning of your 5000 kg. and Alco have increased the GTW to 6000 kg because of their chassis conversion.

Keith (Sprokit)


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## RichardnGill (Aug 31, 2006)

ours is Taxed as a PHG, just renewed the Tax and it was £165, 

But on the log book it says it has 2 axels when last time I counted them there was 3, is this something I should be worried about?


Richard...


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## teensvan (May 9, 2005)

Hi.

Our tag burstner states 2 axels. Never wanted to question it as it will most likely open a can of worms that cannot be sorted.


steve & ann .--------------- teensvan


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## chopper (May 22, 2005)

how come mine is plg and my road tax was £190.00 earth pounds

me finks it not fair

k


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## Bacchus (Mar 27, 2008)

My Chieftains Specifications are:
Max gross weight 5000kg
Mass in running order 4000kg
Maximum towable weight 1000kg
Gross train weight 6000kg

So I must be a PHG - if that ain't heavy don't know what is!

Also worth seeing:

www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/forms/~/media/pdf/leaflets/v335x1.ashx


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## ytank (Jan 9, 2008)

RichardnGill said:


> ours is Taxed as a PHG, just renewed the Tax and it was £165,
> 
> But on the log book it says it has 2 axels when last time I counted them there was 3, is this something I should be worried about?
> 
> Richard...


mine was the same it was down as a 2 axle when is seen it i went to my local dvla office and got them to change it to three axle it was up to me to check all the details on the log book


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## ytank (Jan 9, 2008)

sprokit said:


> ytank said:
> 
> 
> > my is a Private HGV (£165) the plate off fiat is 3800 to 5000 but the alco chassis plate is 6000kg just had some photos took at the fiat dealers for the recall on clutch judder and i got it weighed with all me stuff in and it come out at 4498kg
> ...


i think you are wrong to say that i am over loaded


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## sprokit (May 1, 2005)

ytank said:


> sprokit said:
> 
> 
> > ytank said:
> ...


I've just realised you are correct, my apologies (saw your avatar) - the Alco chassis conversion made the vehicle a 3 axle jobbie - that's where the 6000 kg comes from.

Obviously when Fiat built the chassis it was only two axles, hence 3800 kg GVW.

It would appear you've got loads of payload to play with, as opposed to some other folks on here who have none to speak of.

Keith (Sprokit)


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## ytank (Jan 9, 2008)

ye thank so i can put all my tins of food back in now lol


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Tax disc*

Hi

Been there, done that and even had my axles counted!

Have a read of this thread followed by this one and then finally this one

Russell


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## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

chopper said:


> how come mine is plg and my road tax was £190.00 earth pounds
> 
> me finks it not fair
> 
> k


Its because it has been registered wrongly, I am just going through, if your MH is over the 3500 GVW, then it is a private heavy goods vehicle, and it is placed in a different tax class.

Steve


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## Bacchus (Mar 27, 2008)

OK so I went to the DVLA. Told them that my Chieftain was well over 3500 Kg. Obviously a PHG vehicle. The guy I saw said he remembered my vehicle. Yes, he did issue a LGV disc, only to be told by the dealer it was a PHGV so he issued a new disc only for it to be picked up by someone else in the team as a LGV so he reissued an LGV. I showed him my evidence and yes he agreed it was a PHGV but he could not issue a PHGV disc because Autotrail had (he said) issued the wrong paperwork. Went back to the dealer who said that the DVLA had got it wrong but he was going to check with autotrail. What a load of tosh. 

I'm going to France in a few weeks what would happen if someone took a really close look at my vehicle - the VIN and the log book (if I get one) don't match up.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

The taxation class will not worry the French, as long as the plated weight on the van agrees with the weight in the log book and you do not exceed it you will be fine. UK road tax is not their problem, it is possible they would want to see a current tax disc which I understand you have. The chances of you being stopped are tiny anyway.

Worry about the administrative error when you get home, Alan


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## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

Bacchus said:


> he could not issue a PHGV disc because Autotrail had (he said) issued the wrong paperwork. Went back to the dealer who said that the DVLA had got it wrong but he was going to check with autotrail. What a load of tosh.


Auto-Trail do not register the MH's for tax, this is done when the unit is sold, and is carried out by the dealer, you need to get the original paperwork from your dealer, if they have initially taxed it as a "Private Heavy Goods" Tax is £165.00, then you can take all this info to the local DVLA office and get your V5 changed.

If you leave it as a "Private Light Goods Vehicle" the tax will be £205.00 per annum.

Although you will be paying more for the tax, I believe that there is still administrative problems as a PLG can only go up to 3500 Kg.

If it is registered wrongly, if anything happens, will the insurance payout ???

I don't want to give the insurance Co any excuse.

Steve


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## lindyloot (May 20, 2007)

Hi our Cheiftain is reg as PHGV and £165 p a tax
Lin


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## Bacchus (Mar 27, 2008)

Just had my registration documents - made me smile a bit. AS you know I've had a bit on an issue with my Chieftain being registered as a PLG then being changed to a PHG and back to a PLG. I've just had my vehicle documents and it says Private Light Goods Vehicle and immediately beneath that the weight is given as 4000kg. Is the DVLA having a laugh? What happened to common sense?


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

My Auto Trail is 4005kg and is registered as PHG and is on the registration document as a motorcaravn. 

Have they put Motorcaravan on your document?


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## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

Just returned from the DVLA Local office, presented them with the docs, including a letter from Auto-Trail as to the weights and its use, printed off a picture of the plating info, filled in the V85 (applying for PHGV tax).

Took 10 mins, got my new tax for £165.00 a saving of £40.00 per annum.

Steve


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## Bacchus (Mar 27, 2008)

Following on from my gripe about the 'van being in the wrong taxation class, at last, a certain "Delyth" phoned me today from the DVLA to tell me that my vehicle details had been changed on their records from the PLGV to PHGV. They will be sending me new documents and a tax disc. I had to correct her on the last matter as I had already been sent two PLG discs and one PHGV disc. So I'll just send the PLGV discs back and that little hassle is over.


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## Bacchus (Mar 27, 2008)

Had another letter of apology from the DVLA. Apparently my registration documents are wrong. The weight is incorrect, so they are sending out another V5c. I ask myself how on earth would they cope if they had a difficult job to do. There's only so many things that can go wrong with a registration document and they seem to have hit most of them with the registration of my Chieftain.


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

Bacchus said:


> I'm going to France in a few weeks what would happen if someone took a really close look at my vehicle - the VIN and the log book (if I get one) don't match up.


Alan (erneboy) has got it spot-on. Don't worry about it. The only important thing is the your VIN on the V5 matches the VIN on your vehicle! (Which of course, it does.)



Bacchus said:


> I ask myself how on earth would they cope if they had a difficult job to do


That's funny. :lol: You should have asked the DVLA staff member that - it's a good question.

Dougie.


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