Weigh bridge blues

People may say that I'm sad but I know the weight of everything in my caravan to within a few kg for the total contents weight. The empty caravan straight from the dealer was checked on a weigh bridge and was actually about 12kg less than the plated MiRO figure. I've created an  xl spread sheet with all the weights on which is self totalling. Things like clothes and food are an average as they will be different each time but still much the same each time. All the miscellaneous bits and bobs were a reasonable estimate.  If anything significant is changed then the weight is amended on the spreadsheet. It's called having peace of mind.

Write your comments here...Commendable, but how have you overcome the normal insccuracy of weigh-bridges? the weight displayed for a typical caravan at say 1500kg may be 30Kg out. If a weighbridge was calibrated to be accurate within +/- 3% this would be 45Kg. Even though a weighbridge may display in 10Kg graduations, they are not that accurate.

Well, we have got there but we had to empty out practically everything in the van, just as well we have an MPV with lots of room. I suspect from this experience that most caravans  are being towed around totally over their MTPLM limit and I am really glad that we took the van to the weighbridge now.  One thought I did have was with all the motorhomes we have had in the past I wonder how many of those were overweight when we were travelling.

for us, weight isnt an issue....we have around a tonne of payload (miro around 3250kg on a 4250kg chassis) but there will be many 3.5t vans that will be illegal.

whilst they might be a shade under the MTPLM limit, its likely that any longish van (7m or more) with a longish rear overhang will be vulnerable on the rear axle limit.

add in a towbar and the noseweight of what its there to tow/mount (car, trailer, bike rack) and some will be scarily close or over.

so, surely these owners will have weighed their vans to ensure their legality?

somehow, i doubt it.....

so, is it ignorance of the rules on axle weights, or something else?

ps....my previous van which was on a 3.5t chassis, was weighed at a VOSA station...i assumed this would be accurate enough to be used in court.

People may say that I'm sad but I know the weight of everything in my caravan to within a few kg for the total contents weight. The empty caravan straight from the dealer was checked on a weigh bridge and was actually about 12kg less than the plated MiRO figure. I've created an  xl spread sheet with all the weights on which is self totalling. Things like clothes and food are an average as they will be different each time but still much the same each time. All the miscellaneous bits and bobs were a reasonable estimate.  If anything significant is changed then the weight is amended on the spreadsheet. It's called having peace of mind.

Write your comments here...Commendable, but how have you overcome the normal insccuracy of weigh-bridges? the weight displayed for a typical caravan at say 1500kg may be 30Kg out. If a weighbridge was calibrated to be accurate within +/- 3% this would be 45Kg. Even though a weighbridge may display in 10Kg graduations, they are not that accurate.

Write your comments here...I would have assumed that public weighbridges are sufficiently accurate for their figures to be used in a court of law. That said, I used the plated MiRO as my baseline knowing that I have a few kg extra to play with. Allowing for clothes for a three week holiday I know that I am a minimum of 40kg under the MTPLM. For shorter breakers I know that I will be under by an even greater figure.

The OP does not state make and model of van. Some can be uprated, for instance my Bailey Peg 462 has a MTPLM of 1326Kg but for £60 for a new label and record amendments it can be changed to something like 1490Kg - the exact figure escapes me at the moment.

It's a Swift Challenger 530 SE, MTPLM  1474Kg.....I wonder if Swift make allowances for the damp?

No one has mentioned the elephant(sic) in the room. Perhaps more attention should be given to the MIRO of the passengers. 

No one has mentioned the elephant(sic) in the room. Perhaps more attention should be given to the MIRO of the passengers. 

Write your comments here..How on earth can MIRO be influenced by passengers?

No one has mentioned the elephant(sic) in the room. Perhaps more attention should be given to the MIRO of the passengers. 

Write your comments here..How on earth can MIRO be influenced by passengers?

Presumably on a motor home (like a car) the kerb-weight/MIRO only makes a  nominal (often not enough) allowance for a driver… none for the passengers - all that will contribute towards payload. 

No one has mentioned the elephant(sic) in the room. Perhaps more attention should be given to the MIRO of the passengers. 

Stop laughing CY.

Oh, go on then

With regards to a MH what assumptions (if any) are made with fuel, empty v full can make a big difference