Weight issues?
On page 97 of the CC magazine there is an article referring to MTPLM and weights which I found interesting.
I was under the impression that MTPLM is a guideline issued by the manufacturer and is not referred to in any regulation in the Road and TraffIc Act. The Road & Traffic Act (Construction and Use) 1986 refers to Gross Vehicle Weight and not MTPLM.
Secondly the regulations state that the plate must be securely fixed to the trailer. Most caravans have the plate glued on which is hardly secure or permanent as the plate can easily be removed and you will not be breaking the law as there is no regulation
that states there must be a plate fixed to a domestic caravan weighing less than 2040kgs. In addition most caravans can have the MTPLM upgraded which means that only the plate is changed and nothing else is done to the caravan for the upgrade which makes
it to be a bit of a farce.
If VOSA go by the MTPLM on the plate how would it stand up in a court of law if the MTPLM was for example 1600kg and it was being towed by a car with a maximum braked towing weight of 1500kg, but on a weighbridge the caravan only weighed 1495kgs at the time
of the offence? Technically the driver has not broken the law but the MTPLM states that he has broken the law?
Further to the above, if the MTPLM is 1600kg assuming the trailer is being towed by a capable vehicle, however the trailer weighs 1650kg on a weigh bridge, is the law being broken when towing as the noseweight of 75kg will be transferred to the towing vehicle
when the trailer is being towed making the MTPLM below 1600kg.
I would have assumed that VOSA would be looking at the axle weights to determine if a caravan is overloaded rather than looking at the MTPLM?
The question has been raised in different forms on various forums with posters raising questions with VOSA, but the answers that VOSA supply seem to contradict one another.
Perhaps the Caravan Club can asked VOSA the legal position regarding the various points raised above concerningh MTPLM and axle weights?
Please be aware that I am not advocating overloading or removing the VIN plate from the caravan, but let's get our facts correct as per the law of the land.