Up- Plating Pro's & Con's
Currently have a self build Boxer L4H2 which I am looking at up plating with SV Tech, pretty much a paper exercise to give me a bit more loading capacity for those longer trips through Europe.
Would like to learn of any experiences you may have encountered with an MH >3500kg and anything i need to be aware of such as, does it effect ferry crossings, speed limits in Europe, any breakdown companies that would cover such vehicles.
I can up plate to either 3900 or 4500, and wasn't sure if there were any further restrictions for going over 4T
Appreciate any advise you may be able to offer
Many thanks
Comments
-
I'll watch with interest as I'm in the process of uprating to 3.85T. As the van already had rear air suspension it is just a "paper exercise" and I have wondered (too late now) if it was something I could have done myself and saved a bit of money.
0 -
The upside:
Increased load capacity
Reduction in road tax (I find this perverse!)
The downside:
A reduction in speed limits throughout the UK and Europe
The need for a C1 licence and the risk of losing that post 70 years and/or with health issues.
The C1 issue puts me off. My only licence renewal post 70 meant I lost the C1 as I was not bothered at the time. I am 99% certain I would have no problem with the medical but who knows what health problems might be round the corner and I do not want a MoHo that is a white elephant sat on my drive. Added to that is the extra pfaff of renewal. And then to be stuck with lower speed limits is the final killer.
There are regulations to change 3,500kg to 4,250kg in the EU which are slowly being adopted but there is no certainty that the UK will follow suit (In my view we would be daft not to). However I am not aware of any associated move to change speed limits. But if lower speed limits were the only issue I would be less put off. However I still work fulltime and have a 275 mile trek to get to a Channel ferry. So any reduction in time taken to get to Europe or or ability occasionally to make rapid progress on toll free motorways once there is quite off-putting for me.
0 -
If the up-plating is a paper exercise, then post 70, if the C1 could not be renewed and the vehicle was a "keeper", then could you not down-plate it?
Is the speed issue really a big thing. When we tow the caravan we just leave earlier than if going solo. Surely 30 minutes extra time allowance would make up for any lower speed.
Colin
1 -
I wouldn't bother too much about speed limits being different, it really should not be a big issue and in truth is unlikely to seriously effect any journey. I think the biggest problem is the increase in toll charges which in theory you will be liable to, especially in France and Austria. In practice unless your van looks seriously large you are unlikely to be charged the increase for a vehicle over 3.5 tons except in countries like Austria where you have to produce your registration documents to obtain an electronic tag. However increasingly WIMs (Weight In Motion) detectors are making an appearance in many countries which may catch out the deceitful trying to push their luck.
peedee
0 -
In my experience, unless you are in a hurry, on the continent there is no practical difference between the motorway speed limits for a sub 3.5T motorhome and one over 3.5T. On unrestricted motorways in Europe, most HGVs travel at the limit of their tachographs and, if you drive at the same speed, this minimises the need to overtake or to be overtaken by other HGVs, giving optimum fuel economy whilst still covering a fair daily distance.
The one difference not mentioned in previous posts is that you will find more widespread use of weight limits in towns which prohibit vehicles over 3.5T except for access. There are also a number of older bridges - particularly over the Loire - with similar limits, necessitating detours in a heavier MH.
As far as a C1 licence is concerned, I downsized from a 4250kg Autocruise to a 3850kg Dethleffs when we last changed specifically to allow me to downplate it should my licence renewal be refused. My third renewal is due in October next year 🤞.
For european breakdown cover, we use an annual Red Pennant policy which has no weight limit. We also use LeShuttle which classes all motorhomes as "campervans" and does not charge by weight.
One final point : you will need to affix "Angles Morts" stickers to your MH in France if it is plated above 3500kg.
0 -
The one difference not mentioned in previous posts is that you will find more widespread use of weight limits in towns which prohibit vehicles over 3.5T except for access.
Jim, I am never quite sure but these generally only apply to commercial vehicles but it is best to take notice of them because it is highly likely at best it will present stressful driving and at worst the roads will not be passable. This could equally apply to some motorhomes of less than 3.5 tons.
peedee
1 -
Certainly worth the risk of up-plating then down-plating if you have absolutely the right MoHo for you!
"Surely 30 minutes extra time allowance … etc" - There speaks a man who does not live 275 miles from Newhaven!! I can do the trip without stopping travelling at 70 mph in five hours (Especially off the ferry arriving back late evening or at 5:00 a.m). The extra 30-60 mins would make that impossible. Journeys with a deadline would be more stressful. At the moment I can leave Bolton at 09:00 knowing I will make Newhaven around 14:00 to catch the 17:00 ferry with a two hour buffer. Leaving at 08:00 means getting up 06:00 latest (and loading the night before), and hitting rush hour traffic for the first 1 hour plus then not arriving in Dieppe until gone 22:00 - Quite a long and tiring day!
I know Bolton to Newhaven very well. A long journey back to Dieppe on the way home on unknown roads is more stressful and I am more likely to eat into my buffer through miscalculation or road obstruction/diversion. An ability to "put your foot down" without breaking speed limits is reassuring so as to get yourself in the ferry queue with plenty of time to spare.
On broadly the same subject I avoid the A23 then M25 when returning home off the 5:00 a.m. ferry but I can hurry across the A27/M27 to Southampton and the M3 North before rush hour. Very definitely worth putting your foot down to get ahead of rush hour traffic around Southampton on that route on a weekday!! That way I am home by lunchtime and unpacked by mid-afternoon and ready for work the next day if that is what beckons!!
0 -
I have to admit I'm not 275 miles from Newhaven, just 230 miles away on Devon/Cornwall border. I returned via Dieppe-Newhaven in 2022 and will use the crossing again. It is far easier for me to use Plymouth-Roscoff, but it is expensive.
In 2023 we travelled out via Folkstone, which is 275 miles away. The fist leg of our trip was via there and onto Neufchâtel-en-Bray, so a total of over 380 miles in one day. We left home after an early breakfast and had checked onto the campsite in time for our evening meal at about 6:30pm,. No speed limits broken. The next day we covered a similar distance onto the Isle-de-Oleron, again arriving in good time to set up and relax with our evening meal.
Colin
0
