AS Warwick

[Pete-B]

 

Morning all,

 

What would the second years road tax cost on our 2020 AS Warwick XL and what will would it be if I uprated the van to 3850 or 4500kg?

 

Thanks.

[Derek Uzzell]

The (from 1 April 2021) rates of vehicle tax (VED) for motorhomes with an overall weight not exceeding 3500kg can be found here

 

https://tinyurl.com/4nbm2jp2

 

and I’ve copied the relevant section on the upper image attached below.

 

For motorhomes with an overall weight exceeding 3500kg, I believe the annual charge will continue to be £165 (lower image attached below)

 

(If your motorhome was ‘caught’ by the emissions/luxury vehicle VED regulations that were applied to motorhomes for a while, that’s another matter. What was the cost of the first year’s road tax for your Warwick XL?)

 

[Pete-B]

Derek Uzzell - 2021-04-06 8:53 AM

 

The (from 1 April 2021) rates of vehicle tax (VED) for motorhomes with an overall weight not exceeding 3500kg can be found here

 

https://tinyurl.com/4nbm2jp2

 

and I’ve copied the relevant section on the upper image attached below.

 

For motorhomes with an overall weight exceeding 3500kg, I believe the annual charge will continue to be £165 (lower image attached below)

 

(If your motorhome was ‘caught’ by the emissions/luxury vehicle VED regulations that were applied to motorhomes for a while, that’s another matter. What was the cost of the first year’s road tax for your Warwick XL?)

First registration was £55 and RFL £275

[Derek Uzzell]

In which case your 2nd year’s VED annual charge should be £280.

 

As far as I’m aware your Warwick XL was only marketed on a 3500kg ‘light’ chassis. Its overall chassis-weight could probably be uprated from 3500kg to 3850kg as a ‘paper exercise’, but it would be impracticable for it to be uprated to 4500kg even if significant changes to wheels/tyres and the suspension were made

 

If you are seriously considering uprating, you’d be wise to pursue this by contacting SvTech.

 

http://www.svtech.co.uk/our-services/uprating/

 

(Bear in mind that uprating the chassis-weight would qualify as an unauthorised modification as far as Peugeot and Auto-Sleepers are concerned, and have a potential negative impact on the Peugeot/AS warranties.)

 

 

[Keithl]

An alternative to SV Tech is a relatively new company Van Weight Engineering...

 

https://www.vanweightengineering.com/home

 

Caveat that I have no experience dealing with either company.

 

Keith.

[Pete-B]

 

Would it really effect the warranties if it was just a paper exercise?

[Derek Uzzell]

You might want to read throgh this 2016 forum thread.

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Hitch-in-getting-van-weight-uprated/41401/

 

Even if no mechanical modifications were needed to uprate your Warwick’s overall weight to (say) 3850kg - and SvTech might well advise that an air-bellows system be fitted to the rear axle to allow for that 350kg increase - the result would still be a vehicle with a motorhome that Auto-Sleepers (apparently) does not offer for the Warwick XL model, nor Peugeot for the Boxer base-vehicle on which that model is built.

 

I’m merely highlighting that there are possible warranty implications, but you’d need to contact Auto-Sleepers and Peugeot to explore what, if any, the potential risk might be.

 

Why might you want to do this? Is it just to save money on the road tax cost, or do you find your Warwick XL’s payload insufficient?

[Pete-B]

Derek Uzzell - 2021-04-07 6:59 AM

 

You might want to read throgh this 2016 forum thread.

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Hitch-in-getting-van-weight-uprated/41401/

 

Even if no mechanical modifications were needed to uprate your Warwick’s overall weight to (say) 3850kg - and SvTech might well advise that an air-bellows system be fitted to the rear axle to allow for that 350kg increase - the result would still be a vehicle with a motorhome that Auto-Sleepers (apparently) does not offer for the Warwick XL model, nor Peugeot for the Boxer base-vehicle on which that model is built.

 

I’m merely highlighting that there are possible warranty implications, but you’d need to contact Auto-Sleepers and Peugeot to explore what, if any, the potential risk might be.

 

Why might you want to do this? Is it just to save money on the road tax cost, or do you find your Warwick XL’s payload insufficient?

Morning Derek,

 

No it's not to save money, we find the payload is insufficient when for instance we don't take our box trailer and still take the lecky bikes etc.

 

I've been it touch with Van Weight Engineering who provide the same service as SV Tech and who, after seeing a photo of my VIN plate and tyre size/speed rating etc, tell me they could uprate to 4500kg if needed.

 

I'm told by them that Peugeot build these models on the heavy duty chassis and down plate for the UK market. Also the van came supplied with Alko air assisted rear suspension.

[Derek Uzzell]

OK, I note that the current Warwick XL model can be fitted with a "Premium Pack: Integrated DAB Radio with Satellite Navigation, Alloy Wheels, AL-KO dual Air-Top suspension system, Cab Air Conditioning, Thule Omnistor Awning, Colour Reversing Camera with LCD Screen, Cruise Control, 80w Solar Panel."

 

When alloy wheels are factory-fitted to Boxers/Ducatos nowadays the wheels are normally 16” diameter with 225/75 R16 size tyres that should be capable of safely coping with substantially high axle loadings.

 

It’s also become quite common for builders of Ducato panel-van conversions to specify the ‘heavy’ (‘Maxi’) base vehicle that has a 4.0 tonnes/4005kg gross vehicle weight (GVW) even when the campervan will normally be marketed with a GVW of 3500kg and apparently Peugeot offers a 4005kg GVW Boxer van labelled “440”.

 

I’m just mildly surprised that Auto-Sleepers builds the Warwick XL on a Boxer “440” base as it would be more expensive than the “335/435” 3500kg version and there’s no indication I can find in the Auto-Sleepers documentation to suggest that a buyer can choose a higher-than-3500kg GVW.

 

Anyway, it should be plain from the VIN-plate which Boxer base your Warwick XL was built on and - as you’ve got AL-KO ‘semi air’ and suitable tyres - it seems that you might as well opt for (say) a 4005kg GVW if no further modifications are required.

[paulmold]

Presumably Pete-B has necessary licence, and is aware of lower speed limits.

[Pete-B]

paulmold - 2021-04-07 3:04 PM

 

Presumably Pete-B has necessary licence, and is aware of lower speed limits.

Hi Paul, Yes I am aware of the speed restrictions, I'm already confined to these at the moment because I tow a trailer.

 

Re licence, yes I appreciate I would need to see the Doc and get the D4 form filled in but medically, I don't think that would be a problem (hopefully)?

 

I have been chatting on the AS forum and I'm told it's not a problem to take it to 4500kg because a few have already done this with the same van, They also say, it doesn't effect the warranties but of course, if I did decide to go ahead, I would check myself.

[Derek Uzzell]

As far as I can see from your ASOC forum discussion, one owner of a 2016 Warwick XL is operating his motorhome at 4500kg . The advice given regarding the Peugeot and AS warranties was that uprating the GVW of your 2020 Warwick from 3500kg to 4500kg SHOULD have no warranty-related impact. This may well be the case, but it’s just an opinion not a fact and you’d be wise to check with Peugeot and AS.

 

I see that the potential to uprate a Boxer-based Warwick XL was touched on in this December 2020 MHFun forum thread

 

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/autosleeper-warwick-xl-which-ones-best.231771/

 

with it being suggested that, although a Peugeot-based Warwick XL was built on a 4005kg GVW ‘heavy’ Boxer chassis, the Ducato-based version was likely to be built on a 3500kg GVW ‘light’ Ducato chassis and this would restrict the level of GVW increase for the Fiat. I’ve no idea if that’s correct...

[Keithl]

Pete,

 

Are you proposing to operate your AS at 4,500 kg AND tow your trailer?

 

If so be very careful as I suspect doing so will restrict your allowable towing weight. In other words your Gross Train Weight will be unchanged and the uplift in Gross Vehicle Weight will have been 'borrowed' from the allowable trailer weight.

 

What is your current GVW and GTW on your VIN plate?

 

Also the reduced speed limits in the UK (when not towing) would only come into effect if your UNLADEN weight were to increase over 3,050 kg (3 Imperial Tons) as a result of any modifications required (which I doubt is the case for your AS). The change of speed limits as a result of increasing GVW over 3,500 kg will only be applicable on mainland Europe where they have different rules.

 

Keith.

[Derek Uzzell]

For the Peugeot Boxer van model on which Pete’s Warwick XL is built, I think the Gross Train Weight would be 6500kg, the Maximum (Braked) Towing Weight would be 3000kg and the Maximun Axle Loads would be 2100kg (front axle) and 2400kg (rear axle). That’s at a 4005kg Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) - Auto-Sleepers may have revised the data for a 3500kg GVW.

 

If Pete wanted to uprate from 3500kg to 4005kg, it MIGHT be possible to DIY this fairly easily without involving a middle-man, as I’d expect the motorhome to already carry a Peugeot 4005kg GVW VIN-plate. Presumably the Auto-Sleepers 3500kg VIN-plate would then need to be removed, and I’m not sure about the legality of doing that.

[Pete-B]

Keithl - 2021-04-07 5:47 PM

 

Pete,

 

Are you proposing to operate your AS at 4,500 kg AND tow your trailer?

 

If so be very careful as I suspect doing so will restrict your allowable towing weight. In other words your Gross Train Weight will be unchanged and the uplift in Gross Vehicle Weight will have been 'borrowed' from the allowable trailer weight.

 

What is your current GVW and GTW on your VIN plate?

 

Also the reduced speed limits in the UK (when not towing) would only come into effect if your UNLADEN weight were to increase over 3,050 kg (3 Imperial Tons) as a result of any modifications required (which I doubt is the case for your AS). The change of speed limits as a result of increasing GVW over 3,500 kg will only be applicable on mainland Europe where they have different rules.

 

Keith.

Thanks Keith,

 

No, I have no intention on towing my trailer if I do uprate. One of the ideas of doing it, is so I would be able to carry our two lecky bikes on the tow bar and anything other bits and bobs I had in the trailer could go in the van. As I've said I'm used to travelling at a reduced speed so that not a problem but thanks for reminding me>

 

I would probably get rid of the trailer which is in cracking condition and has two bike grabs fitted inside so it should sell quite easily I guess! In turn the money from the trailer would easily pay for the cost of the uprate.