BGD Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 david lloyd - 2008-12-17 10:19 AM rowenuk - 2008-12-16 4:44 PM Hi it's me again, I have just read through the 14 responses to date. Thank you all for what you have said. BUT.....can I please clarify a few facts. 1) I meant MAM not GVW (Sorry, I always thought they were the same thing) 2) For the record I do currently hold a C1 licence which entitles me to drive over 3500Kg. 3) I wish to retain the Reg Document (V5C) at 3500Kg. I can live with the restricted payload and if I ever have a problem in renewing my C1 licence when I reach 70 in the near future I will be able to continue to drive it. 4) The vehicle is a Hymer B524, Fiat 18 on a ALKO Maxi chassis with 216/70/16 tyres and wheels, chosen to reduce the somewhat lower ground clearance with the Fiat 15 chassis with 15" wheels (been there and had problems on a B564!!) 5) Hymer do sell these vehicle as either 3500 or 3900Kg as Derek Uzzell has stated (I do have the 2006 catalogue). Hymer are not alone in doing this as I previously had a 3850Kg Pilote supplied and registered by mistake by Hayes as 3500Kg. Hayes eventually supplied a new "body" plate showing 3500Kg. 6) One of my other reasons for keeping to 3500Kg is so I can use the motorways in Austria and Switzerland without high cost and fear of fines.(believe me we have seen a large number being fined particularily in Austria). Any more comment/advice? It seems clear now - rowenuk wants to keep the vehicle at 3500kgs (MAM, MTPLM, GVW, all up weight etc) and has a license to drive that class of vehicle and the higher weight of 3900kg. His V5 shows the weight as 3500kg but the most up to date plate has the vehicle at 3900kgs. It simply means obtaining a new weight plate for the vehicle at 3500kg and the supplying dealer may do this or Hymer. The insurance company probably still needs to be contacted to ensure that he can still drive the vehicle at the higher weight on this policy until such time as it is re-plated. I wouldn't have thought you should have much difficulty with this rowenuk, and if you keep all the details/documents relating to the re-plating you will be able to let any future owner know they have the choice of increasing the weight again. Good lck, David Sounds about right to me. I guess the other practical thing is to get the van to a weighbridge when fully loaded with all kit and caboodle, max number or people he'll ever carry, full fluids, full gas etc, just to check that ACTUAL weight is under the 3500kgs, so that if then replated down to the 3500kgs he's not gonna be at risk of ever running at above that weight limit in practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 Keithl - 2008-12-16 5:49 PM Hi folks, Just thought I'd throw my penny's worth in here, GVW is actually the same as MAM. Check out Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_vehicle_weight. I work in the motor industry and have used this term for many years, MAM only appearing in more recent years. It goes along with GTW (Gross Train Weight) which is the GVW + Max Trailer weight. Keith. Correct, and my apologies to all, especially Rich. Said I was ailing - it's clearly affected my ability to read! I'm afraid I was thinking ALW while reading and writing GVW.However, I would just query the definition of GTW, which I understand to be the maximum permissible actual weight of tow vehicle plus trailer. That is to say, it is the total of the two ALWs, and not of the two MAMs. It allows for some transfer of load between tow vehicle and trailer, provided the combined total remains within GTW. Still, I could just be ailing again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 I too stand corrected as I understood MAM to be the maximum legally allowable weightof the vehicle whilst in use on the roads (says it all really) and GVW to mean the ACTUAL gross weight of the vehicle - in which case the two would not be the same? However it makes sense to have both meaning the same as it helps create confusion out of simplicity - an EU speciality! So is the actual gross weight called the AGW or AVGW - or is there no term for the actual weight in a make believe world of theoretical weights? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 Tracker - 2008-12-17 3:44 PM I too stand corrected as I understood MAM to be the maximum legally allowable weightof the vehicle whilst in use on the roads (says it all really) and GVW to mean the ACTUAL gross weight of the vehicle - in which case the two would not be the same? However it makes sense to have both meaning the same as it helps create confusion out of simplicity - an EU speciality! So is the actual gross weight called the AGW or AVGW - or is there no term for the actual weight in a make believe world of theoretical weights? I guess the actual total weight is.....actual total weight. 'Cos it's the one non-theoretical weight in all this. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 The only term I know is Actual Laden Weight, or ALW, which is what the vehicle weighs at the moment in time it is weighed. I do not know the origin of this term, or whether it has official, or legal, significance. However, as it is more or less continually variable, I guess it will lack a legal definition, other than being the vehicle weight as recorded on an official weighbridge.The MAM/GVW/MTPLM confusion is really just the product of history, where the terminology has changed over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowenuk Posted December 18, 2008 Author Share Posted December 18, 2008 Hi ,Thanks once again. One last clarification: Whenever I change my m'van I always use a local weighbridge to: a) weigh it for "mass in running order" as laid down in the Hymer (or other) Technical Data. b) fully loaded for travel just before we leave home. That way I know what the true nett payload is and that we are 'legal' on the road. It is surprising what you learn to live without! So firstly I shall try the dealer from whom I purchased the Hymer. Failing that I shall try HymerUK. But do not expect too much help from them since all the Hymer After Sales staff I have got to know well over the years have now left, but will still try. One last line of hope. I now remember something in a similar vein in the MMM in the past. I may be confused but if my memory serves me right it was dealt with by either Mel Eastburn or George Collings. They mentioned a company who could supply new "plates" and supporting documentation by post. The name 'Drinkwater' also rings a bell on this subject. Does anyone else remember this? If so would you please let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_C Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 You are thinking of Drinkwater Engineering, they became TVAC. TVAC were acquired by the Assetco Group in January - I've so far been unable to find out if Assetco still offer a replating service. An alternative is to use Tagplates - http://www.vintags.com - as you presumably intend to downplate there shouldn't be a problem getting a replacement VIN plate. Andy_C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowenuk Posted December 18, 2008 Author Share Posted December 18, 2008 Further to my posting earlier today:- I did a search on Google for "Drinkwater Engineering" and after a rather long wander through various dead end web pages found what I was looking for!! The company is called SvTech Ltd of 5B Talbot Road Leyland Lancs PR5 1ZJ (Tel 01772 6211800) or www.svtech.co.uk. They do either downgrades (what I want) for £60 + VAT or upgrades which are much more involved and hence cost a lot more. Have had a preliminary chat on the phone to a very helpful guy called Steven. The rest can be done by post. Wow I'm over the moon. Thanks once again to all concerned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_C Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 Yes, that's it. Don't know where I got TVAC from, but thinking about it I have a feeling that Drinkwater Engineering split into SVTech and TVAC. Andy_C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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