debutante Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Hi all. We've often read in MMM and other magazines about the penalties for driving overweight, and these comments are usually followed up with advice to get the motorhome's weight checked when fully laden. I've just been searching for a public weighbridge, and there seem to be very few in uk. Maybe I'm not searching properly. Where do others here get their weights checked? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Local council website. they are normally attached to the local dumps as they have to weigh the lorries. normally free if you dont need a ticket but some charge. I live in Croydon and have never been charged and I vist at least 2-3 times a year. There will be other commercial ones avaible as well depending where you live. have a search via Google Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debutante Posted January 2, 2010 Author Share Posted January 2, 2010 Many thanks, Judge. I'll try my local council as soon as it opens again after the new year break. Thanks for the quick response. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 I use a local haulage firm, many have weighbridge and will weigh your van. Mine charge me £5 but if you require a certificate they charge £5 a weight so for the three weights £15. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philjp Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Try this web site or ring your trading standards office they check weighbridges to see if they are calibrated www.chrishodgetrucks.co.uk/pageweighbridge/weighbridgeshome.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 I am fortunate to have a weighbridge just up the road so I get weighed for the cost of a bottle of french wine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Raindrop Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Many contractors moving soil or gravel will have their own weighbridge. A total weight is simple, for individual axles weights you may have to pay. (As has been said) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 debutante - 2010-01-02 10:18 AM Many thanks, Judge. I'll try my local council as soon as it opens again after the new year break. Thanks for the quick response. :) You need the Trading Standards department, because they are responsible for testing all weighbridges in their area. They will have a list of all weighbridges, and should identify those which are publicly accessible. You will often also find them at builders merchants "heavyside" yards - where they handle bulk goods (sand, gravel, aggregates etc), and at scrap yards.It is a good idea to phone the operator before going to tell them what you want to do, and ask whether there is a quiet time you should go when the weighbridge operator will be available. It is a good idea to get a ticket and keep it, even if you do have to pay. Remember to make sure you also check the individual axle loads, as the legal limitation applies to these as well as MAM. Also remember to weigh at maximum laden weight, with full water, fuel & gas reserves, all passengers and pets on board, fridge and all cupboards filled, all camping clutter where it will normally travel, and bikes or whatever where they will normally travel. That way, you will avoid lingering doubts as to whether anything you left off will upset the apple cart or, even worse, the added cost and inconvenience of a repeat visit to cover something significant that you forgot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trooper Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 I use my local scrap yard, 3 weights all free, but I do put money in staff tin if I take any metal in, (when in business they were one of my customers). I'm sure any yard with a weigh bridge will weigh you for very little charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Whilst I agree that it is a good idea to find out what your rig weighs and therefore ensure you are legal and also so that you haven't negated your insurance cover, I can't see why having an actual certificate will do you any good if you are stopped. All it will prove is that the vehicle was weighed at that point in time and what it weighed in at. It doesn't prove how it was loaded, who was in it etc, so don't expect the Police to accept it - it may be interesting to them and show you have at least 'checked' but they'll still more than likely insist on weighing you anyway as they will want to know what your rig weighs there and then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerGW Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 I've just been searching for a public weighbridge, and there seem to be very few in uk. There certainly don't seem to be many in Cheshire but there are plenty elsewhere, at coal and scrap merchants, grain stores and so on. Most county councils show details of public ones on their Web sites but your councils don't. The county trading standards office will/should have a complete list, though. If there really is nothing in Cheshire, try a neighbouring county. As has been said above, weigh the van as it would be if you were setting off for a long trip, and also get the individual axles' weights. You can then check these against the correct ('plated') weights for the van. It gives you a baseline to work from. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 I don't know where in Cheshire you are, but there's one in Widnes on Gorsey Lane. There is also one in Warrington, but I lost the address! Trading Standards has it though. I'll have a search round to see if I can find it and if I do post it on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Found this list on t'interweb! Bosley WTL International, Oakwood Hill (01260) 223284 50t 15x3 0800-1700hrs Chester Waste Recycling Group, Gowy Landlill Site, Ince Lane, Wimbolds Trattord (01244) 301887 50t 0800-1700hrs 0800-1300hrs Sat Congleton HJ Lea Oakes, Hightown Mill, Biddulph Road (01260) 298000 50t 0800-1600hrs Congleton Sibelco Minerals & Chemicals Bent Farm Quarry, Wallhill Lane, Brownlow 01477) 503112 50t 0800-1700hrs Crewe Waste Recycling Group, Maw Green Landfill Site, Maw Green Road, Coppenhall (01270) 587944 50t 0800-1700hrs 0800-1300hrs Sat Henbury Shenton Excavations, Birtles Mill Farm, Chelford Road (01625) 861315 35t 0730-1700hrs 0730-1300hrs Sat Knutsford J Percival (Mere), Mere Hayes Farm, Mere (01565)777344 40t 0800-1700hrs Lower Withington Sibelco Minerals & Chemicals, Dingle Bank Quarry (01477) 572400 50t 0800-1700hrs Macclesfield Henshows Integrated Waste, 150 Moss Lane (01625) 425425 50t 0800-1730hrs 0800-1700hrs Sat 1000-1600 Sun Macclesfield Waste Recycling Group Danes Moss Landfill Site, Congleton Road (01625)425348 50t 12x3 0800-1700hrs 0800-1300hrs Malpas ME Waterhouse1 Station Road 01948) 820444 50t 0800-1700hrs Nantwich HJ Lea Oakes, Aston Mill, Wrenbury Road Aston (01270)780661 50t 15x3 0800-1600hrs Nether Alderley Hanson Agaregrates Mere Farm Quarry Knutsford Road (01625) 861021 50t 0730-1630hrs Oakmere Tarmac Central, Fourways Quarry, Chester Road (01606)301293 50t 0730-1715hrs 0730-11.45hrs Sat Ollerton Lee’s Growers Supply Chelford Road. (01565) 650437 50t 0730-1700hrs 0800-1200hrs Sat Runcorn Axtec, Picow Farm Road Runcorn WA7 4UN (01928) 581575 99t Open 8.30 to 5.30pm. Other hours by arrangement. Provides individual axle weights as well as gross weight. Sandbach HJ Lea Oakes, Wheelock Mill,Crewe Road, Wheelock (01270)782222 50t 0800-1800hrs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Mel B - 2010-01-02 8:38 PM Whilst I agree that it is a good idea to find out what your rig weighs and therefore ensure you are legal and also so that you haven't negated your insurance cover, I can't see why having an actual certificate will do you any good if you are stopped. All it will prove is that the vehicle was weighed at that point in time and what it weighed in at. It doesn't prove how it was loaded, who was in it etc, so don't expect the Police to accept it - it may be interesting to them and show you have at least 'checked' but they'll still more than likely insist on weighing you anyway as they will want to know what your rig weighs there and then. If your motorhome is checked at a UK roadside inspection station, then I agree that presenting your own weighbridge certificate may well not avoid your vehicle being re-weighed. However, if you get stopped abroad, the certificate may have greater value. See the "There is a Limit" letter on Page 11 of January 2010's MMM and describing an episode involving a roadside police check in France. Obviously there's no way of knowing what the reaction of the French police would have been if they had been presented with a weighbridge certificate when the writer's motorhome was stopped. But it's not unreasonable to assume that (because people generally are reluctant to waste their time) the police would have viewed the certificate a) as indicating that the motorhome's owner was aware of regulations regarding overloading and b) as being a valid indication of the motorhome's weight and thus not worth following up by re-weighing the vehicle. (And, of course, if the writer had weighed his motorhome before he went to France, he would have discovered that it was overweight.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 My neighbourly traffic officer says the Police will not take notice of a weighbridge certificate unless it was issued a "few minutes' beforehand. All the certificate does, he says, is indicate the weight of the vehicle at a certain time and with indeterminate contents. He mentioned that commercial vehicles at most risk are weighed for every journey, some having on-board weighing capability. He did recommend that we weighed our motorhome for our own safety. He suggested one of two ways (no pun intended). 1. Weigh in normal running mode at a weighbridge to see what extra capacity you have for further loading. Then weigh what extra you put in. He says some commercial firms do this because they can easily weigh what they put into a van but cannot conveniently weigh the van itself. Not a perfect system but it may provide an element of peace of mind and increase your chances of not knowingly overweighing the motorhome. 2. Weigh the motorhome fully laden for a typical holiday. You are unlikely to carry more than that so if you are within your weight limit, you can be fairly confident that you are at all times. However, he made the comment that bottles of wine weigh more than water because of the glass so you need to watch your weight when coming back from the continent! He's never seen a motorhome weighed but he does recall weighing a white van with 3 people in it. The van was overweight so the driver left behind his passengers until he had completed his deliveries! He also reminded me to be aware of the different driving characteristics of the motorhome when fully loaded or not. One of his pet concerns is people miscalculating stopping distances. None of this is the official police line, just my friendly traffic police officer giving me the benefit of his experience. To finish on a positive, he cannot remember having any concerns about how a motorhome was being driven so he believes the drivers tend to be sensible people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Brock - 2010-01-03 10:55 AM To finish on a positive, he cannot remember having any concerns about how a motorhome was being driven so he believes the drivers tend to be sensible people. Browsing through a few motorhome-related internet forums might cause him to re-think... :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerGW Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Found this list on t'interweb... That's impressive. What search term did you use to get hold of it? Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 "public weighbridges in Cheshire" on Google. It was about the 4th or 5th link down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerGW Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 That's odd. I get only two hits, both of www.mylocalservices.co.uk . That site mentions only one place. Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerGW Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Found this list on t'interweb... Working backwards from your list leads to this useful directory of weighbridges around the country -- http://www.chrishodgetrucks.co.uk/pageweighbridge/weighbridgeshome.htm / -- which I see Philip posted on here yesterday. How very circular. 8=) Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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