Down - Rating 3850 to 3500 MAM

[laimeduck]

I am looking to see if this is feasible for my Benimar.

It was originally plated at 3500, but the original owner had a scooter in the garage, & also had the garage floored in Aluminium tread plate (9.2 Kg/sq M) and a hefty rack. There are also other bits & pieces of heavy stuff that we don't use.

I will weigh the van & get axle weights, & then work out my possible payload at 3500.

My question is _ SV Tech did the original up rating, but they are in Preston. I am in Oxford! Are there other organisations down South? I have looked but can't see them?

For two us us, & with me over 61, & the reduced speed limits here & abroad it would seem sensible to see if it will be possible.

Thanks

Jeremy

[donna miller]

Down sizing is usually only a paper exercise, contact your local licencing office for confirmation.

Check you will have an adequate payload first.

[Robinhood]

As Donna sasy, if you wish to go ahead, talk to your local DVLA office.

 

I would suspect that it will require nothing but paperwork through them, since you will be able to demonstrate the removal of the supplementary plate supplied by SVTech, and you should still have the original 3500kg plate still on the vehicle.

 

SVTech can and will deal with you by post, phone and email (there is no reason to visit them for a paperwork exercise), but in the case of your downrating, the only value they could have is in providing you with a new plate (and as already covered, you should have the original one still attached).

 

In all cases, whilst SVTech will provide the appropriate plate and supporting paperwork, they expect you to go through the process with DVLA yourself.

 

There are many advantages in being at 3500kg, as long as you are sure you have the required payload, but there is one disadvantage at least - it will cost you slightly more in road tax *-)

[Keithl]

laimeduck - 2011-02-15 2:17 PM

For two us us, & with me over 61, & the reduced speed limits here

 

Jeremy,

 

Speed limits in UK are not governed by MTPLM as in most of the rest of Europe but by Unladen weight!

If your unladen weight is over 3,050 kg then you will be restricted to lower limits than if under. See Here.

The unladen weight is the figure you need to weigh or calculate to be sure you stay legal in the UK.

And just because your MTPLM is 3,500 kg or under does not mean your Unladen weight will automatically be OK. For example a lot of new MH's are plated to 3,500 kg but have unladen weights of over 3,050 kg. On the other hand our AT has a MTPLM of 3,800 kg but an unladen weight of 2,945 kg (including towbar, etc) so we are ok.

 

Keith.

 

And yes I agree with earlier posts, downplating should be an easy exercise as the MH was originally built to this spec.

[laimeduck]

Thanks everyone for a speedy response.

Keith - yes I know about the 3050 unladen figure. It has come up on a previous post.  I believe the Benimar was originally 3040 unladen, so it should be possible again with care. I will strip her for the weigh in ( so to speak?!)

Jeremy