chris Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Can someone tell me where to look to see what the identifying figures mean on the number plate of our Renault Master? How can you tell how old the base chasis is too? The logbook says 3800kg gross but the plate has 4 figures 3500kg 5200kg 1870 kg 1 2100kg 2 How does this show the vehicle is 3800kg? Thanks Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Hi chris The figures shown on the plate as you show them are: 3500kg - Maximum Total Permitted Laden Mass (Gross vehicle Weight in old money) 5200kg - this will be the trailer weight - the maximum overall weight of tow vehicle and trailer combined. 1870kg - Front axle weight 2100kg - Rear axle wieight Your vehicle loading needs to comply with all of these figures e.g. you can load the vehicle up to a maximumof 3500kg BUT the front axle should not exceed 1870kg and the rear axle shopuld not exceed 2100kg. The individual weights can be checked at a public weighbridge and, once you have mastered the art of loading your mtoorhome you should be able to do it without the need to weigh it each time. If your log book says 3800kg it is either wrong and you will need to send it to DVLA for amendment OR your vehicle has been uprated and there should be another plate (usually placed next to the original but sometimes it may be on a door pillar etc) showing the new weights. Obviously, the axle and train weights may also be different too. I'm not sure but without the new plate you are probably limited to the 3500kg weight. You don't say what motorhome you have but certainly any ALKO chassis model will usually have a new plate under the bonnet but it not unusual for the Fiat/Peugeot chassis' to be uprated too. Sorry, can't help with the base chassis age. Regards, david Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted April 12, 2006 Author Share Posted April 12, 2006 Thanks Dave, Really confused now as it is supposed to be 3800kg. Cant find any other plate either. The van is a Chausson Allegro and Renault informed me today that it was registered with them on Oct 3rd. 05 and we now have only 18months left of warranty? The van was registered with DVLA 5th April and is a 2006 model. Will contact dealer to clarify this but seems we have lost 6 months. The vehicle has been taxed as Private HGV too so that implies its over 3.8ton . Why is nothing straightforward any more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Just to further complicate your life, I notice that Chausson's UK brochure says that the Allegro 83 (which I assume is the one you've got) is built on a 3850kg chassis, not a 3800kg one. Not sure if this is correct, but I've cross-checked with the Knaus brochure and the optional step-up for their Master chassis-based motorhomes also goes from 3500kg to 3850kg. The 3500kg Allegro 83 apparently doesn't come to the UK in RHD form - hardly surprising really as the useful payload is pretty small at that chassis weight limit. Sounds like you've been afflicted with the dreaded 'warranty starts when the chassis is delivered to the converter' syndrome. Get your dealer to sort it out ASAP, including the (apparently) wrong VIN plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted April 12, 2006 Author Share Posted April 12, 2006 Thanks Derek. Will be getting onto this tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 hi chris I remember your posts when you were choosing a vehicle and I think you were concerned then about what the difference meant between 3500kg and 3800kg. If I remember correctly you were happy to have the heavier vehicle (for the extra payload) even though there are some restrictions in europe . Just before that we had been looking for our new vehicle and in the end chose the Knaus Sun Ti on the Renault chassis. Before choosing we had shortlisted various vehicles and I have just looked again at the Chausson brochure we had. The specification for the Allegro 83 says it has a Maximum Technically Permissable Laden Mass of 3850kg - which, if this is your vehicle, confuses things even more!! I presume you ordered the vehicle knowing that it had (and you indeed wanted) a 3850kg MTPLM. I would be extremely concerned if the chassis plate did not show this as the plated weights will be the ones used whenever reference to weight is needed (e.g. at a roadside check). As I said, it is not uncommon for there to be an option to uprate the chassis weight on many models of motorhome. The wisest thing is to get straight back onto the supplying dealer - use the specification as your reference point and insist the vehicle is re-plated if they cannot show you where the new plate is. Good luck with it - let me know how you get on. Regards, david Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted April 12, 2006 Author Share Posted April 12, 2006 Yes David, we accepted that the weight would be 3850 and that is what it says in the brochure. The plate has TRIGANO on it so I asssume it was plated in France originally. Will keep you informed but I expext I have a long process on my hands. Documentaion went directly by hand to Swansea so they must have looked at some documentation. Also noted they have said there are 3 seats including driver but there are 4 fully belted seats. Will keep you informed . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted April 12, 2006 Share Posted April 12, 2006 Perhaps Derek can comment on this as I am not sure but is not the 5200 Kg figure the maximum train weight, that's trailer AND vehicle added together?? C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 hi clive Yes, sorry, I did mean Maximum Train Weight in my earlier post to chris - although I used the term trailer weight I went on to say it was the maximum weight of the trailer and tow vehicle combined. Regards, david Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 Chris: I believe all (most?) motorhomes now need an obligatory Certificate of Conformity (CoC) that confirms that the complete vehicle conforms to all the relevant EC regulations. When I imported my Hobby last July I was given the CoC by the German dealer and I passed it on to the DVLA when I registered the motorhome in the UK. The COC is produced by the motorhome manufacturer (in my case Hobby) and contains all manner of technical data about the vehicle, including maximum overall and axle weight-limits, number of doors, number of seats, etc. From what I recall, the importer also needs to transcribe some of these data on to other DVLA forms. So, if the information on your Allegro's V5C Registration Certificate is wrong, it may be due to a mistake by the DVLA, or by your UK vendor, or the CoC itself may be wrong. If it were me, I wouldn't worry about the Number of Seats figure as it has no legal relevance anywhere in the EC as far as I'm aware. However, the permitted overall weight limit figure on the VIN plate is clearly wrong and need sorting out. The likelihood is that it's the 'normal' French-market plate and its replacement with a UK-market plate was overlooked at the Chausson factory. My (not wonderfully happy) experience of Chausson suggested that the Tournon factory had a rather laid-back Gallic attitude to the UK market. At the NEC Show I made this point to RDH Motorhome Centre (who I understand sell most Chaussons in the UK) and was told that they now had an excellent relationship with the French manufacturer and plenty of co-operation if any problems occurred. So, if you bought your 'van from RDH, hopefully you should be OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted April 13, 2006 Author Share Posted April 13, 2006 Thanks Derek I know we were held up a day or 2 waiting for certificates from France so my dealer or DVLA will have those. I passed all the information to my dealer today so awaiting a reply from that now but he gave favourable reaction to the warranty problem so will wait and see. The plate has Trigano on it so that implies to me that France did the original plate. RDH did not supply the van as they were too far from us but my dealer has been dealing with Chausson for over a year now so I hope he has the same cooperation as RDH have. Will keep you informed Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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