I've just wasted £200

[Don Madge]

I recently paid £235 to have my MAM uprated by SV Tech. After the event I found out about Tag Plates. I contacted them and I'v just received the following from Tagplates, it seems I've wasted £200, That's my winter fuel payment for this year spent and I ain't got it yet. The only difference I can see is that SV Tech certify the uprate and Tagplates leave it up to you to make sure the vehicle will carry the extra payload. So if you are going to uprate you now know where to go. Regards Don "We can provide you with a new plate with the new weights on which will cost £39.99, we need the information from the old plate along with the changes you want us to make. We also need a photo-copy of the log book and a form of identity such as a copy of your driving license or a utility bill etc. You must ensure that it is capable of carrying the extra payload, i.e.suspension, brakes and tyre ply rating." Regards Steve Tag Plates UK

[Lizzy]

I don't understand what this is about but you could try the adage 'If you find it cheaper we will re-fund the difference', i.e. Comet, John Lewis philosophy! If you don't ask you don't get ;-)

[euroanchor]

I've just bought a German registered Hymer and the dealer can alter the weight from 3300 to 3499 giving an extra 200 kgs payload, apparently the German taxation system charges more for a vehicle with a higher gvw. so they tend to register the lower of the two.They can do this on the original registration document without the need for any further action and at no cost. once again just proves the old "rip of britain" is still alive and kicking.

[Globetrotter]

Just had a quick look. Surely, these guys will just make up any plate? They are just plate manufacturers, not payload certification specialists. They might well make me a 15 ton plate for my Ducato, but surely it doesnt make it legal? I would have thought you were MUCH better to pay the proper people in terms of legality. Or have I got it wrong......?

[RonB]

I talked to SVtech a couple of years ago and they advised me then that it would cost around £80 to replate a vehicle but, it depended on the vehicle. I had anticipated a higher charge, such as yours, so my feelings were that they were a genuine company. I believe there are instances were you can simply inform the DVLA that you are DOWNplating and then all you need is the actual plate, however, I can't imagine that this applies going UPward. If I were you Don, I would ask SVtech why the cost difference between them and Tag Plates, and in a nice way point out the interest that this is causing.

[Mel E]

Don, isn't that certification that the vehicle is capable of carrying the higher weight the key to the extra cost? Without it, will your insurer continue to provide cover? I think this is not really a case of being ripped off but one of you get what you pay for.

[Don Madge]

[QUOTE]Mel E - 2006-11-03 4:19 PM Don, isn't that certification that the vehicle is capable of carrying the higher weight the key to the extra cost? Without it, will your insurer continue to provide cover? I think this is not really a case of being ripped off but one of you get what you pay for.[/QUOTE] Mel, I did not say I was ripped off :-D I was pointing out the difference in cost. :-D I also pointed out about the certification as well. I think I did a very poor job of wording the Subject. :$ As you have already mentioned, I'm fireproof with the Sv Tech certificate. Don

[howie]

[QUOTE]Don Madge - 2006-11-03 4:28 PM As you have already mentioned, I'm fireproof with the Sv Tech certificate. Don[/QUOTE] Which is where the extra cost comes in Don, so its not a waste of money after all. What do,es supprise me is that with a payload of around 700kg. you need a upgrade for your van. Howard.

[Don Madge]

[QUOTE]howardtcz - 2006-11-03 4:43 PM [QUOTE]Don Madge - 2006-11-03 4:28 PM As you have already mentioned, I'm fireproof with the Sv Tech certificate. Don[/QUOTE] Which is where the extra cost comes in Don, so its not a waste of money after all. What do,es supprise me is that with a payload of around 700kg. you need a upgrade for your van. Howard.[/QUOTE] Howard, The payload on my van before the upgrade was 470kg. Regardless of what Timberland advertises. When we collected the van we went straight to the Humber Bridge weigh scale. It weighed, front axle 1590kg (max allowed 1750kg) Rear axle 1240kg (max allowed 1850kg) total 2830kg with a MAM 3300kg. payload 470kg. The weight included driver (me) and a full tank of fuel. Once I had the Sporty Trailers box on the back we were down to 420kg. When fully laden for our winter travels we were about on the MAM and that was with the fresh water tank empty. The extra 200kg on the MAM now gives us peace of mind. Don

[howie]

Food for thought there Don. I did have our van checked under normal loaded conditions when touring, which gave me almost 250kg spare, but this was on the assumption that the converters stated payload of 715kg was correct. Time for a rethink perhaps. Howard.

[JMC20_2]

Rapido 962M I contacted SV to have mine rerated from 3500kgs to 3800kgs. and the charge was around the £200+. After a lot of searching for a Mercedes plate,which they said they required, I gave up and contacted Rapido at Workingham. They just said 'Send the Rapido plate back to us and within a couple of weeks you will have the new plate for 3800kgs' The cost of this was just £50, a lot less than SV.

[Brian Kirby]

[QUOTE]Don Madge - 2006-11-03 5:05 PM [QUOTE]howardtcz - 2006-11-03 4:43 PM [QUOTE]Don Madge - 2006-11-03 4:28 PM As you have already mentioned, I'm fireproof with the Sv Tech certificate. Don[/QUOTE] Which is where the extra cost comes in Don, so its not a waste of money after all. What do,es supprise me is that with a payload of around 700kg. you need a upgrade for your van. Howard.[/QUOTE] Howard, The payload on my van before the upgrade was 470kg. Regardless of what Timberland advertises. When we collected the van we went straight to the Humber Bridge weigh scale. It weighed, front axle 1590kg (max allowed 1750kg) Rear axle 1240kg (max allowed 1850kg) total 2830kg with a MAM 3300kg. payload 470kg. The weight included driver (me) and a full tank of fuel. Once I had the Sporty Trailers box on the back we were down to 420kg. When fully laden for our winter travels we were about on the MAM and that was with the fresh water tank empty. The extra 200kg on the MAM now gives us peace of mind. Don[/QUOTE]

Don

I assume your individual axle loads remain unaltered, so the new plated GVW (or MTPLM if you prefer) is achieved by, in effect, adding both axle maxima together?

I think there may be a bit of confusion about what is actually involved in replating some (for example the Hymer/Rapido as above, but also other) 'vans. 

Quite a few motorhomes are built on chassis that are rated for 3,500 tonnes or above.  (The following does not generally apply in UK, where there is a weight limit on "normal" driving licenses above 3,500kg, with many "mature" drivers having inherited "Grandfather rights" licenses that permit driving vehicles of up to 7500kg.)

However, because of driving license and taxation/speed limit restrictions in a number of European countries, weights above 3,400 kg are unpopular with a lot of European motorhomers, so converters "plate down" their larger motorhomes to 3,400kg.  Then, if one is prepared to pay the higher tax, accept the lower speed limit - and has the appropriate driving license - a new plate can be supplied by the converter that merely reinstates the full, original, GVW for the chassis.

What the converter is not doing in these cases, however (generally), is to uprate the chassis manufacturer's (Fiat, Mercedes, Iveco etc) original GVW for his chassis. 

What Don has had done is precisely the latter, however.  He has now obtained a new, fully certified, plate that uprates Fiat's original chassis rating.  This is not the same as a plate that merely allows him to use Fiat's rating to the maximum - he was already running at that limit.

Hope this helps.