PJay Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Just had our van done yesterday. They now weigh the van as part of the test It has made us realise that we need to de clutter some of the "might need" items we carry PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 AFAIK this is only if the test station has the facility, my cars are weighed but my van isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 PJay - 2016-02-26 10:48 AM Just had our van done yesterday. They now weigh the van as part of the test It has made us realise that we need to de clutter some of the "might need" items we carry PJay Why, Pauline? Are you saying it was overloaded? :$ (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 PJay - 2016-02-26 10:48 AM Just had our van done yesterday. They now weigh the van as part of the test It has made us realise that we need to de clutter some of the "might need" items we carry PJay Let’s say a motorhome is licensed in the Private or Light Goods (PLG) category that is limited to vehicles that have a maximum overall weight of no more than 3500kg. If that motorhome weighs, say, 3600kg when submitted for MOT testing, it will not be failed for being 100kg ‘overweight’ licensing-wise because the actual weight of the vehicle is not a pass/fail issue within the test procedure. However, the MOT test does include braking-performance testing and, when a ‘static’ test is carried out (ie. when the vehicle’s braking is not being tested via a decelerometer while driving it on the road) the vehicle’s weight (notional or measured) will be input to the testing equipment. The procedures are detailed in Section 3 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/429032/mot-inspection-manual-classes-3-4-5-7-vehicles.pdf As colin says, if an MOT testing station is able to measure a motorhome’s weight it will, and if it can’t it won’t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 ...I had both my previous 'vans MOT'd at a local bus and coach firm, who carry out MOT tests for all classes of vehicle, and up to very high weights. As part of the required brake testing (where the decelerative force has to be a percentage of the axle load to pass), I've been provided with a printout of the results, complete with the actual axle weights of the vehicle as presented for test. (which has been a useful benchmark for payload). (And, as I've posted here before, I tend to send my 'vans for MOT as lightly loaded as possible, since this reduces the chances of failing the required percentage braking effort given the lower axle loads - and, for anyone who is worried about being "on the margin", the printout will give an idea of just how close to the failure point the result is). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 The lesson here, for those of us who sail close to the wind in relation to our motorhome's maximum allowable weight (or whatever they call it this week) is that it would only take a little bit of joined up thinking by officialdom to recognise the opportunity which weighing vehicles at MOT time presents for additional revenue. Better to do a bit of unloading before you take your MH for its next MOT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 Brian Kirby - 2016-02-26 1:04 PM PJay - 2016-02-26 10:48 AM Just had our van done yesterday. They now weigh the van as part of the test It has made us realise that we need to de clutter some of the "might need" items we carry PJay Why, Pauline? Are you saying it was overloaded? :$ (lol) No Brian, but we where not in it (If that counts) and no water in tank, and only half tank of fuel.getting close to upper limit. We have taken out a lot of tools, spanners etc, also our tow rope was much to large and therefore quite heavy, so have cut that to a smaller length . OH wants me to reduce plates cutlery etc, from 4 to 2. How many do others carry ? PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 colin - 2016-02-26 11:13 AM AFAIK this is only if the test station has the facility, my cars are weighed but my van isn't. Did not know that, so not a required test then? Our van goes to a Fiat service station, who do commercial s, and he said they now have to weigh them, so guess for HGV's more likely. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan73 Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 So happy to live in a land of no M.O.T!! And no speed limits is a good laugh to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 PJay - 2016-02-26 6:43 PM Brian Kirby - 2016-02-26 1:04 PM PJay - 2016-02-26 10:48 AM Just had our van done yesterday. They now weigh the van as part of the test It has made us realise that we need to de clutter some of the "might need" items we carry PJay Why, Pauline? Are you saying it was overloaded? :$ (lol) No Brian, but we where not in it (If that counts) and no water in tank, and only half tank of fuel.getting close to upper limit........................... PJay Best idea, I think, would be to fully load it (just as you normally would, with you both on board) and take it to a weighbridge to confirm what is actually weighs in that condition. They you'll know how much you actually have to remove to be legal. Anything else and you're merely guessing, and you may well be guessing wrong. The biggest danger is tyres bursting due to overload. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 As I understand the MOT testers manual the vehicles MAM is the figure used to calculate brake efficiency. At a guess weighing is necessary when the information needed is unavailable from the makers plate.But some more research is needed to be sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 ...the page here gives the definitive position: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-testing-service-enter-vehicle-specific-information-vsi Where the brake test facility also incorporates a weighing capability, the weight(s) this presents should be used for the purposes of the test. As more testers use rollers within an automated testing lane (incorporating weighing), the prevalence of this method is likely to increase. Otherwise, the online MOT service should present you with a weight to be used for the brake efficiency test. It isn't clear what this will be based on, but given that a test with actual weights is likely to be at less than MAM, then I'd be (mildly) surprised if it were indeed MAM (otherwise why complicate things - just carry out the test using MAM even if weighing is available - as I've posted above, the lighter the vehicle is (or nominally is) when presented, the more likely it is to pass the brake test). As detailed, the weight can be overriden under certain circumstances (or indeed, a decelerometer test may be substituted if no weight can be determined). I note that companies such as Autodata will sell MOT test weight tables to allow the above override to be undertaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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