3500Kg MAM registered as PHGV?

[Steve928]

Here's a strange one for consideration.

 

It's fairly commonplace for owners of my make of motorhome to up-plate their 3500Kg. vehicles to 3850Kg. and the bizarrely cheaper Private Heavy Goods Vehicle rate of VED.

- many opt to pay SV Tech's going rate to ease themselves through the process trouble-free.

- others go for the 50% cheaper Mr. Ruffles with all the idiosyncrasies that that seems to entail.

- some however go DIY and deal directly with DVLA.

 

Now although the latter approach works, eventually, the first stage seems without fail to be that the V5C is returned as follows:

- Max. permissible mass = 3500kg.

- Revenue weight = 3850kg.

- Taxation class = PHGV

 

Now this is of course a fail for those wishing to up-plate to 3850Kg. but for me it would be the perfect solution:

- MAM remains 3500Kg. with all that that entails e.g. lack of restrictions (speed limits, 3.5T access) abroad, no C1 licence requirement etc.

- VED would be charged at the PHGV rate of £165.

 

Is this a loophole? Is it even legal? It sounds perfect to me.

Over to you guys..

[1951Pete]

I had the same issue with DVLA and queried it with SVTech. They said it is not right but that they had had battles with the DVLA who insist that they will not change any field other than the Revenue Weight. I rang DVLA and discussed it. They assured me that they do not alter the original Max Permiiteed Mass and the V5 will not be altered. They pointed out that this was the figure used by DVSA and that our van has a weight sticker with the latest figures on it which will confirm the higher weight.

Our van was not updated through 3500 however but raised from 3300 to 3500.

As you will have a revenue weight of over 3500 you pay the higher weight VED (which is actually cheaper) but you are restricted by speeds and weight limits for those vehicles.

[Keithl]

1951Pete - 2019-01-20 7:13 PM

 

 

As you will have a revenue weight of over 3500 ... but you are restricted by speeds and weight limits for those vehicles.

 

Pete,

 

That is not actually correct for the UK (Mainland Europe is different).

 

In the UK it is your UNLADEN weight which determines your speed limits.

 

If your unladen weight is below 3,050 kg (actually three imperial tons) then you are restricted the same as a car but if OVER 3,050 kg then limits are lower for single and dual carriageways.

 

See the third and forth lines of this table...

 

https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

 

But quite how you are meant to know your unladen weight is a matter for discussion! The definition is here...

 

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-weights-explained

 

Keith.

 

[BruceM]

1951Pete - 2019-01-20 7:13 PM

 

I rang DVLA and discussed it. They assured me that they do not alter the original Max Permiiteed Mass and the V5 will not be altered. They pointed out that this was the figure used by DVSA and that our van has a weight sticker with the latest figures on it which will confirm the higher weight.

 

This makes some sense.

 

My V5 states that the van’s Taxation Class is PLG, the Revenue Weight is 2880kg, and Max Permissible Mass (aka MAM) is blank. So from a max permissible mass perspective the reliance is on the vehicle plate.

 

However, as the Revenue Weight is usually taken to be the equivalent of the unladen weight that must mean that a van could have a Revenue Weight as above (2880kg), a MAM of say 3850kg and still legally travel at car road speeds. I’m not sure what conclusion to draw other than that the dots never seem to join up.

[Brock]

The DVLA changed my MAM to 3850kg to bring it in line with the Revenue weight. I did this on the advice of another forum where it was recognised as a common problem.

[Derek Uzzell]

This issue was discussed at some length on this 2017 MHFun thread.

 

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/revenue-weight.154170/

 

I’ve always equated the “Revenue weight” to MAM, MTPLM or GVW - ie. the maximum figure that a vehicle may legally weigh when being driven - and there are on-line statements that support that view

 

https://www.motoringassist.com/breakdown-cover/faqs/gross_vehicle_weight/

 

“Revenue weight” is defined here

 

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/22/section/60A

 

(Best of luck ;-) )

 

Common-sense should dictate that, if a motorhome’s MAM is revised upwards or downwards, its V5C should reflect that change unambiguously and the motorhome itself should carry a data-plate showing the revised MAM.

 

As how weight-related data are entered on a vehicle’s V5C seems to vary, there’s plenty of scope for anomalies.

 

[Brian Kirby]

DVLA are not consistent! :-)

 

Our car shows both Revenue weight and MPM: both show the same values.

 

Our 2007 Hobby Van had neither Revenue weight nor MPM entered (both blank). It was registered as PLG. It originally had the old style (blue) V5C, later changed by DVLA to the new style (red) V5C - but still with both fields blank. However, being registered PLG - indicating VED appropriate to vehicles of max 3,500kg - I guess confirmed its Revenue weight.

 

Our 2013 Hymer Exsis was delivered at 3,700kg MPM. Its V5C showed 3,700kg Revenue weight with MAM blank. I subsequently down-plated it to 3,500kg (to be rid of the need for expensive faff of getting a doctor to confirm my fitness, as it ran at under 3,500kg), and the replacement V5C was completed in the same fashion, merely replacing 3,700kg with 3,500kg.

 

The V5C for the present, Knaus, van is the same. No MPM shown, only Revenue weight @ 3,500kg.