Class 3 toll road tag for France

[Aljen30]

Do I need a different tag for the French Toll roads- my motorhome is 4.3 tonnes.

it is a class3 vehicle.

if so where do I get it?

[Steve928]

Do you have an existing tag and is it only your MAM that's taking you into Class 3?

 

[Derek Uzzell]

This 2017 MotorHomeFun forum thread discussed autoroute toll-tags for 'non-Class 2' motorhomes.

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/french-toll-tag-for-mh-over-3m-and-3500kg.162982/

Ignoring the widely-held (and mistaken) belief within the UK motorcaravanning community that all motorhomes fall into a special magical toll category irrespective of the vehicle's gross weight, height or number of axles, the terms and conditions of the Liber-t electronic 'badge'

https://www.bipandgo.com/en/terms-conditions/

make it clear that this badge is intended only for private individuals  with vehicles attracting Class 1, 2 or 5 tolls.

VI.2 Terms applicable to the use of electronic badges for motorways and toll structures

a. a. Definition of authorised classes

On the network of motorway operators and electronic toll structures, the electronic badge is used by the Holder to pay tolls for vehicles in toll classes 1*, 2**, 5*** and those that can be declassified into toll class 1****.

* class 1: vehicles or driving units with a total height of less than or equal to 2 metres and with an authorised loaded weight less than or equal to 3.5 metric tons.

** class 2: vehicles or driving units with a total height greater than or equal to 2 metres and less than 3 metres and with an authorised loaded weight less than or equal to 3.5 metric tons.

*** class 5: motorcycles, side-cars and trikes.

**** vehicles declassified as class 1: class 2 vehicles modified for transport of the disabled (while entering the toll lane, on presentation of the vehicle registration certificate bearing the note "disabled").

There is a scheme aimed at professional users that also uses the Liberty-t badge, but this is limited to autoroute Class 1 or 2 commercial vehicles.

According to this website 

https://tolltickets.com/en/products/france/

for Class 3 or 4 vehicles, a TIS-PL tag should be obtained. It's mentioned by the owner of a 7.5tonne motorhome towards the end of this 2022 MHFun thread

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/france-toll-tag-over-3-5t.259939/

[Aljen30]

Thanks Derek for that information.

Steve - I don’t yet have a tag

It’s the weight that puts it into a class 3, -  the dimensions are just within a class 2

thank you 

[Steve928]

Of course I wouldn't recommend this is what you do as Emovis' T&Cs are clear, but if you order a tag from them it's not linked to a particular vehicle and if the vehicle you subsequently happen to use it in would be normally be accepted by the autoroute companies as Class 2 (as 'standard' Camping Cars are and have been historically by pressing the button and declaring "Camping Car SVP") then nobody seems the least bit bothered. We've been charged automatically as Class 2 at a similar weight to yours for the past 4 years now (as have many others).

[Derek Uzzell]

I'm not sure how many autoroutes have manned toll-booths nowadays, but if arriving at one with (say) a very large, tall and heavy A-class motorhome or a motorhome with 3 axles (and a clued-up toll-booth operator) it's unlikely  that the vehicle would be categorised as Class 2.

At non-manned toll-booths the only relevant 'category check' will be based on the motorhome's height. As long as the booth's height-sensing system identifies that the motorhome's height does not exceed 3.0 metres, its weight or number of axles will be ignored and the Class 2 charge will be applied.

If the motorhome's height does exceed 3.0 metres, it's to be anticipated that a Class 3 charge will be demanded. However, certain things (loads temporarily on the roof, antennas, storage boxes, roof bars, satellite dishes, roof lights, solar panels) are exempted from the vehicle height calculation rules. As such items are commonplace on motorhomes, it's presumably understood/accepted by the people who respond to someone pressing the Help button and saying  "Camping-car SVP". So, as has been said so many times on UK motorhome forums, this ploy has every chance of being successful.

[Den]

We’ve been using a tag for many years and when on our LeVoyageur 850 I thought they may charge more, but they didn’t and then stupidly we upgraded to the LeVoyageur 950 big and bulky but we still used the tag with no problem and we used motorways lots of times from Calais to Spain. 
We’re now in a PVC still with the tag but with more time we won’t be dependent on the tag so much 

it works brilliantly on the motorway with cars and MH’s overtaking us for us to overtake them in the toll 😊

den 

[simians]

7 tonnes but under 3 metres height. Often use the autoroutes to bypass cities never paid a Class 3 at an unmanned or manned booth. Once or twice Class 3 requested but just spoke into the intercom, near instant human response. I then informed them I was a camping car Class 2 and paid the revised amount via cash or card. No doubt they were looking on the cctv. 

I'm as sure as I can be that weight sensors aren't employed, just height sensing. I will stick with cash or card as long as I'm Classified as 2. I'd only go for a tag system if it Classified me likewise or preferably Class 1!  I'm never in a rush.  

[Aljen30]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I'm leaning towards a Class 2 tag and trusting that it will be accepted.

A few years ago we declared a 4.5 t class 3 vehicle at a tunnel toll booth in Europe and paid double we needed to. [too honest]

Should learn from it.

Appreciate all your help. Please comment further, if need be.