A motorhome weighbridge visit is how you learn what the van actually weighs today — not what the paperwork hoped. This is the UK how-to: what to take, Empty versus Loaded, and what to write down in kilograms.
What this is for
Today’s weight. A plate and a V5 tell you limits and a paperwork empty-ish figure. They do not tell you this morning’s total, or what the front and rear axles are carrying. For why those two numbers matter, read motorhome axle weights explained.
Before you go
- Take the V5 and know your MAM (the plated maximum on the road). If those words are fuzzy, see MAM, Mass in Service and payload.
- Decide: Empty (base van, little kit) or Loaded (as you’d drive — people, water, gas, gear).
- Have a way to note the total, and if they can do it, front axle and rear axle separately.
At the weighbridge
- Drive on as instructed. Stay in the van unless they say otherwise.
- Get a printed ticket if you can.
- Write down:
- Total weight (kg)
- Front axle (kg) if shown
- Rear axle (kg) if shown
- Empty or Loaded
What “good” looks like
- Total under your MAM
- Each axle under the VIN plate axle limits (limits are on the plate — today’s load is on the ticket)
We don’t invent those limits or today’s kilograms. Your plate and ticket are the sources.
Common gotchas
- Fuel, water and gas change the number — use the same “trip state” each time you compare.
- A rear axle can be over even when total MAM looks fine.
- Public weighbridges vary — call ahead if you need axle weights, not only a total.