3.5t tippers.

[Ty Korrigan]

Why does this category exist?

 

Parked up in Ikea this afternoon next to a tasty new arb truck, well sign written, distant competitor from other side of Rennes, guessed the crew were in the restaurant chawing down on meatballs and pickled herrings.

I walked around the Grafter, the wife hissing at me because I looked suspicious. Single cab, large wide toolbox and a tipping unit at least 3.2m with alloy plank sides and a tarp top.

It was a 3.5t and looked very low despite being empty.

Worse than my own saggy arsed Iveco before I put 5t springs on it.

It didn't look like it had any legal payload left at all.

So just how did this weight category come to be?

 

 

 

 

[Con]

Arb is a very small percentage of usage for 3.5 trucks

[Dan Maynard]

It's still pretty useless for builders with a transit tipper of sand. 3.5t panel vans make more sense I guess.

 

Was it a European unification of rules thing? Think when I was a lad the 3.5t didn't really exist, a 3t truck was 3t empty, sort of equivalent of a 7.5t now.

[scbk]

1 hour ago, Dan Maynard said:

Think when I was a lad the 3.5t didn't really exist, a 3t truck was 3t empty, 

Och that's still the case!

 

This was posted before, when they unloaded the van it weighed 3470kg EMPTY!!

Legal payload of 30kg 

 

 

 

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Dan Maynard said:

It's still pretty useless for builders with a transit tipper of sand. 3.5t panel vans make more sense I guess.

 

Was it a European unification of rules thing? Think when I was a lad the 3.5t didn't really exist, a 3t truck was 3t empty, sort of equivalent of a 7.5t now.

In the days before tachos and licences were good for 7.5 tonnes the limit was 35cwt unladen weight for car mot test and light goods tax, you could just about get under this with a dropside and single wheels as long as it had a petrol engine. I suspect the next size up was 3 tonnes unladen but I never had one.

 

So until diesels became ubiquitous you could just about carry 2 tonne legally before needing an O licence.

 

[scbk]

It's a pity they don't show what vehicle this one here is, I imagine another Iveco:

 

 

[Con]

39 minutes ago, scbk said:

It's a pity they don't show what vehicle this one here is, I imagine another Iveco:

 

 

What was the advice? Get a new truck?

[Ty Korrigan]

Iveco double cab, normal arb kit, saws, ladder, chip box, two crew, 3420kg on the weigh bridge...

 

 

[Ty Korrigan]

Luckily, our equivalent of VOSA is not very active in our area.

I have been pulled twice at the same rest stop on the N24 both occasions empty but for kit.

Then once only 5km from home loaded with chip on a forest backroad. The truck had saggy springs on it which alerted the Gendarmes.

Fined €180 but they did escort me to our yard to tip off which was good of them.

Any future truck will be 7t though none of my colleagues have a licence for that.

A cause of anxiety is getting involved in even a minor shunt whilst overloaded.

Not the criminal aspect but a civil action.

Some litigious character dragging me through the courts in a civil case over whiplash and stress that prevents them from leading a normal life (whilst still managing to enjoy annual skiing holidays) and having to retire early even for a Frenchman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lux]

I’m shopping for 7.5t tippers atm 

 

I used a green waste centre recently that had a weighbridge.  Working out of our usual area and couldn’t get a hookloader through the gates to drop off a bin on site. Had to shuttle loads of chip out with a transit and 10ft tipper trailer behind.  
 

9 ton on the weighbridge. - up rated springs and barn doors hide it well but 2t over on train weight is a little naughty .. 

wasted time too.  Finally confirmed for me to buy a 7.5t tipper.