France calling...

[Big J]

I am 10km from Civray, most clients keep the wood for burning. i get the odd bit of pine but nobody wants it so that goes to the dump or the bigger bits go on the alaskan.

It works out better if they keep the wood. i consider working an hour from home as local so if the client wants the chip and wood taking away it becomes a drama.

 

You will have to pm me his details and say hello on a visit.

 

Darren

 

That's marvellous Darren - very kind of you. He just uses his stove for general heating and isn't fussed what goes into it. I'll just have to dig out his address and I'll PM it, along with phone numbers to you.

 

Thanks again - Jonathan

[VTS]

i have 3 days there in November. Its 2 hours from me but they put me up for the night and feed us.

 

Darren

[Le Sanglier]

One question for you guys, how have you managed registering your road tow chippers?

I've delayed the purchase of one until 2012 when the new Europe wide regs come into force.

Until then I've chosen to run a CS100 wee chipper and burn alot which is illegal in the summer here.

Although I could get round it all with a tracked chipper on a French spec Ifor Williams but thats alot of investment.

Cheers

Ty

 

I have a UK LDV French registered and tow an old Graveley around. It weighs 748 Kg so as far as i'm aware it doesn't need a ct or registering. I also still have my UK licence.

 

As far as i'm aware i'm all legal.

 

Think you are right there, according to my insurer anyway.

[Ty Korrigan]

I have a UK LDV French registered and tow an old Graveley around. It weighs 748 Kg so as far as i'm aware it doesn't need a ct or registering. I also still have my UK licence.

 

As far as i'm aware i'm all legal.

 

Hey! then your really lucky.

L.D.Vs are notoriously difficult to reregister in France especially as they have sadly gone down the tubes...

For chippers, all trailers over 500kg need to be registered but I'm not splitting on you!

 

Trailers

 

The maximum laden weight (Poids Totale Autorisée en Charge - PTAC) and unladen weight (Poids Vide - PV) should be shown on all trailers, whatever the weight, on the nearside of the front of the trailer or on the draw bar.

 

Trailers greater than 500 Kg (PTAC, laden weight) need:

 

to be registered, hold a Carte Grise registration document and have registration plates (apply at the Préfecture)

a certificate of insurance (certificat d'assurance) to be shown in the front nearside window of the towing vehicle, in a waterproof holder on the front nearside of the trailer or next to the insurance certificate (certificat d'assurance) of the towing vehicle.

 

I'm hopeless at cut and paste...

Ty

[VTS]

i think i need to do some homework to try and find the loop holes in the system.

Do i still get away with it cos i have the UK licence.

What a mine field!!!!

[Ty Korrigan]

Minefield?

I just bought a £4000 trailer that fully conforms to E.U regs and YET cannot be registered in France...

I am...livid, both with the bloody small minded French officials and the manufacturer for mis-representing their product.

I will resolve this even if I have to use Sir Charles Simmons our family lawyer.

Now he is a right B#?!ard...

[Riggerbear]

And we thought we had a hard time over here with vosa etc etc !

I've done a few dismantles for friends around the thiviers area over the last few years while being on holiday, if this counts.

[Breton monkey]

i think i need to do some homework to try and find the loop holes in the system.

Do i still get away with it cos i have the UK licence.

What a mine field!!!!

 

your Uk licence is an EU licence so you have no need to change it.... though if caught on the wrong side of the law, the gendarmes can insist you change it so points can be applied (so they can take it of you affectivly) but otherwise dont worry about it.

 

as for trailer waights, yeah i belive it is a big minefield... i was told that any trailer fitted with brakes(over 500KG) needs to be self registered.... the fact that it is under 750KG just means that you can pull it without doing the extra trailer licence part to your driving licence (depending on your age, you might already have that included)

i got round it with a TW125..... anything over about 3inch is firewood!.... this also stops me needing to take my trailer licence as i have learnt to drive over here.

[Ty Korrigan]

Ah, but how did you register your TW125...?

Was it a French model?

Its over 500kg so requires it own Carte Grise (V5 document)

I have been waiting until 2012 to buy a road tow chipper because of this arse of a regulation.

In France you need to have cycle bars in front of your wheels and a French homoglated chassis, brakes and towhitch before you can register a trailer.

Its a chuffing minefield!

Ty

[Breton monkey]

acturly its not registered, i do need to fit cycle bars but other than that no problems. its built to EU spec and there apears to be no problem with it. i've been stopped at a papers check and after questioning its waight (because my licence doesnt have the extra trailer bit) all the gendarm said was its a nice piece of kit! thye are more worried that you have identical tyres on the axel than anything.