Vauxhall Antara

[MrBell]

Well I have had another call from vauxhall customer services and they have confirmed my car weighs 2505kg as they can only go off what my V5 states! They are unable to know why my car is heavier than what the website states and where saying could be to do with the accessories added to the car!? I have an exclusive AWD and dont have all the gadgets so mine is the standard model! Well thats what I was told! So looks like I will have to get some money saved and do my test, hopefully will pass this time!
Vauxhall did state they are going to have a chat to the dealership I bought the car from to see if can do any good gesture for the inconvenience, I doubt they will get much off the dealership.
So anyone who buys a Antara exclusive AWD 163 you will need to be careful with weights if you have a B licence. The vauxhall website states wrong figures and the GVW is 2505kg NOT 2345kg!

 

[Sproket]

So I am wondering if I have bought a car with wrong plates on or an older style looking like the new one???

Vauxhall should be able to tell you that answer quite easily with the Vin number .....

 

[Parksy]

The Vin plate show 4505kg , the maximum towing weight is 2k and the cars maximium weight is 2505kg. The car also has an 80kg nose weight. (i only know all this as i did my research before i bought mine) These figures are for the 4x4 version, i dont know what the 2wd version weights are.
I havent had a chance to tow with mine yet as i need to do my B+E test, (failed first time but im appealing aginst the decision, long story!)

Well I have had another call from vauxhall
customer services and they have confirmed my car weighs 2505kg as they
can only go off what my V5 states! They are unable to know why my car
is heavier than what the website states and where saying could be to do
with the accessories added to the car!? I have an exclusive AWD and dont
have all the gadgets so mine is the standard model! Well thats what I
was told! So looks like I will have to get some money saved and do my
test, hopefully will pass this time!
Vauxhall did state they are
going to have a chat to the dealership I bought the car from to see if
can do any good gesture for the inconvenience, I doubt they will get
much off the dealership.
So anyone who buys a Antara exclusive
AWD 163 you will need to be careful with weights if you have a B
licence. The vauxhall website states wrong figures and the GVW is 2505kg
NOT 2345kg!

I feel sorry for you and really hope that all goes well on your B+E test next time Mr Bell, if the forum can help with tips or advice don't hesitate to ask ,but I have to be honest and say that, from what you posted in August you already knew that the vin plate reads '2505Kg' and that you will need a B+E entitlement in order to tow your caravan.
Good luck with obtaining some sort of 'recompense' from Vauxhall, your secret is safe with us

but you can't in truth argue that you were misled going by what you wrote on 24th August.

 

[MrBell]

The Vin plate show 4505kg , the maximum towing weight is 2k and the cars maximium weight is 2505kg. The car also has an 80kg nose weight. (i only know all this as i did my research before i bought mine) These figures are for the 4x4 version, i dont know what the 2wd version weights are.
I havent had a chance to tow with mine yet as i need to do my B+E test, (failed first time but im appealing aginst the decision, long story!)

Well I have had another call from vauxhall
customer services and they have confirmed my car weighs 2505kg as they
can only go off what my V5 states! They are unable to know why my car
is heavier than what the website states and where saying could be to do
with the accessories added to the car!? I have an exclusive AWD and dont
have all the gadgets so mine is the standard model! Well thats what I
was told! So looks like I will have to get some money saved and do my
test, hopefully will pass this time!
Vauxhall did state they are
going to have a chat to the dealership I bought the car from to see if
can do any good gesture for the inconvenience, I doubt they will get
much off the dealership.
So anyone who buys a Antara exclusive
AWD 163 you will need to be careful with weights if you have a B
licence. The vauxhall website states wrong figures and the GVW is 2505kg
NOT 2345kg!

I feel sorry for you and really hope that all goes well on your B+E test next time Mr Bell, if the forum can help with tips or advice don't hesitate to ask ,but I have to be honest and say that, from what you posted in August you already knew that the vin plate reads '2505Kg' and that you will need a B+E entitlement in order to tow your caravan.
Good luck with obtaining some sort of 'recompense' from Vauxhall, your secret is safe with us

but you can't in truth argue that you were misled going by what you wrote on 24th August.

When I wrote that post I did know my car weighed 2505kg but I then looked on vauxhalls website and realised the numbers didn't add up, so I started looking into why which is why I then started posting on here. I know I have to do my licence and to be honest I'm not expecting anything from vauxhall so I'll start saving and do my test.
I did think I should have bought a lighter car but I really like my Antara so I'm going to have to live with the fact a B+E is the way forward!
Thanks everyone for the advice tho as been very useful!
What I need now is a box trailer so I can do my test as before been using my dads caravan and I haven't been able to complete the manovering part correctly as I couldnt see if the caravan was in the yellow box! I watched a bloke do his with ease as there was no overhang on the trailer so when his wheels where in the yellow box he had passed! Everything else I can pass as showed the first time doing the test.
Does anyone know of a good trailer company who sells box trailers in Newcastle Upon Tyne and won't cost much to hire?

 

[mat1]

http://www.yell.com/s/trailer+hire-heaton-newcastle+upon+tyne.html
Mr Bell

Good luck.
You know you are doing the right, legal and sensible thing.

Mat

 

[MrBell]

http://www.yell.com/s/trailer+hire-heaton-newcastle+upon+tyne.html
Mr Bell

Good luck.
You know you are doing the right, legal and sensible thing.

Mat

Yeah and that's what i,want to do be legal and not get in trouble, thanks for the link I'll ring around and see what they will quote me.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi Mr Bell,
a word of warning,

small trailers are harder to reverse than big ones, when I worked in transport, I had to reverse curtain siders into the loading bays, torerances for this were about 3in either side to locate the dock levellers, and was actually very easy, any HGV driver will tell you the same, because the wheels are at the back of the trailer and the fulcrum point is on the back of the unit on the fifth wheel.
boat trailers are similar in that they have the wheels further back and the fulcrum point is of course on the tow ball,
caravans however are slightly harder because the wheels are in the centre of the trailer the fulcrum point is still the tow ball but because of the length of a van you can see down both sides of it and with practice know when the van starts to go offline and when to correct it.
small trailers however are a pig to reverse because the distance of the pivot point (the ball) and the axel are so short plus you cannot see down both sides of the trailer with the vehicle being a lot wider than the trailer by the time you see the trailer sides it allready has past the point where you could recover a straight line,
to be absolutely honest although I have been using towing and reversing trailers for more tha 40years I no longer bother trying to reverse the small garden trailer as it 's too much hassle.
get plenty of practice reversing into a supermarket bay when the shops shut before the test also try reversing the length of the carpark in a straight line this will help on the test.

regarding my earlier post I am absolutely sure that it is the tow load of the trailer the ministery men would check not the MTPLM if the unit was under the 3500kg limit you would be fine a trip to the weighbridge is allways a good idea just to make sure.

the senario of a car transporter springs to mind how much does it weigh ?? the maximum it can carry or the actual weight that it is,
common sense tells you it is the latter as the car it carries is the load, provded the van weight and car GVW is less than 3500kg you would be fine.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Colin,

This reply responds to a couple of your posts,

On the 11 Sept, I did allude to the noseweight issue,

"There is a small possibility you could add a few Kg to the caravan figure if you know exacatly what you your nose weight is, but it does rely on accurate assement of your nose weight and understanding the detail of the law. If your not sure about this its best left alone."

I do agree it could make the difference for Mr Bell, but it is so and it does depend on the amount of nose weight actually transfered on the outfit. Part of the difficulty here is the wording of the licence entitlement which states the combined MAM must not exceed 3500Kg. As you realise its not the simple addition of the individual MAM's of the car and caravan, because that would mean the nose weight would actually be counted twice, giving a larger figure than is actually the case.

Where this becomes more complex is which noseweight figure do you discount?, the car's or the caravans limit? and do you use the theoretical max values or the real measurable value?. I assume it if there is a difference you would have to use the lower of the two,

With regards to towing to and from a weighbridge, I do not know if there is any provision allowing an unproven outfit to travel to or from an appointment at a weighbridge, in the same way that a car may be taken to an appointment for an MOT. But given that the licence requirement is based on the MAM's which are fixed limits, and can be calculated without weighing the outfit, if you are stopped with a combined figure above 3500kg you are in breach of the licence limits, regardless of what the outfit actually weighs.

Because this issue is not entirely clear, the safest way is not to try and ekk out these last few Kg, but stay safe with the simple addition of the vehicles MAM's -which sadly does produce a less flexible or desirable result.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi John,
I do agree and of course you are right, but if it was me I would shed every exess kilo and go get it weighed,
when I had mine weighed he took 3 readings car and van "for gross train weight" van on its own " max trailer weight" and van on scales with car off "to establish axel load " as it turned out the discrepancy was 5kg between what I thought the noseweight was and the true axel load "van weight minus noseweight" but this could have been down to the difference in nose attitude on the scales in relation to the normal attitude it was when I checked the noseweight,
while I agree Mr Bell should be careful as to the legal side of things for a seasoned caravanner like myself I would use the outfit suitabley trimmed down and let the ministery men prove I was wrong in court if nessasary if stopped by the VOSA team, which in over 40years has been once, and on that occasion they were more interested in whether the gas was turned off!! they looked at the weight plates on the car and van prodded the calulator and sent me on my way after enquiring about the gas.never asked about my licence, or weighed the outfit. on 3 other occasions we have passed a check point but been waved through without stopping as they were more interested in checking the HGV's.
just reading the weight plates as you say does not give the whole picture and while on paper it seems black and white the whole weight issue is a very grey area as I well know, if the tow load of the van plus vehicle weight combined is less than the allowance it is legal and that is for sure.
colin

 

[MrBell]

hi John,
I do agree and of course you are right, but if it was me I would shed every exess kilo and go get it weighed,
when I had mine weighed he took 3 readings car and van "for gross train weight" van on its own " max trailer weight" and van on scales with car off "to establish axel load " as it turned out the discrepancy was 5kg between what I thought the noseweight was and the true axel load "van weight minus noseweight" but this could have been down to the difference in nose attitude on the scales in relation to the normal attitude it was when I checked the noseweight,
while I agree Mr Bell should be careful as to the legal side of things for a seasoned caravanner like myself I would use the outfit suitabley trimmed down and let the ministery men prove I was wrong in court if nessasary if stopped by the VOSA team, which in over 40years has been once, and on that occasion they were more interested in whether the gas was turned off!! they looked at the weight plates on the car and van prodded the calulator and sent me on my way after enquiring about the gas.never asked about my licence, or weighed the outfit. on 3 other occasions we have passed a check point but been waved through without stopping as they were more interested in checking the HGV's.
just reading the weight plates as you say does not give the whole picture and while on paper it seems black and white the whole weight issue is a very grey area as I well know, if the tow load of the van plus vehicle weight combined is less than the allowance it is legal and that is for sure.
colin

I can agree with what your saying but I will have to find a weigh bridge and see. I don't think i am over the weights. I will have to save my pennies and try and pass my test then I won't have to worry.

 

[Parksy]

Is there a particular part of the test which is causing you problems Mr Bell or is it a case of nerves causing you to forget to carry out observations or make basic errors?
I know that you said that the manoeuvring part caught you out recently, the thing to remember is to take your time, concentrate on the offside of the trailer (nearest to you) and get that lined up, the nearside will take care of itself but don't forget to check both sets of mirrors for 'other road users' when you are carrying out the manoeuvre.
If the overhang at the rear of the caravan crossed the marker line, practice on empty supermarket car parks as Colin suggested and line the rear of the caravan up with your stopping point.
Choose a spot on the back corner / sidewall of the caravan as a point of reference and remember it, (you could even put a temporary sticker on as a marker) then use it to stop at the same point every time.
Never start a turn into a road unless the exit route is clear and you can complete the turn, it's a case of 'look before you leap'.
Above all, don't be too anxious and try to rush things during the test, if you are stuck in traffic and stationary there is less chance of making a mistake so if you are stuck behind a large goods vehicle or a farm tractor - great! More time for you to concentrate on getting it right, just don't let the nerves take over.

 

[Martin24]

I would absolutely hate to attempt a test solo let alone towing!! Nerves would certainly take over and with that a propensity to try and rush through a manouver. If on my own at storage I'm back in first time, if anyone is waiting to get by and I rush it then I may as well go home and try again the next day with the total hash I make of it!! Good advice Parksy, especially the temporary sticker. It all comes down to plenty of practice and how ever many years we all tow we still get it wrong at times, luckily without a test depending on it!!

Good luck you'll get there in the end!!

 

[MrBell]

I would absolutely hate to attempt a test solo let alone towing!! Nerves would certainly take over and with that a propensity to try and rush through a manouver. If on my own at storage I'm back in first time, if anyone is waiting to get by and I rush it then I may as well go home and try again the next day with the total hash I make of it!! Good advice Parksy, especially the temporary sticker. It all comes down to plenty of practice and how ever many years we all tow we still get it wrong at times, luckily without a test depending on it!!

Good luck you'll get there in the end!!

The first time I did the test nerves kicked in and I forgot to do a couple of checked which I would do naturally if I was going to tow but the examiner was making me feel uncomfortable and I didn't do what I needed to do, the manoeuvering part passed first time but the second time I couldn't cancel my test and I was full of cold and the examiner was rushing me and telling me to hurry up on my manoeuvering part so I panicked and nerves kicked in again and basically I was a foot off the yellow square, so failed straight away before I had to chance to go on the road. I felt really uncomfortable on my last test, I know I can do it but the examiners at Newcastle are very pushy and don't seem to let you get on with what I needed to do! I'm going to practice some more in the next few months and I'm going to do my test somewhere else, maybe peterbourgh and hopefully I'll pass.
I know I can do it just I am very uncomfortable at Newcastle, I just need to save up some money!
Thanks for the support I will do it!!!

 

[Parksy]

It's perfectly natural to be nervous before and during any sort of test, let alone a driving test with important issues riding on the resuly Mr Bell.
I took a car driving test, a PSV for a 54 seater coach then later on, after giving up the PSV entitlement, a HGV 3 and after that a HGV 1 test and although I was lucky enough to pass each one I was nervous every time because I never paid a penny for any test ( not even the car test, a government Skillcentre course in 1976 paid for 12 driving lessons and a test ) and if I hadn't succeeded I'd have had to pay for further lessons and tests which I'd have never afforded at the time.
To 'trick' myself into not being too nervous I'd imagine that I was driving around with a friend who was giving me directions and who I wanted to impress with my driving skills such as they were.
Although you have to display that you can make 'normal progress' don't let them rush you to the point where you become flustered. Get plenty of practice in and manoeuvreing will become second nature to the point where you enjoy doing it, even with an 'audience' of interested onlookers at a campsite.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

Get plenty of practice in and manoeuvreing will become second nature to the point where you enjoy doing it, even with an 'audience' of interested onlookers at a campsite.

or you can really impress the onlookers by casualy driving up to the pitch, unhook the van and use the mover like expert to put the van exactly where the "WARDEN" wants it,

sorry parksy, a bit cheeky in the context of the thread but I couldn't resist