[tl:gallery index=0 size=103×155]Our Gentleman Jack Bancroft is an irredeemable motorcaravaning enthusiast. His family have been camping, caravanning and motorcaravanning since 1928. Jack and his wife Flora are now on their tenth motorhome, a 2003 Auto-Sleeper Pollensa on a Ford Transit base. They have toured extensively at home and abroad, including a period of full-timing. Here, Jack answers your motorcaravanning queries:

 

Q: We have recently bought a Bürstner Elegance i660 motorhome, which was first registered in March 2004, from a dealer. During our initial viewing of the vehicle I pointed out to the salesman that the MTPLM on the V5C document read 2300kg but the plate on the motorhome stated that its MTPLM was 3500kg.

 

I asked the dealer to correct the V5C prior to us picking up the motorhome, which they agreed to do. 

 

We live 120 miles away from the dealer so to collect the motorhome we left home the day before to stay overnight a little closer. We were 40 miles into the journey when the salesman called to say that they had not changed the DVLA document as promised, but all we needed to do was to visit a public weighbridge and then to send the current weight of the vehicle to the DVLA.

 

We did this before we left for home and obtained a stamped certificate of the weight. However, as we were only collecting the ’van it weighed far less than it normally would because it didn’t have our touring kit onboard.

 

Do I have to correct the DVLA document and, if so, how do I go about this because it has had at least one previous owner?
George and Val Dyer

 

A: Sometimes I wonder whether there will ever be full agreement between the different government departments and although the VOSA, the Highways Agency and the DVLA didn’t agree on everything I’m about to say, they came close.

 

1. Original responsibility for the correct information lies with the original supplying dealer – if the vehicle is first registered in the UK as brand new.
 

 

2. If it was first registered brand new in the EU, and subsequently re-registered as pre-owned in the UK, the responsibility is with the registered keeper and whoever is driving the vehicle if it is stopped on the public highway.
 

 

3. As you bought the ’van pre-owned, the consensus was that the responsibility is as in point 2. However, the supplying dealer does have what is commonly referred to as a ‘duty of care’ to ensure that reasonable measures are taken to check that any documentation supplied with the vehicle is correct. I’m not sure whether they have satisfied this, but I personally doubt it.  

 

I suggest the following course of action. First, photograph the weight plate you refer to. Then, on section 7 on the V5C form circle ‘corrected’ in the title box. In sub-section 22, fill in the corrected weight. Then, sign and date at the bottom of the page, separate the form into two pages and keep the section you haven’t altered.

 

Add a brief covering letter, enclose the photograph of the weight plate and send by recorded delivery to DVLA Swansea SA99 1BA.