Mopar Muscle Association UK

Hi guys
OK firstly apologies as its not a Mopar and i only ever seem to post on here when I've got an issue but you solved the problem last time with my Ford truck so here goes again....

I've got a Ford F350 6.0ldiesel double cab Super Duty. Went to MOT it & three test stations later and no joy. They all clock the size of it, then check the VIN tag and read that the GVWR is 4299kgs which is way over the limit for a class 7 MOT (3500kgs) which most vans (transits etc) are well under.

Annoyingly on the reg doc its listed as an LGV rated at 3500kgs which it must have been registered as new back in 2004
So here's the quandary....do I:

a) go to an ATF (authorised VOSA testing facility) and get a HGV MOT which does mean i will HAVE to get a tachograph as we use it for my fencing business (which I've been quoted £1500.00 for a VOSA fitted tach!).

b) keep taking it to different MOT stations until ifind someone who puts a class 7 MOT on it....

c) have it 'downrated' (or down plated) & certificated (plated) to 3500kgs. When I contacted VOSA to do this they said that they need the original weight certificate/plate to be able to down rate it... but obviously i don't have this as it was registered as a LGV (at 3500kgs)

The guy who owned it before me had always used the same MOT centre and they put it through a class 7 MOT. So have the rules changed or did they not realise/turn a blind eye???

Surely i cant be the only person with an F350 or large american truck to experience this?? I do stress though that i want to do the right thing as i use it daily for my business & don't fancy driving around looking over my shoulder for VOSA to pull me over.

Any help as always would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance guys

Dont know how that was registered ??
Over lgv 3500 kg = tachograph
Both the dually rams I imported had to be done rated to 3500kg
Whilst doing this I had to have new lower weight vin tags made and whilst on test VOSA defaced the original vin tag and stuck the lower weight one next to it
try some where like this
http://www.vintagsuk.com/
and remove your original one ?
Your local council will have a much larger testing bay thats where Ive took RV's

I've got an F350 dually, it hasn't been down plated, my local Ford dealer does the MOT, class 4, the weight limit for class 4 is something like 5 tonnes whereas the weight limit for class 7 is 3500kg. It can't be used as an HGV as they don't have type approval. It's difficult using them for business, but ok as long as you only move your own goods, there are a few grey areas!
Tell your mot tester it is a "heavy motor car". Mine was sold new here but is registered as plg but it's a bit older than your's. Drop Paul R on here a PM, he gave me some useful advice & he knows what he's talking about.

The problem with having them downplated is that by the time you fill it up with diesel you don't have enough payload left to carry more than a couple of passengers.

Thanks guys helpful advise so far...
I'm not that keen to have it down rated as it weighs over 3 ton so would mean i could only carry 500kg, which would include the driver, tools and fuel so it limits its use & usefulness. However if this is my only option i will pursue it. There's a company called 'svtech' that can do this, apparently over the phone, but I'm not sure how true that is
That's what I've been asking the MOT testers to do, to MOT its as a PLG class 4 but they've all refused so far. It doesn't help its got signwriting on it but i think I'll take the company signs off, clean it up, then put a couple of kiddie seats in it and say i use it mainly for private use and "occasional" business trips.....

Thanks again chaps, much appreciated with the quick response.
By the way who is Paul R and how can i get hold off him....? Don't want to hassle anyone but if he can help me out it won't go unrewarded

PM sent

read up on 'dual purpose vehicle'

shovelheadrob wrote:The problem with having them downplated is that by the time you fill it up with diesel you don't have enough payload left to carry more than a couple of passengers.

correct for the sva, I had to doctor the fuel gauage so it was reading full when empty 9which it has to for the old sva0, take all the chrome bits off, spare wheel & 5th wheel etc and was still over 3 ton, that was 2005 ram 3500 quad cab/longbed/cummins/4X4/manual

Richard wrote:read up on 'dual purpose vehicle'

Unfortunately that only applies if the vehicle weighs less than 20 40kg unladen. An F350 weighs around 3200kg.

Put my F350 on a local weighbridge and it came in at over 3540 Kgs with no passengers or driver in it, no tools & just a quarter of a tank of fuel, so down plating to 3500kgs not an option.
Richard: Dual purpose vehicle looks like a possible way forward.....
Thanks for the help/advice so far

Evening all
OK this is getting frustrating...
Still no MOT after my 4th attempt on my Ford F350 & beginning to wonder if I've got a vehicle that's not compatible on British roads

Here's the latest:
Definitely can't put a class 7 MOT on it as its curb weight (i.e unladen weight with no passengers or cargo) is over 3500kgs & VOSA stipulate the unladen weight must not exceed this.

So Class 4 MOT was a possibility under "Dual Purpose Vehicle" but according to the rules surrounding these types of vehicles is it must not exceed 2040kgs unladen.??? I hear of an exception or possible exemption to this limit but i've had no luck in finding it....

So mine now falls into an HGV class which there is no chance of getting as the F350 doesn't meet the criteria set out by VOSA

How are dealers selling these trucks, they must have the same issues. The new Ford Raptor will fall into the same trap yet i see they are being advertised in Classic American...????

So......any ideas?
I've got someone who going to call me back tmrw morning with a poss solution but is there anyone else out there who knows of a solution or who can help, is there another category under a class 4 MOT i should be looking at,,or are there ANY exemptions in the class 7 ??

Any advice would be great

If you tell them it is a "heavy motor car" see definition here http://www.transportsfriend.org/road/definitions.html or here http://legislation.data.gov.uk/uksi/198 ... ?wrap=true it then falls into class 4, they have to stop thinking of the truck as a commercial & treat it as a car as it's a crewcab, it's a car with a Bananarama! great trunk! It's a bit like motorhomes, a 9 tonne American RV still has a class 4 MOT!
I've been through all this with my local VOSA/DVSA & they actually said they wouldn't have a problem with the vehicle having either a class 4 or class 7 if you got stopped as it's basically the same test requirements. Have you contacted the guy I sent you the PM about? He gave me the name of someone at the DVSA head office in Bristol, unfortunately I don't have it anymore, but apparently if you were to mention it to the tester they would not wish to invoke his wrath!
Out of interest what is the MOT history, when I checked mine its about 50/50 class 4/7 depending on where it was taken, but now I have my local Ford dealer on board it's staying class 4, which reminds me it's due very soon!

Yup I've had this out with all the MOT testers and they have all given me the whole spiel on "its more than my jobs worth" & "its all recorded these days, so they know everything we do" etc etc.
I've cleaned it up. took the signs off & said i use it both privately & for 'light' business use but still no joy.
To be fair to the last lot they couldn't fit it on their rollers to test the brakes

The truck has been MOT'd as class 7 from day one, which i do understand why they wouldn't want to re-do as the rules are quite specific i.e 3500kgs Max or no go.

Yes I've been in contact with him and he's the guy i hope to speak to tomorrow, really helpful guy & hope he has some more info for me...

Just looked on Ebay and there is half a dozen trucks the same as mine so someone, somewhere must be putting MOT's on them.
Will take a look at your link & see what i can do.
Thanks forgetting back to me mate.

The new draft class 4 now includes American and Canadian trucks up to 6500kgs

Hard luck if was made in Mexico but I guess that chimes with the times.