class 4 or 7

Posted this on the other thread but I'll post it here too.

It will be a 4wd so class 4. Just asked DVSA about plate weights the other day. I was told...

For class 4/7 purposes if its just over the 3ton limit and you've got ATL (which we have) weigh it. If it's well under the 3ton test it as a class 4

True but if a goods vehicle is showing 3040kg then I was told to weigh it. If it's way under the limit and you can safely test it then you can as a class 4

This is what I was told 2 days ago by DVSA during a site inspection

the manual states that dual purpose is under 2040kg ulw.are we to take unladen weight as what atl weighs vehicle at.

Dual purpose needs scrapping too. And just to be a pedant a Dual purpose need not be all wheel drive as seems to be repeatedly stated.

Dual purpose vehicles
A dual purpose vehicle is a vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage both of passengers and of goods and designed to weigh no more than 2,040 kg when unladen, and is either:

constructed or adapted so that the driving power of the engine is, or can be selected to be, transmitted to all wheels of the vehicle
or

permanently fitted with a rigid roof, at least one row of transverse passenger seats to the rear of the driver’s seat and will have side and rear windows - there must also be a minimum ratio between the size of passenger and stowage areas
See The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (Part 1 Regulation 3) for the full definition.

That's a good question. I've always thought we were just supposed to know what the ULW is, but without telling us how we're supposed to know!

But, realistically, in this case everyone tests them as Class IV and so do I.

a few examples,vivaro/traffic crewcabs,gvw 3030-3130,i test em as 7,log em in and the class4 brake weight comes back as 2100-2300kg,guess that means that ulw is over 2040.....

anyone remember landys/bentlys/rollers etc being classed as"large passenger vehicles"in the 90s?cos legally speaking they were trucks.lost count of the sh1tty old campers ive had that our 4 ton ramp wouldn't touch.4ton tranny minibuses with half the seats removed anyone?keep in mind that your weighing gear not only doesn't give you ulw(even if you have it,i don't) but even if it did it would only be any good to you if it was presented empty,most vans for some reason seem to have tools etc in em.....its always been a crazy situation with loopholes galore and some unparalelled opportunities to make a chump of yourself,putting vehicle class on database via dvla at first registration would be a start but don't hold your breath,its easier to blame one of us poor bastards whos ticked the box with"entered in accordance with guides/manuals etc"and entered their pin so that they can get blamed on a legal basis.

ATL will only give axle weights not ULW.