Morning Guys. Looking for a bit of advice.
I’m running a 1998 ERF EC11 4x2 on air suspension plated at 31,000Kg.
Sometime last year someone dreamed up some changes to the rate of tax whereby it became a substantially higher rate if the vehicle wasn’t classed as having road friendly suspension (RFS)
According to my plating certificate my vehicle isn’t classed as having RFS as its not got an ‘R’ in the function box.
Would I be right in thinking that as it has air on the rear, that it should be classed as having RFS and a mistake has been made? If so, how do i go about getting this changed?
Also, relating to RFS. Currently, I can only increase my plated weight to 40,000Kg. Is its true that if the vehicle is classed as having RFS fitted it can go to 41,000Kg gross?
I’ve spoken to VOSA, the DVLA and my MAN/ERF dealer and all refer me to each other.
Any help greatfully recieved.
Lofty68:
Also, relating to RFS. Currently, I can only increase my plated weight to 40,000Kg. Is its true that if the vehicle is classed as htaving RFS fitted it can go to 41.
The maximum weight for a 5 axle combination,under c & u regs is 40 tonnes,so no.
I might be wrong, but I thought that you could only go to 41000Kgs on 6 axles back in the days of steel springs on the unit or trailer ? you had to be air on drive, mid and 3 trailer axles to get 44000Kgs.
5 axles being limited to 40000Kgs on air, or 38000Kgs on steel.
As for road friendly suspension, this was I thought when Air suspension came in, but I imagine that VOSA would be the place to get it changed as you are talking about changing the details on the plate, which is their domain.
Pretty sure the 1998 EC11 I drove (4x2) was plated to 38000Kgs.
leehellcat:
Pretty sure the 1998 EC11 I drove (4x2) was plated to 38000Kgs.
I have run at 40,000Kg in the past depending on what work I have on but someone told me I should be able to get to 41,000Kg and wondered if this has something to do with the lack of RFS on the plate.
I only run at 31,000Kg (tax band D) most of the time and now without the RFS clasification it makes quite a large difference in cost.
I think what I need is the vehicles Type Approval Certificate to prove or disprove it has RFS but no one seems to know how or where to get hold of this?
I must admit I’ve heard that “41t on 5 axles” before, but I think it may be a myth as I’ve not seen anything official. (That obviously doesn’t make it either true or false 
)
You definitely have RFS though with air on the drive, Volvo even had a steel suspension on the series 1 FH that was classed as ‘road friendly’ due to its design.
Is the 41 ton thing not in relation draw bar combinations?
http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/dft-information-sheets/hgv-maximum-weights-a-brief-guide.pdf
According to this, you can run at 41000Kgs on 6 axles with a pre euro 2 truck, but need to have euro 2 or newer to run above 41000Kgs.
So sorry, looks like 40000Kgs is your max.