2023-08-11 17:41:00
At the beginning of the year, Gerry Vankerkom gives himself a little madness. The man from Oudsbergen (Limburg) pays 60,000 euros for the purchase of a brand new mobile home “ideal for large families, with its six seats and beds”, assured the seller. A perfect vehicle to allow him to take his whole family, made up of six people, on vacation.
Except that for several weeks, the car has been dragging in Gerry’s driveway. The fault of a journey last April which showered the ambitions of the Belgian. His mobile home is stopped by the police for a weight check. “It turned out that we exceeded the maximum authorized mass of 3,500 kilos by fifty kilos. And this, with only four people and business for one night. The diesel tank was only half full,” he told Belang van Limburg.
While he got away with just a warning this time, his dreams of a family vacation have fallen through. Gerry did try to find a solution with the dealer who sold him the vehicle but could not find common ground. “We can take back the motorhome at the sale price, despite its use, but the customer must pay a supplement to have the more expensive model which will suit his needs”, specifies the seller.
He adds that the maximum load was clearly advertised but Gerry feels that the store should have been clearer, making it clear to him that it was not really suitable for six people. “When the six of us leave for a trip, we still have fifty kilos of payload left, without having refueled. It’s not possible, is it? »
If the seller wants to be reassuring by saying that many travelers exceed the authorized weight of mobile homes “without having any problem”, Touring contradicts him. “It can cost you dearly during a check (…) In France, it will cost you 135 euros, in Germany 235 euros, in Italy up to 1,734 euros and in Austria even up to 5,000 euros. In addition, you risk having to unload what you have too much on you. »
The mobility department of the Flemish government also invites mobile home owners to respect the maximum authorized mass (MMA), in the interest of their own safety and that of others. “If it turns out, during an accident, that the MMA has not been respected, this can also cause problems in terms of insurance. »
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