AnOther Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Apparently we have just become the proud owners of this little cutie ! [IMG]http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p123/biskitboyo/EribaPuck.jpg[/IMG]It is under 500kg therefore neither has nor needs a Carte Grise but are there any other formalities to be observed when I actually collect it or is it just like any other sub 500kg trailer, i.e. pay and get receipt, fit number plate as per towing vehicle, hitch up and drive away ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 I am intrigued by the use of "apparently" in your post... [blink]In response to your question:http://www.code-route.com/code-de-la-route/permis-de-conduire/reglementation-remorques-caravanes.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Your van looks like a Puck 120 which is the smallest Eriba model, rated with an unladen weight of 470kg and a maximum gross weight of 700kg.If you do not register it, then it may not exceed 500kg when laden, giving you a marginal payload of only 30kg. You'd need to calculate the weight of the gas bottle, water container, clothes, pots and pans, tins of baked beans, etc. to ensure this payload is not exceeded, otherwise you'll need to register it before you can tow it.Here are some typical examples of personal effects payloads:60amp/hr battery - 16.5kg7kg gas cylinder - 15kgPorta-Potti (empty) - 5kgFresh water container - 3.2kgWaste water container - 1.2kgFire extinguisher - 1.5kgSet of cooking pans - 2kgCrockery/cutlery (per person) - 1kg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 I wonder how many law abiding French people have decided that they should register theirs rather than take the risk? [:D]I bet it already weighs more than 500KG with the number plates!A bit like the twin axled versions of the common French/Belgian builders utility trailer, the weight of te second axle takes the unladen weight much closer to the 500KG and the chassis plate clearly shows the laden weight limit as 499KG.It doesnt stop them selling loads though which makes me conclude that either the customers are willing to pay more for a second axle in order to carry less payload or are not obsessed by regulations that may not be enforced.Cool van Ernie! Did you inherit it with the property or find it on E-bay.fr or leboncoin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted June 15, 2008 Author Share Posted June 15, 2008 Clair:'Apparently' because OH has just told me that our offer had been accepted when we though we'd lost out because the seller said he had somebody else seriously interested in it in front of us. Maybe he was just trying a bit of leverage.SD: Points taken but with our decent sized estate car we could easily carry the bulk of the attendant ditritus in that instead. I'm even thinking about putting a tow bar on the MG for it, it will pull it easily and might as well go fully retro [;-)]JR:There seem to be lots of them about and the plate clearly states 500kg so what more can I say, and it was on Leboncoin BTW, an interesting alternative to eBay.Cute though isn't it, it's the only kind of caravan we'd ever contemplate though, definately not into that scene.I take it then from the absence of comments then that I don't have to do anything, just hitch and go ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athene Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Do they do tiron bands in France? Having once had a tyre blow out, we would not travel without them! Also if it has a stove, you will need a gas bottle! And if it has a sink - two aquarolls! One is not enough! Then if it has a loo, a wastemaster! And a hitchlock and wheel lock! Maybe you were lucky and it came with all these! The accessories cost nearly as much as the caravan itself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 I thank you for the concern Athene but in fact it's been fitted with 2 brand spanking new tyres for the sale and quite frankly, with the two of us having some 80 years of driving experience and maybe 1,000,000 miles under our belts, and having not once in all that time suffered a blowout and less than a handful of punctures that I can recall, I doubt we'll be fretting too much about that particular risk [8-|]What is a "Tiron Band" anyway? The name itself is descriptive but I've never heard of it and nor it seems has Google [blink]2 Aquarolls - get outa here [:-))]Have you seen it, it's a 2 person shoebox on wheels. It's somewhere to sleep, to make a cup of coffee in the morning, and maybe knock up a bit of breakfast or a packed lunch, a multi berth 2nd home in which to hold impromptu dinner parties it is not. Besides which, come the day we are incapable of lugging a few liters of water a hundred meters or so I think it'll be time to surrender and stay at home in our dressing gowns and slippers awaiting the grim reaper [:(] [img]http://195.154.158.34/images/398/3989820602.jpg[/img]Gas bottle - yes there is one, and it's full, and actually I do have both wheel and hitch locks from one of my other trailers although I've always found that drilling a hole in the cup and putting a hardened padlock through it serves as an effective visible deterrent [;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gosub Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Tyron bandsThey do work, I have seen them twice in action fitted to an heavy caravan and with a blowout on the motorway at around 55/60 miles an hour the tyres stayed on the rim, unfortunately, the tyre depots in France or Spain had no idea what they were, replaced the tyres and gave back the Tyron Bands, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 OMG it has an awning!You didnt mention that you naughty person, go straight to the D.R.I.R.E. and register it before anyone else realises that it weighs more than 500kg[:D]Looks like it is very sensibly equipped Ernie, I am very jealous, was it a ton of money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 Yes but I'm filling it with helium baloons to offset that [;-)]It's 1985 vintage and we paid €2150. From what I've seen elsewhere that's not an unresonable price for similar even without the awning which in fact is like new. Prices seem to bottom out around this level too so with luck we should get most of our money back if we ever decided to sell it on.The major reason for going for such a small van was so that I could tow it with my MG so fabricating and fitting a towbar for that is high on jobs list this time home. A retro van deserves an appropriate tow vehicle don't you think, after all they were originally designed to mate up with the VW Beetle [8-|] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Erns, I trust you will have sorted out the "rescue & towing" services before you actually hit the road?[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Erns, I trust that you will have sorted out a policy with the "rescue & towing" people before hitting the road?[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 What are you implying sweets, not that my that my MG might not be up to it I hope [:-))]Having had it for 21 years and driven it for over 200,000 miles I have never once had anything more than the odd minor breakdown which I was always able to immediately fix at the roadside so I have to tell you that I would take that very very personally [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Erns, it's payback time for your very unhelpful remarks yesterday, remember?Anyway, I had one of them MG Midgets, 1400cc, twin carbs, bird sh*t yellow which was either refusing to start or to carry on going or whose windscreen wipers would pack up in a thunderstorm. Steve Powerdesal was so rude about it that I have ceased to even own up to having ever had one of those.And are you and Mrs Erns going to dress yourselves up in the appropriate garb before taking to the road?Now that would be worth posting a picure of, don't you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 That is the cutest caravan I have ever seen Ernie, I love it! It will look very stylish sailing along behind the mean green machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 Thank you cat, we've seen them about very often and have always had a soft spot for them so we're very much looking forward to our first tentative foray, not too far in the future hopefully [:D]Never ever done caravanning before BTW and would never have even considered it in UK, one more small yet significant reason for being in France [;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Ernie, before you think about knocking up a towbar for the MG, check the current regs. The days of homemade towbars being acceptable are long gone. Now they need approval from every elf and safety agency in the World, and their pet dogs/cats and budgies.You might not have caravanned but its only a trailer after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 [quote user="sweet 17"]Erns, it's payback time for your very unhelpful remarks yesterday, remember?Anyway, I had one of them MG Midgets, 1400cc, twin carbs, bird sh*t yellow which was either refusing to start or to carry on going or whose windscreen wipers would pack up in a thunderstorm. Steve Powerdesal was so rude about it that I have ceased to even own up to having ever had one of those.And are you and Mrs Erns going to dress yourselves up in the appropriate garb before taking to the road?Now that would be worth posting a picure of, don't you think?[/quote]I wasn't rude, I was truthful [:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 Point taken Steve however I have somewhere the drawings and dimension etc. for the towbar which was available for the car in it's day and when I've made and fitted it I'd defy anybody to tell me it wasn't original [;-)]Do please point me to the thread about sweets Midget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Bickering thread, page 19www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/19/1259263/ShowPost.aspx#1259263 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 Ernie.You have been inspirational!I have sent you a PM [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluecat Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 [quote user="ErnieY"]What are you implying sweets, not that my that my MG might not be up to it I hope [:-))]Having had it for 21 years and driven it for over 200,000 miles I have never once had anything more than the odd minor breakdown which I was always able to immediately fix at the roadside so I have to tell you that I would take that very very personally [:D] [/quote]I'll vouch for that. He should write about the water pump pully at the top of the A1 some years ago! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Mrs Bluecat, welcome to the forum. You're right about Erns. He is a very kind, helpful and considerate man. But don't tell him I said so, will you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 Now you're making me [:$]I remember the A1 incident well, after all it's not every day that one gets overtaken by one's own water pump pulley in a shower of sparks whilst driving at 70mph on a dual carriageway.But, true to my claim, we limped ito Castleford, where the local bobbie directed us to a nearby classic car enthusiast (barn full of pre war Rolls Royces amongst others) and after about an hour or so's tinkering we were on our way [;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Today, said Bobbie wouldn't be local so couldn't help and you probably be arrested for littering the A1 with a water pump pulley. [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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