Advice: Traveling abroad by mobile home: Being overweight can be costly

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If you haven’t been on summer vacation yet, the warm weather is sure to make you dream. However, the growing popularity of mobile homes shows that it doesn’t always have to be by plane or car to have a dream vacation. A total of 7134 new records were recorded in Switzerland last year. For comparison: only 4766 mobile homes were newly registered in 2019 before Corona.

But new campers in particular tend to underestimate how little it sometimes takes to overload their vehicle. Because comfort equipment such as air conditioning, sun visors or bicycle carriers are included in the permissible total weight and must be reported to the relevant road traffic authority and attached to the vehicle registration certificate. Tip: Ask about the maximum payload before purchasing a new mobile home – 700 to 800kg is recommended for families.

buses in Switzerland

But supplies, luggage and other equipment also hit the hips of the camper – and this can be really expensive, not only in Switzerland, but especially in popular holiday countries like Italy, Austria or Spain – where the weight is often more frequent and severe. controlled here. Fines in Switzerland range from 100 to 250 francs. If you exceed the total weight by more than five percent, you may be reported with an individual penalty.

High penalties abroad

Campers whose caravans are very heavy in countries like Belgium, Denmark and Germany get away relatively harmlessly with fines of between 10 and 325 francs, while in Austria they have to dig deep into their pockets, for example: if they are overweight, they will be paid here up to 2150 francs – 15 percent from overweight, the fine is determined individually and can even go up to 4940 francs! In popular holiday destinations Italy and Spain, the police can also impose fines of up to CHF 1,660 and CHF 4,545 respectively.

When in doubt, on the scales

When you arrive, it is a good idea to take a look at the scales before you set off in order not to miss the pleasure of your camping holiday. These can be found at waste disposal facilities or near a Landi’s. Mobile wheeled scales available at specialist camping stores can also be practical.

Source: Blick