From time to time we hear about the police and the DVSA stopping caravanners to check the weights of their outfits. Just to make sure my van isn’t overweight I occasionally like to check the weight of my van using a Reich Caravan Weight Control. Using it is a bit like using the bathroom scales. If you stand near the front or back edge, you won’t get an accurate reading. So it is with the Reich machine. My method is to lay it between two pieces of board of a similar thickness to the machine so that the mover can position the wheel over the device without twisting it. Obviously, the boards need to be far enough away to avoid supporting any weight on them. Also, the weight control requires a fairly smooth and level surface on which to sit so I place the device and boards on a piece of plywood.

Having weighed the nose weight, the device is used on each wheel in turn until it finally gives the total of the three individual weights. Hopefully, the total weight will be less than the figure stamped on the caravan’s plate.