Well, what a process this has been! We purchased our 2013 Avida Esperance in 2016. It had done 33,000km at the time. As we have traveled we have added things to it such as an extra water tank, removed the tiny 150W inverter and installed a 1000W inverter, added a couple of 12V points and fitted a washing machine under the lift up bed. We have also taken out the microwave and are having a cupboard made to fit in the space it left behind. We have also had the large bottom drawer in the kitchen rebuilt and fitted with heavy duty runners as the ones that were original were just not up to the job.

We have made these changes as we have found over time that we prefer to camp in more remote places, mostly off the grid. Nothing beats being in a fabulous spot all by ourselves camped by a river, on a point overlooking a lake, next to a beach where we can hear the waves crashing or just in the bush where we can sit around our little fire pit.

To camp like this we needed the extra water, the larger inverter and we never used our microwave as it required 240V power. Instead we used it as a bread bin! It is much better to have the useful cupboard space instead.

Another thing we have purchased, but are yet to use, is a second cassette for our toilet. We bought it as we didn’t want to be camped in a great spot and be forced to pack up and go just to empty the cassette. We find we only get 3-4 days out of one cassette as we use our toilet all the time. We are now limited by the amount of fresh water we can carry but as we now have 180L on board. At roughly 15L per person per day this means we can camp out for 5-6 days. We can even stretch this to a week if we are really careful with our water usage.

Now having made all these changes we were concerned that we would now be overweight. The GVM on our registration is 4495kg and the tare is 3790kg. That only leaves room for a small payload of 705kg and this has to include us, all our water, our fuel, food and clothing, wood, tools, my kayak, the washing machine, wine, our two heavy ebikes on their rack and all the other stuff we think we need. On our last trip we were able to test our thoughts as we came across an unmanned weighbridge in SA that is free for travellers to use. This was too good to pass up and as we drove onto the weighbridge a digital display on a pole in front us gave our weight as 4890kg. Almost 400kg overweight. We had just filled up with fuel and water in the previous town so this gave us a really accurate measurement of what we truly weigh most of the time. It was time to investigate upgrading our GVM.

Silly me! I thought this would be a reasonably straightforward process. When Avida import the Iveco chassis they build the motorhomes on they can choose to have the lower 4495kg rating or the higher one of 5200kg. The Iveco 50C can be rated at either. I’m guessing it is to enable the motorhome to be able top be driven on a car licence that they choose the lower rating. However then you come across the same problem we find ourselves in.

I researched the internet to find out what to do to upgrade the GVM and there was lots of information but most of it was conflicting. OK so first up I contacted Avida, the manufacturer of the motorhome. They helpfully replied and said I need to contact Iveco and gave the contact details. I then contacted Iveco and they forwarded my details to the nearest local Iveco dealer which just happens to be in Wagga Wagga 200kms away. The fellow there was helpful and completed an online form which then was sent to Iveco who then sent a Rating Confirmation Letter saying that the vehicle could be rated at either weight. The dealer suggested I take this to Service NSW along with the rego papers and they should be able to process the change. This Rating Confirmation letter cost $231.

Well going to Service NSW was an experience……..NOT. The lady I spoke to there had no idea what was needed and had to contact another department. Apparently they were all at a meeting so she suggested she give me call when she knew what the process was. I did some further research of the Service NSW documentation and found that I may need an engineers certification. After asking the mechanic who looks after our motorhome who in our area is certified to do an upgrade to Light Rigid he gave me the name of a local engineer.

Luckily, when I called the engineer, he was coming to Griffith in a few days and would call out to our place and do the compliance check. He did this, took lots of photos and would send the certificate and modification compliance plate once completed. This was duly sent along with an invoice for $650.

Next step was to take all the documentation to Service NSW along with a completed Change of Details form and have it processed. Sounds simple really! Alas a rule change has meant that ALL vehicles over 4.5t now have to have National Heavy Vehicle plates and the plates were on the motorhome which was down at the mechanics. So off to the mechanic to get the current plates and back to Service NSW. Finally GVM upgrade was processed and new NHV plates were issued.

The next step was to get a heavy vehicle pink slip. Our mechanic was able to do that and as the motorhome was in for a service he was able to do the pink slip at the same time.

Back again to Service NSW and rego was renewed for another year. When we get back from our next trip I will need to order an Auxiliary plate for lour bike rack.

As the motorhome will be rated as Light Rigid I will need to upgrade my licence to Light Rigid as well. Richard already has a Light Rigid Licence so I am able to drive it was long as Richard is in the vehicle ‘supervising’. This might be OK most of the time but there are occasions where I drive it on my own so an upgrade to my licence is needed. This involves sitting for an online Driver Knowledge Test at your local Service NSW. I downloaded the test questions from their website and practised the online test a few times before booking a test time online. I’m happy to say I passed that one with 100%. Really the only questions that I needed to learn were the ones related to trucks, loads, heights etc. The other questions are really just general road knowledge and if you’ve been driving for as long as I have you should know those already.

The next step is the Driving Test and that is booked at the time you pass the Driver Knowledge Test. You can take the test in your own vehicle so was able to do it in the motorhome. I’m happy to say I passed the test and now have a Light Rigid licence.

What a long winded process but I’m happy it is done now and we can travel knowing we are within our legal weight limits.