Bizarre Problem!

Self builds and DIY projects
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zildjian
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Joined: September 8th, 2013, 3:30 pm

Re: Bizarre Problem!

Post: # 5329Post zildjian
April 17th, 2015, 10:12 am

And breathhhhhhhhhe,
Its almost the weekend now and you can sit back for a bit, I hardly dare ask what you had planned for next project to tackle in fact I'll give it a day or two before doing that :shock:

MizRaff
Posts: 32
Joined: February 10th, 2015, 6:53 pm

Re: Bizarre Problem!

Post: # 6273Post MizRaff
May 31st, 2015, 9:00 pm

We are still waiting for the revised V5C to return from the DVLA... called them on Friday and the guy said it could be another 3 weeks!!! Gah.
:cry:

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zildjian
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Re: Bizarre Problem!

Post: # 6274Post zildjian
May 31st, 2015, 9:11 pm

Sue if you don't drink, now might be an appropriate time look into this option :D






(if on the other hand you're clutching a gin bottle quite closely, disregard my advice)

MizRaff
Posts: 32
Joined: February 10th, 2015, 6:53 pm

Re: Bizarre Problem!

Post: # 6772Post MizRaff
June 30th, 2015, 8:33 pm

Well guys,

it's been a bit longer than three weeks! The pickup's original MOT date was 7th April, so all in all, the whole process took 12 and a half weeks.
It went like this:
take the pickup to be MOTd. Abort: too big for their ramps.
Take pickup to be MOTd at a centre that does Class 7. Abort again - MOT guy notices that the GVWR is almost 4 tonnes and declines to test it as it doesn't fall into any UK class.
Call VOSA, who say that it definitely isn't a lorry and advise us to call the DVLA.
Call DVLA, who say it definitely isn't a car and advise us to call VOSA.
Commence going round in circles on the internet vainly trying to figure out what to do.
My better half suddenly recalls a guy he saw on eBay selling a gigantic F750 monster truck which he said he had sorted so that MOT was optional but that he could get it done as Class 4. Manage to track him down and call him - he is a mine of information and crucially gives us the phone number and name of the Heavy Vehicle Processing Manager at VOSA.
Call the VOSA Heavy Vehicles guy - he tells us we need to get the GVWR changed on the V5C (aka Revenue Weight). He also says that the DVLA will be loath to make the change without a new Design Weight Certificate showing the correct figure, but advises that original manufacturers tend to be very unhelpful about such things. What we needed to do was either buy or make a new B Pillar data sticker showing the revised GVWR, email him a photograph of the new sticker in situ on the vehicle, pay VOSA £16, and a spanking new Design Weight Certificate would be ours. (We're not sure where the £16 goes, but it certainly doesn't get used to produce high quality certificates!)
Wait... and wait...
Design Weight Certificate arrives! Almost there, right?
Fill in the pickup's logbook with the relevant changes, and post it off with the new Design Weight Certificate to the DVLA to be changed.
Wait... and wait... and wait.
Call DVLA and ask what's happening. They say they have no idea, as unless you send items by recorded delivery, they have no record of receiving it until it eventually emerges from Processing and gets logged on to their system. They suggest waiting a week or two and calling again. They add that if the document hasn't appeared by the end of six weeks, we should re-apply. Not sure what with...
Bang head off desk a few times for light relief.
Wait... and wait... watch husband's forehead veins pulse in an interesting manner.
Design Weight Certificate suddenly arrives back from the DVLA with a mysterious note: "photocopy taken. Regards."
Call DVLA again. Logbook still not surfaced on their system.
Wait... and wait...
Suddenly receive terse phone message from woman at DVLA requesting a call back.
Call back. She's out. Colleague thankfully able to access the case (we're a 'case!' wow!), and advises that in order to process and approve one of the alterations to the V5C I had requested - a change from "MODEL: pickup" to "MODEL: F250 XLT Lariat" - the DVLA would require the original documents that were used to create the DVLA's vehicle profile when it was first imported in 2004.
We don't have these documents, needless to say. We tell them to forget the model alteration.
They also want a copy of the LPG conversion certificate.
We don't have this either, because the LPG national government database is totally electronic now. We remind them of this.
The DVLA confess that they can't actually access the internet.
We suggest emailing them a jpg of the relevant website screen. They additionally confess that this is what they usually "work from".
Resist the urge to bounce my head off the desk again and wonder why they couldn't just have said that to begin with.
Email the LPG jpg and a written confirmation that I don't care if the damn logbook only says "pickup" for MODEL.
Call DVLA the next working day and find that she has just been looking at our case, and will get it sent down for printing, and that it will go into the post the next morning.
Say thank you and heave a huge sigh of relief.
Wait... and wait...
Receive spanking new logbook with correct Revenue weight and fuel! Hooray!
Take pickup for MOT.
It passes as a Class 7.

Simples!

MizRaff
Posts: 32
Joined: February 10th, 2015, 6:53 pm

Re: Bizarre Problem!

Post: # 6773Post MizRaff
June 30th, 2015, 8:36 pm

Moral of my tale:

ALWAYS SEND STUFF TO THE DVLA BY RECORDED DELIVERY!

:roll: :lol:

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zildjian
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Joined: September 8th, 2013, 3:30 pm

Re: Bizarre Problem!

Post: # 6787Post zildjian
July 1st, 2015, 7:21 am

Sue, I feel sending you both a celebratory sticker falls somewhat short....



hell i'm going to anyway I can see you're into sticky back labels in a big way now

email me your address at once :mrgreen:

lamp-it
Posts: 204
Joined: September 16th, 2014, 4:19 pm

Re: Bizarre Problem!

Post: # 6808Post lamp-it
July 1st, 2015, 5:50 pm

crikey Mizz that looks an ordeal hopefully you should now have a 'friendly' MOT man for subsequent tests though, so is there paperwork of yours still adrift in the system at Swansea?
Rob

MizRaff
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Joined: February 10th, 2015, 6:53 pm

Re: Bizarre Problem!

Post: # 6854Post MizRaff
July 2nd, 2015, 7:11 pm

No, Lamplit, it's all returned to us now, thank God! That was quite a learning experience!
Re: friendly MOT men... well, the lad who tested the pickup was very correct and (one step that I neglected to mention in my blow by blow account due to seriously losing the will to live) actually failed the truck on its first test because the dust boot on the passenger side outer track rod end was badly cracked.
In short: we went straight off next morning to a local commercial parts dealer who just happens to own an F150, and he came up trumps with a suitable boot.
Rob donned his overalls and dived under the truck in pouring rain, dismantled the track rod end, replaced the dust boot and reassembled the thing.
We took it back to be re-tested the same afternoon, and it passed. I could wish for a friendly MOT bloke who could wink and say "get that dust boot seen to ASAP, OK?" and pass the vehicle... but alas, all our local guys with Class 7 ramps seem to be "by the book" sorts.
Thank God for a husband who can wrangle the innards (and outards) of all sorts of machinery without fear.
And thank God that little saga is over!

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