France - carrying long loads

[NickE]

I'm taking my kayak to France in the summer and have realised I don't know what the regulations are re. roof loads. The kayak is 5.2m long, so if it's carried lining up with the front of the bonnet, it will overhang the back by 0.3m. Does anyone know if this is OK in France, or do I have to have warning signs attached like in Italy?
And a supplementary question: does anyone know how this load (adding approx 0.4m in height) will affect the automatic tolls on French autoroutes.
Thanks

 

[WelshGas]

I'm taking my kayak to France in the summer and have realised I don't know what the regulations are re. roof loads. The kayak is 5.2m long, so if it's carried lining up with the front of the bonnet, it will overhang the back by 0.3m. Does anyone know if this is OK in France, or do I have to have warning signs attached like in Italy?
And a supplementary question: does anyone know how this load (adding approx 0.4m in height) will affect the automatic tolls on French autoroutes.
Thanks

Don’t know about possible warning signs, but with regards to the Tolls you are likely to be charged the higher rate despite the vehicle height being less than 2m, and you are unlikely to get it reduced if you use the “Help “ button to query it, BUT if you get a French Toll Tag fron Sanef UK then much easier to query any non class 2 tolls as they are based in U.K. .


This might be useful.

 

[NickE]

Thanks WelshGas for a very helpful reply, especially your view on tolls. I think I'll get a Sanef Tag. It looks like it's already 70 Euros in tolls from Calais to Montpellier for a class 1 vehicle (Cali). Then add 50% or so for every time the system registers me as class 2. With the kayak running the full length of the van it will probably confuse the laser beam every single time!

 

[inthemidnighthour]

We used the sanef tag tag with a double kayak on the roof last year and emailed when back in uk and they refunded the difference just from the email of all the separate tolls over 3 weeks no questions
Also our kayak overhangs the back but with the bike rack down it doesn't so just attached a warning square to the bikes for good measure

 

[Hotel California]

Always was under the impression that a roof load has influence on the price on the French péage , are you guys saying it's not ...?

 

[WelshGas]

Always was under the impression that a roof load has influence on the price on the French péage , are you guys saying it's not ...?

Correct. From my reading it is the Vehicle Height , without any roof load etc: that determines the Toll Class and hence payment.
Wasn't a problem when the Tolls were manned.

 

[Romke]

Correct. From my reading it is the Vehicle Height , without any roof load etc: that determines the Toll Class and hence payment.

Don't think so: Véhicules légers ou ensembles roulants dont le PTAC est inférieur ou égal à 3,5 tonnes et d’une hauteur totale inférieure ou égale à 2 mètres.
Translated: Light vehicles or wheel sets with a gross vehicle weight less than or equal to 3.5 tonnes and a total height of less than or equal to 2 meters.

The crucial word is total. I read that as including roof load.

 

[WelshGas]

Don't think so: Véhicules légers ou ensembles roulants dont le PTAC est inférieur ou égal à 3,5 tonnes et d’une hauteur totale inférieure ou égale à 2 mètres.
Translated: Light vehicles or wheel sets with a gross vehicle weight less than or equal to 3.5 tonnes and a total height of less than or equal to 2 meters.

The crucial word is total. I read that as including roof load.

Sorry, but all the reading I have done indicates that the Toll classes are based on the actual vehicle height, not including roof boxes and canoes/bike racks. A California carrying these cannot use the 2m height restricted lanes that guarantee Class 1 tolls.

Please see Post 4 above, Also the Sanef Toll UK FAQ in post 2.

 

[Romke]

Well, it's muddy to say the least....

 

[inthemidnighthour]

We used the unrestricted lanes and was charged full amount to the sanef account but on returning I emailed them and had money refunded really easily

 

[WelshGas]

We used the unrestricted lanes and was charged full amount to the sanef account but on returning I emailed them and had money refunded really easily

Methinks it wouldn’t have been quite so easy without the Tag.