French Toll Roads for over 3.5T MH's

I have used a Sanef tag for something like 6 or 7 years initially on a car/caravan outfit but for the past 21/2 years on a Swift 669 tag axle motorhome which weighs in at 5300 kilo and is 2,98 metres high with the air-con - length is a smidging under 9metres with the bike rack.

The first trip abroad in the motorhome we left the tag at home believing that the toll charge would be at class 3 and being aware that the Sanef tag is class 2 only I wasn’t up for trying to fudge “it”. Without exception on this first trip in 2016 the charge was class 2 the length and breath of France - auto and manned booths alike. From the middle of 2016 I have used the Sanef tag exclusively and been charged class 2, never any more and never a query. I formed the view during the first trip in 2016 that as I was being charged class 2 “every time” there was not a “fraud” issue using the tag which is what has been done since. The distance travelled in foreign parts is around 4k or 5k miles a year with a goodly percentage being in France. I can’t with all honesty say at what rate the toll charge has been in Italy & Spain only that we seemed to be “digging deep” into the holiday funds in Italy. 

From conversations with multiple motorhomers in foreign parts it would appear that it is the height that determines the cost and not the weight or configuration of the motorhome. The Kon-tiki has its maximum height at the rear corners so I am guessing that measurement at the toll booth is on entering the toll “area”. 

From experience we can confirm that 10cm above the 3M will flag Class 3 every time.   

At 6.95M long, when we occasionally found a manned booth, they seemed more interested in checking axles than height,.