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Before driving a motorhome, you'll need to check the categories on your driving licence and the size of motorhome you are going to drive.
If you passed your car test before 1st January 1997, are under the age of 70 and have no medical conditions restricting your licence, you can drive a motorhome up to 7500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) or 8250kg with a trailer.
If you passed your car test after 1st January 1997, you are licensed to drive up to 3500kg MAM, or 4250kg with a trailer (the trailer must not exceed 750kg).
The 3500kg rule also applies once you reach age 70, unless you apply to the DVLA to retain your 7500kg entitlement. This usually requires a medical; for more information click here.
These are the various categories as defined by the DVLA:
Category B
With this category on your driving licence you can drive vehicles with a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of up to 3500 kilograms (kg), with eight passenger seats, and with a trailer no heavier than 750kg.
It’s also possible to tow a trailer heavier than 750kg if the MAM of the vehicle and trailer together is no more than 3500kg. The trailer must also be lighter than the vehicle towing it.
To tow a heavier trailer than mentioned above you'll need category B+E.
Category C1
With this category you can drive vehicles with a MAM over 3500kg but less than 7500kg with a trailer no heavier than 750kg. To tow a heavier trailer you'll need category C1+E.
Category C
With this category you can drive vehicles with a MAM over 3500kg with a trailer no heavier than 750kg. To tow a trailer that weighs more than 750kg you'll need category C+E
Motorhome Size
The biggest motorhome you can drive in Great Britain is 12m long and 2.55m wide. There is no height limit but if the motorhome is over 3m tall the height must be on a notice visible to you as the driver.
If there is a need for you to measure the vehicle there are some parts that you don't need included in your measurements.
When measuring the length don't include the:
* driving mirrors
* rearward projecting buffers made of rubber or other resilient material
When measuring the width don't include the:
* driving mirrors
* lamps
* reflectors
* distortion in tyres due to loading
Before driving a motorhome, you'll need to check the categories on your driving licence and the size of motorhome you are going to drive.
If you passed your car test before 1st January 1997, are under the age of 70 and have no medical conditions restricting your licence, you can drive a motorhome up to 7500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) or 8250kg with a trailer.
If you passed your car test after 1st January 1997, you are licensed to drive up to 3500kg MAM, or 4250kg with a trailer (the trailer must not exceed 750kg).
The 3500kg rule also applies once you reach age 70, unless you apply to the DVLA to retain your 7500kg entitlement. This usually requires a medical; for more information click here.
These are the various categories as defined by the DVLA:
Category B
With this category on your driving licence you can drive vehicles with a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of up to 3500 kilograms (kg), with eight passenger seats, and with a trailer no heavier than 750kg.
It’s also possible to tow a trailer heavier than 750kg if the MAM of the vehicle and trailer together is no more than 3500kg. The trailer must also be lighter than the vehicle towing it.
To tow a heavier trailer than mentioned above you'll need category B+E.
Category C1
With this category you can drive vehicles with a MAM over 3500kg but less than 7500kg with a trailer no heavier than 750kg. To tow a heavier trailer you'll need category C1+E.
Category C
With this category you can drive vehicles with a MAM over 3500kg with a trailer no heavier than 750kg. To tow a trailer that weighs more than 750kg you'll need category C+E.
The size of the motorhome
The biggest motorhome you can drive in Great Britain is 12m long and 2.55m wide. There is no height limit but if the motorhome is over 3m tall the height must be on a notice visible to you as the driver.
If there is a need for you to measure the vehicle there are some parts that you don't need included in your measurements.
When measuring the length don't include the:
* driving mirrors
* rearward projecting buffers made of rubber or other resilient material
When measuring the width don't include the:
* driving mirrors
* lamps
* reflectors
* distortion in tyres due to loading
Why is weight important?
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Uprating
Why uprate?
Well the main reason for wanting to uprate is so you can carry more load, better known as payload. Depending upon the make/model of motor-home you have, uprating may be as simple as a converters plate and letter of declaration, others may require actual physical changes, such as wheel and tyre and/or suspension modifications.
Things to bear in mind when uprating your vehicle.
1) Uprating above 3500kg changes taxation class from PLG to PHGV
2) Motor homes are generally covered as a class 4 MOT regardless of weight. Certain smaller class 4 stations may have problems fitting in your size of motorhome, so check against size, not weight.
3) Under driving licence requirements for vehicles between 3500kg - 7500kg, you must either have passed your test prior to 1997 and hold a C1 category or if after 1997 have taken your C1 test separately
4) **Important**. Uprating of the gross weight may only solve part of your problems. You should check individual axle loadings to ensure you do not exceed the stated axle weights.
5) Should you have roadside recovery, you may find going above 3500kg will increase your premium. This is due to the maximum towing limitation of over-run braked vehicles being 3500kg.
There may be more to discuss but the above covers the more important aspects.
Downrating
Why downrate?
Downrating is usually for one of two reasons. The main one being for licence restrictions. Either you’ve reached 70 years of age and are now restricted to a maximum GVW of 3500kg, medical restriction through particular types of diabetes or you’re a new driver and don’t hold a category C1 entitlement. The downrate for one of the above reasons is to 3500kg.
The other reason for downrating that we come across is for heavy vehicles above 7500kg. These are more often than not the American imports like a Ford Gulfstream or Chevy Winnebago though we also have enquiries from owners with converted ex-army lorries or general commercial vehicles that are now a motorhome.
The principle for the downrating is common across all weights and types of motorhomes and more often than not you will not need to make any physical changes to your vehicle.
“Phew” I hear you say.
Downrates on motor-homes are dealt with by the DVLA and are not a matter for VOSA.
After we assess your vehicle setup and check the weights we supply you with a weight variant plate and letter of declaration. The plate is unique to your vehicle and states the new operating weights. The declaration sheet we supply is used to have your logbook and, where required, tax disc changed. Since the vehicle is not registered in our name we are unable to deal with the whole process for you. Don’t worry, we will supply you with the necessary forms to deal with the DVLA and we are only a phone call away should there be any queries on the day of change.
That covers the easy bit and should be a pain free change.
Now on to the Important aspect of downrating.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
After downrating your motorhome you will restrict the amount of payload you can carry. Before proceeding with the process of downrating your should first obtain a weight ticket for your vehicle. We strongly recommend you weigh the front axle and back axle separately to ensure you will not suffer individual axle loading problems after downrating.
To give a typical example of the affect of downrating and the remaining payload.
e.g.
•Original gross weight - 3850kg. Required gross weight – 3500kg.
•Having weighed the vehicle you have an unladen weight of 3000kg.
•Original payload allowance (3850-3000) = 850kg.
•New payload after downrating (3500-3000) = 500kg.
In every case we will require a weight ticket before proceeding
Are you sure it’s a motorhome ?
It is important you understand what is a motorhome and what is a dual usage vehicle. Vehicles used to carry goods as well as being used for living may be treated as a private heavy goods vehicle and come outside of the Motorhome category. If you’re carrying a race bike/car, whether for commercial gain or not, your vehicle may be treated as a goods vehicle. This is a matter for the DVLA and VOSA to decide upon.
"A 'motor caravan' is "a motor vehicle (not being a living van) which is
constructed or adapted for the carriage of passengers and their effects and
which contains, as permanently installed equipment, the facilities which
are reasonably necessary for enabling the vehicle to provide mobile living
accommodation for its users". Motor caravans are not classed as goods
vehicles for MOT test purposes and are therefore in class IV or V depending
on their seating capacity but regardless of their size or weight.
A 'living van' is "a vehicle, whether mechanically propelled or not, which
is used for living accommodation by one or more persons and which is also
used for the carriage of goods or burden which are not needed by such one
or more persons for the purpose of their residence in the vehicle". 'Living
vans' are classed as goods vehicles and, depending on their weight, are
therefore in either class IV or VII within the MOT test scheme or are
subject to HGV plating and testing
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