Our previous articles discussed both choosing the right type of motorhome to suit your requirements and choosing the correct layout.  With the recent updates on UK driving licences for those that tow caravans, our final motorhome article focuses on the current legal requirements for driving a motorhome. A simple explanation is that, depending on when you gained your UK driving licence, will dictate what weight of motorhome you can drive legally.

We’re often asked “can I drive a motorhome” – this article provides the answer.

Vehicle weight terminology

To understand motorhome weights properly we should be aware of the various terminology used. Annoyingly, many of the abbreviations and acronyms that have been used over the years sound different, but in some cases refer to the same value.

The motorhome weight plate

There are usually 2 weight plates on a motorhome. The first is usually under the bonnet, commonly referred to as the VIN plate, and the second is usually held within the bodywork of the motorhome. The second weight plate is installed by the coach builder. It will have the term “STUFE 2” printed clearly on the plate. The values on this plate will override the values on the vehicle’s VIN plate. So, for our purposes, this is the weight plate we need to pay attention to.

MAM

The maximum authorised mass or MAM is the new designation for Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW).  This is the vehicle’s weight plus the maximum load it can carry. This is usually the first line on the weight plate.

Gross train weight

Usually the second line on a weight plate, the Gross train weight is the MAM of the motorhome plus what it is able to tow.  This may also be referred to as the Gross Combination Weight (GCW) on some older vehicles.

Axle weights

On lines 3 and 4 of the weight plate will be the maximum weights allowed over the front and rear axles. Line 3 refers to the front axle and line 4 refers to the rear.  These values will be higher than the MAM of the vehicle. This is to allow various loading combinations of the vehicle. For example, if you load a 1-tonne pallet at the rear of the vehicle, the weight will weigh more on the rear axle, and very little on the front as opposed to loading the same weight through a side door that will add weight on both front and rear evenly.  In the event that a motorhome has twin rear axles, this value will be displayed on line 5 of the weight plate.

Licence categories

Motorhomes that weigh between 3,500Kg (MAM) and 7,500Kg (MAM) will require the driver to have a C1 category on their UK full driving licence.  If you passed your driving test before 1st January 1997, it’s likely you will have the C1 category on your driving licence.  Motorhomes that are over 7,500Kg will require a category C licence. Motorhomes that exceed 3,500Kg are classified as Private HGV by the DVLA and will cost more on road tax.  The good news is if the motorhome weighs 3,500Kg or less a standard UK driving licence can be used.

Our range of Bailey Adamo motorhomes is a great example of motorhomes that weigh 3,500kg or less.

Up-plating

Thankfully many motorhome manufacturers these days adjust their motorhomes to be 3,500kg or less to allow drivers with a standard UK full licence to drive legally. The downside is that this can remove some of the payload allocations.  The payload is how much weight you can add to the vehicle. For example, clothes, food and accessories.  If you have category C1 or C on your licence you can have the motorhome up-plated to gain more payload allocation. In some instances, this can be as much as 700Kg.  This is a paper exercise and will require no modification to the motorhome, you will be given a new weight plate for the vehicle and a new V5 to show the newly available payload.

If you do not have C, or C1 on your licence you can sit extra driving tests to gain this entitlement. To understand what you can drive check the Gov.uk site or of course please feel free to ask our sales teams at Swindon, Oxford or Reading who will be happy to help

Touring the UK and Europe is quickly becoming a favourite way of exploring the great outdoors. Motorhomes, campervans or van conversions have everything to provide a comfortable home from home as well as being completely mobile. Indeed, modern motorhomes can be situated off-grid in a rural location or as part of a campsite to take advantage of on-site facilities.  If you are considering buying a new motorhome, there are a number of things to consider first.  Our previous article discussed choosing the right type of motorhome to suit your requirements.   Over the next few articles, we will discuss some of the most common questions and queries that newcomers ask, and this article will focus on selecting the correct layout.  Of course, if you do have any further questions, please feel free to ask our sales teams at Swindon, Oxford or Reading who will be happy to help and answer any questions you have.

Number of people

There are a few constraints involved when selecting any layout for a motorhome. Budget, driving licence restrictions, physical size and the most important element, how many people will use the motorhome.

 

Daytime vs nighttime

You will hear and see a term called “berths” used on motorhome reviews and listings. This is how many people can sleep comfortably in the motorhome. However, some motorhomes will have a limit on how many people can legally travel in the motorhome whilst on the road. Each travelling passenger must have a seatbelt whilst in transit, so on adverts, listings and reviews, check that the motorhome has the same number of seatbelts as berths. This may commonly be referred to as daytime/nighttime occupancy. Not all motorhomes provide the same number of seats for the number of berths, especially with Campervans or van conversions.  Long side seating could in theory hold 2 or 3 people whilst travelling, but with no seat belts, it would be illegal and incredibly dangerous to travel with loose passengers.

Children

If you are taking young children on holiday, make sure that the belted seats are ISO-FIX compatible. This is a standard that seats, seatbelts and vehicle manufacturers adhere to and also gives baby seat manufacturers a working template to ensure the seat can be installed safely inside the motorhome. One thing to note is, because of the natural layout of a motorhome, it is likely that the baby seats will be physically situated some distance from the cab seats.

Pets

A final point to think of is travelling with pets. It is a legal requirement that when travelling with a dog or other animals, they must be suitably restrained in the vehicle whilst in motion.  This can be tricky in a motorhome as tie-down points may not exist, and ISO-FIX seats may not offer the best location for a dog. In this instance, a travelling crate that is secure between seats or tied onto a side dinette can offer a suitable place for secure transport.

We mentioned briefly some constraints when buying a motorhome -along with the number of passengers – another limitation may be driving licence restrictions, so be sure to read more on that if you have questions about suitability.

The name motorhome really only focuses on one style of touring vehicle.  In fact, there are many types of motorhomes with many layouts, options and variations and each of them will suit you differently and may also differ when it comes to price.  To understand the differences and some of the features you are likely to find, we have listed the common motorhome types available on the market today.  Here are the options:

Micro motorhomes

 

These van conversions are primarily based upon small vans or people carriers. These micro variants sleep a maximum of 2 people, usually have a pop-up style roof and host a very simple kitchen set-up.

Campervans

Popularised by VW, campervans are still very popular even after 50+years since their creation. Campervans nowadays offer sleeping and living accommodation, a small galley kitchen, sometimes a pop-up roof and plenty of storage, all held within the footprint of a small van.  These are very popular with couples and young families and the addition of a drive away awning makes these an ideal touring vehicle.

Van conversions

Bigger than a campervan, large vans are a great base to create a leisure vehicle. With plenty of head space, a separate wet room, blown air heating and bigger kitchens, van conversions are a very popular combination of minimal form factor and optimal usability. These van conversions are completed by both mainstream manufacturers and hobbyists alike. Why not checkout the Adria Twin available at our Swindon branch.

Coach built motorhomes

 

With a cab and chassis from a popular van manufacturer, such as Fiat, the body is created by a leisure vehicle company such as Bailey. With extra width the choice of layouts is vast. A separate washroom, cassette toilet and fixed beds options are available. Coach built motorhomes come in 2 variations. A low-profile version provides enough living and sleeping space for a couple or small family, whereas an over cab bed option creates plenty of sleeping space for a family of up to 6 people. Larger variations of this style of motorhome also come with a separate garage, ideal for storing bikes, outside furniture and awnings.

‘A’ Class motorhomes

 

A larger style of motorhome, where the leisure vehicle manufacturer builds the living area as well as the cab area. The manufacturer takes a bare chassis and builds the entire vehicle from the chassis up.  These A-Class motorhomes provide more space, more refinement and bigger storage options. A-class motorhomes are nearly always heavier and more expensive than their cab/chassis counterparts.

 

 

These are some of the most common styles of motorhome in the UK, there are of course American style RVs that offer vast amounts of space, slide-out sections and fittings that make the living space a luxurious place to be, however, some of the larger vehicles find it difficult to find a pitch on many UK campsites.

Read on for information about choosing the right motorhome layout for you.