3.5 ton limit - please post your experience/answers Forums

willwill

I am looking at buying a Mercedes motorhome, Specifically a 508 or 608.

Today I found out that because I got my car license in 2000 I am only entitled to drive/tow up to 3.5 tons. This is because of a change of law on 01 Jan 1997.

This really affects my 5/608 plans. I can do the LGV test if absolute needs be, but until now it wasn't a factor in my timings.

However, I have just spoken to somebody who has just sold their Merc 608.

They were only 22 and say they got round the 3.5 ton limit (his 608 had 6200kg on the paperwork) by registering the Merc as a [b:992281bca7]motor-caravan[/b:992281bca7], which as long as it has sleeping arrangements, toilet, cooker etc it can technically be classified as.

[b:992281bca7]Is this correct?[/b:992281bca7]

As an aside, does anyone know the ins and outs of getting a vehicles weight downgraded by the Ministry of Transport?

keng

Hi willwill and welcome,

You are in that unfortunate no-man's land as far as your licence is concerned.

The vehicle you are about to purchase must fall into a certain category as far as testing and licensing is concerned ie

car, m/cycle, m/caravan or light g/vehicle require MoT testing

goods vehicles whose max.auth.mass exceeds 3500kg are tested under a different scheme. As far as I know only LGVs can be replated by Vehicle & Operator Services Agency.

These different schemes influence rates of vehicle excise duty and it follows on that the class of vehicle requires specific d/licence entitlement.

I would check the V5 form relating to the vehicle you are interested in and you may find that it is already registered according to cc rather than weight.

If not then you may have to consider going down the registration certificate route, V62.

These are the only ones I know about but there are literally hundreds Smile

. The next course of action would be to ask the DVLA.

Boff

Hi Willwill!

[quote:d8e50a4ffa="willwill"]They were only 22 and say they got round the 3.5 ton limit (his 608 had 6200kg on the paperwork) by registering the Merc as a [b:d8e50a4ffa]motor-caravan[/b:d8e50a4ffa], which as long as it has sleeping arrangements, toilet, cooker etc it can technically be classified as.

[b:d8e50a4ffa]Is this correct?[/b:d8e50a4ffa][/quote:d8e50a4ffa]

I am not exactly aware about British regulations, but am very much afraid that this is a rumour. Sad

Reason is that this 3.5 ton limit is based on EU regulations and therefore valid in all EU member states. And the regulation says that the [b:d8e50a4ffa]bearer[/b:d8e50a4ffa] of a driving license (you probably have class B) is limited to drive only "motor vehicles with a maximum authorized mass not exceeding 3 500 kg". And that means the mass [i:d8e50a4ffa]on the papers[/i:d8e50a4ffa], not the real mass! No matter which kind of vehicle.

Classifying it as a motor caravan may have an influence on the tax, but that's it.

A similar problem occured for German drivers: Traditionally the standard German car driving license covered motor vehicles (except bikes) up to 7.5 tons. Since 1999 when the new EU driving license classes were introduced in Germany there is also a 3.5 tons limit.

More information about the EU regulations can be found here:

[url]http://europa.eu.int/citizensrights/index_en[/url]

Select "Driving licenses" and "Presentation, categories and validity" under "Fact sheets" on left side.

[quote:d8e50a4ffa="willwill"]As an aside, does anyone know the ins and outs of getting a vehicles weight downgraded by the Ministry of Transport?[/quote:d8e50a4ffa]

Again, no idea about the procedures in UK. But the only downside would probably be that your payload will be significantly reduced.

Best Regards,
Gerhard