[Detourer]

Hi

I seem to have lost the plot amongst all this but as we have moved/added the insurance issue..........and if they can find a way out of paying they will:

In the later years running Trailmasters we switched from Land Rover to HUGE support vehicles for our North African tours. Over those years I bought ex-Paris Dakar service vehicles. These WOULD have required HGV, but we ripped out interior and had them fitted and re-reg'd as Motorhomes. I also ran an ex military Tatra and a couple of DAF YA's all well over 7.5 ton, but were converted and re-reg'd as MHomes. As public liability became a factor, as I often carried passengers, I asked specifically with various insurance co's re weight/licence requirements and always, as these vehicle were NOW Mhomes we were oK with normal licences.

As these vehicle were unusual the amount of police pull-overs ran into I would think hundreds, both here and abroad. Licesnces were often checked and on one or two occasions phone calls made before we were always aloud to proceed.

Insurance? Unfortunaly I was recently involved in an horrendous traffic accident, involving serious injury to a child pedestrian who ran into the road. I was driving a MASSIVE Merc Unimog at the time that was ex-HGV but again is now a Mhome. Believe me when I say that during the 6 hours I was held in a police station my "legal" to drive was well and truly checked. The matter has now been finalised without "problems".

In short I have only ever driven HGV vehicles (8) converted to Mhomes and have been dragged well through the legal and insurance system and have emerged intact........

 

[Detourer]

PS. Don't know how I got a smiley in there..........should have been (8)

 

[Detourer]

Quite right George..........it all still leaves me a little confused though.

Slightly off type of vehicle, but a couple of othern points do show that once a base HGV chassis is constructed and re-reg'ed..............My brother-in-law keeps horses. When last in the UK I went to a large show. Some of the horse boxes there were HUGE, with living accommodation etc etc. I even saw a twin-axel one. One in particular caught my eye, partly because of it's size and partly because of the obviously very young female groom driver. I joked with her about handling, comfort etc and she confirmed her other vehicle was a Ford Fiesta.......and as far as she was concerned/confirmed she could drive that monster on her car licence. I also remember many years ago being involved in moving large ex-military trucks to an out of UK destination (cant say where, but was legal). These vehicle were officually re-reg'ed as ambulances, partly for ease of transit but more for the "anyone can drive" aspect.

Sorry, am I way off plot?

In short it seems to me that no matter what the base vehicle starts life as it's what it ends up as that counts i.e. a motorhome, horsebox, whatever.

And yes, my driving licence and insurance were taken away and put through exceptional scrutiny after the aforementioned incident.

PS. What more details?

 

[Detourer]

OK George

Accident was in Spain.........and they don't p### around re documents when there is a sniff of trouble. Licence is the pink CC type card with photo. Non HGV.

There was damage to a shop front and my vehicle (after hitting first child and avoiding second one!). Usual investigation with insurance co., NFU on this vehicle as it my "private" one. All sorted. And they were/are well aware that base vehicle is a Merc Unimog.

When running aforementioned mention vehicles in previous post........Most members of my staff and myself, were stopped in, I would say all Euro counties (and beyond) many many times. Some did have HGV, but like me some didn't.......Balance of investigation lent towards we didn't need HGV for the vehicles we drove. Never nicked on a licence issue. If we were, no question, we would have got HGV.

Hope that answers your questions..................Could sound like it was me that sent you an email........I didn't.

 

[Detourer]

Seems like yes, whatever that is!

 

[Detourer]

Hi Red_dragon_bus

With all due respect don't draw me into all this. Frankly, I don't give a toss.

 

[Detourer]

Hi RDB

Like I say, not going to get draw into the "argument" side of all this.

My licence says CI. My vehicle has a GVM of 10.600kg + conversion body, not sure of total weight but I may if I see one put it on a wbridge. Can I drive it........legal?

 

[Detourer]

Phew, what luck...............police let me go and the insurance paid up.
(and the next Mhome is even bigger).

 

[Detourer]

Hi RDB

Do what?

 

[Detourer]

Or cover yourself in loads of paper...........much of it irrelevant.

No problem with sleeping this end.........No little picture of a motorhome on my licence, 30+ years in truck based motorhomes all over the World, never a problem with insurance, never a problem with the law (many dealings with both)..............

25ton motorhome......now there's a thought!

 

[Detourer]

Evening George and Jonathan

IF I get nicked................will you both come to court with me?

 

[Detourer]

All the confusion and doubt re paperwork aside, what are you saying. "affected" Mhome/RV/Converted owners should have HGV?

 

[Detourer]

If a B licence holder was stopped by the police in a 40ft RV I would imagine they would start asking questions.

And the questions being what?

 

[Detourer]

I would say yes.............then hand him a couple of mobile's.

"talk with my mates George and Jon"

I would leave the scene as he through himself under the wheels of the next BIG MH that came past..............

Only joking :lol:

 

[Detourer]

At which point I would probably throw myself under the next huge Mh that came past!!

 

[Detourer]

Hi all

I, of course do not see/take your (Lizzie) comments as they may at first seem. I know what you are saying.

The MH vehicles I have owned/driven over the many years in business/private have been far too expensive to mess around with re insurance etc. Always the insurance have and are well aware of weight......and at times we have had to produce an engineers report. As Jonathan says, you might get a slapped wrist for not having the right licence............BUT, you may well loose your vehicle if the insurance fails to pay after a claim.....and they do and have paid. My recent claim could, with the personal injury and property damage, have run into telephone numbers........as it was they payed out £20.000 +. If, because of no licence to drive they could have got away with paying then rest assured they would have. The only restriction we have had over the years re insurance has been lower age i.e. 25yrs. Re the licence issue. I have taken so much advice in the past and have never been told that I/we need HGV or whatever.

Why, running and owning these vehicle have I not bothered to take a HGV? Firstly, I am sorry to say time.......secondly why? I don't fly an aircraft so why take a pilots licence test. Thirdly, I don't think that a 3 day HGV tuition/test does much...oops, sorry.

I am too far down the line to worry that much, BUT if the law DEFINITIVELY say I need whatever licence I will get one.

Police/Abroad etc......... I remember being stopped on the way to a UK trade show by "traffic Police".....In so much as they were pulling heavies and going all over and under them, they obviously knew their stuff. Fascinated by the vehicle (ex Paris-Dakar service Tatra, now a Hhome/support) and while the minglings checked all around the top man sat behind the wheel and belted himself in. On hearing the sound from the twin stack exhaust he suggested that a radio speaker would be better placed where the Tacho was......No card in it, he looked. He didn't assume because we were drive a monster we have the correct licence...he looked. No problem.

My in-law is a Cuadia captain (Malaga). I called into his office thismorning, for coffee and to see if he could help with a parking ticket, but took the opportunity putting to him in GREAT detail the argument re "overweight" Hmomes. They are well aware of my business and type of vehicles and my C1 licence and my wife's B licence........Opinion is NO PROBLEM, they are NOT HGV.

Over the next few months, and if all thing fall into place, I am bringing 6/10 Hmomes down to Southern Spain for self drive hire here and in Morocco. As of this time we are assured that insurance is not an issue regarding size/weight of the two largest ones.........I have to my own (and it would seem Guadia/Traffico) satisfaction cleared the licence issue.

Finally I would just say that I am not for or against driving of RV's, Large Mhomes on car licences. I think that a large motorhome is far removed from a fully laden HGV. BUT, just wait for the flack and outcry if/when the grey area is cleared up and hundreds are forced to take HGV tests.....

 

[Detourer]

And hey you lads.......George and Jonathan

Both your opinions are VALID...........and this thread/issue (just look at the "views") is an important one and one that could and probably will effect a large numbers of Mhome owners in the future.

Why not, as very articulate and informed individuals, do us all a favour and put your heads together and tackle this issue, again, with those in suits. Get some written replies from insurance co's etc etc. Ok, probably been done before ah George, but it would be nice for us all to see and call upon simple reply letters. If they don't respond I will take it as a conformation of an agreed question.

And, if you two do ever meet I will "second" Jonathan.......only because he is younger and therefore probably stronger.......