Mot exempt or not?

[Dave]

My Diamond T is pre 1960, therefore MOT exempt,

If i were to put a trailer (living van) from after 1960 behind it, does the trailer need testing?

[N.O.S.]

My understanding is 'Yes the trailer needs an MOT'.

 

Other things to consider:

 

1) If the Diamond T is run as 'historic' with exemption from MOT, it can only pull the trailer if it is 'unladen'.

2) The definition of 'unladen' needs careful consideration (which means I couldn't tell you exactly what that means :-D).

[gritineye]

In the case of living vans, they are classed as unladen as long as they carry only personal effects for use within the van.

 

Anything else like tables and chairs, gazebos, barbeques, for use outside are deemed to be goods, and aren't allowed when towed by a historic class vehicle claiming tax exemption.

 

I forget the criteria for living van test exemption, but they can be, it is weight related, like over/under a certain weight.

[N.O.S.]

.....I forget the criteria for living van test exemption, but they can be, it is weight related, like over/under a certain weight.

 

Now that would be well worth investigating - any volunteers to dig out the relevant legislation?

[gritineye]

Now that would be well worth investigating - any volunteers to dig out the relevant legislation?

 

It's all on here somewhere, from 2/3 years ago I would think, just needs some finding.

[scammell 7377]

so if i take a chair and use it inside im ok but take it out side to sit im breaking the law ??

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the case of living vans, they are classed as unladen as long as they carry only personal effects for use within the van.

 

Anything else like tables and chairs, gazebos, barbeques, for use outside are deemed to be goods, and aren't allowed when towed by a historic class vehicle claiming tax exemption.

 

I forget the criteria for living van test exemption, but they can be, it is weight related, like over/under a certain weight.

[gritineye]

Lee posted this quote in answer to similar question a long time ago.

 

 

There is sometimes confusion, even within the MOT trade, over the type of MOT test that motorhomes are subject to. Motorhomes are registered with the body type 'motor caravan', in the past this description was applied quite loosely but recently the DVLA and VOSA have been more rigid in aplying the regulations. In fact anyone registering a change of vehicle type after carrying out a conversion, or registering an imported motorhome, is likely to be required to have the vehicle checked at a VOSA Testing Station before DVLA will issue a new registration document.

 

Motor caravans are subject to an annual Class 4 MOT test from 3 years old, however we heard that some larger motorhomes with garages were being classed at 'living vans' by MOT testing stations. This has potentialy serious implications, as you will see below.

 

We asked VOSA about the regulations that apply to motorhomes, as far as the MOT test is concerned. This was their reply:

 

"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.

A 'living van' up to 3000kg dgw (Design Gross Weight) would require a class IV

test, and the first MOT would be due on the third anniversary of first

registration.

'Living vans' over 3000kg and up to 3500kg dgw require a class

VII test and would require an MOT when the vehicle is 1 year old.

(NB This statement was later corrected - see below)

If the 'living van' is over this weight then it would be a HGV MOT test that the

vehicle would require and this also would be due when the vehicle is 1 year

old. "

We then asked about their definition of 'living van' and the phrase:

"... 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."

When we asked about carrying a small car or motor cycle in a motorhome we had this reply:

"A small car or motorcycle would be classed as goods as it is not needed by

such one or more persons for the purpose of their residence. When it

states "for the purpose of their residence" it refers more to things that

are necessary for the vehicle to be lived in, e.g, cooker, refridgerator,

beds, etc."

So it seemed that a motorhome adapted to carry a motorbike or scooter could be classed as a 'living van'. If so it would be regarded as a goods vehicle and, if over 3500kg GVW it would be subject to a HGV MOT test EVERY YEAR FROM NEW.

We regarded this as patently ridiculous and asked where the line is drawn between possessions that may be carried for this purpose, and those that VOSA deems to be 'goods'. One assumes that a motorhome owner may carry some personal possessions 'for the purpose of their residence', eg clothes and food!

The matter was then referred to the Department for Transport, who replied as follows:

"LIVING VANS

 

I refer to your follow-up e-mail message of 18th October to colleagues in the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) which has been forwarded to me at the Department for Transport as we have responsibility for the legislation governing roadworthiness testing.

 

First of all, I should mention that there was a slight error in the second message that you received from the enquiry team at VOSA. To clarify, vehicles which require a class VII MOT test (goods vehicles between 3000 and 3500kgs design gross weight (DGW)) are only required to undergo a first MOT three years after the vehicle was first registered and not from the first year following registration as stated in the e-mails from VOSA. I’m sorry if this has caused confusion.

 

To clarify further, I can confirm that all living vans are regarded as goods vehicles. This is because such vehicles are used primarily for living accommodation but are also able to carry goods which are not needed for the purpose of residence in the vehicle. Section 192 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 defines ‘goods’ as ‘goods or burden of any description’. As such, ‘goods’ is not a term restricted solely to items carried for gain or reward. It is our view, therefore, that bikes or cars carried in a designated area on a vehicle should be regarded as goods and that vehicles which have the capacity to carry such items within them have to be regarded as living vans and not motor caravans.

 

Smaller living vans (under 3,500kgs) can be MOT tested as Class IV or Class VII vehicles depending on their weight. The first MOT test would be required from the third year following registration and then every year thereafter. However, many living vans are outside the scope of MOT testing as they exceed 3,500kgs in weight. These heavier living vans should be tested at a VOSA goods vehicle testing station under the Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) Regulations 1988. Such vehicles must be tested annually from the first year following registration.

 

I hope this clarifies the position. "

 

We didn't think that clarifed the position at all and we asked a series of further questions, in particular concerning the properties of a 'designated area' which determine whether the motorhome is classed as a 'living van' or not.

We received a further reply from the DfT:

 

[Letter dated 17/11/06]

Following your further e mail of 1st November I have discussed these, matters further with colleagues in other parts of the DfT.

One point we thought should be clarified is that different legislation governs the requirements for the registration of vehicles with the DVLA from the roadworthiness testing of vehicles under schemes managed by VOSA. This is why the definitions used for vehicles vary according to whether we are talking about the registration or the testing of a vehicle. Whichever way DVLA classify motor caravans has no bearing on the matter of the testing of the vehicles since the term "motor caravan" is defined in the 1981 Motor Vehicle Tests Regulations [page ref 7998/210/3 ] which governs the roadworthiness testing of vehicles.

We take your point that a "living van" looks just like a motor caravan but the important difference is that it is used to carry goods and is therefore classified as a goods vehicle. The consequence is that if the living van is above 3500kg gross vehicle weight it falls under the goods vehicle plating & testing regime and will need to have an annual roadworthiness test, once the vehicle is a year old, carried out at a VOSA test site.

The view of my colleagues is that whether a motorhome has a locker of a particular size is not really relevant to this issue because all motorhomes have room that could be utilised to carry goods. The question is whether or not the vehicles are used for carrying goods rather than items that are needed for the purpose of their residence in the vehicle. It is up to the vehicle owner to declare whether the vehicle is used for carrying goods or not. VOSA would not be in a position to determine this at the time the vehicle is presented for test as they will not know the use to which the vehicle is being put. If the owner tells the test station that the vehicle is a motorhome and has it tested as such and then subsequently a Police check reveals that the vehicle is being used to carry goods then it would seem to us that an offence would have been committed.

However, the interpretation of what constitutes an offence is of course down to the Police and then ultimately the courts to determine. In our replies to you we have tried to indicate what we thought the intention was in introducing the legislation. In fact though we have no remit to say what effect the legislation, as drafted, actually has - or indeed whether or not an offence is actually committed under the different scenarios you have described. Our main function needs to be limited to pointing people to the relevant sections of the legislation.

We have not seen any evidence that there is a problem at present with people having motorhomes which they then use to carry goods and are subsequently prosecuted on that basis. So perhaps your interpretation of "goods" as being "items not in the possession of the vehicle occupant" is closer to the way that the enforcement authorities are currently choosing to interpret the carriage of mopeds and bikes owned by the drivers of motorhomes.

However if you are aware that there have been cases of the Police prosecuting any of your members for carrying items which the Police deem to be goods and therefore require the vehicle to be tested as a class VII vehicle or even a goods vehicle required to be tested under the plating and testing regime then certainly you could put a warning on your website to cover the issues that have been raised in your correspondence with us.

You did mention in one of your earlier e mail messages that some people would be carrying a small car from their large motorhomes. It really is quite difficult for us to see how the definition of items "needed for the purpose of their residence in the vehicle" could be stretched to include small cars. Nevertheless interpretation by the enforcement authorities is a matter of both fact and degree and we can offer no further advice on the specific point of what would or would not be treated as "goods".

To amend the definitions in legislation, as you have suggested, may seem straightforward to you but would in fact require changes to primary legislation and there are no plans to do this. Partly this is due to the other priorities that exist with a busy Parliamentary schedule, but in any case there appears at this stage to be no evidence that the Police have found a problem with people having vehicles tested as motorhomes which are really being used to carry goods. It would therefore be difficult to justify the need for these changes which would inevitably be time consuming and costly.

To conclude we would suggest that the best advice to give your members is that if they are carrying goods on a vehicle that is over 3.5 tonnes it is very likely to need a goods vehicle test carried out annually at a VOSA test station once the vehicle is a year old. Beyond that if you need advice on the effect of carrying a small car or any other specific items we suggest that you seek independent legal advice.

Well, in our view the statements contained in that letter indicate a shift in the aplication of the term 'Living Van' to motorhomes. It now seems that it is up to the motorhome owner to declare to the Testing Station whether their vehicle is used to carry goods. If a declaration is made that goods are not carried, then the vehicle will be accepted as a motorhome and be subject to a Class IV test every year from 3 years old.

I would like to express our thanks to Rob Haggar, from the Department for Transport, for his time and patience in responding to our questions.

(Last updated 17/11/06) </H3> Household Cavalry Pageant & TA100 Pageant Fox CVR(W) Driver

IMPS Member

 

1942 Austin K2/Y NFS ATV

[N.O.S.]

And there was me thinking a LIVING VAN would be a van for living in, not a van for carrying goods in. How stupid of me :rolleyes:

[scammell 7377]

ok i can clearly see from this that the carrage of goods or the ability to carry them needs a mot of the relevent class but ive long been of the beleif that living vans were mot exempt i know for perhaps 10 or 12 explorer owners towing binners brockhouse , sentinel , rubbery owen office / stores trailers soley for rally/ show accomodation not mot ing are we all breaking the rules ?

[N.O.S.]

I just don't understand the 'capable of carrying goods' thing they are on about. If it has no cargo area - just a bed, cooker, sofa and fridge - there would seem to be a case for claiming it is not able / constructed / adapted to carry cargo. :undecided:

 

I'm guessing a pre-1960 trailer used / adapted as a living van does not have these same issues?

[scammell 7377]

if they are lumping moter caravans in with living vans and calling them vehicles are they talking about something self propelled and not purely a trailer

[gritineye]

The goods referred to would be road making or hand tools, red lights, packing wood, bikes and such. Remember the origins of the living van was for housing workers who traveled with fairs, circuses, theshing sets and such.

 

Belly boxes where for holding such items, if there is no belly box or such it is a caravan, so would presumably be exempt testing.

 

Motor homes or trailer caravans with garages underneath are deemed to be living vans for the above reasons.

Edited November 13, 2012 by gritineye

[TooTallMike]

Surely a lot depends on what exactly the trailer is being used for?

 

Scenario 1: a Brockhouse trailer converted to living accomodation, and with a few deckchairs and other camping bits and bobs chucked in on the floor area. I believe this qualifies as test exempt as it is within the spirit of being 'used unladen'.

 

Scenario 2: the same converted trailer being used to transport a stall-holder's stock on the same floor area. I believe it is difficult to consider commercial stock as directly relevant to the trailer's use as mobile accommodation so I would say it is being used to transport a load. A laden trailer over 3,500kg gross weight requires a test, regardless of its age. Incidentally in many cases the towing vehicle would also need to be tested, as well as no longer being tax exempt...

 

Clearly there is a grey area in between these two scenarios and indeed one could conjure up a more extreme second scenario but I have tried to describe scenarios that could be relevant to our hobby. In the case of an accident or stop/check it would be up to the Police, VOSA and ultimately a Court to decide where the line is drawn. The driver needs to be satisfied that they have done their research (above and beyond just asking a question on HMVF) so that they can defend their own decision.

 

As regards the original question "My Diamond T is pre 1960, therefore MOT exempt, If i were to put a trailer (living van) from after 1960 behind it, does the trailer need testing?" I would suggest that both are legitimately test-exempt, provided nothing is carried that is not relevant to camping/exhibiting.

 

This is my understanding of the situation but please do your own research and don't just believe me!

 

- MG

[gritineye]

I sometimes think this subject can be over thought, if the trailer has sink, beds, etc. but no dedicated space to carry goods it is a caravan.

 

Just what would someone have to do to attract the attention of the enforcement agencies and then annoy them enough to make them prosecute you for such a minor indiscretion as having your outside hobby stuff laying inside on the floor.

 

We have all heard of caravan owners being pulled and fined for overloading when their caravan is full of bikes, surfboards, awnings and such, but has anyone heard of the owner being told his caravan needs an MOT because of it?

 

As Mike so rightly says, do your own research to prove you don't have a living van, and therefore you don't need it testing, print it out and keep it with you.

 

And smile at the nice officer....

Edited November 14, 2012 by gritineye

[16svt]

We have had a fair few of this type of thread over the years. They usually result in people arguing over what can or cant be carried in an exempt vehicle. Some people say you cannot carry ANYTHING at all and some people are happy to carry loads of stuff.  It would seem that as it stands, no one really knows what can or cannot be carried in an exempt vehicle as a test case in court has never happened. It is my view that if you have done your homework about the subject AND you would be prepared to stand in front of a judge and defend your actions in court, then you are fine. I for one would be quite willing to carry my tool box and some spares in my MOT exempt Matador, as i consider my tools and certain spares as essential for the safe operation of a vehicle that is almost 70 years old. I would also be prepared to argue that a bag containing clothes and food are not "goods", but my personal effects. But that is how i interpret the rules and as i have said, i am prepared to justify my actions in court if it was needed. <br>Its all a very grey area.

[Dave]

Crazy isn`t it.

 

I can carry 10tons of concrete in the back of the T and call it ballast, to aid traction.

If i carry something more interesting but ultimately less useful than the said concrete it becomes laden.

 

My plan was a flat trailer with a living box on the front and a land rover on the back, so from the inputs in this thread it would appear as i thought that it would need testing. i just wondered if there were any "exemptions" from this.

Given the cost of the trailer, the fact that it may need some work for the test and that it would only be used for shows, not hire and reward, it would probably be cheaper to get someone to drive the land rover and leave the living van on its present trailer.

Incidentally my present insurance does cover the living van as they consider it to be used unladen.

It`s only on an arrows 1 3/4 tonne trailer anyway.

 

I haven`t got anything against Mot/vosa testing but whereas testers used to be fair to the old vehicles and cut us a bit of slack now they seem computer controlled and can`t differentiate between a hobby vehicle and a daily haulage vehicle and i know of some people who struggle to get a vehicle which they know is safe in their hands, through the test.

[Brooky]

Now that would be well worth investigating - any volunteers to dig out the relevant legislation?

 

 

 

Exempt from Testing and Plating

"Living Vans not exceeding 3500kgs gvw"

[LoggyDriver]

Also don't forget that if you are using an exempt vehicle to tow an unladen trailer and its found that the trailer is "Laden" then the towing vehicle is no longer exempt AND the driver of the vehicle if the combination is over 8250 train weight would need a Class One HGV driving licence.

[julezee001]

Lee posted this quote in answer to similar question a long time ago.

 

 

There is sometimes confusion, even within the MOT trade, over the type of MOT test that motorhomes are subject to. Motorhomes are registered with the body type 'motor caravan', in the past this description was applied quite loosely but recently the DVLA and VOSA have been more rigid in aplying the regulations. In fact anyone registering a change of vehicle type after carrying out a conversion, or registering an imported motorhome, is likely to be required to have the vehicle checked at a VOSA Testing Station before DVLA will issue a new registration document.

 

Motor caravans are subject to an annual Class 4 MOT test from 3 years old, however we heard that some larger motorhomes with garages were being classed at 'living vans' by MOT testing stations. This has potentialy serious implications, as you will see below.

 

We asked VOSA about the regulations that apply to motorhomes, as far as the MOT test is concerned. This was their reply:

 

"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.

A 'living van' up to 3000kg dgw (Design Gross Weight) would require a class IV

test, and the first MOT would be due on the third anniversary of first

registration.

'Living vans' over 3000kg and up to 3500kg dgw require a class

VII test and would require an MOT when the vehicle is 1 year old.

(NB This statement was later corrected - see below)

If the 'living van' is over this weight then it would be a HGV MOT test that the

vehicle would require and this also would be due when the vehicle is 1 year

old. "

We then asked about their definition of 'living van' and the phrase:

"... 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."

When we asked about carrying a small car or motor cycle in a motorhome we had this reply:

"A small car or motorcycle would be classed as goods as it is not needed by

such one or more persons for the purpose of their residence. When it

states "for the purpose of their residence" it refers more to things that

are necessary for the vehicle to be lived in, e.g, cooker, refridgerator,

beds, etc."

So it seemed that a motorhome adapted to carry a motorbike or scooter could be classed as a 'living van'. If so it would be regarded as a goods vehicle and, if over 3500kg GVW it would be subject to a HGV MOT test EVERY YEAR FROM NEW.

We regarded this as patently ridiculous and asked where the line is drawn between possessions that may be carried for this purpose, and those that VOSA deems to be 'goods'. One assumes that a motorhome owner may carry some personal possessions 'for the purpose of their residence', eg clothes and food!

The matter was then referred to the Department for Transport, who replied as follows:

"LIVING VANS

 

I refer to your follow-up e-mail message of 18th October to colleagues in the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) which has been forwarded to me at the Department for Transport as we have responsibility for the legislation governing roadworthiness testing.

 

First of all, I should mention that there was a slight error in the second message that you received from the enquiry team at VOSA. To clarify, vehicles which require a class VII MOT test (goods vehicles between 3000 and 3500kgs design gross weight (DGW)) are only required to undergo a first MOT three years after the vehicle was first registered and not from the first year following registration as stated in the e-mails from VOSA. I’m sorry if this has caused confusion.

 

To clarify further, I can confirm that all living vans are regarded as goods vehicles. This is because such vehicles are used primarily for living accommodation but are also able to carry goods which are not needed for the purpose of residence in the vehicle. Section 192 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 defines ‘goods’ as ‘goods or burden of any description’. As such, ‘goods’ is not a term restricted solely to items carried for gain or reward. It is our view, therefore, that bikes or cars carried in a designated area on a vehicle should be regarded as goods and that vehicles which have the capacity to carry such items within them have to be regarded as living vans and not motor caravans.

 

Smaller living vans (under 3,500kgs) can be MOT tested as Class IV or Class VII vehicles depending on their weight. The first MOT test would be required from the third year following registration and then every year thereafter. However, many living vans are outside the scope of MOT testing as they exceed 3,500kgs in weight. These heavier living vans should be tested at a VOSA goods vehicle testing station under the Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) Regulations 1988. Such vehicles must be tested annually from the first year following registration.

 

I hope this clarifies the position. "

 

We didn't think that clarifed the position at all and we asked a series of further questions, in particular concerning the properties of a 'designated area' which determine whether the motorhome is classed as a 'living van' or not.

We received a further reply from the DfT:

 

[Letter dated 17/11/06]

Following your further e mail of 1st November I have discussed these, matters further with colleagues in other parts of the DfT.

One point we thought should be clarified is that different legislation governs the requirements for the registration of vehicles with the DVLA from the roadworthiness testing of vehicles under schemes managed by VOSA. This is why the definitions used for vehicles vary according to whether we are talking about the registration or the testing of a vehicle. Whichever way DVLA classify motor caravans has no bearing on the matter of the testing of the vehicles since the term "motor caravan" is defined in the 1981 Motor Vehicle Tests Regulations [page ref 7998/210/3 ] which governs the roadworthiness testing of vehicles.

We take your point that a "living van" looks just like a motor caravan but the important difference is that it is used to carry goods and is therefore classified as a goods vehicle. The consequence is that if the living van is above 3500kg gross vehicle weight it falls under the goods vehicle plating & testing regime and will need to have an annual roadworthiness test, once the vehicle is a year old, carried out at a VOSA test site.

The view of my colleagues is that whether a motorhome has a locker of a particular size is not really relevant to this issue because all motorhomes have room that could be utilised to carry goods. The question is whether or not the vehicles are used for carrying goods rather than items that are needed for the purpose of their residence in the vehicle. It is up to the vehicle owner to declare whether the vehicle is used for carrying goods or not. VOSA would not be in a position to determine this at the time the vehicle is presented for test as they will not know the use to which the vehicle is being put. If the owner tells the test station that the vehicle is a motorhome and has it tested as such and then subsequently a Police check reveals that the vehicle is being used to carry goods then it would seem to us that an offence would have been committed.

However, the interpretation of what constitutes an offence is of course down to the Police and then ultimately the courts to determine. In our replies to you we have tried to indicate what we thought the intention was in introducing the legislation. In fact though we have no remit to say what effect the legislation, as drafted, actually has - or indeed whether or not an offence is actually committed under the different scenarios you have described. Our main function needs to be limited to pointing people to the relevant sections of the legislation.

We have not seen any evidence that there is a problem at present with people having motorhomes which they then use to carry goods and are subsequently prosecuted on that basis. So perhaps your interpretation of "goods" as being "items not in the possession of the vehicle occupant" is closer to the way that the enforcement authorities are currently choosing to interpret the carriage of mopeds and bikes owned by the drivers of motorhomes.

However if you are aware that there have been cases of the Police prosecuting any of your members for carrying items which the Police deem to be goods and therefore require the vehicle to be tested as a class VII vehicle or even a goods vehicle required to be tested under the plating and testing regime then certainly you could put a warning on your website to cover the issues that have been raised in your correspondence with us.

You did mention in one of your earlier e mail messages that some people would be carrying a small car from their large motorhomes. It really is quite difficult for us to see how the definition of items "needed for the purpose of their residence in the vehicle" could be stretched to include small cars. Nevertheless interpretation by the enforcement authorities is a matter of both fact and degree and we can offer no further advice on the specific point of what would or would not be treated as "goods".

To amend the definitions in legislation, as you have suggested, may seem straightforward to you but would in fact require changes to primary legislation and there are no plans to do this. Partly this is due to the other priorities that exist with a busy Parliamentary schedule, but in any case there appears at this stage to be no evidence that the Police have found a problem with people having vehicles tested as motorhomes which are really being used to carry goods. It would therefore be difficult to justify the need for these changes which would inevitably be time consuming and costly.

To conclude we would suggest that the best advice to give your members is that if they are carrying goods on a vehicle that is over 3.5 tonnes it is very likely to need a goods vehicle test carried out annually at a VOSA test station once the vehicle is a year old. Beyond that if you need advice on the effect of carrying a small car or any other specific items we suggest that you seek independent legal advice.

Well, in our view the statements contained in that letter indicate a shift in the aplication of the term 'Living Van' to motorhomes. It now seems that it is up to the motorhome owner to declare to the Testing Station whether their vehicle is used to carry goods. If a declaration is made that goods are not carried, then the vehicle will be accepted as a motorhome and be subject to a Class IV test every year from 3 years old.

I would like to express our thanks to Rob Haggar, from the Department for Transport, for his time and patience in responding to our questions.

(Last updated 17/11/06) </H3> Household Cavalry Pageant & TA100 Pageant Fox CVR(W) Driver

IMPS Member

 

1942 Austin K2/Y NFS ATV

 

I love the way the people who are responsible for defining the Legislation are so vague about its implementation when questioned. I think I'd argue that a small car or motorbike would be a sensible option to carry or tow with a large motorhome as they are far easier to manouver and environmentally friendly, than taking the motorhome (in my case Militant Mk1) to do the days shopping at Asda! Personally I try to take the Scammell Explorer as it's got the air assisted steering!

 

The tester at the local VOSA station did want to look in the back of my Militant to check that it had a sink, bed, fridge and cooker fitted when I said it was a motorhome. The camping kit , 2 army 18' x 24' tents, did phase him a bit, but I assured him they were essential equipment, and he agreed. The last tester didn't even ask to look in the back, or question testing the Militant as a heavy class 4 (motorhome) other than saying it was ridiculous!

 

Jules

[gritineye]

The last tester didn't even ask to look in the back, or question testing the Militant as a heavy class 4 (motorhome) other than saying it was ridiculous!

 

Jules

 

It would be hard to argue with him on that Jules ..:angel: