Important Legal Considerations for Motor Home Owners
You have purchased a motorhome, purchased your motorhome insurance and chosen your first destination – the next thing to check is that you are in compliance with the relevant UK legal requirements.
UK Motor Home Size Restrictions
If you are considering importing a motorhome from abroad, there are certain size regulations that you need to consider to ensure the vehicle is legal on UK roads. A motorhome registered in the UK cannot be more than 12 metres long and 2.55 metres wide unless it has an Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) certificate; a vehicle with an IVA certificate can have a width of up to 2.6 metres. There is no height limit, but if the motorhome is over 3 metres tall it must have a notice detailing its height visible to the driver.
When measuring your vehicle for compliance purposes there are a couple of considerations. The length of the vehicle does not include driving mirrors or rearward projecting buffers made of rubber or other resilient material. The width of the vehicle doesn’t include driving mirrors, lamps, reflectors or distortion in tyres due to loading.
Motor Homes and Your Driving Licence
All motorhome drivers also need to ensure that their driving licence is appropriate to the vehicle. Restrictions for each licence category are as follows:
A category B licence enables you to drive a motorhome with a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of up to 3,500 kg, no more than eight passenger seats, with or without a trailer – weighing no more than 750 kg. For the definition of MAM, or if the vehicle/trailer you intend to use exceeds these limits, you are advised to consult the Government website:www.direct.gov.uk.