Are you legally able to drive your motorhome in the UK?
If you live in the UK and you are planning to buy a new or used motorhome then it is obviously very important to know whether or not you are legally entitled to take it out on the roads. So what are the rules that motorists should be aware of before getting behind the wheel of a campervan in the UK and are there any special requirements in relation to the size and weight of motorhome you are legally allowed to drive?
Did you pass your test before or after January 1st 1997?
If you are under 70 years of age and you passed your test before January 1st 1997 then you are entitled by law to drive any motorhome up to a Maximum Allowable Mass between 3,500kg and 7,500kg. This is due to the fact that people who have passed their driving test before this date will have automatically received the C1 category entitlement on their licences.
Anything with a Maximum Allowable Mass over 7,500kg (which usually means only the biggest and heaviest American built motorhomes) will require you to pass a C category test. However, if you are over 70 years of age and you passed your test before January 1st 1997, then you will need to renew your licence if you want to retain the C1 entitlement on your driving licence and this will require your GP filling in the relevant medical form (D4) – which normally incurs a small fee.
If you passed your test after January 1st 1997 and you want to drive a motorhome which is over 3,500kg in weight – then you will need to pass an additional C1 category test in order to drive a motorhome or similar vehicle over 3,500kg – as those who have passed their tests since the beginning of 1997 do not automatically get a C1 category entitlement.
If you only have a standard driving licence which was issued after passing your test post 1997, then the maximum weight of motorhome that you may legally drive is 3,500kg – without passing an additional C1 test. The good news is that the vast majority of UK based motorhome manufacturers have limited the weight of their vehicles so that they do not exceed this limit!
When shopping around for a used motorhome, always check to make sure that you are legally entitled to drive it before making that final purchase and if you are looking for something a little bigger then make sure you take any additional tests that are legally required as nobody wants to end up with a new campervan that simply ends up stuck on the driveway for the foreseeable future!
Finally, for a full and up to date list of vehicles you are allowed to drive with your current licence, you should always check the official government website.
