Top 14 Facts on Your Motorhome and the Law

If you are over 70, you’ll lose this entitlement unless you have a private medical test.

3. What do I need to do to make my motorhome road legal?
Regardless of its condition: new, used, built in the UK or imported, to be considered road-legal, any vehicle must comply with UK Construction and Use and Lighting Regulations. Where your motorhome is in adherence with the National Caravan Council (NCC) certification scheme, it will have been inspected to meet all UK and EU rules and will be marked with an NCC approval plate on the vehicle. It’s essential to check that the vehicle’s tyre pressure is appropriate for the load being carried; also, ensure your loaded weight does not exceed the manufacturer’s stated maximum weight or exceed the maximum axle weights. If in doubt, you can double check at a public weighbridge.

4. How does insurance work for motorhomes?
What you can expect to pay out on motor home insurance is generally very reasonable, because insurers tend to see motorcaravanners as a relatively low risk}. However, you should still verify you have adequate insurance for your vehicle, not forgetting any additional premium for foreign travel. Don’t forget that your insurance will have to cover the fittings within the vehicle itself, such as the kitchen, and that any personal items that will be in the vehicle will need to be covered. As with any legal matter, read the small print. Check that the full value of your vehicle and equipment is fully covered. And if there is a breakdown and roadside recovery element included, be sure the provider is able to cope with a van of your vehicle’s dimensions.

5. How do I get my motorhome MoTed?
Ultimately it’s a question of the size of your van and what the test station is equipped to handle. All vans are considered Class IV vehicles for MoT purposes and should be accepted at any of the UK’s nineteen thousand car MoT centres. Should the vehicle’s dimensions make this impractical, the MoT garage may not be able to service you. Always ask before simply showing up in something unexpected, when you make your booking. Larger vans can be tested at Class VII centres that have the facilities to cope with HGVs. There should be no difference in fee (a maximum of £54.85 currently). A van will need to pass an MoT test after its third year from new and then every year after this.

6. How fast can I go?
Obviously speed limits differ for different types of road and may be different for larger motorhomes. However, most conventional motorhomes are treated as cars for the purpose of speed limits and motorway regulations – seventy on a motorway or dual carriageway and a national speed limit of sixty elsewhere, but, of course, sign-posted lower limits apply. Larger motorhomes, though, with an unladen weight of more than 3050kg are restricted to 60mph on dual carriageways other than motorways and 50mph on single carriageway roads.

7. How many passengers are legal? Do passengers in the rear have to wear seat belts?
There is no legal limit to the number of passengers you can carry in the rear of your motorhome, however you could be personally liable for their safety if they are not in a suitable seat with a seatbelt.