TOWING A TRAILER WITH AN A-CLASS MOTORHOME (1 Viewer)

mrgemr

Free Member
Aug 19, 2013
20
4
Chester border with North Wales
Funster No
27,601
MH
A Class
Exp
9 years Motorhome, previously over 30 years Caravanning
Hi!
My Motorhome is plated at 3850Kgs so is now classified as a Group 2 vehicle - a Heavy Goods vehicle for commercial use - although it is a 4 seater leisure vehicle used with my family for weekends and Breaks Away! I am informed I have to take the full Commercial Lorry and Bus medical tests to be able to drive my 'camper van' and to retain my C1 licence gained before 1979.
Consequently, I may fail to have my licence renewed now I am 70 years old.
I am considering trying to have my Rapido Motorhome reclassified down to 3500kgs, and towing a trailer to transport all the 'loose gubbins' needed for a holiday - bedding, crockery, food etc.
My first thoughts are to choose a twin axle braked trailer (up to single horse box size) under 750kgs.
Does anyone have experience and advice about the best type of trailer - high and narrow, low and wide - - obviously I would want it to be secure and solid construction - not canvas - that is easy to tow and is stable! (Pre-Motorhome days I towed a 20ft twin axle Mardon caravan with a large Volvo Estate for 15 years!)
Any advice greatly appreciated.
MrG
 

Badknee

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 25, 2014
7,395
409,027
notloB
Funster No
33,046
MH
Vantage Neo
Exp
Living the dream.
For stability wide and low would be my choice, Indispension Ltd do a large range of box trailers.
 
Nov 25, 2013
1,109
1,738
kent
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29,170
MH
Swift Kontiki 669
Exp
Since April 2013
Why do you think you might fail the medical? Since 65 I have had the yearly medical to retain my LGV Licence , it’s very informal at the “right practitioner” and takes no more than 20minutes. BP, Eye test and Any medications you are prescribed are required. Any pre existing conditions will of course need to be disclosed.

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D

Deleted member 29692

Deleted User
Hi!
My Motorhome is plated at 3850Kgs so is now classified as a Group 2 vehicle - a Heavy Goods vehicle for commercial use - although it is a 4 seater leisure vehicle used with my family for weekends and Breaks Away! I am informed I have to take the full Commercial Lorry and Bus medical tests to be able to drive my 'camper van' and to retain my C1 licence gained before 1979.
Consequently, I may fail to have my licence renewed now I am 70 years old.
I am considering trying to have my Rapido Motorhome reclassified down to 3500kgs, and towing a trailer to transport all the 'loose gubbins' needed for a holiday - bedding, crockery, food etc.
My first thoughts are to choose a twin axle braked trailer (up to single horse box size) under 750kgs.
Does anyone have experience and advice about the best type of trailer - high and narrow, low and wide - - obviously I would want it to be secure and solid construction - not canvas - that is easy to tow and is stable! (Pre-Motorhome days I towed a 20ft twin axle Mardon caravan with a large Volvo Estate for 15 years!)
Any advice greatly appreciated.
MrG

A couple of points.

It's classified as a PHGV - Private HGV - just like every other motorhome over 3500kg and below 7500kg.. It's not classed as a "a Heavy Goods vehicle for commercial use" Such a classification does not exist.

If you have no obvious medical issues there's no good reason why you won't retain your C1.

A Rapido A class is highly unlikely to have a usable payload, or any payload at all, at 3500kg and I'd be amazed if you had enough spare capacity on the rear axle to support a tow bar let alone a trailer.

If you can take the vehicle to a weigh bridge and verify the weights and confirm for yourself that it would be usable at 3500kg (I'd be inclined to forget about the trailer) then you don't need to "try" and get it down plated. You can just do it by filling in the new weight on the V5 and sending it off. All the responsibility is on you to ensure that you never drive it over weight.

I'd suggest that if you can't retain your C1 for whatever reason you're going to need to be looking at changing the motorhome.
 
Feb 20, 2017
849
2,441
Kent
Funster No
47,422
MH
Bailey 75-2
Exp
Tugger now Motorhome
Be careful to pick a trailer you are capable of maneuvering once on site - or fit a motor mover to the trailer.
 

pappajohn

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 26, 2007
43,207
48,833
Dark side of the moon
Funster No
172
Exp
Since 2005
A trailer over 750kg will need a B+E licence which you should have but check your licence, sometimes DVLA remove more than the C1..

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Sep 12, 2016
2,262
5,012
Chesterfield England Tellus 3
Funster No
45,091
MH
Lunar Roadstar 800
Exp
6 years
Hi!
My Motorhome is plated at 3850Kgs so is now classified as a Group 2 vehicle - a Heavy Goods vehicle for commercial use - although it is a 4 seater leisure vehicle used with my family for weekends and Breaks Away! I am informed I have to take the full Commercial Lorry and Bus medical tests to be able to drive my 'camper van' and to retain my C1 licence gained before 1979.
Consequently, I may fail to have my licence renewed now I am 70 years old.
MrG


Well either DVLA has got it wrong (as usual) or the person giving you advise is a driving instructor after money !

A motor home over 3500kg is classed as a PRIVATE HGV ( as others have said)
You have "grandfather rights" of the C1 so as long as you are healthy you have no problems continuing driving until you decide to pack up as long as after 70 you have your medicals You DO NOT need any other licence to drive or tow

First find the ACTUAL weights you have got in full running order (ie when you are going away)
Then find your empty weights
find the weight of the towbar this will affect the rear axle loading weight

would advise a twin axle trailer if you actually need one as they have a lower noseweight on the towbar so affect the train weight more
You will find all these weights usually under the bonnet on a plate like this one on mine

Lunar Roadstar 800 (9aa).jpg


1 = front axle
2= rear axle
3=is for twin axle
the 5500kg is the max train weight
the 4350kg is the max weight of the motorhome
 
Aug 6, 2013
11,941
16,534
Kendal, Cumbria
Funster No
27,352
MH
Le-Voyageur RX958 Pl
Exp
since 1999
Just had my first C1 medical. £48, blood pressure and weight checked, 15 minutes total. I had the eyesight part completed when I renewed my specs around a month ago - cost £10. I'm 70 in a fortnight.
 
Oct 12, 2009
10,441
23,289
SW London, Poland and all Europe
Funster No
8,876
MH
A Class N+B Arto 69GL
Exp
Since 2009
As others have said, let's look at your licence entitlement first.

You have a pre-1997 Licence which should show Category C1(for up to 7.5t) and C1+E (for 7.5t plus trailer - but this category will show a code 79 restriction of 8250kg) This restriction is for the Train Weight i.e. total of the Max. Permitted Weight of the towing vehicle Plus the Max. Permitted Weight of a trailer. So if for example the MH Max. Wt was 5t you could tow a 3.25t trailer(but braked)

So, you can renew your licence with those Categories and continue, but you have to submit form D2 for Licence renewal, and to retain C1 and C!+E submit Form D4 completed by any EU Doctor.

As two posters have said above the Medical is not onerous if you are in reasonable health - I renewed at 70 and 73 and have just done it again pre 76 - licence issued and is in the post. Form D4 can be downloaded from DVLA website but not Form D" (because of place to affix photo). One can orded a 'D2/D4 Pack on-line to be posted to you.

As others have said there are specialist Doctors doing these D4 Medicals and usually cheaper than one's own Doctor and can be arranged at a convenient location in one of their equipped vans - they do thousands of HGV drivers.

The D4 Medical can be done 4 months before application, so if you feel nervous about that aspect of renewing just have the Medical done 4 months before, apply and your licence will be issued in 2-3 weeks, unless it has to be referred to the Medical Team, which can take much longer. However even of a licence expires before one has a Medical determination of fitness, one is entitled to drive in the UK until a Licence, or Category is revoked, but I would not try to use it overseas.

An early application and renewal of licence will run for 3 years from date of issue, not date of expiry. I challenged this but DVLA are bound by EU3D for driving licences transposed into the Road Trafic Act 1988 and effective from 1th Jan 2013.

That is all I can tell you.

But i suggest you go the licence renewal route before thinking about a trailer.

Geoff
 

GWAYGWAY

Free Member
Sep 6, 2014
4,213
3,305
Dover
Funster No
33,216
MH
Hymer ML I 580
Exp
4 years
Doctor on wheels might well pass you BUT the DVLC may/will write to you GP and ask verification of all the main details, which will 'p' him off, as he is losing revenue and still needing to write it out, and they may refuse unless being paid. A refusal on their part may cause a refusal to accept the medical. I chose my ML1 to be able to downplate to 3500kg which it will do if I only have minimal water and contents and two of us only, I did have a towbar and came stick the little bike and the heavier supplies into a trailer up to the sma GVW as before which is stupid really if driving it in one is dangerous then driving with a traile at the same weights but fiddled around is not??????????:(
Is driving a few day occasionally the same as 50 hours a week continuously? almost as stupid as not being able to drive a van unless taking a test for a lorry, as new incomers must do now.

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