C1 licence option (1 Viewer)

Feb 24, 2013
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Our daughter has come across a 'loop hole' for obtaining a C1 extension and the towing extension that I don't know the number for

Apparently, due to a court ruling it has been deemed unfair that just down to date of test you are restricted on what you are allowed to drive, as the test was identical either side of the date

So if your job does or might require you to drive either above, if they write you a letter that can be sent to the DVLA and they have to add the relevant options for free

Now I cant see why that should only be applied to a working scenario, if the above is a fact and not myth, it would seem equally unfair that if I had 2 children who passed their tests either side of the critical date that one could and the other couldn't borrow our MH

I am actually quite glad that neither of them can (at the moment)

Anybody else heard about this
 
OP
OP
DavidG58
Feb 24, 2013
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Been trawling around looking for a defined answer to my question, nothing yet

But I have found this comment on the DVLA site regarding size, this relating to height

There’s no height limit, but if the motorhome is over 3 metres tall you must have a notice showing the height where the driver can see it.

The DVLA state the width does not include mirrors and the length bizarrely does not include the bumper, then maybe the height will not include sat dome, which in our case makes us 3.2m high

It makes perfect sense that the driver must know the height of their vehicle, but we don't actually have a notice on view are we breaking the law? Looking out our Dymo label maker next, wonder how big the notice needs to be?

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vwalan

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Sep 23, 2008
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yes you are breaking the law . there are sizes that the sign must be as well.
it became law in oct 97. visit a good truck shop they have the signs for sale or might give you one if your lucky.
40mm letters if in feet inches
if both imp and metric then they must not differ by more than 50mm.
but just get a proper sign .
 
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DavidG58
Feb 24, 2013
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yes you are breaking the law . there are sizes that the sign must be as well.
it became law in oct 97. visit a good truck shop they have the signs for sale or might give you one if your lucky.
40mm letters if in feet inches
if both imp and metric then they must not differ by more than 50mm.
but just get a proper sign .


Thanks Alan.

It was always something I was going to do, I will now

Do you think the fact the 'real' height of the MH is only 2.9 would come under the same measurement as the width / length rules which exclude such additions as mirrors / bumpers

David
 

johnp10

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Oct 12, 2009
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The height referred to is the overall height of a vehicle and its load, so if this goods vehicle requirement does apply (not checked) to a motorhome, the Sat dome would be included.

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SMB

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yes you are breaking the law . there are sizes that the sign must be as well.
it became law in oct 97. visit a good truck shop they have the signs for sale or might give you one if your lucky.
40mm letters if in feet inches
if both imp and metric then they must not differ by more than 50mm.
but just get a proper sign .
Thanks for that, I knew about the requirement but didn't realise it had to be a certain size.
 
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OP
DavidG58
Feb 24, 2013
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Bolsover, Derbyshire
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not long enough
yes you are breaking the law . there are sizes that the sign must be as well.
it became law in oct 97. visit a good truck shop they have the signs for sale or might give you one if your lucky.
40mm letters if in feet inches
if both imp and metric then they must not differ by more than 50mm.
but just get a proper sign .

The height referred to is the overall height of a vehicle and its load, so if this goods vehicle requirement does apply (not checked) to a motorhome, the Sat dome would be included.

many thanks both, I have decided to post a new thread to highlight the height issue specifically as this thread only started as a C1 reference

glad I started it though

David
 

vwalan

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Sep 23, 2008
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yes its a running order height measurement .
can say i have never known anyone get pulled for it but its far better to be as squeaky clean as we can .

as to the licence issue i havnt heard of a way round it . but love the b+e getting round the weight restrictions . laugh about it regularly .
always willing to learn new things though so keep us posted should you find anything we can hit authority with .
we do have to watch the watchers !

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tambo

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I actually hope that it's a myth .....i think the law is a good one ...i know from my own experience at 17 where I passed my test and 3 weeks later towed a 21ft car transporter trailer through the centre of Glasgow and caused absolute mayhem as I hadn't a clue what I was doing

I think it's crazy that someone can pass there test in a mini and straight away drive a large motorhome or tow a caravan it was madness

Don't get me wrong im glad I passed my test before the law changed ....but hypocritically it needed to change
 

gibbon

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I wish there was a way round it, it costs a grand for the course & subsequent test!
According to Mrs Gibbon anyway.
I don't think it's a good law at all. How many on here knew they'd be driving what they do now when they passed their basic driving test?
 

vwalan

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Sep 23, 2008
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they still can . well almost .
pre 97 drivers and the b+e drivers before 19-1-13 can have a vehicle up to 3,500kg gvw and tow any weight trailer so long as the train weight of tow vehicle isnt broken .
a down plated 7.5ton vehicle still keeps its train weight so it could be 12 ton .
i laugh i think its authority at its best.

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pappajohn

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Aug 26, 2007
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Our daughter has come across a 'loop hole' for obtaining a C1 extension and the towing extension that I don't know the number for

Apparently, due to a court ruling it has been deemed unfair that just down to date of test you are restricted on what you are allowed to drive, as the test was identical either side of the date

So if your job does or might require you to drive either above, if they write you a letter that can be sent to the DVLA and they have to add the relevant options for free

Now I cant see why that should only be applied to a working scenario, if the above is a fact and not myth, it would seem equally unfair that if I had 2 children who passed their tests either side of the critical date that one could and the other couldn't borrow our MH

I am actually quite glad that neither of them can (at the moment)

Anybody else heard about this

the test could not have been identical but the fact is, nobody ever took the test even if it was........C1 and C1+E was included in your standard car test up to 1997......grandfather rights.
 

vwalan

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thats what op is on about they never lessened the test.
cant think there is a get out but i do like exemptions if there is every one should use it.
at 17yr old you didnt get the 3.5ton upto 7.5 ton . but got it automatically at 18yr old .
i rember at 18 driving 7.5 ton bedfords and sometimes driving some a bit bigger . the only way of telling was the number of wheel studs . many a time took the wrong vehicle .
 

pappajohn

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the test would never be made easier Alan.....that was the point of making it a separate test in '97.

stopped folks jumping in something without proper training.
the new test then allowed the driver a higher train weight of 12 tons as they had to be properly trained

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vwalan

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they already had 12 ton train weights though before 97 on a b+e.
come on you do have to laugh.
i try my best to understand the changes but really they dont make sense.
bit like when they took away coach/bus licences off folk without telling them . in 91.
 

pappajohn

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they already had 12 ton train weights though before 97 on a b+e.
come on you do have to laugh.
i try my best to understand the changes but really they dont make sense.
bit like when they took away coach/bus licences off folk without telling them . in 91.
agreed Alan but we are talking C1, or presumably the old HGV3 pre 97.....with restriction 107.
B+E is a good option but you're still restricted to a max 3.5 tons prime mover.
 

vwalan

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nothing to do with hgv 3 .
before 91 it was covered with your cat.A, pass. that covered 3.5 to 7.5 ton . that ran upto 97 when they changed it .
in 91 hgv 2/3 disappeared to c+e limited to drawbar trailers , or c ,rigids .
c+e was artic or class 1 old style .
it all changed again later.
before 91 you could drive any bus coach ,double decker on a car licence not for hire or reward .
it really is a minefield .
one day they might get it sorted but dont hold your breath .

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vwalan

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even rick lost his coach bus licence in 91 . i still have some of the leaflets they tried to hide from us .
it was then i got involved in all this licence stuff . i remember going on lots of rallies and demo,s about it all.
mind i made some good friends and contacts at our local dvla and vosa plus some at swansea . once it quietened down very handy .
 

pappajohn

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even rick lost his coach bus licence in 91 . i still have some of the leaflets they tried to hide from us .
it was then i got involved in all this licence stuff . i remember going on lots of rallies and demo,s about it all.
mind i made some good friends and contacts at our local dvla and vosa plus some at swansea . once it quietened down very handy .

didnt do much good though, did it.

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johnp10

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Things changed to fit in with the EU.
It's a simple system, only a minefield if you choose to read more than is there, making assumptions along the way.

I, like most others, don't see a problem with the current system.
The old one needed updating in any case to take account of developments in goods vehicle technology.
We now have a testing system which qualifies goods vehicle drivers, rather than "the good old days" when any clown passing a car test could legally drive top weight trucks.
Got to be better?
 

vwalan

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yes its just some of the changes seem silly .

many of the eu countries had to change in 97 . think more changed than stayed the same .
we also changed log book styles to fit the eu . yet ours still dont look like eu log books .
we also have our address on the licence . hardly any other eu country does .
most of the changes just arent thought out properly . leave silly little gaps .
 
Dec 23, 2007
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Driving licence harmonisation was the later example of the incompetence of the civil servants who wrote the legislation for the UK. It goes back to when the radio frequencies changed in 1978,we were the only administration represented at the International meeting by non technically qualified people. How can you expect the UK to be equal in Europe when the brussels papers on Driving are drawn up by someone with a degree in Anglo Saxon literature?!

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Pat4Neil

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I have to agree with Johnp10. I can't see any grey, its clear black and white unless you look too deeply and add in additional factors that really don't apply.
It gets confusing when people post their interpretations, which aren't always correct.
I think the current system is pretty good and a big advance since I took my test. More training and restrictions = safer roads
Neil
 

pappajohn

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the physical act of driving is the same regardless of what you drive.

forward, backward, left, right, stop and go

the purpose of the test is to train you to do it right and safely for each vehicle type.

in "the good old days" you were taught to drive with no regard as to what you would drive.
 

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