# Private HGV?



## PaulC

What does Private HGV mean? I rang up about a motorhome last week and he said it was a private hgv and sort lost interest. But I went and had a sly look, its basically a converted Ford truck with a 4 litre engine, anyhow it's advertised again with a lower price!


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## guerdeval

I would suggest you pop into your local lgv test centre and have a chat with one of the testers, only because your entitlement to drive is dependent on age and when test was passed, my take on it, and don't take this as gospel, is a vehicle up to 7500kg BUT with a train weight over 7500kg, there are new rules in force about annual mot's too,previously private light goods were class 7 but now all motorhomes are class 4 regardless of gvw but this may not apply to a conversion,you probalby have to take it to a lgv test centre because of the unladen weight being about 5 tonne assuming its a library van conversion, as I say, take no-ones advice as gospel, speak to the mot station. good luck by the way, rog


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## marrwyck

As an HGV Class 1 Driver hopefuly I cab shed some light on this.

Private HGV is a term mainly used for taxation class of a vehicle. You can own a hgv lorry with a 5th wheel attached & run it on tax similar to a car. As the vehicle is not to be used for carrying of goods or hire & reward. Depending on whate type of licence you hold, quite often the 5th wheel either has to be covered & locked, plated or removed because the owner does not have an HGV Class 1 licence.
Garage shunters taking trailers to MOT stations are technically driving a private HGV as the trailer is not carrying goods or available for hire & reward.

Basically I beleive it all comes down to the use & taxation class of the vehicle which determines whether it legally becomes a Private HGV Vehicle.

Hope this helps


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## Basil

marrwyck said:


> As an HGV Class 1 Driver hopefuly I cab shed some light on this.
> 
> Private HGV is a term mainly used for taxation class of a vehicle.
> 
> Basically I beleive it all comes down to the use & taxation class of the vehicle which determines whether it legally becomes a Private HGV Vehicle.
> 
> Hope this helps



It is the taxation class.
Over 3500kg is private heavy goods and the tax is cheaper at the moment.


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## waggler2bb

hi my rv is5 to 6 tones and is classed as private light goods
for a p h g you would need a c class license(old hevey goods)
you do not say what license you have,try googleing dvla all the info on there
                                      dave


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## Basil

The driving licence requirements are as follow
C1 licence is for 3500kg to 7500kg
C licence is for over 7500kg.
A vehicle up to 3500 kg is a plg (private light goods)
A vehicle over 3500 is a phg (private heavy goods)


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## waggler2bb

should that last line be 7500kg?


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## Basil

waggler2bb said:


> should that last line be 7500kg?


No, see below
http://www.ukmotorhomes.net/motorhome_road_tax.shtml
I trust this clears up any misunderstanding.
I think you are confusing taxation classes with driving licence classes.
They are a little different


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## waggler2bb

hi  my van is 5216 kg/11500 lb and the v5c says it is private light goods


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## Basil

waggler2bb said:


> hi  my van is 5216 kg/11500 lb and the v5c says it is private light goods



There is something wrong then.
Your documents probably


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## waggler2bb

do not think so as it would not get passed a vossa mot eatch year class 4 mot


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## Basil

waggler2bb said:


> do not think so as it would not get passed a vossa mot eatch year class 4 mot


Then read this
http://www.ukmotorhomes.net/motorhome_road_tax.shtml


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## Basil

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/forms/v149.pdf
or this


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## walkers

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_10012527
it would seem for road tax purposes that a private hgv is a vehicle over 3500kg, but for driving licence it would be a light goods licence


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## Basil

walkers said:


> http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_10012527
> it would seem for road tax purposes that a private hgv is a vehicle over 3500kg, but for driving licence it would be a light goods licence



I agree.
Maybe wagglers van started out at under 3500kg and it put on weight during the conversion and the taxation class was not altered


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## waggler2bb

hi   it is a american rv inported in 1992 it is exempt of ved or taxation on co2,it is not a convertion but manafactured by gulfstream it has a gvw of 11500 lb and is classed as plg ,duty payable is £180 per year it is exempt from the green tax inside the m25 ect i think you are quoteing 2001 onwards


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## wildman

waggler2bb said:


> should that last line be 7500kg?


no over 3500kg is PHG


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## PaulC

Phew It's a lot more complicated then I thought! I passed my test in the 70's so I think I'd be covered for driving, but what sort of MPG, ball pack, could O expect?


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## BedfordMJ

my Bedford is 5.4l and does 12-16mpg, you can't expect anymore than that - you may get less. Remember also when thinking of servicing you will need more oil, more antifreeze, fuel and oil filters will probably be more expensive.
If you can't do the work yourself you need to find a good local garage that you can trust. It is useful to spend time talking to the guys in the garage and be their new best mates. If they do a good job and they are cheap send a thank you card - might help keep the bill down, a bottle of something to the foreman might also be helpful.
Think where you might store it as storage can be costly. Also journeys will take longer, I've just returned from Scotland and my journey planning wasn't very good and some roads made the holiday very stresful and I have a HGV licence!
The positive sides I have a lot more internal room and spare weight carrying capacity.


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## flashingblade

*private hgv*

hi there. i have just sold a 'private hgv'
i converted an ex library truck, 7.5 t. as a camper, it was entitlede to a class 4 mot (cheap and easy) and i had it re-classified to a phgv from a hgv because it no longer was earning it's keep, so to speak. it meant i had a reduced rate, less than a car . dont be put off, go and check it out, all it means is you will save money !!


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## t&s

i think an artic unit weighing 6.5 tons and not adapted to carry goods ie, no fifth  wheel can be classed as private hgv and driven on a car licence
same goes for a bus if not used for the intended purpose caan be driven on a car licence and taxed as a private car


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## BedfordMJ

t&s said:


> i think an artic unit weighing 6.5 tons and not adapted to carry goods ie, no fifth  wheel can be classed as private hgv and driven on a car licence
> same goes for a bus if not used for the intended purpose caan be driven on a car licence and taxed as a private car



It would depend on the year the driver passed his/her test.


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## Midnight Express

*private hgv*

I had a old Iveco converted rig a few years ago.......I think it was a converted snap on tools affair........It waz phgv for tax, and my car licence covered it......well converted inside.....especially the toilet/shower compartment.......Only difficult bit waz trying to get a garage that cud put it up on hoist for mot.........but...me/us being a resourceful breed found one....
Wunder where it is now.......still had years o running in it......


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## nedrawnep

*Private HGV*

A vehicle that has a GVW in excess of 3,500 kgs should be taxed as a Private HGV. The number of motorhomes I see that clearly weigh over 3,500 and are taxed PLG is staggering. My Dodge weighs in excess of 5 tons and was a PLG, I got it weighed and took weight cert, tax disc and reg document to the DVLA, they issued a new disc immediately and I got a new reg document showing the weight and the new taxation class, I think it's T10. It's all explained on the DVLA site. Also Private HGV tax is much cheaper and it only cost £10 to get it weighed. My Dodge had been wrongly taxed since 73; if only I could have got a rebate.
PeterP
Bristol


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