Motor Caravan Private HGV which class MOT required?

Hi this is very confusing. I needed the high weight limit to carry 2 motorcycles on board a camper van so I ended up converting a 7 ton iveco daily van it’s on private hgv and classed as a van with windows. DVLA wouldn’t let me have motor caravan on the v5 even though I did everything they required! . The first 2 years I got an hgv mot . And was then told that I could do a test as presented class 4 which I did for the following year all good so far . This year 2 days ago I took it back to the same class 4 station who this time said they can’t test it because it’s got motorcycles in it even though it had them in it the year before . The tester told me that because it could still possibly carry goods in the garage it needs an hgv test . I panicked a bit because I needed the test soon because of a trip to Europe. Luckily I managed to get a cancelled hgv test the next day which it passed. The first thing the hgv tester told me before he started the test was that I didn’t have to have an hgv test a test as presented class 4 was all I needed ! Can anyone clarify this and send a link of definite rules ?
 
Ozz said:
Hi this is very confusing. I needed the high weight limit to carry 2 motorcycles on board a camper van so I ended up converting a 7 ton iveco daily van it’s on private hgv and classed as a van with windows. DVLA wouldn’t let me have motor caravan on the v5 even though I did everything they required! . The first 2 years I got an hgv mot . And was then told that I could do a test as presented class 4 which I did for the following year all good so far . This year 2 days ago I took it back to the same class 4 station who this time said they can’t test it because it’s got motorcycles in it even though it had them in it the year before . The tester told me that because it could still possibly carry goods in the garage it needs an hgv test . I panicked a bit because I needed the test soon because of a trip to Europe. Luckily I managed to get a cancelled hgv test the next day which it passed. The first thing the hgv tester told me before he started the test was that I didn’t have to have an hgv test a test as presented class 4 was all I needed ! Can anyone clarify this and send a link of definite rules ?
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You need to search on the DVSA website for details....

BUT the nub of it is, the difference between a motor caravan and a vehicle used for carrying goods....
AND IF you turn up for testing with anything vaguely considered "load"

Then some testers will err in the side of caution to cover their own backsides (and I'd do exactly the same)

And even then it's difficult to work it out exactly... (And please don't think it makes sense) but my mate has had the same hassle with his 7.5 t cargo... That he uses for accommodation and transporting his race car (He now just tests it as a hgv to save hassle)

According to the DVSA, the following regulations apply to motorhomes:

A motor caravan is “a motor vehicle (not being a living van) which is constructed or adapted for the carriage of passengers and their effects and which contains, as permanently installed equipment, the facilities which are reasonably necessary for enabling the vehicle to provide mobile living accommodation for its users”. Motor caravans are not classed as goods vehicles for MOT test purposes and are therefore in class IV or V depending on their seating capacity but regardless of their size or weight.
A living van is “a vehicle, whether mechanically propelled or not, which is used for living accommodation by one or more persons and which is also used for the carriage of goods or burden which are not needed by such one or more persons for the purpose of their residence in the vehicle”. Living vans are classed as goods vehicles and, depending on their weight, are therefore in either class IV or VII within the MOT test scheme or are subject to HGV plating and testing.

Those (paragraphs from the dvsa) are from SV techs site

And it might be worth having a friendly chat with them as they will be likely familiar with the regs in their entirety
 
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The key thing is something that was actually within the post ...

Ozz said:
..... was then told that I could do a test as presented class 4 which I did for the following year all good so far .
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And
Ozz said:
... This year 2 days ago I took it back to the same class 4 station who this time said they can’t test it because it’s got motorcycles in it even though it had them in it the year before.
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It is all down to how the Vehicle is presented.

A 7 ton converted van to be tested as a Class 4 needs to be presented as a Motor Caravan. and Motor Caravans don't carry Motorcycles in their garages. That makes them a "Living Van" - and as such needs testing as an HGV.
You were lucky that you had it tested as a Class 4 last year.
What people usually do is prior to the MOT remove the Motorcycles from the garage. Maybe put a bit of camping gear in there like Awnings and stuff?
 
@Ozz it is entirely at the MOT testers discretion, a vehicle purely presented as motor caravan is class IV a vehicle able to be used as a motorbike transporter could easily be used for commercial gain, hence he was perfectly entitled to treat you with suspicion and yes as a commercial vehicle his advice that it would require an HGV test is valid.

You obviously didn't have to accept his advice though and you could have simply gone to another class IV test station instead, having motorbikes in the back was probably a red flag, pushbikes would have been a far more convincing disguise!

The Iveco in my Avatar is plated at 6700kg I took it for an HGV test when I first bought it because no way, as an ex Ambulance did it present as a Motor Caravan, but subsequent tests will be class IV
 
wildebus said:
The key thing is something that was actually within the post ...


And


It is all down to how the Vehicle is presented.

A 7 ton converted van to be tested as a Class 4 needs to be presented as a Motor Caravan. and Motor Caravans don't carry Motorcycles in their garages. That makes them a "Living Van" - and as such needs testing as an HGV.
You were lucky that you had it tested as a Class 4 last year.
What people usually do is prior to the MOT remove the Motorcycles from the garage. Maybe put a bit of camping gear in there like Awnings and stuff?
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And if you take it home and load m bikes then you dont have correct test or insurance to drive it, if you have a crash then fooked.
 
wildebus said:
Trev, an MOT is relevant to the day it was carried out. No more, no less. On the day of the test, it was a class 4 vehicle. NI is different.
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Still as here but not allowed to carry bikes etc in a van, only a chair like annie has for disabilty, ph you ins co and ask, police can do you.
 
It's even more confusing for me. I could have mine tested as a motorhome, but I would need to find a tester that can cope with the length height and width. Much eassier to take the demountable off and take the Hilux on it's own for a test which is much easier to find a test station for,
 
Thanks for all the advice. I contacted the dvsa today and asked for their advice on it . The person I spoke to said that if I wanted to put a motor cycle in the living van that was up to me and wouldn’t make any difference to the mot he said he would put it in writing if I sent him an email with pictures. I’ve done this so il see what their reply is . But I think to cover all angles and confusion il put it through an hgv test from now on
 
ProDave said:
It's even more confusing for me. I could have mine tested as a motorhome, but I would need to find a tester that can cope with the length height and width. Much eassier to take the demountable off and take the Hilux on it's own for a test which is much easier to find a test station for,
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Is it over 3.5t then with the back on it?
 
trevskoda said:
Still as here but not allowed to carry bikes etc in a van, only a chair like annie has for disabilty, ph you ins co and ask, police can do you.
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You have been going on and on about this nearly as much as the Linux crap, but have you ever heard of anyone being prosecuted for carrying a motorbike in their Motorhome?

I'm not interested enough to call my insurance company as I don't even have a garage that I could fit a childs pushbike in let alone a motorbike :D
 
wildebus said:
Class 4 as has been stated - and would confirm from my own experience.

As an FYI, Class 7 is a Red Herring ... that is for commericials between 3.0t and 3.5t, so wouldn't apply in any way or form.
If you DID try and get an HGV MOT, you would also find that almost certainly impossible as you won't have an HGV plate so cannot be tested by VOSA.

end of the day ... Class 4 MOT. Probably need to go to a station that deals with larger vehicles purely due to the physical weight and size of the Motorhome. Cost is the standard Class 4 MOT charge at the most. many stations discount (I pay £40 for my MOTs on >3.5t vans)
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My nuevo is under 3.5 and is mot class 7 and has been class 7 for last 8 years .
 
molly 2 said:
My nuevo is under 3.5 and is mot class 7 and has been class 7 for last 8 years .
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Thats strange.....

Screenshot_20251113_191119_Chrome.jpg
 
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