April 2008

Motorhomes and the MOT?

All motorhomes, regardless of their weight, come into Class 4 for MOT purposes (not commercial Class 7), provided they are used only for the carriage of personal effects. If you carry goods in your motorhome, then you a classed as a good vehicle for MOT purposes. So Mr. Customer, do you use your motorhome to carry any goods?..No!!

The standard MOT rules apply, ie the test is required annually from the third anniversary of first registration (in whichever country that took place). However, this also means that the MOT cannot normally be done by a commercial vehicle tester who is only cleared for Class VII. You may also find , of course, that your local Class IV MOT Testing station down a back alley behind some shops isn't going to be able to take your 7.5 meter motorhome just  because its Class IV.

Unfortunately, there seems to be some confusion among testing stations as to what the law states regarding MOTs and motorhomes. As Practical Motorhome pointed out in a feature on motorhomes and the law, “some testing stations...get confused and have suggested that a large motorhome is in a different testing class”. It is not and nor should the fee be any higher than that paid for a car MOT test. However, you will have to find a Class 4 tester with large enough premises and lift to deal with motorhomes.

Many local councils, including our local depot in Chichester, have their own MOT stations for testing their own (large) vehicles such as bin lorries etc., These stations by law also have to be open to the general public. As they only carry out testing and do not do repairs, they are unlikely to find faults that do not exist.

Remember, this is simply the Southdowns Team trying to offer helpful advice based on our knowledge and our experience. This is not necessarily a statement of fact. We do not currently employ any lawyers in our showroom or in our workshop and the only place law is confirmed is in the court!!