Reclassify your Campervan - latest from DVLA - July 2020
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- It’s now nearly 10 months since the DVLA clarified their guidelines on what external features they felt would help them to reclassify your van as a MotorCaravan. You can see my original video on all these features and the requirements in the video I created when they came out here - • Reclassifying your van... .
In this video I am going to focus purely on the external appearance requirement and review some examples of vans that have passed, some that haven’t, some extra information provided by the DVLA and share some tips to hopefully help you get your van reclassified.
Example of my letter template can be found here.
explorevan.wee...
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Any information provided on this channel is intended for general guidance only and must never be considered a substitute for advice provided by a qualified professional.
Topics in my videos may have potential safety implications for you and your van.
Any information I share in this video is purely my opinion. What you chose to install or how you install it, is entirely your choice and responsibility.
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Hi Chris I don't know if this is 100% true but I read somewhere that if you get a van reclassified as a campervan according to the Road Traffic Act it's now a dwelling on wheels. Apparently this allows you to legally consume alcohol or have an open container containing alcohol in your van while parked at the side of the road. For anyone that doesn't know if you have parked up for the night on a public highway or byway and you're having a beer even if you are outside the van if you have the key on you and the van is open you can be charged with drink driving.
DVLA is required to record vehicle details for road safety and law enforcement. The body type information held on the vehicle record must describe what a vehicle looks like in traffic. This description, as well as other distinguishing features, allows the police and other enforcement agencies to easily identify vehicles.
The body type does not affect the insurance category of the vehicle, or have any effect on speed limits or other legislative requirements. It is only used for establishing vehicle appearance and identification.
Hi, much like Chris Johnson's comments below I applied to change to motor caravan, but on a 1992 Leisure Drive conversion that for some reason was never registered as a motorcaravan was still rejected for it's external appearance! I wrote asking for more information so that I could adapt my vehicle and had the same computer generated reply with no further information!! Thanks for the human reply!!
Thanks for taking the time - stay safe ;O)
Thanks, you too!
Thanks for the advice I’ve just had my application rejected on the grounds of not meeting external requirements. I ticked all the boxes on external features. There is no explanation as to which feature is not meeting requirements and a very unhelpful statement stating their is no right to challenge the decision as it is final. Most unhelpful
Hi Chris, that is a shame, the DVLA don't really help themselves. I wouldn't worry too much about it, as you can still enjoy your van, with little difference to if it was classed as a motorcaravan.
Although you can't appeal the current decision, if you make further changes to the exterior you can reapply for the Bodytype to be changed.
If you want to drop me a line via the website I'll get in touch by email so you can share the pictures you submitted, I'll do my best to look at them objectively and see if there is anything I can suggest that may help! Sadly I can't promise any success though!
Cheers
Mike
What is the benefit of reclassifing? Would it not just be better as a van but get cover with one of the insurances you mention. Surely for things like street parking, remote living it would be easier and cheaper than to be forced to stay at camp site. Novice here sorry.
Hi and welcome!
There are not that many benefits of reclassiying left and you say there are some benefits fo not doing it, but you can see some of the ones that historically have been there in our old video on the subject here - th-cam.com/video/n9eAUcjn_sU/w-d-xo.html
It's very annoying that something so subjective can affect so much for vans vs campervans
Yep it can be annoyingly and frustrating. But really it makes very little difference what body type your van is listed as, so don’t be too worried about it.
I'm new to this, but if you have a van, say a sprinter that you have up-plated to over 3500kg, then you must have a speed limiter at 56mph, but if your van is re-classified as a Campervan, then you re remove the speed limiter. Is this not the case? In my head this is a huge incentive to get the van re-calssified as a campervan.
Hi, I'm afraid I have no experience of using a van commercially which I think introduces the requirement for a limiter and a Tacho.
My guess is that as per the other legalities (speed limits / insurance wtc) it is how the van is used that dictates the legal requirement rather than what it looks like.
The reclassification of Body Type is only changing what is recorded for how the van looks not how it is used.
The law is a farce was talking to two traffic police the other day when one of them say I like your camper when I say it’s just a van he said it looks like one and all it’s got is wide wheels side bars and window wind deflectors and no windows
Drove all over the place for years in a transit recovery that was still a Luton on the V5... does it matter? Never pulled.
Is it legal to have a standard commercial insurance, for a van with windows, and using the vehicle as a campervan?
If you inform the insurance company about the solar panels and windows, the inside of the vehicle shouldn't matter much for them, or am I wrong?
As long as you have declared any modifications to the insurance company then your insurance would be valid. Irrelevant of its body type on the registration doc.
If you don’t declare a modification eg the interior change, and the insurance company deem it relevant your insurance would not be valid. Remember all your work and the cost of your interior equipment would also not be included in the insured value of the van should it be stolen / written off if you don’t tell them about it and confirm it is covered.
@@ExploreVanUK thank you. So in that case the vehicle would be insured as a van with modifications? Not as a campervan.
Also, could I get my van insured as a modified vehicle, without going through dvla for changing the body type? The same "van with modifications" insurance type, for a vehicle stated as a panel van on the v5?
Spot on, it is likely to be a modified van policy, there are quite a few companies that provide these.
With regard to changing the V5. Following the letter of the law, when you change the external appearance you should inform the DVLA and it does only cost the price of stamp. However I suspect there are plenty of Van with widows that still have the body type listed “light goods” / “light van” / “panel van” so I can’t imagine you will have a problem if you left it as it is.
hi chris if refused what would the speed restrions be for a van with windows thanks john
Hi - DVLA Body type classification does not impact on Speed limits. It is the Department of Transports criteria that will make the speed limits applicable. So if all the internal features required are present and your vehicle is under 3.05t unlaiden weight the higher speed limit would apply irrelivent of the body type on the V5. This is confirmed in the letter you receive from the DVLA if you have requested to change to Motor Caravan and are reclassified as a Van with Windows.
You can also find more info on this and all the statutory evidence in our video here - th-cam.com/video/wwXAYXToxBo/w-d-xo.html
In changing the vehicle from Van with windows to Motor Caravan, would the insurance be cheaper and tax band changed to a lower category making it cheaper? Thanks
Tax no, the MotorCaravan body type has no impact on the tax class. Insurance, according to the Association of British Insurers no. However in reality I suspect it is down to the individual insurance companies assessment of risk and may or may not. The answer is to shop around as all insurance companies vary in their assessment of risk.
Hi there, thank you for another great video. With the imminent roll out of the Greater Manchester Clean Air charges it got me thinking about the fact they might exempt leisure vehicles in the review. I have a Hymer 522 factory built Motorhome, but my V5 says its a VAN? Nobody seems to speaking about this issue in fact I presume a lot of factory built Motorhome’s are classed as a van. I’m not sure why it was classified like this in the first place. So I’m going to attempt to get mine changed with DVLA. Have you any views or advice please? Regards Fred
For the cost of a stamp it’s worth trying, even if for whatever reason it gets rejected you’ll have a letter from the DVLA confirming that although they have not changed the body type that it does meet the Department For Transport interior requirements of a Motorhome which could be useful.
I’ve not done any major digging into the LEZ issue yet but may be it’s a good topic for a future video!
Thanks.
Conversation. Tax?
Great video, thanks!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks!
Great video.
does having the classification of motor caravan add future sale value to your vehicle
That is a good question, historically I would have said yes, however as there is now more understanding about the classification and the limited benefit I would say it is becoming negligible.
Will new/converted t5/t6 , Transit customs low top frpm October last year ever be classed motorcaravans again??
pc Basil why not?
@@project-overland because they are pop tops and clearly outside what the dvla reclassifies.
@@stevezodiac491 do you pop your top In traffic?
Show me…
How would I go about reclassification on a coach to motorhome
According to latest DVLA guidelines if it’s not already classified as one of the following you can’t I am afraid.
ambulance
box van
goods
insulated van
light goods
light van
livestock carrier
Luton van
minibus
MPV (multi-purpose vehicle)
panel van
specially fitted van
special mobile unit
van with side windows
Hi just recently applied for change of body type to motor caravan and logbook came back with van with side windows, i did every thing on the application form i can only assume it was down to graphics, if i were to ad more would i be able to resubmit the application, many thanks Craig
Yep you can resubmit as many times as you want if you have made a further change.
@@ExploreVanUK thanks for your reply
Can you send me a link to the covering letter. I can't seem to find it
Hi - no problem here you go - explorevan.weebly.com/uploads/7/7/1/6/77168/dvla_letter.pdf
I suggest doing a cross match to the latest guidelines just to make sure everything is covered as the template is from a while ago.
My bad it was linked on the first video in the series but not this one. I'll add it now.
Cheers!
I would be very grateful if you could help me with this one,I have lwb sprinter high top,currently in V5 under vehicle category is N1 what it will be change to after successful registration to camper van.
Hi, from my experience when reclassifying a van as a Camper the only amendment is to the Body Type. Taxation Class and Vehicle Category remain the same. Eg Taxation Class - Light Goods Vehicle. Vehicle Category - N1.
@@ExploreVanUK thank you
can you put 2 windows on 1 side and 1 on the other , is that ok or does it have to be 2 on each side
2 windows on one side and 1 on the other would appear to meet the criteria. 👍
@@ExploreVanUK thanks for the info
take care
Are there any other advantages to changing it to a motorhome other than, what other commentators mentioned, having open alcohol?
No advantage to tax or insurance either
Hi there's more info on things that it could impact in our earlier video here.
th-cam.com/video/n9eAUcjn_sU/w-d-xo.html
what about a pop top?
The DVLA specifically say PopTops do not meet their requirements. But nothing to stop you trying if you really want to.
@@ExploreVanUK meet.
@@stevezodiac491 I can only blame auto correct or my tiredness at the time of writing but thanks for picking it up, now corrected. However there may be lots more, if you are going to check all my comments ;-)
We tried twice, it's a van with windows
Can you try more than once?
Yep, no reason you can't try multiple times, presumably if you have made further changes, probably not much point if it is the same though. It only costs a stamp.
If you don't mind sharing the pictures you submitted and the dates of your results it would be great to build up an idea of what has been accepted and what hasn't. You can contact us through the contact form on our website. Thanks
ExploreVan UK will do, I’m hoping to have it finished next week
Well I’m sorry but a awning doesn’t make a van a motorcaravan kwikfit mobile and Autoglass vehicles have awnings for roadside assistance,
Equally Network rail & Balfour Beatty Amongst others that run welfare units have kitchens dining tables and bathrooms some with awnings they’re not caravans either.
But while sitting in traffic how many of you have ever seen a works van with the pop top. DVLA are just ridiculous and pathetic and don’t have a clue what they’re doing.
Surely as the moon follows the Sun. If you saw a VW T5 T6 or similar along the road with its solar panels stuck to his pop-up roof wouldn’t you think that’s a nice camper.
How many times have you “popped your pop top” whilst sitting in traffic then?
Am I the only one not bothered about this