Campervan Living

[poppypiesdad]

May be difficult for me towing a vehicle as I am only allowed to tow up to 750kg on my license. I have done an additional C1 test to drive up to 7.5 ton for work but the size of camper I would need would probably be a 7.5 ton vehicle already. We don't intend on sticking around sites for long so not to upset about having another car. Plus I would still work flexibly to start as my work will let me work all my shifts in one week and then disappear off for 3 weeks. So the car would be stored at the mother in laws on her driveway. Plus I could do part time as would be saving a lot of money on household bills...

I think in fact know your getting confused with mgvw,mam, train weight and kerb weight

Unless you have a degree in vosa law . Let me help

You have a C1 which entitles you to drive a 7.5 ton truck with a trailer. Total permissible weight 11 ton.
Good so far
Your 7.5 ton truck is its maximum gross vehicle weight
You need to find out the weight of the "motorhome" with all fluids topped up inc diesel and yourself in cab
That's the starting point
Then your capacity is the 7.5 ton less vehicle weight.
So say 4 ton
So you can load it with 4 ton and be still within the law . On top of that you can tow a 4 ton trailer , as long as you take into account the imposed load on the truck by the trailer . Say 100kg
So capacity is 3.9 ton of family food and general crap that you carry .

Our horse box is a M A N 18 ton
Empty it's 11 ton
So we have 7 ton of horse, family , beer , water, and crap to be lugged around the country
We have a tow bar for horse trailer for feed , carriage, and other general crap.
Total permissible mass of truck is 23 ton .
Even with 5 horses 6 people were never going to be over weight

If I've got this wrong . Someone correct me as it's a flecking minefield


J

[preparedsurrey]

Minefield is the right definition!
However on a newish license the C1 catagory is definitely
C1 Vehicles weighing 3,500 to 7,500kg MAM with trailers up to 750kg C1

So yep only small trailers

C1+E is for 7.5t and trailer

I can vaguely remember a lot of problems for the horse riding community when that came out.

I think there are various exemptions that apply to historic HGVs

[poppypiesdad]

There still is a huge problem not only with the horsey community but also caravaners

Mainly due to towing when they can't but the biggest is overloading
We know one woman who's box is 6.5 ton as it stands and she take two huge hunters with her .Instant overload .
Another one is the breakaway cable .
A lot of people put it over the ball hitch which is incorrect. It must be attached to the tow vehicles bracket away from the hitch .

Historic hgv's can be driven on a car license. Mental isn't it

[ParamedicPrepper]

Yes very confusing, i passed in 2009 so well after '97 cutoff. I had to do extra theory, training and practical test to get c1. I should b ok though as i would hope i would not exceed 7.5 ton fully loaded. We are happy with legs or bikes and extra storage on roof box so will hopefully work out! Thanks for advice, very helpful about MAM and all that

[ForgeCorvus]

If you do this, whats happening with the place you live now?

[ParamedicPrepper]

If you do this, whats happening with the place you live now?

We rent, so our 1000 quid deposit we get back gets put in ISA for if it all goes wrong we can rent again. Household stuff goes in storage and other important gear at her mothers.

We are well aware we may hate it so want to plan to get back into renting within a month of deciding it is not for us. Plus we have agreed if any of us including kids, no likey, we go straight back to 'normal' life!

[ForgeCorvus]

Good to have a plan (although if you're on here you've probably got several )

So, whats stopping you? What are the three most obvious negatives to your plan?

[ParamedicPrepper]

Good to have a plan (although if you're on here you've probably got several )

So, whats stopping you? What are the three most obvious negatives to your plan?

1. Getting over the fact we will not be living in a house! Although we are really now excited to do it, its a big jump especially with kids! I am worried for instability as we are a bit nazi with routine in our house and worried it could be negative on kids and their friendships, altgough we are getting less worried about this point.

2. Our youngest is 14 weeks and was really unwell at birth, although now better, and worry for cold camper nights. Saying that we have camping trips booked next month.

3. We seem to be making problems as by nature i like to plan for as much as i can and daily we are coming up with what ifs.

I know its a load if non existent negatives really but it is a big decision so I am going for as much info and advice as i can find.

[Deeps]

Good to have a plan (although if you're on here you've probably got several )

So, whats stopping you? What are the three most obvious negatives to your plan?

1. Getting over the fact we will not be living in a house! Although we are really now excited to do it, its a big jump especially with kids! I am worried for instability as we are a bit nazi with routine in our house and worried it could be negative on kids and their friendships, altgough we are getting less worried about this point.

2. Our youngest is 14 weeks and was really unwell at birth, although now better, and worry for cold camper nights. Saying that we have camping trips booked next month.

3. We seem to be making problems as by nature i like to plan for as much as i can and daily we are coming up with what ifs.

I know its a load if non existent negatives really but it is a big decision so I am going for as much info and advice as i can find.

If you've got kids that young would you not be just as well doing it the 'conventional' way and waiting for the wee buggers to grow up and sod off on your travels in your 50's/60/s ? I know it seems a lifetime away but if you're worried about your kids then as 'normal' (whatever that is) an upbringing as you can is the best for them then let them make their own lives. If you'd done it before kids it would have been different again. I'm no expert and wouldn't dream of telling people how to live their lives but kids is a massive game changer and they'll cramp your style just as much as you'll cramp theirs I would have thought. Good luck with it whatever way you go.

[DustyDog]

Sounds fantastic to me, if your van is big enough, you can have most mod cons, i read a story a few years back where a family bought a large vehicle and drove all the way to Aussie land, they self taught their kids, but say what lessons the kids missed out on was more than made up for by what they learnt by their experiences during the trip, what they saw and the cultures they were exposed to etc etc. Go for it.