Driving licences and weights

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Driving licences and weights

On a category "B" licence you are allowed to drive vehicles up to 3500 kgs.
As this limit applies to most european countries, most motorhome manufacturers offer a variety of models that stay under that limit (on paper).

One thing to really watch out for when buying a motorhome is the weight. Both the nominal weights (laden and unladen) on paper as well as the actual weight.

As motorhomes got more modern, they became ever heavier. The market demands all sorts of (weighty) gizmos and stylish appearances that all eat into the weight. The end result is that some motorhomes already weigh in at 3.3 or so tonnes, without anything or anyone in them!

The manufacturers try to cheat their way around this by only ever mentioning the unladen weight of the very base model in their paperwork. As soon as you order the bigger engine and pile on the extras, you might find your vehicle to be very much over 3.5 tonnes, especially when carrying several passengers and full tanks etc. This of course can have serious implications as you might be found driving without the appropriate licence and therefore uninsured, etc, etc ...not to mention the safety aspects of an overladen vehicle. Some european countries have very strict regulations and draconic fines on this issue.

If you're in the market for a large motorhome, consider getting a "C" or C1" licence and ordering the bigger than 3.5 ton version right from the start. This way you will be safe on all fronts.