What Size Motorhome Can I Drive With A Normal Driving License?

Getting a motorhome and going away on holiday is an incredibly exciting prospect, just packing everything you need up into a hotel on wheels and freely going wherever you please for as long as your boss allows you to book off work.

If you’re reading this I am going to once again assume that you want a piece of this action and are looking to see which motorhome you can drive on a car driving license.

However, the ability to drive a motorhome lies around the letter of the law and your ages, you’d be surprised to know that you do not legally have to take a test to drive one and anyone who has passed their car driving license can drive one, within reason.

Not everyone is fully clued up on the restrictions and rules in place regarding motorhomes and the laws regarding driving these houses on wheels, said people could find themselves with a hefty fine and even points on their license for failing to comply with the law regarding motorhome driving.

Driving a motorhome on a car license is a tricky subject, often the rules and regulations can be slightly confusing regarding your entitlement to what you can drive, thankfully we have compiled the relevant information required to assist you in finding the answers to your questions.

On 16th December 2021 new rules and regulations were put in place by the UK Government regarding driving motorhomes, these changes have affected many people and may be slightly confusing to understand. We are here to set the record straight for you.

As previously mentioned, there have been a new set of rules and regulations put in place regarding the driving of motorhomes firstly, if you passed your car driving test before 1st January 1997 you will be unaffected by these rules and have ‘grandfathers rights’ meaning you can continue to drive a vehicle and trailer combination of up to 8,250kg of MAM (maximum authorised mass).

MAM is the absolute limit on how much the vehicle can weigh when once it has been loaded, this will be listed in the owner’s manual and is also shown on a plate/sticker fitted on the vehicle or trailer.

Previously the rules stated that anyone who had passed their driving test between 1st January 1997 and 18th January 2013 were able to drive a motorhome up to 3,500kg MAM, with the ability to tow a trailer of up to 750kg, the total being a maximum of 4,250kg.

For licenses which were issued after 19th January 2013 the rules said that motorhome drivers were able to tow a trailer up to 750kg MAM using a motorhome that doesn’t exceed 3500kg MAM. They could also tow a trailer which exceeded 750kg provided the total weight of the motorhome and trailer didn’t exceed 3500kg MAM.

As you can tell, this was very confusing to understand.

The new laws and rules in place have set out to simplify these rules and relax the rules slightly for younger drivers. The rules now mean that if you passed your driving test after 1st January 1997 you can drive a motorhome that weighs less than 3,500kg MAM and tow a trailer provided the total doesn’t exceed 4,250kg.

If the trailer weighs more than 750kg MAM you are still allowed to tow it, however the total MAM including the motorhome and trailer must not exceed 3,500kg MAM total, therefore the motorhome must weigh less than 2,750kg MAM.

If you passed your car driving test prior to the 1st January 1997 date then the same ‘grandfathers rights’ as previous apply and you drive a motorhome and tow a trailer combination of up to 8,250kg MAM meaning you have access to much larger motorhomes.

To be able to drive a motorhome between 3,500kg MAM and 7,500kg MAM as someone who has passed their test after 1st January 1997 you will need to complete the category C1 licence, this is a ‘Lights Good Vehicle’ entitlement and commonly known as a ‘Class 3’ licence.

For whatever reason if 7,500kg MAM isn’t enough, there is the option to drive more however the full category C license is required, this is the standard license for a lorry and will allow the driver to drive up to a huge 32,000kg MAM, you know, for those extra rich people with motorhomes the size of houses.

The good news is that many motorhome manufacturers these days make their motorhomes within the MAM of 3,500kg to allow anyone with a car license to be able to experience the freedom of a holiday on the road.

Conclusion

To conclude, legally you can drive a motorhome on the roads without having to take any additional qualifications, however the size and weight of the motorhome are dependant on your age and when you passed your test, but as a rule of thumb, everybody who holds a valid car license can drive a motorhome up to 3,500 MAM.

If you want to drive a motorhome heavier than this then you will need to take note of your age and if you do not hold grandfathers rights you must complete the relevant tests to be able to drive a larger motorhome. If you’re driving one of these heavier, American-style RVs, you’ll also need to check your vehicle is insured with a suitable American RV insurance policy.

Hopefully this clears up any questions you may have and will allow you to get on the road with peace and mind.

Happy Motorhome Holidaying!