Motorhome driving rules and regulations

Motorhome Licences – can I legally drive a motorhome?

Before you even think about hiring a motorhome it makes sense to check that there is someone in your party that can actually drive it on their licence.

Firstly you will need to be at least 25 years old and under 70 years old and have held a full driving licence for 3 years before an insurance company will even consider giving you cover.

This can be slightly confusing as “Cat B” licences that were obtained before the 1st of January 1997 allow you to drive a motorhome that has a gross mass weight of up to 7500 kgs.

There is a big drop in the maximum gross weight If you gained a new licence after this date and you are only allowed to drive motorhomes less than 3500 kgs unless an LGV licence has been obtained.

Lastly, if you want to drive abroad you need to be aware that differant countries will specify various maximum limits that the licence holder must be qualified for to drive a motorhome.

Is it easy to drive a Motorhome?

Driving a motorhome is similar in many ways to driving a transit van as many modern motor-homes have the same chassis, the first thing that you have to get used to is the raised driving height which is good as it gives you a good overall view of the road ahead which helps when dealing with sharp bends and seeing problems ahead.

Modern motorhomes these days are as comfortable and easy to drive as a large people carrier as they have all mod cons such as power steering; 5-speed manual gearboxes; music systems and very good height and recline adjustment settings for the seats which you can adjust to suit your frame, I personally prefer an upright but relaxed driving position as I feel that this has less wear and tear on my back!

It took me less than a few hours on my first outing in a motorhome many years ago to knock one of my wing mirrors off by driving too close to a wall and you always have to bealert to the fact when driving a motorhome that it is bigger than a car, which is surprisingly easy to forget, you need to drive more towards the middle of the road to avoid overhanging trees for example on the nearside and move over to a greater extent to avoid a collision with cyclist and other vehicles when overtaking.

The best advice I can give when driving a motorhome is to take your time and do everything in a slow considered manner, don’t be rushed by inpatient drivers and never never panic.

Because of the size of most motorhomes you will need to take a larger turning swing when you start a manoeuvre but you will find this surprisingly easy as the turning circle of most modern motorhomes is better than many 4×4’s.

Be careful when reversing and if possibly try and get someone to help you navigate especially when parking up in tight situations. Make sure your mirrors are correctly positioned before you set of on any journey as you will soon find that the mirrors are very important due to a limited through-vision that motorhomes have.

Only very expensive motorhomes have built in SAT NAV systems – if there is not one fitted, go out and buy one as this will make your life so much easier and will also warn you in advance of any speed traps in areas that you are not aware of the legal speed limit.