Mad Motorhomer
Free Member
Hi,
My first posting, so here goes.
I have a Ford Transit LWB window van which was until a couple of days ago a 15 seater bus run by a local coach / bus tour company. I want to convert it to a motorhome overtime but use the vehicle in the meantime.
Problem is I only have a B category driving license post 1997 which means I can't drive anything over a 9 seater (8 passengers + 1 driver). DVLA say that it can be reclassified as Private Light Goods (because its 3,500kg revenue weight so not overweight) if enough seats are taken out permanently and then re re classified as a motorhome, or whatever the proper V5 description is, when all the necessary (DVLA compliant) conversion works have been done. Just to make life more complicated, I want to go to France / Switzerland with my band over Christmas / New Year and I'm now told that there may be a problem with the French authorities in that they want a D category license even if DVLA here classify it as a PLG. Can that be right ? I thought the rules were supposed to be the same all over the EU ? (Don't get me started)
So I have two questions really.
1) is my cunning plan OK for me to drive it in the UK
2) please tell me that I'm wrong about the French authorities
My first posting, so here goes.
I have a Ford Transit LWB window van which was until a couple of days ago a 15 seater bus run by a local coach / bus tour company. I want to convert it to a motorhome overtime but use the vehicle in the meantime.
Problem is I only have a B category driving license post 1997 which means I can't drive anything over a 9 seater (8 passengers + 1 driver). DVLA say that it can be reclassified as Private Light Goods (because its 3,500kg revenue weight so not overweight) if enough seats are taken out permanently and then re re classified as a motorhome, or whatever the proper V5 description is, when all the necessary (DVLA compliant) conversion works have been done. Just to make life more complicated, I want to go to France / Switzerland with my band over Christmas / New Year and I'm now told that there may be a problem with the French authorities in that they want a D category license even if DVLA here classify it as a PLG. Can that be right ? I thought the rules were supposed to be the same all over the EU ? (Don't get me started)
So I have two questions really.
1) is my cunning plan OK for me to drive it in the UK
2) please tell me that I'm wrong about the French authorities