To B or not to B? That is the question ........

[97243]

Actually, the question is "To C1 or not to C1"

My C1 entitlement is due to expire with my birthday next January. As mentioned elsewhere, we are new to all of this and have bought a MH that can be driven on a B.

It is likely that we will trade up to something with a little more space inside, but the attraction of our Laika was the smaller length (5.99 metres).

Resident in France, presently with a UK licence, it is going to be an absolute nightmare to get a C1 renewal on a French licence and I am wondering whether to bother trying.

I am not keen to move into the heavier class of MH anyway, so I guess my question is to contributors here is can you point me towards MH's that you love that can be driven on a B?

Many thanks

 

[Guigsy]

Have you weighed the Laika? How close are you to 3500kg? It is perfectly possible to get many 6m motorhomes under that limit... but the Laika might be a hefty beast.

 

[nicholsong]

Actually, the question is "To C1 or not to C1"

My C1 entitlement is due to expire with my birthday next January. As mentioned elsewhere, we are new to all of this and have bought a MH that can be driven on a B.

It is likely that we will trade up to something with a little more space inside, but the attraction of our Laika was the smaller length (5.99 metres).

Resident in France, presently with a UK licence, it is going to be an absolute nightmare to get a C1 renewal on a French licence and I am wondering whether to bother trying.

I am not keen to move into the heavier class of MH anyway, so I guess my question is to contributors here is can you point me towards MH's that you love that can be driven on a B?

Many thanks

Can you not just swap your UK licence for a French one with the C1 on it now? That is what I did to get my Polish licence with C1 on it.

 

[K R B]

To keep your c1 in france we had to have a medical (not your own doctor) every two years

 

[97243]

Can you not just swap your UK licence for a French one with the C1 on it now? That is what I did to get my Polish licence with C1 on it.

No. They won't exchange before the expiry of licence is due. Lazy b*ggers changed the rules to avoid the resulting workload post Brexit.

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[97243]

Have you weighed the Laika? How close are you to 3500kg? It is perfectly possible to get many 6m motorhomes under that limit... but the Laika might be a hefty beast.

No I haven't had a chance to look into where that can be done out here.

 

[varaizian]

To keep your c1 in france we had to have a medical (not your own doctor) every two years

Same for us although before the ANTS (DVLA equivalent) debacle. The medical was superficial and included an eye test by a general practitioner. No stress test even though I have had valve surgery. Not bothered keeping the C1 rating myself but would be simple enough if needed.

 

[nicholsong]

No. They won't exchange before the expiry of licence is due. Lazy b*ggers changed the rules to avoid the resulting workload post Brexit.

The rule in most countries is that if you are resident for 6 months then you have to change to a licence of the country of residence.

Does that not apply in France, or have you not been there long enough?

 

[K R B]

Try a scrap yard ours did it no charge

 

[varaizian]

The rule in most countries is that if you are resident for 6 months then you have to change to a licence of the country of residence.

Does that not apply in France, or have you not been there long enough?

That used to be the rule in France too but when the roll-out of the ANTS website went horribly wrong they could not even cope with purely domestic business so changed the rules to kick the can down the road.

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[scotzsue]

Have you weighed the Laika? How close are you to 3500kg? It is perfectly possible to get many 6m motorhomes under that limit... but the Laika might be a hefty beast.

Our Laika is a 6M ecovip, fully loaded including water, we had almost 200kg to spare so longer ones than OP has may fare as well.

 

[Lenny HB]

If you don't have any medical problems it's very easy to keep a C1 in the UK.
If you have a C1 on your UK licence and you swap for a French one won't all the groups be transferred automatically?

Well worth having a C1 so nice to have a van with a decent payload (ours is 1350kg) and not have to worry about what you take with you.

 

[Guigsy]

Going up to even 6.4m can easily put you over 3.5t, depending on manufacturer.

I went from a 5.4m PVC to a 6.0m a-class. It feels about 3 times bigger inside, the extra width made a big difference, and because the bed drops down over the cab (so the lounge is always available). There's loads of living space and I'm still way under 3.5t... but my van has no garage, just a couple of small lockers, so I can't carry a ton of 'accessories'. There's always a compromise.

 

[Larrynwin]

Hymer B544 6.5m now on our second one since losing C1. Following owning three 30ft plus RVs the layout of the relatively small Hymer is deceptively spacious and as long as we are careful just scrapes under 3500kgs .

 

[Roby2008]

If you don't have any medical problems it's very easy to keep a C1 in the UK.
If you have a C1 on your UK licence and you swap for a French one won't all the groups be transferred automatically?

Well worth having a C1 so nice to have a van with a decent payload (ours is 1350kg) and not have to worry about what you take with you.

Depends on the country, when I had to (not by choice) swap to a German licence after the big B, I lost my C1 due to age ( over 55 ) and needed a medical, first aid course and a driving assessment if I wanted to keep it..

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[Roby2008]

Actually, the question is "To C1 or not to C1"

My C1 entitlement is due to expire with my birthday next January. As mentioned elsewhere, we are new to all of this and have bought a MH that can be driven on a B.

It is likely that we will trade up to something with a little more space inside, but the attraction of our Laika was the smaller length (5.99 metres).

Resident in France, presently with a UK licence, it is going to be an absolute nightmare to get a C1 renewal on a French licence and I am wondering whether to bother trying.

I am not keen to move into the heavier class of MH anyway, so I guess my question is to contributors here is can you point me towards MH's that you love that can be driven on a B?

Many thanks

We have a Pilote 696D on order, 6.99m 3500kg with just under 600kg payload, enough for 2 with ebike/scooter, small inflatable boat and the usual stuff you take with you, we usually max out at 4 weeks when we travel.

We had a Miller Toronto also 6.99 and 3500 but I can´t tell you the payload but is was great for the last 9 years.

 

[nicholsong]

Can you not just swap your UK licence for a French one with the C1 on it now? That is what I did to get my Polish licence with C1 on it.

Depends on the country, when I had to (not by choice) swap to a German licence after the big B, I lost my C1 due to age ( over 55 ) and needed a medical, first aid course and a driving assessment if I wanted to keep it..

One Europe?

 

[Ridgeway]

How did you get your UK C1 ?

I remember reading some where that france doesn’t recognise C1 on UK licenses that got them through grandfather rights, could be wrong but I’m sure I read that some where.

 

[OldAgeTravellers]

No I haven't had a chance to look into where that can be done out here.

If you are in a wine region then most of the Cave Coops have a weigh-bridge. Or the distilleries which are usually in the same areas. The next village to us had an old one for the Vignerons that I could use as I wished. Big brass machine where you moved the weights around. I used to weigh each axle every time we went away so I could judge how much we could carry. Especially when heading back to the UK full of wine. Often thought about using the water tank!

 

[nicholsong]

How did you get your UK C1 ?

I remember reading some where that france doesn’t recognise C1 on UK licenses that got them through grandfather rights, could be wrong but I’m sure I read that some where.

That applies in Portugal, not in Poland.

What a nonsense when anyone with these licences can drive all over EU.

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[Roby2008]

One Europe?

You can/could drive across Europe/EU with the licence issued by your country of residence/origin, obtaining the licence is governed by the standards of the issuing country, my licence was a UK licence so was valid until 70, swapping to a German one brought me under their rules which is the Medical / First Aid course requirement for over 55´s, it´s not a like for like swap ( unless you are under 55 )..
Tough but that´s the way it is, so I didn´t bother to upgrade, saved a few thousand Euros in the process and keep my MH under 3500 kg....

 

[Lenny HB]

We have a Pilote 696D on order, 6.99m 3500kg with just under 600kg payload, enough for 2 with ebike/scooter, small inflatable boat and the usual stuff you take with you, we usually max out at 4 weeks when we travel.

I can't see you being able to carry that lot with only 600 kg.
Have you allowed for extras and options?

 

[Roby2008]

I can't see you being able to carry that lot with only 600 kg.
Have you allowed for extras and options?

It´s enough, we take only what we need or will use, the Scooter is 13kg, her handbike for the wheelchair is 20kg, the boat has an airfloor so goes 20kg tops, we take Kindles instead of books, packets not tins, it all adds up to lightness.... if it becomes an issue then leaving stuff behind is better than uprating, the restrictions on access for over 3500kg and the need for toll boxes etc is too much hassle.
We have spent the last 9 years refining what we have and take with us, we are confident

 

[Guigsy]

It´s enough, we take only what we need or will use, the Scooter is 13kg, her handbike for the wheelchair is 20kg, the boat has an airfloor so goes 20kg tops, we take Kindles instead of books, packets not tins, it all adds up to lightness.... if it becomes an issue then leaving stuff behind is better than uprating, the restrictions on access for over 3500kg and the need for toll boxes etc is too much hassle.
We have spent the last 9 years refining what we have and take with us, we are confident

As long as you've given yourself plenty of leeway. It's fairly common for Pilotes to come off the line a fair bit heavier than the brochure suggested.

 

[yodeli]

No I haven't had a chance to look into where that can be done out here.

May be asking nicely would have been a start. Reading things like "Lazy b*ggers" doesn't sound very encouraging for me to help, and no one forced you to come and live here. Thanks. Nevertheless, I will give you 2 tips: Google "ferrailleur+ name of your village+ dans les environs" OR
"Pont-bascule communal + name of your village+ dans les environs"

Un Amical Salut .... probatoire
Frankie

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[97243]

The rule in most countries is that if you are resident for 6 months then you have to change to a licence of the country of residence.

Does that not apply in France, or have you not been there long enough?

Post Brexit, France won't exchange licences until the are due for renewal or have been lost. I had an application underway for several months, but that was annulled with the policy change.

 

[varaizian]

How did you get your UK C1 ?

I remember reading some where that france doesn’t recognise C1 on UK licenses that got them through grandfather rights, could be wrong but I’m sure I read that some where.

I got C1 & C on a French licence when I swopped it for a UK licence dated 1975. Did not need it and let it lapse but presumably could get it back with a medical.

 

[97243]

How did you get your UK C1 ?

I remember reading some where that france doesn’t recognise C1 on UK licenses that got them through grandfather rights, could be wrong but I’m sure I read that some where.

I passed my test in 1973, so have retained the C1 automatically. To keep the C1, I will need to have a medical and do what looks like a mini-Mensa test.

 

[varaizian]

Post Brexit, France won't exchange licences until the are due for renewal or have been lost. I had an application underway for several months, but that was annulled with the policy change.

I don't think it was Brexit. The launch of the ANTS website was an unmitigated disaster and they could not issue licences to their own nationals who wanted to start taking lessons or who had passed their tests. People committing traffic offences are also obliged to get a French licence I think.

 

[97243]

May be asking nicely would have been a start. Reading things like "Lazy b*ggers" doesn't sound very encouraging for me to help, and no one forced you to come and live here. Thanks. Nevertheless, I will give you 2 tips: Google "ferrailleur+ name of your village+ dans les environs" OR
"Pont-bascule communal + name of your village+ dans les environs"

Un Amical Salut .... probatoire
Frankie

I'm sure no country is perfect, but I think it reasonable to point out where one falls short on efficiency. France has been a good home for us, but the petty bureaucracy and long-winded processes are a bit much sometimes.