I’ve seen more than one discussion on our forums about motorhome speed limits. I recall one heated debate where two members were each convinced they were right about the Motorhome speed limit when towing on a motorway, and it turns out they were both wrong!
So why the confusion?
Well, first there are those who have never looked at a highway code since they passed their test. Second, there is still plenty of confusion stemming from the DVLA classification of motorhomes.
Some people think large motorhomes are ‘goods vehicles’ and are treated differently. While others assume even the largest motorhome is in fact treated as a private car which is why so many people still drive large 8+ton RVs on car licences.
The weight regarding speed limits is important because this defines in law what the limits are.
It is the weight that defines your speed limits,UNLADEN WEIGHT The weight your van is when it’s empty.
Let’s look at what the Government tells us about Motorhome speed limits.
That is up to and over 3050kg. too many skim this and read 3500kg. It’s not 3.5 ton or in English money, 3 ½ ton. It is up to or over 3.05 tonnes.
It would be easy if the motorhome speed limit was set by the motorhomes maximum weight
This figure, known as MAM, Maximum Authorised Mass, is on our logbooks and stamped on a plate affixed to the motorhome. But no, it’s the unladen weight that defines what limits we keep to on the road.
So what is the unladen weight of my motorhome?
The unladen weight of the vehicle is the motorhome’s own weight when not carrying anything. That means no you, no water, no luggage, no full gas bottles, etc.
So all we need to do is find out what our unladen weight is and we’re away. Except that’s not quite so easy to do with a motorhome. So many manufacturers seem to not mention the unladen weight at all.
So how do I find my unladen weight?
We could completely empty the motorhome and weigh it, which might be the best option if you’ve just bought it and are not 100% sure what it weighs. You might be lucky and have the unladen weight in your specifications. Trouble is, lots of makers don’t bother giving us this figure at all. The closest they come to giving us this, is in a figure they call MIRO. This means mass in running order.
What is Miro?
Miro is the weight of an empty motorhome (Unladen Weight) but with a 75kg driver added, to confuse things they may or may not have added other things to get to the Miro weight, like 20kg of water and a hookup lead.
So a really rough guide to discovering your unladen weight would be to deduct a 75kg driver and those extras from the MIRO figure and that should give you an idea of your unladen weight.
Thereafter, it’s pretty easy to know your motorhome speed limits, remembering there is a reduction when towing. See below
This article is academic to many as they, like me, only poodle along dual carriageways and motorways at around 58mph, just enough to stay ahead of the trucks.
While writing this article I started a discussion on MotorhomeFun read it and you’ll see there is plenty of confusion. None from you though, because now you know 😀