Speed Limits

Most van conversions are based upon vehicles with a Maximum Permissible Laden Mass (MPLM) of 3500kg and as such may be driven on a car licence.  However legal speed limits may vary according to the specification of a particular motorhome even if conforms to the MPLM of 3500kg.
 
If the Mass in Running Order (MRO) is up to 3050kg speed limits are the same as applicable to cars.  If however MRO exceeds 3050kg, speed limits are 50mph on single carriageways (60mph cars) and 60mph on dual carriageways (70mph cars). Motorway speed limits are unchanged.
 
Luckily my Sussex Duo has a specified MRO of 3026kg and MPLM of 3500kg and thus can be driven at car speed limits.
 
(ps. Just attended Drivers Awareness Course where this was discussed)
 
John

But this site... [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] says the 3.05t limit is for unladen weight, not mass in running order. Are they the same thing?

MRO (Mass In Running Order) Is the unladen weight of the vehicle including 75kg allowance for the driver and 90% of the fuel gas and water tanks capacity (Autosleeper spec.)

John

Unladen weight

The unladen weight of any vehicle is the weight of the vehicle when it’s not carrying any passengers, goods or other items.
It includes the body and all parts normally used with the vehicle or trailer when it’s used on a road.
It doesn’t include the weight of:

• fuel
  
• batteries in an electric vehicle - unless it’s a mobility scooter or powered wheelchair
  

MIRO will be about Unladen weight plus Fuel plus 75Kg for driver.

So they are not equal but are both 3.05t?

Assume 75Kg for fuel so subtract 150Kg from MRO to get unladen weight.

I wrote to AS about my van a few years ago:

I think your question must refer to speed limits. In the UK speed limits are dependent on the unladen weight of your vehicle. Unfortunately, ‘unladen’ is not clearly defined.

If the unladen weight is taken to be the dry weight, or weight of the vehicle as it leaves the factory, with no fuel or driver, then that is 3077 kg for your vehicle.  

However, the Mass in Running Order (MRO), now commonly used in the industry, is defined as the weight of the vehicle as produced by the manufacturer including a full tank of fuel and the driver (assumed to be 75 kg or 11st 12lb). Hence it could be considered to represent a realistic or useable ‘unladen’ weight condition. For your vehicle the MRO is 3216 kg, as shown on page 8-3 of your handbook.

Hence, by either definition, you are over the 3050 kg limit referred to in the speed limit legislation.  

Regards,

Homologation Engineer
Auto-Sleepers

Shouldn’t worry about it. I see a report today that the police get two weeks training and learn the rest on the job. Outrageous

It's unlikely to be the police that you will have to deal with. If they pull you in for a random stop/check, they will normally just hand over to a DVSA rep, and you can expect them to understand the subject. Similarly, the people who check speed camera output won't be police, and will know the subject.

I knew (having fallen foul of it) that there was a difference in speed limits between car dervived vans and light commercial. I got used to wizzing round in my Volkswagen Caddy then got done on the same roads when I moved to a Transit.

This article implies that there is a difference if your V5 says 'Motor Caravan'

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

See here:-

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re Motorhomes/caravans.