Mot pita

[wildebus]

A tale of potential woe and maybe a warning to others who are converting heavier vans to campers ...

Bought my VW LT46 just about a year ago. It was a 16 seater minibus at the time I bought it and recorded as a PLG even though 4600KG GVW.
I took the seats out, changed to a PHGV (Private HGV) to take advantage of the lower road tax and change the body type to a "VAN/SIDE WINDOWS" as an interim to becoming a "MOTOR CARAVAN".

MOT due next week and called my usual place to see if they can test >3.5t vehicles. "No, needs to be a Ministry (DVSA) test for HGVs". Called another place that specialise in commercials ..."No, Ministry Test needed".
Booked in for Ministry Test, paying the fee up front as required. Took van to test centre for HGV Test yesterday afternoon ..."No, can't do HGV test as van not on system". No HGV Plate, No Test!

This means I have a vehicle that has fallen down the cracks between DVLA - who let me change the van to a HGV and DVSA who have no record of it being a HGV, and so no way to get a test done!


As it happens, last weekend I did a fair bit of work to my Conversion fitting the kitchen units out and getting a Worktop, rolling out the Mattress and just on Wednesday and Thursday morning I installed the Induction Hob, Sink and an removable Island Table.
So very luckily I was able to go to the commercial MOT garage and have them agree to test it as a Class 4 Motor Caravan as that is what it looked like inside (a week earlier it would have been a different story!).
MOTed first thing this morning and passed with no advisories at all and a good smoke test report, so happy days


So the warning ... If you are in a similar situation to me in terms of taking an ex-commercial vehicle >3.5t to convert and it has never had an HGV test (my minibus has had Class 5 MOTs or PSVs previously), make sure you have an interior that can pass as a Motor Caravan by MOT time or you could be off the road!


I was also lucky that I didn't have a Jobsworth tester that decided that my conversion was not a Motor Caravan but a Living Van (which would have needed an HGV test) as the garage had things in it that were not needed in a Motor Caravan.
i.e.

A Full Garage! by David, on Flickr
(Keeping all my tools and stuff in there when working on the conversion)
I think I will rename the storage area under the bed from a "Garage" to a "Boot" as that sounds much less "Living Van" as well

 

[oldish hippy]

the ladder is needed to clean the roof the drill is to take wire brush to clean the metaland to stir the tea the vacuum is to clean upand the wood is to make up a spare bed and dinng table simples the wire is to fix electrics and for washing line ad to tie down the van in the wind

 

[n brown]

sometimes you have to try and guess what they need to tick their boxes. i was once refused a class 4 as there was an area in the back of a large german army lorry that the jobsworth reckoned could be used for carrying goods. i took it home , made a bed up in it and took it back . the guy wasn't happy but he wasn't prepared to call me a liar, and it passed

 

[wildebus]

sometimes you have to try and guess what they need to tick their boxes. i was once refused a class 4 as there was an area in the back of a large german army lorry that the jobsworth reckoned could be used for carrying goods. i took it home , made a bed up in it and took it back . the guy wasn't happy but he wasn't prepared to call me a liar, and it passed

I read a long article on MHF (I think?) about how some testers regard virtually anything in the storage garage/area as being goods - and therefore becomes a "Living Van" - and this has consequences for new vehicles as means MOT due on 1st Anniversary, not 3rd, plus Tacho as well potentially.

Funnily enough, when I was at the DVSA testing facility a couple of days ago I asked the inspector to have a look at my conversion (thought may as well get an opinion as he works for the people who approve/disapprove conversions) and he opened the side door, looked at the setup and said "well, it obviously isn't a good vehicle as no place to carry goods" and didn't consider the space under the bed.

Having an empty space regarded as a "goods carrying area" is a bit extreme isn't it! I had planned to just empty it out before the test, but sounds like that may not be enough for some? Maybe putting an inflatable kayak in it would do the trick?

 

[channa]

Just to address the "jobsworth" remarks I think you are being a little unfair , that doesn't mean I don't understand your frustration.

The Mot manuals in some respects are very non prescriptive It is easy to establish whether a tyre is 1.6 mm minimum tread or a bulb not working ...but then body work and types does become subjective.

DVSA mystery shop all MOT garages if a tester passes a vehicle that should fail or vice versa...in effect awarded with a de merit against his name and the garage too....the 3 strike rule applies lose your licence to test.

So what I am suggesting is there is a bit of cover the backside technology going on ...with the grey areas in interpretation.

At the extreme end of the scale if a vehicle is involved in an accident especially a fatality involved it is not uncommon for the DOT to go back and trace history of who did what and when . Any of the lads here involved in the commercial world (which essentially is what motorhomes are as a template) An evening with the gestapo suddenly seems more attractive.compared to vosa dot or whatever re incarnation they call themselves nowadays

Channa

 

[n brown]

Just to address the "jobsworth" remarks I think you are being a little unfair , that doesn't mean I don't understand your frustration.

The Mot manuals in some respects are very non prescriptive It is easy to establish whether a tyre is 1.6 mm minimum tread or a bulb not working ...but then body work and types does become subjective.

DVSA mystery shop all MOT garages if a tester passes a vehicle that should fail or vice versa...in effect awarded with a de merit against his name and the garage too....the 3 strike rule applies lose your licence to test.

So what I am suggesting is there is a bit of cover the backside technology going on ...with the grey areas in interpretation.

At the extreme end of the scale if a vehicle is involved in an accident especially a fatality involved it is not uncommon for the DOT to go back and trace history of who did what and when . Any of the lads here involved in the commercial world (which essentially is what motorhomes are as a template) An evening with the gestapo suddenly seems more attractive.compared to vosa dot or whatever re incarnation they call themselves nowadays

Channa

i quite agree , and am usually very understanding about these guys' fear of VOSA, but many of those who have tried putting large converted vans through this particular place in Bristol will agree they can be unhelpful at the least

 

[vwalan]

I read a long article on MHF (I think?) about how some testers regard virtually anything in the storage garage/area as being goods - and therefore becomes a "Living Van" - and this has consequences for new vehicles as means MOT due on 1st Anniversary, not 3rd, plus Tacho as well potentially.

Funnily enough, when I was at the DVSA testing facility a couple of days ago I asked the inspector to have a look at my conversion (thought may as well get an opinion as he works for the people who approve/disapprove conversions) and he opened the side door, looked at the setup and said "well, it obviously isn't a good vehicle as no place to carry goods" and didn't consider the space under the bed.

Having an empty space regarded as a "goods carrying area" is a bit extreme isn't it! I had planned to just empty it out before the test, but sounds like that may not be enough for some? Maybe putting an inflatable kayak in it would do the trick?

putting inflatable kayakin the back would make it a living van .
even carrying push bikes inside are goods nor needed to live in a m,home /caravan.
m,bikes /push bikes should be on racks outside .
tools are ok but not enormous workshop style .
my trailer is a living van .
i do carry m,bikes in the back under the bed .
carrying goods is one thing . carrying goods for hire and reward is another .
no tacho for private use etc .
my mini artic does have one but not required .
ideal though having a mini artic pulling a living van.
i dont ever pull other types of trailers . or carry a load on my truck.