MoT classifications - important for all of us

[Godlykepower]

This subject is being mentioned within another semi-related thread at the moment, but I thought it was important enough to warrant its own thread. It will reach a greater audience this way. Mods, perhaps merge any of the posts from that thread to this one.

The DVLA has changed the classification of MoT's, and from 2010, vehicles with a GVW between 3000-3500kg will have to be tested under Class 7 "Goods vehicle" MoT.

Not all testing stations are able to perform a Class 7 test & those that do usually charge more to do so. Apparently the new system will prevent the tester from performing the test at all; so even if you have been going to the same test station with the same vehicle for years, you might have problems.

As many of us have discovered already, the DVLA have been listing Land Rovers with a GVW of 3499kg, meaning that under the new system, you will HAVE to submit to a Class 7 test unneccesarily.

If you look on your V5 under "Revenue Weight" and see that it says 3499kg, you will have to amend your documents to prevent potential agro when you next go for an MoT.

The right weight is the top one on the VIN plate, so just fill this number into box 22 on your V5 and send it away. I phoned them up this morning to get extra clarification, and the person I spoke to recommended NOT filling in box 23 - Date of change - as this would imply YOU have done something to the vehicle to alter its weight.

I took a picture of my VIN plate, so they could clearly make out both the weight and the VIN number, and enclosed this with a polite covering letter explaining what was going on.

HTH

Martin

[Happyoldgit]

My Puma 110 CSW XS is entered as 3050kgs.

[Paul D]

This may be a stupid question but i have just checked my RRC V5 and it doesn't state a weight? Is that good or bad?

[reb78]

This has been mentioned a lot recently. This link gives a lot of info:

http://www.glencoyne.co.uk/motclass.htm

[Godlykepower]

Steve, if this 3050 on your V5 is different from the top number on your VIN plate, then if you havent already started, when you DO start having to go for an MoT, you will have problems

i have just checked my RRC V5 and it doesn't state a weight? Is that good or bad?

RR's are classed as cars I think.

[western]

This may be a stupid question but i have just checked my RRC V5 and it doesn't state a weight? Is that good or bad?

Cos RR's are classed as cars so a Class 4 test [car] for your RR

[Paul D]

Thanks Western, saves any potential agro at the test centre - worth checking!

Paul

[reb78]

Does that mean if you have a CSW with estate on the V5 it is classified as a car and GVW is ignored?

[mmgemini]

Steve, if this 3050 on your V5 is different from the top number on your VIN plate, then if you havent already started, when you DO start having to go for an MoT, you will have problems

RR's are classed as cars I think.

ALL station wagons including those with a County pack are 3,050kg

However as a station wagon has seats for four or more it's classed as a car.

[Godlykepower]

ALL station wagons including those with a County pack are 3,050kg

However as a station wagon has seats for four or more it's classed as a car.

Reading further through the above link, it says:

the dual purpose exemption is to be withdrawn at the end of 2009. From the start of 2010, if a vehicle has a recorded GLW of 3000kg or greater, it WILL be subject to class VII test with no exemptions. If you own a 110 without self-levelling suspension, a 130 or a Forward Control, you will just have to live with this and find yourself a Class VII MoT station. For everyone else, if the revenue weight on your V5 is wrong, get it changed now.

and "Dual Purpose" means:

A `Dual purpose vehicle' is one that is constructed or adapted for the carriage of both passenger(s) and goods or burden of any description; and has an unladen weight (ULW) not exceeding 2,040 kg

[reb78]

So i have self levelling suspension and the GVW on my V5 is 3499kg so does it matter that the GVW is wrong. Obviously i should get it changed really, but what a lot of fuss all because the DVLA didnt do their job properly in the first place!

[western]

ALL station wagons including those with a County pack are 3,050kg

However as a station wagon has seats for four or more it's classed as a car.

Wrong not all CSW

some have the levelled suspension & are rated at 2950kg GVW as mine is

but should be tested as class 4.

[Godlykepower]

I'm really sorry, but I dont understand a lot of what I have been reading about, and only researched enough to get my 90 sorted out.

The more you delve into this subject, the murkier it all seems to become They dont make it easy do they?

In the other thread on here where this is mentioned, people were going on about the implications of driving in the LEZ in London & how this weight issue relates to that, what with all the talk of Estates and Light Goods vehicles. If you dont drive in London, then I would just get all the kerfuffle out the way & change the document.

[dirtbox]

This is starting to get really confusing!!

Glad I checked out my doc's for the 90 and its way under!

[outdoor_ian]

Being the post is about the MOT classification I can't see what all the fuss is about personally just get a class 7 test and be done with it, its about another £10 a year or there abouts.

Why make a mountain out of a molehill at the end of the day.

[Godlykepower]

I dont think the issue is the cost of the test.

It may be about the inconvenience of finding out your vehicle cant be tested all of a sudden, and having to try and find somewhere that CAN do the test.

I just tried to provide a little information - you know fore warned is fore armed and all that, no nasty surprises at MoT time.

As I am confident my vehicle will sail through its MoT, I always leave it till the last minute to get mine done. I would hate to go pick it up later only to find out I would be driving around for a couple of days with no MoT, whilst I found another test station. Never mind the annoyance of the wasted time.

[outdoor_ian]

I agree fore warned is fore armed,

we have been fore warned its on forums and in most of the mags in some way or another.

Now all that is required is to fore arm ourseleves with the address of a local class 7 MOT station well before any MOT is due. Write the information down and paperclip it to your current MOT cert.

Job done.

[Godlykepower]

Okay.

Do forgive me for trying to inform others.

[landmannnn]

I agree, this is a useful post. The average mot centre that does tests for £35 won't be able to do the tset.

For a non lr vehicle I phoned around a few months ago for a class 7 (from yellow pages), you would be surprised how few there are.

[western]

Ask at your local bus depot or find the nearest HGV VOSA test station, quite a few Bus companies have MOT testers on the engineering staff & will possible do a Class 7 test, got to be worth asking.

[LandyLee]

Useful point is that quite a few local test centers send their class 7s to us as there is only two stations locally that can do class 7. With this in mind I would check your local station is equipped. Even the local ford dealership sends us their 7s !!! We make no extra charge for class 7 and to be honest the differences are small.

[tweetyduck]

I've just posted my letter to the DVLA with the photo of the VIN so my 110 CSW can be put corrected to 2950Kg as per the plate and the body type changed to estate as per the VIN number and the M designation (not A for utility etc.) Will let uyou know how it goes.

As Reb mentioned in the other thread its better to be legal and correct than have an incorrect V5C. I've no doubt that there is some law that says its our responsabilty to make sure its correct and id rather be "pulled" knowing my documents match my vehicle exaclty.

[Turbocharger]

Yes, useful post and the first I've heard - I rarely buy the comics any more.

My Ninety is showing 3499kg, so Class 7 or re-cert for me. What're the wider implications of Class 7 - different MOT criteria? Wider allowances? Any impact on towing with B-cat licence (ie no B+E trailer licence)?

[mmgemini]

All I can say is a lot of you must burry your heads in the sand

On another forum an MOT tester spelt it all out last year. Maybe six months ago.

On here at least two years ago there was a discussion about LAND ROVER. Not VOSA. Not filling the V5C's in correctly so that the DVLA defaulted ALL Land Rovers to 3,500.

I checke that the 110, Defender 110 STATION WAGON and the station wagon with a County pack would be class four. it will be BUT it must have four seats fitted. So for me that means fitting two of the center row seats.

This all came about because of the rice burners. Especially the double cab The Defender double cab is class seven.

Edited to add

I don't read any of the UK comics either but this has been well covered on here and other forums.

[plasticbadger]

There's only realy two outcomes here, either your Landrover is over 3000kg on the VIN, which is easy to check, and requires a class VII MOT, or it's under 3000kg on the VIN and you should be easily able to get the V5c adjusted by the DVLA.

As I said in the other thread covering this our work Ford F350 and the Hummer H1 we had before both required a Class VII MOT and it's no big deal, normally £10 to £20 more expensive, but I've never had a fail that I wouldn't have with a Class IV MOT. The issue I can see is that there will now be a big rise in people requiring the Class VII compared to the number of test centres that can carry out the test, leading to long waits, booking in months ahead etc.

Again as discussed before, the LEZ is a completely different issue, as we discussed in the other thread (eg the F350 seems to exempt, while a Landrover 110 gets charged!)

Also the Class IV / Class VII issue is completely seperate from driver licensing, so no change to the B + E situation.