I have been away for the weekend and tha talk on the caravan site was that caravans are going to taxed and also caravans have to have a MOT can any body tell me if it was true as i have not heard anything about this.
Caravan mot and tax
- Thread starter ernieuk
- Start date
Considering the amount of cut-backs the government are currently deploying I wouldn't be at all surprised if they did impose some form of tax for caravans to pull in even more revenue.
After all it's become a national hobby and we enjoy it so they will eventually catch on!
After all it's become a national hobby and we enjoy it so they will eventually catch on!
Could never see it happening,you would have to register the van and have a visible plate like a car,you would then declare it sorn if you leave on site for the year.
I wouldnt lose any sleep thinking about it always a good debate starter!
Personally i think it would be a good idea to have some fit for road certificate issued?
I wouldnt lose any sleep thinking about it always a good debate starter!
Personally i think it would be a good idea to have some fit for road certificate issued?
- Mar 14, 2005
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I wouldn’t put it past Government (of any persuasion) to consider some for of tax and or mot for caravans, It certainly wouldn’t be popular.
But it isn’t easy, because caravans only represents a small percentage of the total trailers used in the country. Unless they can find some way of specifically defining a caravan they would have to apply the system to all trailers.
Don’t forget that government already do tax caravans (and all trailers) firstly by VAT when you buy, and the extra revenue generated by the increased fuel consumption caused when towing, so its not the “free ride” that some pundits make it out to be.
But it isn’t easy, because caravans only represents a small percentage of the total trailers used in the country. Unless they can find some way of specifically defining a caravan they would have to apply the system to all trailers.
Don’t forget that government already do tax caravans (and all trailers) firstly by VAT when you buy, and the extra revenue generated by the increased fuel consumption caused when towing, so its not the “free ride” that some pundits make it out to be.
There already exist's a system for mot and taxation of articulated lorry trailers and the draw bar (wagon & drag) trailers within the LGV taxation class.
As each modern caravan already has a unique VIN number stamped on the chassis plate, there is captivation available there.
I also expect that some where there is an EU directive that the government will follow blindly like sheep, issue registration numbers for trailers. However this might be more of a cost than a saving. For instance in my case< I have three trailers. Our caravan, a goods trailer and a boat trailer. The later two I have built from scratch myself and they do not have any unique VIN number at all. The boat trailer does not have lights fitted and carries a lighting board instead. The same lighting board is used on the goods trailer. So if we were to have registration numbers for trailers I can see there being several infringements of the current regs where the number plate of the towing vehicle curently not only has to be displayed, but capable of being illuminated at night.
As for MOT's on trailers (inc'l caravans), the sooner that comes into play the better. If I can build two trailers without them being certified as road worthy then probably 50% of the trailer users can. That's a frightening thought!! There has been a few debates on MOT's for caravans herebut the actual pheasability of using existing MOT stations probably is the bigest obstical.
However in the current economic climate, I can see the MP's grasping any chance to divert attention from their own inefficiencies. Just last night on the news it was revieled that the MP's use paper at £80 a box rather than use the cheapest paper for internal bull**1t, costing only £4 a box. It was muted that they could save millions by just buying as a unified group and going to the cheapest supplier. It was said by one offical that doing that would cost jobs. Probably in the "old boys club" I would agree, as they have been sell tat at inflated prices for years as an "approoved supplier", however opening up the purchasing to enable true price competition would generate healthy competition with the fitest being the survivors.
I've worked in the motor industry where you were given a product price by the customer and it was up to you to be come efficient enough to be profitable. I found it a satisfying job being a process technician and deriving production methods in such a tightly run business. We managed to be profitable with room to spare.
Atb steve L.
As each modern caravan already has a unique VIN number stamped on the chassis plate, there is captivation available there.
I also expect that some where there is an EU directive that the government will follow blindly like sheep, issue registration numbers for trailers. However this might be more of a cost than a saving. For instance in my case< I have three trailers. Our caravan, a goods trailer and a boat trailer. The later two I have built from scratch myself and they do not have any unique VIN number at all. The boat trailer does not have lights fitted and carries a lighting board instead. The same lighting board is used on the goods trailer. So if we were to have registration numbers for trailers I can see there being several infringements of the current regs where the number plate of the towing vehicle curently not only has to be displayed, but capable of being illuminated at night.
As for MOT's on trailers (inc'l caravans), the sooner that comes into play the better. If I can build two trailers without them being certified as road worthy then probably 50% of the trailer users can. That's a frightening thought!! There has been a few debates on MOT's for caravans herebut the actual pheasability of using existing MOT stations probably is the bigest obstical.
However in the current economic climate, I can see the MP's grasping any chance to divert attention from their own inefficiencies. Just last night on the news it was revieled that the MP's use paper at £80 a box rather than use the cheapest paper for internal bull**1t, costing only £4 a box. It was muted that they could save millions by just buying as a unified group and going to the cheapest supplier. It was said by one offical that doing that would cost jobs. Probably in the "old boys club" I would agree, as they have been sell tat at inflated prices for years as an "approoved supplier", however opening up the purchasing to enable true price competition would generate healthy competition with the fitest being the survivors.
I've worked in the motor industry where you were given a product price by the customer and it was up to you to be come efficient enough to be profitable. I found it a satisfying job being a process technician and deriving production methods in such a tightly run business. We managed to be profitable with room to spare.
Atb steve L.
We would like to see the M.O T for caravan happen in the near future, so that we know it been look after and service history as well, But Tax for the van I say No because we pay enough on our road tax, Vat what that going up to 20% soon, we pay more tax on every thing we buy. Trevor123
- Jun 20, 2005
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The cost of administering such a proposal would be cost abortive and never catch the cheats.
Professionally serviced caravans get a "year" sticker that goes on the draw bar proving it has been servicedd by a recognised dealer repairer.
BUT how do we allow for the DIYers?
I hope it never happens.
The police have the power to stop any outfit they wish. If they can demonstrate it is in any way defective , dangerous etc, then they can bring a prosecution.
Why not just leave it at that.
Professionally serviced caravans get a "year" sticker that goes on the draw bar proving it has been servicedd by a recognised dealer repairer.
BUT how do we allow for the DIYers?
I hope it never happens.
The police have the power to stop any outfit they wish. If they can demonstrate it is in any way defective , dangerous etc, then they can bring a prosecution.
Why not just leave it at that.
4 years ago, most sites we visited had very many newer caravans,with the minority being older DIY types....today on many of the sites we visit we have seen a transformation, today the split is far more 50/50, this could be due to folkes loosing their jobs or indeed more people taking up the hobby. i personally would be mad as hell if caravanners were forced to pay taxation or even MOT for any vans towed, yes safety could be an issue, but i lost my job and sold our lovelly bran new van, today our van is old, the addition of such extra cost would kill the hobby at grass roots level, new, young, skint families, buying a van for under 1000 and finding out the hard way ,is the backbone of the hobby and without them we would see many giving up......sites would suffer and caravanning would become the pastime of the retired and rich. i think the towing test is quite enough to ensure you tow safely, prehaps in future they can spend a bit longer on mantenance and loading, to ensure vans remain in a reasonable state of repair, and they could include a section on NOT using the corner steadies to jack up the van!! a newbie error seen far to many times lol Rant over, cheers
- Mar 14, 2005
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For those unclear about how it could work, this is how it is handled on the Continent where trailers (including caravans, of course) are taxed and there is the equivalent of an MOT:
Firstly, the trailer is registered and insured in the same way as a motor vehicle with its own number plate. This means that the caravan has its own registration certificate, same as the car and the insurance on the car no longer covers third party liability on the caravan, as is currently the case in the UK. One therefore doesn't need to bring a number plate if one rents or borrows a caravan or trailer and car and caravan are freely interchangeable.
Unless it has false number plates it is therefore always possible to trace the caravan back to the owner, which may be at least part of the reason why caravan theft is almost unheard of on the Continent. Caravan insurance is therefore a lot cheaper.
Trailers are taxed by weight, but unless you are towing a 40 tonner, the rates are fairly modest - in the case of a caravan the tax probably only covers the administrative costs.
The equivalent of the MOT only covers a brake test and and an exterior light check as well as a visual check of the condition of the coupling and chassis frame. It therefore also costs less than the MOT on a car.
Firstly, the trailer is registered and insured in the same way as a motor vehicle with its own number plate. This means that the caravan has its own registration certificate, same as the car and the insurance on the car no longer covers third party liability on the caravan, as is currently the case in the UK. One therefore doesn't need to bring a number plate if one rents or borrows a caravan or trailer and car and caravan are freely interchangeable.
Unless it has false number plates it is therefore always possible to trace the caravan back to the owner, which may be at least part of the reason why caravan theft is almost unheard of on the Continent. Caravan insurance is therefore a lot cheaper.
Trailers are taxed by weight, but unless you are towing a 40 tonner, the rates are fairly modest - in the case of a caravan the tax probably only covers the administrative costs.
The equivalent of the MOT only covers a brake test and and an exterior light check as well as a visual check of the condition of the coupling and chassis frame. It therefore also costs less than the MOT on a car.
In France, while trailers over 750 Kg have their own registration there is no CT (MOT) for them.
For a trailer that is French made or made by a company that has representation in France, a Certificate of Conformity is supplied with the new trailer & that together with 60 € is exchanged for a Carte Gris (registration document) at the local prefecture.
In the case of an imported trailer, such as our Sterling, we had to get the complete specifications & drawings from Swift (at a cost of £200) from which the local DRIRE (Department of Transport) extracted the relevant parts onto their form, they then inspected the caravan to check that it complied with the documents Swift supplied, tested the brakes & lights then issued the CoC.
There is no annual tax to pay for trailers (or cars) in France, just the one-off registration fee when the car or trailer is bought.
For a trailer that is French made or made by a company that has representation in France, a Certificate of Conformity is supplied with the new trailer & that together with 60 € is exchanged for a Carte Gris (registration document) at the local prefecture.
In the case of an imported trailer, such as our Sterling, we had to get the complete specifications & drawings from Swift (at a cost of £200) from which the local DRIRE (Department of Transport) extracted the relevant parts onto their form, they then inspected the caravan to check that it complied with the documents Swift supplied, tested the brakes & lights then issued the CoC.
There is no annual tax to pay for trailers (or cars) in France, just the one-off registration fee when the car or trailer is bought.
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