What MOT class for a Transit (ex)bus with 3600kg plate?

[scrw.]

Okay, so it seems my ex bus Transit is plated for 3600kgs, however it will only have 3 or 5 seats. What class will it fall in for an MOT? Just to confuse me more doing an MOT check it is coming up as 3500kgs max weight.
Before you ask, V5 has been sent off so I can't see what is says :-/

Also, it has a tacho from its bus days, am I safe to remove this?

thanks

[Ex X Power]

All depends on its actual weight and what you're using it for.

If it is 3.6t and you're using it for anything other than personal use you still need a tacho.
If its 3.5t or less you can sling it whatever youre using it for if its no longer PSV and you're not towing commercially

Imo if it is 3.6ton, assuming you can lose the 100kg payload get it downplated to 3.5ton, Its either Class 5 as a motorhome or class 7 as a van MOT wise

[scrw.]

is it difficult to down plate a vehicle? my searching is failing me, keep coming up with camper info which this isn't.

[Ex X Power]

I don't think its difficult, but I've never done it myself, I know a lot of people do it when converting minibuses to selfbuild campers as there licence restricts them to 3.5t (I assume yours doesnt),... Seems a lot of 5t Iveco vans get downplated to 3.5 too

[Little Pete]

A bus at 3600kg would have been a class 5 test.
If it has been converted to a motor home it is a class 4 test regardless of weight.
A van at 3600kg is classed as a HGV and must be tested at an appropriate test station by a DVSA examiner.
Is the plated weight different to the weight on the VIN plate?

[scrw.]

I will investigate, just clocked the one plate in the footwell stating 3600kgs GVW. I believe it has never been changed to a camper despite it being fitted out as one, doing an MOT check on the reg states its 3500kgs. Also has a tow bar so if that was used someone may have been naughty LOL. Bought sight unseen and the v5 is in the cogs of the dvla so I will see what that says when it gets back to me.

King of hoped there would be a definate online source for this info, expect it is on the MOT testers system, just don't want a shock when I rock up at my local place who will only do class 4/7

[Little Pete]

The criteria for a motor home are seats and table, sleeping accommodation, cooking facilities and storage facilities. If it has these and they are fixed to the vehicle, you can have it tested as a class 4 motor home regardless of what the weight is or what the logbook says. You can change the logbook at a later date.
I’ve just noticed your other thread and if you are planning to do that with the van it will be classed as a goods vehicle and will have to be tested as a HGV. In that case it may be worth looking into getting down rated so it can be tested at a regular class 7 station.

[scrw.]

Yep, thats what I think I need to do, however struggling to find any info on the process

[Little Pete]

Find your local HGV test station, call in and ask if you can speak to a Vehicle Examiner. That’s the official name for the DVSA tester. They will know what you need to do. I suspect with it being such a small difference in weight, it may just be a paperwork exercise.

[martin mrt]

Are you sure it’s 3600kgs? Never heard or seen of that being a Gross Weight for a Transit (or anything in the same sector for that matter)

Genuinely interested in you clarifying that as it’s a new one on me.

4600kgs is more common, and is definitely available as a gross weight in a Transit, more common on a minibus too. The 4.6t Transits are all twin wheel variants.

Downrating it is a paperwork excercise and a re mot at the specific class it falls into. 3.5t vans I’m sure is a class 7 mot

[scrw.]

2019-05-03_10-25-33 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

[martin mrt]

scrw. said:

2019-05-03_10-25-33 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

Well that’s a new one on me never seen that before.

[Ex X Power]

Its an old bus remember, only later Trannys became 4.6t iirc