Motorhomes 3.5t lane 3 on motorways

The restriction is 7.5 tons, if you are under this and not towing you can use lane 3.

peedee

The restriction is 3.5t for goods vehicles in lane 3.

 

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Passenger vehicles carrying not more than 8 passengers and under 7.5 tons i..e. a motorhome not towing anything, can use lane 3.

peedee

Hi PI, your heavy MH, over 3.5t but not over 7.5t, is only classed as an HGV if you are carrying heavy goods.     Your normal user load for motorhoming is not considered as heavy goods.   Drive in lane 3 to overtake, then get back lane 2 or 1.     This is all laid out in the highway code and on gov.uk web site.

I recently overtook a police car on the M5 using lane 3 doing about 65mph.   If I had done wrong I am sure the police would have stopped me.   My van is 4.25t.

BillC

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BillC. Having read the law now, which I should have done yonks ago, you're 100% correct. It nice to know that I can use lane 3 on the rare occasion that I need to. 

Motorhoming......you never stop learning new things.

'It is an offence to drive a vehicle in the outside lane of a motorway which is:

towing a trailer; or
a goods vehicle with a maximum laden weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes; or
a goods vehicle between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes without a speedlimiter being fitted; or
a passenger vehicle which can carry 8 or more passengers with a maximum laden weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes; or
a passenger vehicle which can carry 8 or more passengers with a maximum laden weight between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes without a speedlimiter being fitted.'

 

There are circumstances when anyone can use the third lane 'momentarily'. Such as in order to overtake exceptionally wide vehicles, avoid a hazard (example debris in the road), in order to prevent an incident. If you are in that third lane and your vehicle is normally restricted from it its just that you may need to 'prove' your legitimate reason for being there. 

You may be in the third lane - but when we're off to France you'll often find my wife overtaking other traffic in the Motorhome in lane four of the M1 and M25 in her haste to get to Eurotunnel.

I keep telling her but .........

 

Hi DD,

I did not say the police were doing 65mph or that they were in lane 3.   The police car was in lane 2, over taking trucks in lane 1.   He was doing about 60mph.   I was behind him and decided to use my right to go faster in lane 3 and passed the police doing 65mph.    When passed him I was able to return to lane 1.

Another problem at the moment is that old trucks who have not had a tachometer upgrade are restricted to 56mph limit, but newer trucks with the new tachometer can now do 60mph, so we get more trucks overtaking each other and blocking the middle lane for ages.     Thats bad news for those with caravans in tow, but not a problem for motorhomers who can use the outside lane.

I have to say though, that since retiring I am not usually in a hurry and cruise on the motorways at around 60/62 mph.   That gives me 26/27 mpg, which suits me.

BillC