Anyone can drive a mobile home? Not quite. There are several restrictions and age also plays a crucial role. A look at the vehicle registration brings clarity.
Even if there is no special mobile home driver’s license, driving a mobile home is not always allowed without further ado. According to TÜV Süd, you should check the exact regulations as to which type of mobile home can be moved with which driver’s license.
The license to drive depends on three factors: the weight of the touring vehicle, the driver’s license held and the date it was issued.
In the simplest case, the permissible total weight (GVW) of the mobile home is below the limit of 3.5 tons. According to TÜV Süd, a class B driver’s license is then sufficient – regardless of when it was acquired. The necessary information can be found in the registration certificate I in line F.1, in the vehicle registration document under point 15.
But if the mobile home weighs more than 3.5 tons, the first restrictions follow. In this case, the year in which the driving license was issued is decisive. From 1999, according to TÜV Süd, a category C1 truck driver’s license is required. This allows drivers to steer mobile homes up to 7.5 tons plus a trailer with a total weight of up to 750 kilograms.
But: According to TÜV Süd, if you want to drive a lighter motorhome with a trailer, i.e. one that weighs less than 4.25 tons, you only need the B96 extension driver’s license. You get this after a one-day course in a driving school together with a theory and a practical part. A driving test is not necessary for this.
Anyone who obtained their driver’s license before 1999 (former class 3) may drive vehicles with a permissible total weight of up to 7.5 tons. In addition, you can steer teams – including motor homes plus caravans or trailers – with a total weight of up to 18.75 tons. However, there is one restriction: the driver must not be over 50 years old.
(This article was first published on Thursday, July 07, 2022.)
