With the arrival of the holidays and the good weather, many people choose to choose the motorhome as the means of transport to enjoy a few days of rest or to travel and tour different countries without having to worry about looking for accommodation. And it is that, although motorhomes can be driven throughout the year, it is at this time of summer when they are seen more on the roads and main tourist destinations. Motorhomes are models that have a special weight and dimensions, so they cannot be driven with any type of license, and on some occasions, it is necessary to obtain a specific license. But what license is needed to drive a motorhome? At we give you the keys so that you know if your card is good for you or if you have to obtain another permit.
The necessary permits to drive a motorhome
Normally, most of the motorhomes that are seen on the country’s roads and that are marketed in Spain can be driven, in general, with two types of licenses. Specifically, these are the most basic motorhome travel cards:
- Type B driving license: this permit is the most common in Spain as it allows driving cars. And with it would also be possible to drive a motorhome, although it has some limitations because you could only be behind the wheel of those with a maximum authorized mass (MMA) of up to 3,500 kilos and that can transport up to a maximum of eight people. You can also drive a set of coupled vehicles, which is made up of a car and a trailer with an MMA exceeding 750 kilos and provided that the total MMA does not exceed 4,250 kilos.
- Type C driving license: this driving license will be necessary to drive any other motorhome that has a maximum authorized mass of more than 3,500 kilos.
When is it necessary to have a special permit to drive a motorhome?
Although in the previous section, we have already commented on the permits with which you can drive a motorhome, which are more basic licenses, it must be taken into account that there are several factors that have to be assessed when determining the permit that is required. will need to circulate with this type of vehicle. The two main ones are:
- Tare of the motorhome: it is the mass of the empty vehicle, that is, without the people inside and without the water tanks or butane cylinders, among other elements that need to be incorporated for the displacement.
- The maximum authorized mass or MMA to which we have already alluded in the previous section and which is the value of the sum of the load and the tare weight of the motorhome.
And it is that it is the weight, as we have already pointed out before, the main factor that is taken into account when determining the license. In this way, as we said, motorhomes with an MMA equal to or greater than 3,500 kilos can be driven with a type B license because they are considered a light vehicle.
The issue is mainly when that MMA is exceeded and type C permits begin to be necessary because the motorhome is already considered a heavy vehicle. There are also some peculiarities if you are going to take a motorhome with a trailer:
- B+E license: this license is required when driving a car or other vehicle that can be carried with a B license, but adding a trailer or semi-trailer with an MMA that does not exceed 3,500 kilos.
- Type C license: this license allows you to drive motorhomes or caravans that exceed 3,500 kilos of MMA.
- Type C1 license: this driving license allows you to get behind the wheel of a motorhome or caravan whose MMA is between 3,500 kilos and 7,500 kilos.
- C1+E license: this license allows you to drive the same vehicles as with type C1 and B, but it has the peculiarity that it contemplates the exemption from using the tachograph since this license will not be used professionally. In addition, a trailer or semi-trailer with an MMA of more than 750 kilos can be added to these vehicles, but provided that the MMA as a whole does not exceed 12,000 kilos.
- C+E license: it will be necessary to drive the vehicle and a trailer with an MMA of more than 750 kilos.
What requirements do I need to obtain a permit to drive a motorhome?
Normally, in general, each permit has a series of requirements that candidates must have in order to drive a motorhome. However, there are some that are general requirements to obtain a permit to drive a motorhome:
- Age: At least 18 years old for licenses B, B+E, C1 and C1+E and 21 years old for C+E and C.
- Exams: pass the theoretical exam and the practical exam for the license required for the motorhome or caravan to be driven. Discover in this other article how many practical driving classes are necessary.
