Hi Dave,

If you plan on having your truck tested at a VOSA station you will need a working, calibrated limiter unless the vehicle or its use is covered under one of the exemptions on the VOSA 74 form (Exemption of HGV Speed Limiter). Failure to have such a limiter will mean that VOSA wont pass you.

The exemptions which may be applicable to you are:

If you don't fall under one of these exemptions the only way of avoiding the need for a speed limiter is to test the vehicle under Class 4 or 7 MOT as a motorhome. Legally, as crazy as it seems, any motorhome can be tested as class 4, regardless of its weight. So technically you could drive a 30 tonne 8x8 truck to your local MOT centre and have it tested after they've finished testing a Nissan Micra.

Personally I think it is irresponsble and dangerous to test a truck in this way and so I get my 18t truck tested at VOSA stations, and consequently stick with my limiter.

I have no idea whether you are legally required to have a limiter on a an HGV motorhome but it would seem pretty backwards that you could pass the MOT test without it if you legally needed one.

I don't know what your driving experience of trucks is so I don't want to patronise you but there are not many HGVs I would like to drive at much more than 55mph. Many modern trucks are designed with the limiter in mind and so are geared to rev economically at 55mph. Any faster and revs rise out of the 'green zone' and fuel use rises dramatically. My truck is well behaved at 55mph but on the odd occasion that I have used a decline to exceed the limit, the handling starts to become more erratic and at 65mph I find myself clenching the steering wheel and gritting my teeth; and this is on good european motorways. When the good roads finish there are rarely circumstances where going any faster is possible.

I don't know what size the truck you are interested in is but you may want to see how the thing drives at 55mph before you start thinking of removing the limiter.

Nick

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