Road Tax

[Townclarke123]

Just bought a 2019 Ocean which we are very excited about, last had a VW Devon conversion when the kids were small many, many years ago and loved it. However our first disappointing surprise was the road tax at an eye watering £520 a year. We’ve downsized from a 2006 A class Hymer Starline 700, which was 7.4 metres long and I’m sure in terms of emissions was far worse than a relatively new California but was less than £200 a year road tax or is this VW being penalised for past misdemeanours!!!

 

[Billywizz]

It’s because of the value from new being over 40k you will have to pay this excess until 2024 then it will go down to £120 ish
I think it all started in 2017 on all vehicles over 40k

 

[chockswahay]

Yeah, it's just plain weird....... some Cali's are classed as MPV's (yours and mine!) and some are classed as motorhomes which DON'T suffer the luxury car tax..... but it's the same bl@#dy vehicle

 

[Hawthorn37]

When we get back home I’m going to check the V5 but I think seeing ours classed as a motor caravan. Registered in Feb this year.

 

[WelshGas]

When we get back home I’m going to check the V5 but I think seeing ours classed as a motor caravan. Registered in Feb this year.

That is the Body Type. The important bit for Road Tax is M1 or N1, Diesel Car or Private Light Goods PLG.

 

[Hawthorn37]

That is the Body Type. The important bit for Road Tax is M1 or N1, Diesel Car or Private Light Goods PLG.

Going to check.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

That is the Body Type. The important bit for Road Tax is M1 or N1, Diesel Car or Private Light Goods PLG.

OK, like several others, I am long awaiting an ordered Ocean and I would much appreciate answers if anyone can help:

- Is there anything I can ask the dealer to do when first registering my vehicle (to mitigate road fund licence)?

- For example can I and should I ask for M1 or N1 classification?

- and/or ask for it to be classed as a motor caravan?

If I understand it correctly, road fund licence, for 5 years, is likely to be made of of a basic charge currently under £200pa, plus a surcharge currently of £300+pa for 5 years because the new vehicle price exceeds £40k.

 

[andyinluton]

OK, like several others, I am long awaiting an ordered Ocean and I would much appreciate answers if anyone can help:

- Is there anything I can ask the dealer to do when first registering my vehicle (to mitigate road fund licence)?

- For example can I and should I ask for M1 or N1 classification?

- and/or ask for it to be classed as a motor caravan?

If I understand it correctly, road fund licence, for 5 years, is likely to be made of of a basic charge currently under £200pa, plus a surcharge currently of £300+pa for 5 years because the new vehicle price exceeds £40k.

No, due to a rule change in 2020 you should just get charged the basic £295 a year at current rates. On new vans you don't pay the over £40k
supplement.
Thats for vans registered with body type - Motor Caravan. The beach tour is registered as a car & does attract the over £40k supplement.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

No, due to a rule change in 2020 you should just get charged the basic £295 a year at current rates. On new vans you don't pay the over £40k
supplement.
Thats for vans registered with body type - Motor Caravan. The beach tour is registered as a car & does attract the over £40k supplement.

Thanks, Andy. So my dealer will automatically, now, register a new Ocean as 'Motor Caravan' and then the £295 (as current) applies.

I guess I should just ask the dealer once a delivery is imminent. Sounds like the new beach tour (which comes without any kitchen fittings) has a bit of a sting.

 

[chockswahay]

My Coast was registered July 2020 and it is Body type MPV, Taxation class Diesel car and vehicle class M1 on the V5. From what I have found it is simply a matter of pot luck

 

[andyinluton]

Not really pot luck - more to do with what rules applied on the day it was registered.

 

[66tim99]

Thanks, Andy. So my dealer will automatically, now, register a new Ocean as 'Motor Caravan' and then the £295 (as current) applies.

I guess I should just ask the dealer once a delivery is imminent. Sounds like the new beach tour (which comes without any kitchen fittings) has a bit of a sting.

Yes but although you will pay less road tax for your N1 Private Light Goods vehicle, you need to be careful to avoid roads that restrict goods vehicles - such as the Rotherhithe Tunnel. M1 diesel car registered Californias are free to use it - your N1 California will likely receive an £80 fine…

 

[Viktorgeorge]

Yes but although you will pay less road tax for your N1 Private Light Goods vehicle, you need to be careful to avoid roads that restrict goods vehicles - such as the Rotherhithe Tunnel. M1 diesel car registered Californias are free to use it - your N1 California will likely receive an £80 fine…

Thank you, Tim. Out of interest, and so far as you are aware, is Rotherhithe tunnel a rare case or are there many places with N1 restriction? I don't recall ever seeing them (though probably will, now you have alerted me).

So, is it the general consensus that a new Ocean delivered this year, subject to any future change in legislation: will probably be classed as 'N1 Private/Light Goods Class (PLG)' and pay £295 at current rates); but (at the whim of DVLA) might in the alternative be classed 'M1 Diesel Car' and pay £520 for 5 years and then £100-200 thereafter?

 

[WelshGas]

Thank you, Tim. Out of interest, and so far as you are aware, is Rotherhithe tunnel a rare case or are there many places with N1 restriction? I don't recall ever seeing them (though probably will, now you have alerted me).

So, is it the general consensus that a new Ocean delivered this year, subject to any future change in legislation: will probably be classed as 'N1 Private/Light Goods Class (PLG)' and pay £295 at current rates); but (at the whim of DVLA) might in the alternative be classed 'M1 Diesel Car' and pay £520 for 5 years and then £100-200 thereafter?

It’s the Dealership that registers the vehicle. All Oceans and Beach Camper should be registered as PLG, N1 Body Type Motor Caravan at this point in time.

As far as Tolls are concerned it depends on the Toll Authorities. Some go by M1/N1 classification only, others go by the Body Type and Passenger Cars, MPVs and Motor Caravans get charged the same and others like the M6 Toll go by body height at the front axle.

 

[M88GAV]

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any more complicated

 

[andyinluton]

All new Oceans should be M1 PLG Body Type Motor Caravan

Even My GC 600 is M1

There are 3 parts to the registration:

1 M1 or N1 - all Californias should be M1 - a vehicle who's primary purpose is the carriage of people not goods. Builders van are registered as N1, camper vans converted from builders vans remain as N1
M1 or N1 normally makes no difference to the user - only recently have places like the Rotherhithe tunnel started to discriminate on that basis.

2. Body type - for Oceans / coast & Beach is motor caravan, with the exception of the beach tour which as it doesn't meet the criteria for a "motor Caravan" is registered as an MPV - ie the same as a car.
Body type is more important for van converters, this is what dictates uk speed limits MPV or Motor caravan = car speed limits, getting your log book changed from N1 panel van to N1 Motor Caravan is important for converters.

3. Tax rates - this for recent Calis only! Anything registered as a MPV is effectively a car & taxed as such ie £165 a year + the over £40k supplement.
Around 2018 / 2019 there was a change to the tax rules that meant motorhomes were suddenly liable the over £40k supplement.

When this supplement came in some of the major motorhome manufacturers got all upset & campaigned to get it abolished, it created an anomaly whereby you could buy a £39k van & have it converted after registration & it have cheap tax compared to one that was converted before registration, they achieved this towards the end of 2019 I think.

From then on all Calis benefitted, however rather than put them in the same rate as cars but without the supplement, they reverted back to PLG - Private OR Light Goods at £295 a year - this as the same category as for vans (Light Goods), foreign imports, and anything else that they don't always have the full emissions data for.

 

[WelshGas]

All new Oceans should be M1 PLG Body Type Motor Caravan

Even My GC 600 is M1

There are 3 parts to the registration:

1 M1 or N1 - all Californias should be M1 - a vehicle who's primary purpose is the carriage of people not goods. Builders van are registered as N1, camper vans converted from builders vans remain as N1
M1 or N1 normally makes no difference to the user - only recently have places like the Rotherhithe tunnel started to discriminate on that basis.

2. Body type - for Oceans / coast & Beach is motor caravan, with the exception of the beach tour which as it doesn't meet the criteria for a "motor Caravan" is registered as an MPV - ie the same as a car.
Body type is more important for van converters, this is what dictates uk speed limits MPV or Motor caravan = car speed limits, getting your log book changed from N1 panel van to N1 Motor Caravan is important for converters.

3. Tax rates - this for recent Calis only! Anything registered as a MPV is effectively a car & taxed as such ie £165 a year + the over £40k supplement.
Around 2018 / 2019 there was a change to the tax rules that meant motorhomes were suddenly liable the over £40k supplement.

When this supplement came in some of the major motorhome manufacturers got all upset & campaigned to get it abolished, it created an anomaly whereby you could buy a £39k van & have it converted after registration & it have cheap tax compared to one that was converted before registration, they achieved this towards the end of 2019 I think.

From then on all Calis benefitted, however rather than put them in the same rate as cars but without the supplement, they reverted back to PLG - Private OR Light Goods at £295 a year - this as the same category as for vans (Light Goods), foreign imports, and anything else that they don't always have the full emissions data for.

It would seem that not all Californias are registered as M1, as @66tim99 found to his cost.

 

[M88GAV]

It would seem that not all Californias are registered as M1, as @66tim99 found to his cost.

View attachment 93188

Wow, so it was wrongly registered! I assume that means it has to comply with van speed limits rather than car speed limits too? Something to ensure the dealer gets correct when completing the registration of the vehicle.

 

[WelshGas]

Wow, so it was wrongly registered! I assume that means it has to comply with van speed limits rather than car speed limits too? Something to ensure the dealer gets correct when completing the registration of the vehicle.

No, because Body Type was Motor Caravan, so car speed limits.

That is why self converters and conversion companies who convert pre-owned vans are annoyed as they cannot get their vehicles re-classified to Body Type Motor Caravan, only Van with Windows which has led to a lot of debate on the T6 and T4/5 forums .

 

[andyinluton]

It would seem that not all Californias are registered as M1, as

If you put that reg number into any of the basic HPI type databases it shows as ( leaving out some of the irrelevant detail):


Manufacturer Volkswagen
Model California Ocean Tdi S-A
Vehicle Type Car
Body Style Large MPV
Colour Grey
Year 2021
Fuel Type Diesel

Sounds like a registration error.

Putting a panel van thats on the VW website 2nd hand list through the same check for comparison it comes back with:

Registration HJ21YVE
Registered Date 28 May 2021
Manufacturer Volkswagen
Model Transporter T30 Highline Tdi
Vehicle Type LCV
Body Style Panel Van
Colour White
Year 2021

 

[66tim99]

Sounds like a registration error.

Mysterious!
Could it be the hpi data is incorrect, based on historic classifications of Californias, rather than the latest. Other recent registrations have been PLG motorcaravans…

 

[Viktorgeorge]

Thank you for all these (often detailed) contributions.

Trying hard to get a clear understanding on all this but not doing that well.

I am buying through Eurovans, who apparently supply lots of Californias (40 in one month I recently read on another posting). When I next have contact I will ask how they expect mine to be registered and how others have been registered recently.

Not sure if I will get reply, but I might email DVLA and ask then what should be the correct: 'Body Type', 'Taxation Class' and 'Vehicle Class' out of:

'Car,' 'MPV', 'Motor Caravan' or 'Private/Light Goods Class (PLG)'

'M1' or 'N1'

£295pa or what?

It would be interesting to hear from other recent new owners how they have been registered.

 

[andyinluton]

Mysterious!
Could it be the hpi data is incorrect, based on historic classifications of Californias, rather than the latest. Other recent registrations have been PLG motorcaravans…

They are all PLG , Motor Caravans once the rules changed its the N1 / M1 which is an anomaly. From the T6.1 range other vehicles include :
Caravelle - M1
Kombi - M1
pick up - N1
Panel van -N1

There is absolutely no reason for a Cali to be N1

Anyone else out there with an N1 cali?

 

[Poodlehat2222]

Collected our coast from Eurovans last month. Registered as M1 and PLG motor caravan body.
I am trying to budget for next year, so what is the tax going to be? Is it £295 plus the >40k charge?
I have read all the posts but am still non the wiser.

 

[M88GAV]

They are all PLG , Motor Caravans once the rules changed its the N1 / M1 which is an anomaly. From the T6.1 range other vehicles include :
Caravelle - M1
Kombi - M1
pick up - N1
Panel van -N1

There is absolutely no reason for a Cali to be N1

Anyone else out there with an N1 cali?

What doesn’t seem to make sense is some people appear to have M1 or N1 etc on their V5C but others don’t, eg @66tim99 so how do you know what’s been registered in those cases?