The freedom to set off on tour whenever you want is one of the most appealing aspects of owning a ‘van, but a crucial part of staying safe and legal on the road will be knowing the motorhome speed limits in the UK.

Combine your knowledge of the appropriate speeds with useful driving accessories such as the best motorhome sat nav, and you’ll be well on your way to a stress-free start to your holiday.

When it comes to speed limits, the biggest factor is going to be whether your motorhome or campervan has an unladen weight of over or under 3,050kg, so it could be worth brushing up on your motorhome weights knowledge, too.

The speed limit will also differ if you’re driving in a built-up area in Wales, as opposed to England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

We’d advise that just because the speed limit is there doesn’t mean it’s a safe speed. Be sensible and factor in the weather conditions.

Finally, be sure to also keep Rule 169 of the Highway Code in mind when driving your motorhome. This states you should “not hold up a long queue of traffic, especially if you are driving a large or slow-moving vehicle. Check your mirrors frequently, and if necessary, pull in where it is safe and let traffic pass.”

Don’t forget to know what driving licence you need to drive a motorhome too, to ensure you stay legal on the road.

Here, we explain everything you need to know about the motorhome speed limits when you’re driving in the UK, whether your leisure vehicle has an unladen weight of over or under 3050kg.

If you’re looking for some extra peace of mind when you’re on the road, it could also be worth investing in the best dash cam for a motorhome, giving you footage should the worst happen.

Motorhome speed limits in the UK:

Speed limits in built-up areas
Speed limits on a single carriageway
Speed limits on a dual carriageway
Speed limits on a motorway
Speed limits when towing

Motorhome speed limits in the UK:

Campervan and motorhome speed limits in built-up areas in the UK

The speed limit for motorhomes both over and under a unladen weight of 3050kg will be 30mph when driving in a built-up area in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, unless there are signs indicating otherwise.

However, this will differ if you’re driving in a built-up area in Wales – here, the speed limit will be 20mph for your motorhome.

Campervan and motorhome speed limits on a single carriageway

• Campervans or motorhomes with an unladen weight of under 3050kg: the speed limit on a single carriageway is 60mph.
• Campervans or motorhomes with an unladen weight of over 3050kg: the speed limit to stick to is 50mph on a single carriageway.

Campervan and motorhome speed limits on a dual carriageway

• Campervans or motorhomes with an unladen weight of under 3050kg: the speed limit to stick to on a dual carriageway is 70mph.
• Campervans or motorhomes with an unladen weight of over 3050kg: the speed limit to stick to on a dual carriageway is 60mph.

Campervan and motorhome speed limits on a motorway

On the motorway, the speed limit for a motorhome or campervan is 70mph, regardless of whether its unladen weight is over or under 3050kg.

As a final point, we will also highlight that if a slower speed is being displayed, you will need to follow that too.

Motorhome speed limits when towing

If you’re towing a car with a motorhome, the speed limits will be also be different, as Peter Rosenthal explains. He says: “In the UK, the speed limits when towing a car on either an A-frame or a trailer are 60mph on dual carriageways and motorways (where they’re not allowed to use the outside lane) and 50mph on single carriageways.”

“When an A-frame is attached to a car the whole assembly (car + A-frame) is considered to be a trailer in UK law and must meet all trailer requirements – specifically it must have brakes that activate when the motorhome brakes, just like on a regular braked trailer (irrespective of the car weight).”

He adds: “A-frames are compact and convenient, but trailers save wear and tear on the towcar and are a better solution for venturing into Europe where they do not like the Type Approval of the car to be altered by the addition of an additional, non-Type Approved structure. In France, if your car and trailer combination is over 3.5 tonnes (which 99 per cent will be) the motorway speed limit it 56mph (90kph), while all other roads are 50mph (80kph).”

Finally, you may find yourself wondering, “can you sleep in a campervan while it’s being driven?”.

Image: Philip Barker

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