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9 May 2015
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Weight limit on an overland rig in Europe for my licence
Hey all,
I have a Minnesota Class D driver's licence. It is good for up to 26000 lbs GVWR.
My plan is to find an overland vehicle in November or December and take it into central Asia/Siberia this winter chase snow do some good back country snowboarding.
So if I buy an Iveco or something like this.
Its 11,000 kg which is less than 26000 lbs. I would be legal to drive it in USA. Am I legal to drive it in Europe on my US dl licence? Or would I need to get another endorsement?
Also.. if someone has a sweet 4x4 camper van or expedition vehicle they are selling, lets talk.
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9 May 2015
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It looks like there is no one rule for all European countries, they vary from one to another for US licence holders so a IDP would be a good idea. I would also look into where you can get insurance and register the vehicle in your name before buying anything, for non-EU citizens buying motorcycles Ireland and Germany seem to get regular mentions although vans in Ireland will mostly be right hand drive so not so useful for your planned trip. I know this doesn't answer your question fully but food for thought.
How to Drive in Europe | Fodor's
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9 May 2015
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In the Netherlands, if you want to drive a vehicle over 3500 kg, you must have a truck driving license.
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My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a BMW R1200GS
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10 May 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jkrijt
In the Netherlands, if you want to drive a vehicle over 3500 kg, you must have a truck driving license.
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So someone who drives a vehicle over 3500 kg into Netherlands must get a truck licence? Or he is covered on his licence from his country?
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11 May 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jkrijt
In the Netherlands, if you want to drive a vehicle over 3500 kg, you must have a truck driving license.
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True for an european driving licence who allows just 3.5to.
False in you have a foreign licence who allows more 
Just optain an international licence, where the weight you are allowed to drive- is listend.
Surfy
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11 May 2015
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Before you go to Europe with a 11000 kg vehicle, you have to take into account that many roads in Europe are not as wide as in the US. Especially in old cities, the roads can be narrow and it could be difficult to find a good parking spot with such a big vehicle.
If you stay on the highways and freeways and avoid old city centers, you should have no problem.
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Jan Krijtenburg
My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a BMW R1200GS
My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl
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11 May 2015
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AFAIK you can drive anywhere using a valid US drivers license. Also in vehicles not registered in the US. How else could you rent a car abroad?
However, if you own the vehicle, you must have a drivers license from the same country in which the vehicle is registered. For the Netherlands, for example, that means you need a commercial drivers license (a C-class license) for any vehicle with more than 3,500kgs GVW. This goes for most European countries. Some have an exception by which you can drive up to 7,500kgs on a regular license (Germany), but most don't.
It took me 5 lessons to get a class C license which allows me to drive up to 50,000kgs or thereabouts. The lessons did take 4 hours each, though :-)
Our truck is for sale, so if it's within budget lemme know...
CLICK HERE: TRUCK FOR SALE
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15 May 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Surfy
True for an european driving licence who allows just 3.5to.
False in you have a foreign licence who allows more
Just optain an international licence, where the weight you are allowed to drive- is listend.
Surfy |
for UK license holders it depends when you passed your test. because I'm an old fart I can drive upto 7.5tons on my car licence
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16 May 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jkrijt
Before you go to Europe with a 11000 kg vehicle, you have to take into account that many roads in Europe are not as wide as in the US. Especially in old cities, the roads can be narrow and it could be difficult to find a good parking spot with such a big vehicle.
If you stay on the highways and freeways and avoid old city centers, you should have no problem.
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My plan is to head east as quickly as possible. Ski resorts usually have huge parking lots 
Quote:
Originally Posted by reallybigtruck
AFAIK you can drive anywhere using a valid US drivers license. Also in vehicles not registered in the US. How else could you rent a car abroad?
However, if you own the vehicle, you must have a drivers license from the same country in which the vehicle is registered. For the Netherlands, for example, that means you need a commercial drivers license (a C-class license) for any vehicle with more than 3,500kgs GVW. This goes for most European countries. Some have an exception by which you can drive up to 7,500kgs on a regular license (Germany), but most don't.
It took me 5 lessons to get a class C license which allows me to drive up to 50,000kgs or thereabouts. The lessons did take 4 hours each, though :-)
Our truck is for sale, so if it's within budget lemme know...
CLICK HERE: TRUCK FOR SALE |
I won't be registering this van or truck in USA. I am assuming It will be registered in Germany or UK or wherever I buy it.
I'm not finding information that says I need a german drivers licence to register a car in germany. Just proof of ownership, insurance and a few other documents with the car.
I think I am not even going to try to deal with the over 3500 kg rules and find a van that is registered at 3500 kg something like a VW LT40 or Iveco Daily 4x4.
Sorry ReallyBigTruck, I don't think I can muster up enough green backs for your truck.. unless you will take $20k for it 
Ideally my budget is around 10k but up to 20k for the right truck/van. 4x4 and the ability to stand up inside are a must. I want good insulation and a good heater also, but I can work on that myself if I find a good rig.
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16 May 2015
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This is my current winter camping rig in the states. Ford E350 bus with a 4x4 axle and a 7.3 diesel. It took me about 2.5 months to build. I don't want to ship her to Europe though.
I don't need anything super nice.. just warm 
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16 May 2015
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Another thing to consider is width if there is any chance you might want to ship it anywhere it must fit in a container. I met some people in India a couple of years ago who had driven there with a wide bodied van but were struggling to get visas to drive it back to Europe and couldn't get it in a container.
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24 May 2015
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Width need not be a problem. You can ship roro (roll-on, roll-off) almost anywhere. We've shipped our behemoth from the Netherlands to South Africa.
The one limiting factor is the depth of your wallet...
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28 May 2015
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FYI The general law across all EU countries ( EU regulation)is that you must have a residential address in order to register a vehicle in your name. There are some organisations who sell vehicles who might be able to help with this, by providing an accomodation address, but you can`t just buy a vehicle and register it. You may also come up against insurance diffficulties with a US licence. It`s important to get an IDP which details the weight capacity of your entitlement, othrwise the authorities and insurance companies may assume it`s the same as Europe. When Insuring a vehicle you will have to provide the registration document (title) in your name, your driving licence and an in date roadworthiness certificate. Depending on where you buy the vehicle, taxes for road use will either be included in the cost of registration, or paid seperately.
Addit info:-
The EU recommendation as to whether your licence is valid, is given here:- the suggestion is that you contact your consulate or embassy in the country you are visiting to ask. The EU directives on licence entitlements vary.
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens...y/index_en.htm
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Last edited by Pongo; 28 May 2015 at 08:00.
Reason: addit info.
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28 May 2015
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As I found out after being pulled by the rozzers one night on the autobahn (don't ask it's a long story) you can register, tax and insure a vehicle temporarily in Germany even if you are not a resident. Then you would just need new number plates making up. Not too sure how long the max duration is though as mine was just to get me home after a little 'issue' with my paperwork on a roadside stop (moral is, carry your V5, not the new keepers supplement!!  )
Lots of people do it when they buy a vehicle in Germany and need to drive it home.
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29 May 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moggy 1968
for UK license holders it depends when you passed your test. because I'm an old fart I can drive upto 7.5tons on my car licence
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and pull a 3.5ton trailer, C1+E 
Wayne
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