Change of Van body type – Panel Van to Window Van

Right, forgive yet another van thread, but I can’t find anything online or on STW about this.

I’ve been told by the guys that fitted the windows to my Vivaro, that I can now notify the DVLA that I’ve added windows and thus changed the body type of the chassis by changing the ‘body type’ section of my V5C to Window Van. They’ve also indicated that this change will change the classification of the van and allow car speed limits – aka 60 – 70 – 70 on single – duel and motorways.

Has anyone else tried/done this? There’s hundreds of articles online about people trying to reclassify as a ‘motor caravan’ which I’m not since there’s no way mine would comply. But interested if people have successfully reclassified to window van allowing car speed limits.

For reference, I live in Scotland and frequently use the A9 and A90 and their endless average speed cameras, and get really fed up of holding people up at 50mph, and thus getting the beeps/abuse/dangerous passes when everyone else can do 60, just because of some quirk in the DVLA rules. I’m also not brave enough to risk doing 60mph like every other van just to see!

“The guys” have it wrong.

Can of worms. If you have had windows fitted to the side doors AND the rear doors AND have a second row of seats, AND your unladen weight is under 2040kgs*, then you may fulfil the criteria of a Dual Purpose vehicle in the eyes of the law and get away with car speeds. But you will probably have to fight the tickets when the time comes.

*note Unladen weight is NOT the same as Mass in Service as written on your V5C

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/car-derived-vans-and-dual-purpose-vehicles/car-derived-vans-and-dual-purpose-vehicles#dual-purpose-vehicles

From the DVLA page:

The body type does not affect the insurance category of the vehicle, or have any effect on speed limits or other legislative requirements. It is only used for establishing vehicle appearance and identification.

So you CAN change it, but it doesn’t mean you’re allowed to go any faster 😀

I did ask about this on here a while ago, apparently cameras aren’t linked to ANPR or anything so they don’t know what vehicle/speed limit they are checking for and just check for the higher car limits.
This may have changed in the last couple of years (anyone?) and going too fast is still illegal and will still get spotted by the policeman with the mobile camera who can see quite clearly that it’s a van

apparently cameras aren’t linked to ANPR or anything so they don’t know what vehicle/speed limit they are checking for and just check for the higher car limits.

Definitely not the case for the average speed cameras on the A543 south of Denbigh – mate got done for averaging over 50mph in his van.

Window van just describes what you’ve got, nothing at all to do with speed limits.

As above, if you fit dual purpose vehicle criteria then you have an argument out of speeding fines but you have to argue it each time. That’s going to get very old very quickly if the same automated camera is zapping you on the a9 every day.

Just do what the rest of us do and stick to the speed limits through the controlled sections and make the time up where there aren’t any 🤣

Done it, main purpose is for identification. If stolen police will look out for a van with windows rather than a panel van. The gross vehicle weight and hence speed restrictions stay the same.

Have a minibus myself

Speed limit is NSL (Car limits, up to 70mph on Duals) BUT it has to be physically limited to 62mph.

So i pulled enough seats out and had it reregistered in order that i could legally have the 62mph limiter removed, told the DVLA and now its classed as a “Private Light Goods”, and while it CAN do 90+ at the pedal, its on the lower commercial vehicle limits.

FFS.

Cheers all, had a feeling that was the case but good to check before finding out the hard way! Will carry on trucking at 50 up the A9 then.

Definitely not the case for the average speed cameras on the A543 south of Denbigh – mate got done for averaging over 50mph in his van.

Yes – same up here – I’m in Aberdeen and the A90 to Dundee is 55 miles of average cameras on an dual carriageway. Some poor guy was ripped to pieces in the press recently for ‘reckless driver caught speeding twice in one day on the A90’ for doing, yes, 70mph. Was in a hire van too I think!

Not advocating dangerous driving, just find it irritating the lack of common sense applied. New enormous campervan – 60, Small camper conversion, 50. Don’t get me started about how California’s don’t meet the DVLA motor caravan requirements. Perhaps I’m just bitter I can only afford a conversion.

Just do what the rest of us do and stick to the speed limits through the controlled sections and make the time up where there aren’t any 🤣

Ahem, no comment… 😀

My Trafic campervan is registered correctly and I can partake of the higher speed limits. I believe that re-registration has been made slightly more diffcult, though not impossible.

My Trafic campervan is registered correctly and I can partake of the higher speed limits. I believe that re-registration has been made slightly more difficult, though not impossible

It’s basically impossible now unless you have a high top (Pop tops don’t count). See this from DVLA:

a high-top roof (this does not include a pop-top elevating roof)

Hence the comment that brand new VW California’s don’t meet the criteria.

It’s a daft and antiquated rule and pee’s me off no end. I’m at the other end of the A9/A90 with average cameras covering the dual carriageway from Dunblane to Perth (and onwards). Modern dual-cab van and more than capable of safely matching car speeds but law doesn’t allow that. Even if I add a 1.5t caravan behind my van I can still drive on the A9 legally at the same speed as solo.

As above, if you fit dual purpose vehicle criteria then you have an argument out of speeding fines but you have to argue it each time. That’s going to get very old very quickly if the same automated camera is zapping you on the a9 every day.

I researched dual purpose criteria to death for my Transit Custom dual-cab. Although mine meets every one of the criteria (if I added a window in my tailgate), I reached the conclusion mentioned above: can’t be bothered with the potential hassle of arguing my case each time.

Have a minibus myself. Speed limit is NSL

It isn’t, 50mph NSL single-carriageway, 60mph NSL dual-carriageway

BUT it has to be physically limited to 62mph.

Most are, but that isn’t necessarily the case
You did well to convince them of the PLG status, many 16-seaters are over 4000kg as minibuses 🙂