What's the difference between a van and a goods vehicle?

Knightsuntold

OK... stupid question of the day - what's the difference between a van and a goods vehicle?

I've bought a Vauxhall Vivaro and I will be driving on the A64 and the motorway - trying to work out the correct speed limits for this vehicle is proving to be a nightmare! As a van, it's 60 mph, but if it's a goods vehicle, it's 70 mph. Can anyone shed any light on it?

Many thanks, in advance.

AdrianC

A van is a goods vehicle. Not all goods vehicles are vans.

The highway code can shed light on it, easily. https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

Is it a "car-derived van"? No.
Is it over 7.5t GVW? No.

So 50 on NSL single carriageway, 60 on NSL dual carriageway, 70 on m'way, 60 on m'way if towing.

Knightsuntold

SlipperySid wrote: »

A van is a goods vehicle. 70 on motorways and 60 on dual carriageways.

That's what I thought, but the Government site gives the two different limits, and a friend has just told me that he's been done for doing 70 in the same vehicle as mine, in a 70 stretch of the dual carriageway.

Knightsuntold

AdrianC wrote: »

A van is a goods vehicle. Not all goods vehicles are vans.

The highway code can shed light on it, easily. https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

Is it a "car-derived van"? No.
Is it over 7.5t GVW? No.

So 50 on NSL single carriageway, 60 on NSL dual carriageway, 70 on m'way, 60 on m'way if towing.

That's what I've been looking at, but the page goes on to say... "Vans, car-derived vans and dual-purpose vehicles

Most vans under 7.5 tonnes laden (loaded) weight, including Ford Transit vans:

have a lower speed limit than cars
must follow the speed limits for goods vehicles of the same weight"

Knightsuntold

SlipperySid wrote: »

Like I said 60 on dual carriageways and 70 on motorways. You do know the difference?

LOL! Yes, I know the difference. He was done for doing 70 on a 70 stretch of dual carriageway.

Knightsuntold

SlipperySid wrote: »

Which is 60 for goods vehicles if it's not a motorway.

Yes, it is - got it. This is going to be fun.... not. I'm going to get it wrong at some point!

Thanks for all your help - I got myself thoroughly confused, and panicked because at one point I thought I was going to be stuffed with a 50 mph limit on dual carriageways. I'm not sure how they've worked the limits out, as they don't seem to make any sense, but they are what they are, and that's that.

Motorhome anyone?

Knightsuntold

SlipperySid wrote: »

If it's a motorhome then it's not a good vehicle it's a motor caravan so if it's less than 3050kg then the speed limits are the same as cars.

Yes... I just found that out, when I was looking through the limits. It was one of the things that made me think that the limits make no sense to me.

Oh, I need to look into this stuff when I'm not so knackered.

Knightsuntold

SlipperySid wrote: »

What's is it a van or a motorhome?

No, it's a van. When I first read the guidance, I misunderstood it, and I thought there was a difference between a van and a goods vehicle - the guidance refers to a goods vehicle in one part, and then a van in the section underneath. It says that the van has a lower speed limit than the car, which it has, but I assumed that it was lower again, and then got frustrated as I couldn't find any additional information. That was just because I was reading it in the wrong way.

The reference to a motorhome was just a poor attempt at humour, as the limits are higher.

brat

Not many goods vehicles will be allowed to do 70mph on a dual carriageway. They have to be a 'car derived van' or able to be defined as a dual purpose vehicle.

From Gov.Uk
"Car-derived vans are designed to weigh no more than 2 tonnes when loaded and are based on car designs (eg Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa), or the vehicle is built from a platform which has been designed to be built as a car or a van."

So a VW Caddy Van with a 2.1 tonne GVW will be allowed only 60mph on a dual carriageway.

peter_the_piper

If in doubt, plump for the lower limit until you find out otherwise.

AdrianC

Knightsuntold wrote: »

LOL! Yes, I know the difference. He was done for doing 70 on a 70 stretch of dual carriageway.

...on which his vehicle is only allowed to do 60.