In recent times, the caravanning sector in Spain has become popular. Every year there are more people who decide to enjoy their vacations or go sightseeing aboard motorhomes. So much so that companies dedicated to renting this type of vehicle have proliferated. This is the best option for those who simply want to try if they like this style of travel or for those who prefer to save the purchase price and the annual maintenance cost that motorhomes, caravans or campers also require. And it is that they also need care and overcome certain mandatory procedures, such as passing the ITV.
From TÜV SÜD (company specialized in vehicle inspection, testing and certification) they resolve the most common questions related to the ITV of these mobile homes.
Motorhomes and campers must pass the technical inspection just like passenger cars. This means that they have to pass it every two years from the fourth year of their first registration; once the vehicle has completed a decade, the inspection becomes annual.
Only those with a Maximum Authorized Mass (MMA) that exceeds 750 kilograms. The first inspection will be 6 years after the first registration, to later move to a period of every 2 years. This procedure is not mandatory when the weight does not reach the aforementioned figure.
Documents such as the vehicle’s technical data sheet or ITV card and the circulation permit must be presented at the station. In addition, it is recommended to also carry proof of insurance that must be in force.
In towed caravans, the lighting is checked, including turn signals, brake, position and emergency lights; tires, wear and pressure; brakes, parking and inertia and, finally, the coupling point, where the good condition of this element and its correct coupling to the towing vehicle are ensured.
In this case, the aforementioned would be reviewed, plus the elements that are examined in the ITV of a car, such as the brakes, the suspension, the steering, the polluting emissions, the windshield and the license plate.
Of course. As in the rest of the vehicles, a favorable, unfavorable or negative result can be obtained. When the verdict is unfavorable, the user drives the vehicle to the workshop to correct the detected defects and passes the ITV again in the following two months. If the result is negative, the vehicle is completely immobilized at the same ITV station. This means that it can only be taken to the workshop to be fixed by a towing service.
Since the technical inspection of vehicles is mandatory, driving without it carries sanctions, although of different amounts, in the case of obtaining a negative or unfavorable result. Driving with a negative ITV can cost you a fine of 500 euros, while doing it with an unfavorable ITV outside the two-month period that you have been given to fix the car’s faults can amount to 200 euros.
