CT for caravan - do we need to go to a specific garagiste?

Cars / Motoring / Insurance
#1

Hi,

We’re trying to figure out one of the many questions in the quest to find/purchase/register/insure a caravan.

I’m from the US, so my choice of words is a bit challenging… We’re going to purchase a … caravan, that is, a camper/travel trailer: something we’ll tow behind our car.

The question: is there a specific garagiste we need to look for, to get the CT? My husband is wondering. At the local garagistes he’s taken our car to for repairs, he’s never seen any caravans getting repaired.

Hope this makes sense. I did a quick search on SF and online first, to see if I could glean anything current and pertinent. Most of the stuff on SF seemed a bit dated… I apologize if I’ve overlooked something obvious.

Cheers.

#2

Unless I’ve been breaking the law for years, there is no CT required for caravans in France.

Just had a thought though, mine have always been small, so perhaps I’m wrong and big ones do need one. :roll_eyes:

#3

Don’t trailers > 750kg need one - and caravans are just trailers… (ducks).

#4

With hindsight (rapid just after I first posted :roll_eyes:), I think you are right Paul.
So, with regret, I am unable to answer the OP question. Sorry. :confused:

#5

It is my understanding that anything towed must have it’s own immatriculation if over 500kg gross wieght but nothing beyond that.
Unlike a carte gris for a motor vehicle which states when the next CT is required the same document for a towed vehicle be it trailer caravan etc doesn’t state anything.
A few years ago we brought our caravan here from UK and jumped through lots of hoops to get it registered here and when we received the carte gris and immatriculation that was it, no CT required in 2, 4 or any years time.
More up to date, we have just bought a trailer to tow behind our camping car. The trailer will carry a small car and weighs gross 1300kg.
The trailer is brand new and the supplier arranged the immatriculation.
We received the carte gris last month which is identical to that for our camping-car and car other than no CT is required going forward.
Obviously it is in the owners interest to service and maintain anything that is towed for theirs and other road users safety and of course if you were stopped by gendarmes and they deem your trailer or caravan unsafe then you would face the consequences.
To sum up, I dont believe a CT is required for caravan or trailer, just immatriculation if over 500kg gross weight.
Also make sure your driving license permits you to tow anything of a certain wieght.
Hope this helps.

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#6

Just to add, we also have a trailer bought here 10 years ago.
The exact same trailer could be bought with a 500kg or 750kg gross weight.
If we had chosen to stick to 500kg gross the trailer would not have it’s own immatriculation but would have the same reg. Plate as the towing vehicle.
We wanted to carry more wieght so the trailer was plated and nd has it’s own immatriculation/numberplate and carte gris.
No CT required.
I have done a great deal of research on towing in France to be sure we were conforming with the law before we bought our camping car trailer so I am confident we are within the law.
All we want now is warmer weather, less restrictions and the open road awaits.
We call our camping car BUBBLE as it protects us from the virus when touring, our little car that we tow has been given the name SQUEAK!!!

#7

Cheers, all! I appreciate the thoughts. OH seemed pretty sure we’ll need a CT for the caravan we plan to purchase… Hmmm. :slight_smile:

#8

I have looked at your initial post again and your comment of struggling with the right words to describe your intended purchase.
You say hubby thinks a CT will be required and this may well be lost in translation as I am now thinking that by trailer you mean a motor home.
The basic rule is if the vehicle is motorised and travels on the public highway it will need a carte gris AND a CT (agricultural vehicles may be different)
A trailer in the USA, a camping-car in France and a motor home in the UK are all the same.
As for not seeing a caravan ie. Camping-car in your local CT centre there is a simple answer, they are often too big to fit on the equipment they use and therefore only certain centres have the means to test them.
One advantage is that although the cab and chassis are the same as used on commercial vehicles which need an pollution test every year the same running gear fitted to a camping-car doesn’t as it isnt commercial.
American English and English English can be as different as English and French :grin:

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#9

Mary definitely wants a caravan. Think the confusion maybe is that it needs its own registration document ( used to be a CG) and to get that, if imported, has to have a DREAL inspection.

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#10

Oops, missed that bit!
As I mentioned earlier some years ago went through the process of registering a UK caravan here, bit of a faff but succeeded after which we got the Carte gris and no more testing.
Best to buy a caravan here although nowhere near as popular in France. Holland, Germany and Spain yes, but not here, camping-cars seem to dominate France.
Perhaps a photo of what Mary is planning to buy would be helpful?

#11

Although I think this may have already been cleared up, John, what you said above is just plain wrong.
I don’t know what the Americans call a camping car, probably motor-home, but I do know that the thing that they call a trailer is definitely not one of those, but a caravan.

#12

I agree, don’t they call motor homes RVs??

#13

I am sorry you feel it necessary to respond in this way.
I have tried to be helpful with the information I have provided.

#14

I am sorry you took it that way, John, you were wrong, and I was just trying to add clarity.

#15

Thanks Mark. I’ve got the information thanks to everyone. Cheers!!

#16

And now, wouldn’t you know it, OH has started to think along the lines of a motorhome, and not a caravan. Sorry for the confusion!

OH hears a lot about how great SF is, from me. I wonder if, in a twisted way, he thought he’d throw a wrench into things, and I was the unwitting stooge. He’s a bit of a practical joker. I’m going to think twice before I agree to any such future request from him, for me to ask SF on his behalf.

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#17

[quote=“MaryW, post:16, topic:33596”]
I’m going to think twice before I agree to any such future request from him, for me to ask SF on his behalf.

:+1: