Booking a Motorhome MOT in Northern Ireland

Ally

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Booking a Motorhome MOT in Northern Ireland

· Posted: 01.05.2019 · #1

Currently to book a Motorhome MOT in Northern Ireland you need to book it as a Private Car. You then arrive early at the MOT station, staying well back. The staff will see you and know to move you into the HGV lane 1.

The staff are well used to this and you'll have no complaints, just accept the wrong lane when booking online and let them deal with it.

Repeated suggestions to add a Motorhome option to the booking service have so far not worked.

kabundi

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Re: Booking a Motorhome MOT in Northern Ireland

· Posted: 01.05.2019 · #2

Last MOT I had they initially took me into lane 4 which was where I had the booking for. In lane 4 they took the mileage, checked the head light aim and checked all the lights, indicators, wipers etc. The inspector then reversed back out of lane 4 and transferred to lane 1 where the test was completed.

Gavster

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Re: Booking a Motorhome MOT in Northern Ireland

· Posted: 01.05.2019 · #3

I have discovered a far better option recently. If you book online as a private car you will get a car lane and at the moment you will have to wait 5 weeks for an appointment. If you call in (they are either engaged or don’t answer the phone I find) you can book straight into lane 1 and it can be as little as a week ahead. I have done that twice in the last week. Once to book an appt and another to change test centre. Dead easy.

They said that is the way to do it but said they do need a Motorhome option. Guy in Newry said sometimes they just turn motorhomes away if they are booked into a car lane. My first time they did the whole thing in a car lane. Next time they moved me to lane 1 and now I jus book straight into lane 1. I turned up in my troop carrier in lane 4 and they nearly passed out and sent me to lane 1 so they see stranger things turning up than motorhomes in the car lane.

Gavster

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Re: Booking a Motorhome MOT in Northern Ireland

· Posted: 01.05.2019 · #4

Here is an image of my Motorhome MOT booked this week straight into lane 1 as “Private car-other”. Had to wait a bit longer for an appointment than expected. Nearly 2 weeks rather than 1 in Newry but better than 5 weeks if you book online as a car. Handy if you are stuck for time or fail MOT and need back into lane 1 quickly. They had no new car appointments until well into June. I just moved my appt to Lisburn as it is very close to the mechanic doing the work for me.

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Ally

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Subject:

Re: Booking a Motorhome MOT in Northern Ireland

· Posted: 01.05.2019 · #5

Have never been turned away, how could they?

Appointments are easy, I'm reluctant to tell everyone how to get a next day appointment or maybe two days, after booking online, but I know someone will ask how, so I'm not going to bother mentioning it 🤭

Gavster

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Re: Booking a Motorhome MOT in Northern Ireland

· Posted: 01.05.2019 · #6

Quote

Have never been turned away, how could they?

Never been turned away myself but the guy in the booking office did say I was lucky not to be turned away in the past as he said sometimes they say sorry your vehicle is too big for us to take you down this lane and turn them away. They did ask me if I should be going to Afghanistan rather than lane 1 when I landed up in a 10 man WW2 troop carrier for the first time

. I settled for lane 1 rather than being turned away or rebooking into a centre in Afghanistan or Normandy..

Ally

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Subject:

Re: Booking a Motorhome MOT in Northern Ireland

· Posted: 01.05.2019 · #7

Hahaha

Davy

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Re: Booking a Motorhome MOT in Northern Ireland

· Posted: 01.05.2019 · #8

I always booked my appointments as private light goods, but for the evenings. This on the advice years ago of one of the testers. It meant that the HGV lane over the pit was generally free so no likelihood of being refused.

In fact I quite like that lane as many of the old methods were you stay in the van, press brakes and shuggle the steering still seem to apply. I always get the impression (in Downpatrick anyway) that the guys know the vehicles are maintained to the best of our abilities, are usually interested in the vans and quite chatty.

Davy

Liked by: Ally

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