Running a land rover around the farm on red diesel derogation ?

[The Seeker]

Ok so afew years ago a friend mentioned that you can run a car / 4x4 on red diesel On the road as long as you no more than 1 mile away from where the car / 4x4 registered. I’ve been thinking of finding a old land rover and using it instead of a gator as I’d like to mount a snack on the back ? Is this possible. Can you get a derogation to allow this? Many thanks

 

[The Seeker]

So something like this

 

[Lazy Sod]

You can put any vehicle into the exempt class. Years ago I did it with my farm motorbike?

 

[Al R]

I’m pretty sure it has to have a valid MOT when it’s transferred to a limited use license.

 

[The Seeker]

Converting 4x4s to red diesel – how to stay road legal

© Nick Fone
Land Rovers and pickups are an indispensable part of all farm businesses and if you’re using them for specific tasks then it might pay to convert them to full agricultural use and run on red diesel.
However, it’s not a decision to be taken lightly and you need to give proper thought to the vehicle’s role on the farm before you commit.
Changing the taxation class can mean taking apart the core structure of the vehicle and you must be willing to constrain its use strictly to agricultural operations.
In doing so, it will become an integral part of your (mainly) off-road agricultural fleet and therefore has some very specific and important limits on use.
This does not include using it to race down to your local ag dealer to pick up spare parts or to fetch rations to feed the harvest team.
See also: Dissecting red diesel rules
Safety
Safety must also considered because any vehicle driven on the road (even under agricultural use) must still be roadworthy, regardless of whether an MOT is legally required or not.
If an accident occurs, or you are pulled over, enforcement agencies will not look favourably on an unsound vehicle so this should be taken into account when making decisions about a change of use.

Likewise, even if all use is off-road, the vehicle must be properly maintained and safe for the operator.
Assuming you have confidence in the roadworthiness of the vehicle and have a specific use in mind, there are three classification options to make your farm 4×4 cheaper to run:

• Fully off-road, on a SORN
• Limited use vehicle
• Agricultural machine

Each option has its limitations on use and requires the vehicle to be registered with the DVLA first. However, if it is solely used for agriculture, horticulture or forestry, it will be zero-rated.
1. Fully off-road, on a SORN
If you have a ring-fenced farm and can keep the truck entirely off road, it might be worth applying to the DVLA for a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).
However, you should note that it is a criminal offence to use a vehicle on a public road that is not registered with the DVLA or has a SORN, so consider this option only if all your driving is off road.
To apply for a SORN, use the 11-digit number from the vehicle’s log book (V5C) to take it off the road immediately.
Alternatively, use the 16-digit number on your vehicle tax reminder letter (V11) to take it off the road from the first day of the following month.
If you have a SORN, the vehicle can be run on red diesel and unlicensed vehicles that do not require a SORN (including unregistered vehicles that have never used the public road) can also use red diesel without a SORN declaration if kept off road.
But be warned – if you venture onto a public road the fuel type will be irrelevant if you are caught.
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It’s also worth noting that you do not need to insure your vehicle if it has a SORN.
2. Limited use vehicle
If you only want to travel very short distances on the road then you can choose to limit the vehicle use and re-tax it as a “vehicle used between different parts of land”.
This means you are zero-rated, provided the vehicle is used only for agriculture, horticulture or forestry, is used only on public roads to pass between different areas of land occupied by yourself and, crucially, the distance travelled on public roads in passing between these two parcels of land does not exceed 1.5km.
Such a vehicle can use red diesel, although to remain exempted from an MOT it is also limited to travelling no more than six miles per week.
This is a useful category if you have a few local pockets of land.
3. Agricultural machine
If you are prepared to take the plunge and want a fully taxed agricultural machine that is run on red diesel to carry out a specific agricultural operation such as spraying then you can apply to change the taxation class to an agricultural machine.
However, this requires a commitment to ensure that the 4×4 cannot be used as a passenger vehicle and will only be used for work in three sectors: agriculture, horticultural or forestry.
This scenario can be a minefield, so don’t be surprised if you are told to remove the back seats and seatbelts to be sure that the vehicle meets important criteria for agricultural use.
You’ll also have to prove that this is a permanent and fixed conversion, leaving the vehicle unable to carry passengers or a load unrelated to the operation.
The converted vehicle is likely to be classified as an agricultural engine, which is a machine specially designed or converted to perform an agricultural operation on the land.
This means it must be used solely for purposes relating to agriculture, horticulture or forestry, can travel only on public roads to and from the worked land, and does not carry any load deemed unnecessary for the job.
The tax category is zero-rated but you must still go through the application process with the DVLA to register the vehicle.
You will be expected to provide photographs and this can be a difficult and lengthy process depending upon the proposed use and level of conversion.
If the vehicle is successfully taxed, red diesel can be used, provided it is solely for agricultural use and fits the criteria of the rebated fuel Memorandum of Agreement.
An MOT is no longer required but the vehicle must be roadworthy (and an MOT can be a good way of proving this).
Commenting, a spokesperson for the National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC) said: “Rebated fuel is critical for our industry, particularly with the current financial instability surrounding Brexit.
“It is vital that the industry uses the fuel carefully, within the agricultural exemptions, so that our work is not called into question – potential tax evasion is never far from the government’s radar.
“We must remain ‘whiter than white’ and anyone seeking to change a 4×4’s use must be absolutely clear that this is not a route to broadening a vehicle’s use, but a significant restriction to mainly off-road, targeted agricultural operations.”
Case study

Richard Ayles © Nick Fone
In recent years, it has become more challenging to get vehicles taxed for agricultural use and rules have been tightened to ensure that only legitimate conversions can be run as agricultural machines.
Contractor Richard Ayles has been successfully running bespoke Land Rovers for over 26 years for his grassland spraying business, Richard Ayles CropCare, in Somerset.
Mr Ayles is on his fourth conversion, which involved a team of fabricators and spraying experts putting a 16m hydraulic nozzle boom and tank onto the back of a high-capacity Land Rover Defender.
The sprayer is not demountable and is permanently welded onto the back of the vehicle. The passenger seats and seatbelts have been removed, leaving a single seat for Richard, who can then work in relative comfort and safety in the cab. He also gets the benefit of front suspension and four-wheel braking.
Small field sizes, narrow gateways and difficult-to-access roads have made this a viable option for the business.
“The average field size in this area is 4.7ha and I have a 1,000-litre tank on the pickup that can spray approximately 5ha to 6ha, which covers all I need comfortably. The vehicles are small and easily manoeuvred, great off road, while still giving me a comfortable ride between jobs.”

 

[The Seeker]

If i go for limited use im then limited to driving no more than 6 miles a week? Is that on the road or including what I do in the fields?

 

[The Seeker]

I have 3 blocks of land all less than 1.5k apart and Gators and such are becoming silly money - really silly money i can see an advantage towing and time saved plus a roof to stop the elements. anyone running a similar set up ?

 

[deleted user 837354]

Aylesy has been spraying with those things for a long long time. Does or certainly did do a lot of maize and corn with it. I don't know what speed it will do on the road but I bet it could be faster than a tractor. Takes it some places that would surprise you. I had him spray a big big field on a sideslope once that I think was reclaimed from forestry, I could barely walk around on it.

 

[deleted user 837354]

I have 3 blocks of land all less than 1.5k apart and Gators and such are becoming silly money - really silly money i can see an advantage towing and time saved plus a roof to stop the elements. anyone running a similar set up ?

Why not get one of those little Japanese 4x4 things and just run it on regular diesel and keep it MOT'ed?

 

[The Seeker]

Yeah I know the ones KAP Suzuki ect - just really looking into making saving in the system.

 

[TripleSix]

A vehicle registered as limited use can only travel a max of 1.5km per day between parcels of land you occupy for agricultural purposes.
Yes it can use red.

Knackered landrovers aren't cheap now!
Cheaper to buy a good quad!

 

[Derrick Hughes]

A vehicle registered as limited use can only travel a max of 1.5km per day between parcels of land you occupy for agricultural purposes.
Yes it can use red.

Knackered landrovers aren't cheap now!
Cheaper to buy a good quad!

I thought it was a bit further than that . You surprise me

 

[LAMBCHOPS]

Cheaper to buy a Honda HRV 4x4 with tow hitch Insured(£60 a year) and on road for £500(plenty on ebay) we have got one on each farm. Tow Hitch on back for snacker. Dropped back seats down with dogs in the back safe and sound . Electric windows to let them in and out. Cringe when i see lowland farmers out in the cold on 5 figure gators. Car is petrol light usage and goes anywhere. It would not go on the hill but you need different vehicle for that anyway.

 

[mixed breed]

Phone DVLA they are most helpful to get you sorted, they will send you a new log book you will also need a v112 to declare it's exempt from mot, the category in your case is F

Take that to post office and they will tax it for free.. the online system still doesn't work.

If your like me, land all reletivly close the saving is huge. 6 mile a week on highway, I prob do about 20, 16 of that is in the field though. Oh and no you can't go to market with it

 

[C.J]

You may use red diesel in your vehicle if it is used on public roads only when moving between different areas of land occupied by the same person, for purposes relating to agriculture, horticulture or forestry, as long as this does not involve travelling on public roads for more than 1.5 kilometres.

Surely your not limited to 1.5 km / day - if "the seeker" has 3 blocks of land to visit each day then he could do upto 4.5 km or upto 9km if he went twice.

There is no daily limit ,just a maximum road journey lenght.

 

[mixed breed]

You may use red diesel in your vehicle if it is used on public roads only when moving between different areas of land occupied by the same person, for purposes relating to agriculture, horticulture or forestry, as long as this does not involve travelling on public roads for more than 1.5 kilometres.

Surely your not limited to 1.5 km / day - if "the seeker" has 3 blocks of land to visit each day then he could do upto 4.5 km or upto 9km if he went twice.

There is no daily limit ,just a maximum road journey lenght.

I'm not sure how interested they are in policing it or how it could be proved, unless they put you under some sort of surveillance.

 

[uztrac]

I'm not sure how interested they are in policing it or how it could be proved, unless they put you under some sort of surveillance.

All this is ok until, heaven forbid, an accident occurs and insurance & police are involved.

 

[mixed breed]

All this is ok until, heaven forbid, an accident occurs and insurance & police are involved.

Indeed, vehicle must be insured for limited use, and kept in a roadworthy condition.

Actually, thinking back I'm sure the 1.5km bit, is not the amount per day, it's the longest distance you can travel from where the vehicle is kept, so if land is accessible within a 1.5mile radius from farm you can apply.

 

[Exfarmer]

Don't you have to supply a lust of routes and frequency, certainly used to and the total was not very much something like 10 miles a week. Things may have changed a lot since I last looked at it

 

[The Seeker]

This is all great food for thought guys much appreciated yes I was a little confused by the 6miles a week I do a 12 mile loop some days in and out of fields with along a short road here and there it jd gator is just wayyy to much for what you get back hence a different tactic. Open to any more suggestions / I’ve not even got a vehicle in mind atm but it’s all interesting / the trouble with white is we don’t have a tank and the nearest garage is 12 miles away - could get a tank but I’d prefer to go red for maximum saving and convince