Insurance advice please

[MrMPuk]

If you insure it as a camper and it's not registered as such then I think you'll find that it will incorrectly covered.

[surfersexperiment]

Well he could get the log book changed to state it is a camper, but then again I have never seen a camper log book for a home made camper stating 'panel van / home made'. If you buy a 'camper' then the log book will state who converted it, i.e Devon etc, but still preceded by panel van on the log. I used to buy VW campers, sort them out and sell them on, every log book for them (and I did around 30 in all) had the conversion manufacturer, preceded by the words panel van. After all a camper is just a panel van with bits added.

He will be absolutely fine on the insurance if he makes the aware that it is modified to a camper spec, of which the minimum are sink, cooker, bed, which do not have to be fixed, but carried at all times to validate the insurance. If you modify your van, lets say you add alloy wheels, you are supposed to tell them, if you don't then they can invalidate your insurance. As long as he tells them what he has done, converted his van to a camper then there really isn't an issue.

The easiest thing to do to put his mind at rest is to call his insurance company, tell them it's a modification to a camper and get his quote. They will ask him the usual, is there a sink, cooker, bed.

Mark

[MrMPuk]

I think you should go on http://www.sbmcc.co.uk and tell them how easy it is, I think they will disagree with everything you've said. If it was this easy why isn't everyone doing it?

[surfersexperiment]

http://sbmcc.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=12581

Thanks for that link, will prove helpful. The above link is just a very short glance I had at the forum on there and all you need to do, if you want to change the type on the V5 is post it off to the DVLA, get it inspected if you want to go down that route, but as per the forum posts it is stated as not necessary and easy to do.

Cheers, Mark

[surfersexperiment]

Smoothound,


Check out that self build site. Also (my bad) you also need to get in there a wardrobe and a table for camper insurance. It doesn't have to be elaborate. 2 things though. Bed, does not have to be fixed, but must be fixed when in transit, doesn't have to be a made up bed in there, just the components of the bed have to be fixed. As in my van, the rear passenger seating is the bed structure and the bed base (my partition) is the bed base. I was wrong saying you could throw an airbed in the back, I was getting ahead of myself as I put a double airbed on my bed base (in effect a mattress). The cooker can be portable as I said, but has to be fixed in transit, what the insurers are aiming at here is your gas supply, which they need to insure as being carried safely, not just rolling about in the back. The wardrobe will probably have to be a certain size (not sure on that, I have a locker over the cab area in mine, I don't need to hang my clothes) and the table is easy. This does not have to be fixed, just have fixing points, i.e locking points on the edge and a foot, you then store your piece of wood away in the corner and it is a table top. OH nearly forgot water, you need to carry a means to transport it, i.e a container, the type you get from the camping shop, you know what I mean! Needs to be strapped in though. There are details of insurers on there as well, have a browse. I would still go with Adrian FLux though. They will not need any photos of your 'conversion', I use to insure VW campers with them, I only used to do photos for guaranteed value purposes, because it is ok insuring a VW camper as fully comp, but get it robbed or smashed up and your getting £500 if your lucky, but taking 6 photos and getting them signed by their engineer guaranteed their value, which out of all the campers I did was a min 3k if it met unfortunate end before it was sold on.

And there you go, do the V5 and get your insurance and check out that web forum.

Thanks MrPuk, there were a couple of things I missed on that, when I asked for camper insurance on my van all they asked for was a bed, a sink and a way of cooking, didn't mention a wardrobe or a table. I am going to be getting in touch with DVLA though as the forum peeps on there reckon that you get a lower tax disc rate if you are a camper.

[Smooth Hound]

Thanks for the advice everyone, but about the camper idea, it may be a good idea actually, im not sure about the insurance purposes, but unless it was nspected by the test people and certified by them, then i wouldnt think you could just insure it as a camper, as on paper it would be a minibus 8 seater, and i would imagine that the insurers would want confirmation of some kind, if it doesnt come up on their computor anyway. Not sur though

[surfersexperiment]

Hi Smooth,

Check out the link PUK posted.

Then remember that it does not have to be inspected, change of type is done on the V5, to motorhome/camper (the section is on your V5). JUst complete and send back to DVLA, hey presto classified as a camper. Do the work to get it to insurance for a camper (no real work there) and your done.

What do you mean by their computers wouldn't recognise? Have you per chance typed your reg number into an online quote site that didn't recognise your reg number? If so, the online quote systems that use info in the search box taken from DVLA is car stuff, I have never got a van (commercial) reg number to recognise in one of those. Go to van insurance companies if you are doing on line, may still not recognise your reg, and fill in all the stuff like make/model etc that you are expecting to see.

If you want commercial insurance shop around, if you want a camper quote try Adrian Flux 1st, cheap and customer service great. Could also try Just Campers (do large majority of VW campers, but do others) although found them more expensive and customer service wasn't as good.

I would like to know what you plan to do with your motor, is it going to be on commercial or camper? I am going to look into camper taxation, as from that forum they say it is cheaper to tax and if so I am going to change my V5 as well. I take the cheaper taxation with a pinch at this point though, as whenever I taxed a VW camper it was the same price as my current drive of the time, which was a 825D rover, great pulling power, good on the diesel and a shitty body, but she could pull a transport with a VW on with ease. The body gave up in the end, but not the engine, good old girl she was

Mark...smelling salt in the air, is the surf up

Let me/us know what you decide, there are options there so look into them.

[Campertess]

Hi Smooth,

Check out the link PUK posted.

Then remember that it does not have to be inspected, change of type is done on the V5, to motorhome/camper (the section is on your V5). JUst complete and send back to DVLA, hey presto classified as a camper. Do the work to get it to insurance for a camper (no real work there) and your done.

.

The DVLA can and sometimes DO ask for an inspection before agreeing to change the v5 to motor caravan (camper)
Mines just been done.
Changed from 12 seater day Ambulance to Motor Caravan and yes it does make a difference to taxation class.
And a dramatic difference to insurance.
But to get my V5 changed it DID HAVE TO BE INSPECTED .
I was advised that cooker,sink and bed had to be permanent fixtures n fittings (the bed can be seats and a table/board that makes up a bed)

It really isnt as simple as just chuck an airbed in the back !

If it was everybody who owns a vehicle of higher taxation class would be carrying a blow up dolly...oops sorry bed ..
a one ring burner and washing up bowl purely as a means of tax evasion.

on the other hand i know of several huge vehicles buses,trucks even a tank that have all been reregisterd to motor caravan i'e camper and are all now running around on plg tax discs.
Reregistering also changes the Mot on larger vehicles from class 7 to class 4.

[Smooth Hound]

plenty of useful info there thanks all