Panel van, ambulance or camper What's best for insurance?

[Wynnie]

Not sure of the best place to post this query as I'm still getting used to the forum, mods please move if you think it would be better elsewhere, thanks.

OK, so I've got my lovely MK2 ambulance/camper conversion and I want to insure it.

However I'd really welcome some advice before I start contacting insurance companies and confusing them (and myself) about what the vehicle is.

It's a Mk2 ambulance conversion carried out by steedrive (I can only find very limited info online) and I believe that it originally had a V6 petrol engine. It now has a 2.5 diesel which I intend to keep. It has at some point been further converted into a camper. The V5 says it is a panel van!

So what do I go with (mainly what's likely to be cheapest ) Ambulance, camper, panel van?
Also as the engine has been replaced, I guess I have to declare it as modified?

Forgive me if this sounds dumb but I am used to insuring factory standard boxes

[Screaminkiwi]

Hi ) I,m a bit like a bus me..you dont see me for ages..then all of a sudden..... !! It wont answer your question this, but once you,re ready to get some quotes, i think you,ll be hard pushed to beat Adrian Flux...they were about the only company who didnt draw a huge intake of air on the phone when i said i had an ambulance !! Good luck !

[Wynnie]

Cheers kiwi
Adrian Flux website and number duly noted
What ambulance do you have? Does it say ambulance on the V5?

[Trinny]

I have had good service from Flux also, inc. Agreed Value
as long as lots of photos sent

[Lins]

Hey....well i ended up with quickfit van insurance. The model of van was there and since day 1 on the road my transit has been a camper.....unsure still if they understand that but hey!!! Is really cheap and the range of transits they have to insure on file is amazing!

I had an '88 ex transit ambulance and found that adrian flux and i think it was norwich union were really good.....but thats going back 8 years or so. Try quick fit and really shop about van insurance cos it seems they are all really competing for prices at the mo. Good luck
xxx

[Luke]

personally ive found insuring as a camper to be the cheepest, but they were always on limited 2nd car type policys

also i think the logbook may need to be changed to say camper which apparantly can either be strait forward or a pain in ther neck

and i 'd never decaler the engine as modified as the engine you have is a standard transit fit - so not a modified engine - well thats how i see it but as soon as you tell them its modified its an exuse to charge you more for no reason

[Wynnie]

Just to clarify, my amby is a full conversion similar to this:



Underneath it is a Mk2 twin axle transit 160.

It's clearly never been a panel van
but I don't know what it usually says on an amby V5.

[psv-hgv-flt]

try cis coop insu

[Countyflyer]

Hi
I have a county (4WD) Mk2 with 6 seats, it is a real pain to insure. Most large insurance companies use a database of registrations numbers and if you are not on it the fun begins. They claim my vehicle either does not exist or has been modified and start talking about "Engineers Reports". Because it has 6 seats many say it is a minibus and must be insured as one, this is VERY expensive. They don't (or won't) accept that some family cars and MPVs have 7 seats.
I found NFU very helpfull. All they want to know is the make, is it under 3.5 tonnes, is it under 19 years old and do you have any points on your licence! There prices are reasonable too. (I am told by friends in the Hot Air Ballooning business that NFU are the only compant that will insure their 12 seater landrovers).
Best of luck and let us know how you get on
Countyflyer

[Wynnie]

Thanks for the info Countyflyer. Unfortunately NFU won't suit as the amby is 1984 registered so over 19 years old.
I'm still confused as to what I should tell the insurance company..

[Tidy Tom]

I'd agree with Countyflyer - try NFU they seem to insure anything for quite reasonable prices. In the last ten years I've insured an army lorry, a Commer camper, a black cab, a lwb Landy and various other old bangers with them and they never seem to mind how obscure the vehicle is or that I'm not using it for its original purpose... They'll be my first port of call when I eventually get my knackered County back on the road.

****sorry - just read your reply - I'd still try them anyway as I've insured stuff that was knocking on 40 years old with them.

[makey]

like a said b4 i got a mk2 hanlon converted ambulance into a camper its got the origanal seat belts in the back so if=s classed as a 5 seater and its got panel van on my log book too like a siad i went with HIC told them everything about my ambulance and they were very helpfull indeed good luck with it lol.and happy camping.

[foggy08]

dont know if this will help ,but here goes.
i use heritage for my 79 ,coachbuilt twinwheel camper. my no claims is used on my daily driver,so starting from fresh its £133 fully comp,including european relay brakedown cover.worth a try ,but limited to 8000 miles