Insurance advice please

[Smooth Hound]

I am looking at a minibus, which was originally a 19 seater, but is at present down as a 8 seat minibus, does anyone have any idea about the insurance , would there be a problem, is it expensive, not to use as a minibus, but just a private vehicle, domestic and pleasure

[surfersexperiment]

A 19 seater, sounds like a big old body, is it a twin wheel?

Here are my findings, based on my Tranny.

She was an 11 seater (insurance company will count the double seat in the front if fitted, but not the driver), I re-jigged mine so I have 5 seats in the back and retained the double seat in the front. The reason for this (apart from personal reasons for me) is that you cannot go over 8 passenger seats, if you do you get into expensive insurance as your into PSV or taxi stuff, insurance companies won't buy that you have 7 kids and the wife to drive around.

Get her to 8 seats including the driver (8 seats total) and you will be ok for private insurance. I found that the RAC were the cheapest and the most knowledgeable on this (all of the others I tried wouldn't recognise more than 5 seats as they were working on crew cab configs). If it is a twin wheel and DVLA classed as a mini bus you can drop it's class (assuming your not using all 19 seats and want to go for the 8 plus driver). Drop the number of seats and arrange an appointment at your local VOSA testing station to have the vehicle moves to a lower class, in your case sounds like from PSV to class five (think that is twin wheel class). There is a way round getting it to class 4, which I have mine on for MOT (but mine was a single wheel anyway) whereby you denote that the vehicle is not used for commercial purposes etc. Bit vague on that bit, ask on here for more advice. There is a VOSA fee for class changing, check the VOSA web site for more info.

The good news is that you can get insurance on a private policy, if you obey the seating capacity rules.

Let me know how you get on.

Mark

BTW my RAC insurance is £250 fully comp.

[Smooth Hound]

Thanks for that, i think that the seating capacity has already been redone on paper as an 8 seater, my intention would be to take all the seats , except the front ones out, as its for going away , camping away, fihing and that that i will be using, would that be a problem, and is there anythig i should avoid saying, or certain things i should say, as i am concerned they might wonder why i would want such a large private vehicle

[surfersexperiment]

Easy!

You can just insure it as a camper. All you need for the definition of 'camper' is a place to wash up (i.e a bowl, fit a sink if you really want to) a cooker, which does not have to be fixed, can be portable and a place to sleep, which can be a comfy self made bed or just an air bed thrown on the floor. All of this is perfectly legal insurance wise to call it a camper and insure it as such. I know because I looked into it with my Tranny, which I also sleep in, just that for some strange reason it was £10 more to insure as a camper??!!!

You have got 8 seats, so if you want an easy bed solution retain 4, i.e 2 each side facing each other, then a piece of MDF of PLy for a bed base, which can be as elaborate as you want, but all I did was use my base as a partition, job done.

Best of luck, Mark

[Campertess]

Easy!

You can just insure it as a camper. All you need for the definition of 'camper' is a place to wash up (i.e a bowl, fit a sink if you really want to) a cooker, which does not have to be fixed, can be portable and a place to sleep, which can be a comfy self made bed or just an air bed thrown on the floor. All of this is perfectly legal insurance wise to call it a camper and insure it as such. I know because I looked into it with my Tranny, which I also sleep in, just that for some strange reason it was £10 more to insure as a camper??!!!

You have got 8 seats, so if you want an easy bed solution retain 4, i.e 2 each side facing each other, then a piece of MDF of PLy for a bed base, which can be as elaborate as you want, but all I did was use my base as a partition, job done.

Best of luck, Mark

i believe you can re register it as a camper.
But the fixtures DO have to be fitted.
minimum requirements Sink,Cooker and bed .

Try cis or norton for insurance on it as a modified van...tell em its now (or soon will be a camper)
mine are both with Norton.
Tessie-v4 2ltr 1971 mk1 swb pop top £123 per yr fully comp inc breakdown cover.
Kermit-2.5di twin wheel ex day ambulance,g reg self converted camper with wood burner (which makes a difference)
£199 per yr fully comp inc breakdown cover.

very cheap i think

[surfersexperiment]

I have looked into it before, doesn't have to be fixed equipment, can be portable, as long as the equipment is permanently carried in the van / 'camper' for the use of camping. It is very easy to carry an inflatable bed, a washing up bowl (perhaps you may like to add a sponge and some fairy) and a cooker.

Try Adrian Flux anyway, the majority of stuff they do is either campers or classics.

Mark

[surfersexperiment]

Oh and before you think you can call your ford fiesta a camper on the insurance, there are limits.


Just incase I get the sarcastic post, waiting for it lol

Mark

[MrMPuk]

To legally register it as a camper I think you'll find they do need to be fixed appliances.

[tbird]

I'm not an expert on this but when I was ringing for quotes on our camper one of the companies would only insure if the beds were over a certain size sorry can't remember which. Some were a bit snotty about home built conversions.

[tbird]

Oh and before you think you can call your ford fiesta a camper on the insurance, there are limits.


Just incase I get the sarcastic post, waiting for it lol

Mark

Also our fiesta is cheaper to insure anyway

[MrMPuk]

Not that any of this matters because we are talking about a minibus!

[tbird]

True but Smoothhound said he was going to use it for camping

[surfersexperiment]

The requirements for it to be a camper do NOT have to be fixed but MUST be carried at all times by the 'camper' for the insurance to be valid. If your insurance company or quote that you get say no, then just go to people that know, i.e the RAC (very helpful) or Adrian Flux. You seem to hung up on beds on here, the bed does not have to be fixed, just that you have a bed of a certain size carried on board that you can sleep on.

Blimey, you will be telling us you need to carry a Welsh Dresser soon, complete with blue and white plates and odds 'n' sods in the drawers.


Mark

[MrMPuk]

The requirements for it to be a camper do NOT have to be fixed but MUST be carried at all times by the 'camper' for the insurance to be valid. If your insurance company or quote that you get say no, then just go to people that know, i.e the RAC (very helpful) or Adrian Flux. You seem to hung up on beds on here, the bed does not have to be fixed, just that you have a bed of a certain size carried on board that you can sleep on.

Blimey, you will be telling us you need to carry a Welsh Dresser soon, complete with blue and white plates and odds 'n' sods in the drawers.


Mark

I bet that if you have an accident they will soon use it as a way of not paying out!

[surfersexperiment]

Why do you think they could use it is a get out?

It is legal insurance wise to call your van (as we are talking a van here) as a camper, which constitutes a sink, a cooker and a bed. None of these items needs to be fixed, but must ALWAYS be carried to VALIDATE the insurance as a camper.

If you left the items at home when you crashed then I cannot blame them for witholding, but take them out and that's your problem, bit like stating your motor has an alarm, then taking it off.

Mark