Insurance help please - A nightmare!!!

Pablito

Guest
Hi,
Having an absolute nightmare sorting out insurance for a Europe trip. The problem is this our van is a DIY conversion (LWB toyota Hiace) it does not conform to the campervan rules wardrobe/windows/fixed cooker etc and I have 3 previous driving offenses on my licence in the past 5 years ( I know), that being said i have never made an insurance claim in 20 years of driving and currently have 4 years no claim bonus....We need insurance for 6 months minimum hopefully a year.... I have tried at least 15 insurers/brokers and feel like we are running out of options:(... Any advice gratefully accepted - We are supposed to leave next week !!!!!

Thanks in advance,

Paul....
 
Hi Paul.

Sounds a pain. What is it that is wrong with the insurance companies you have already spoken too?

Not sure if this will help. I have a self build but until it conformed to the campervan requirments my insurance company classed it as just a van.

Hope you get sorted.
Mostin.
 
Most insurers will not go over 3 or 6 months abroad, most of them just will not insure a DIY job... Really beggining to despair, do these people not want my money???
 
it's either a camper van or a van if they say it's a van insure it as a van ,lots of pp's take vans abroad for all different reasons, why complicate things by telling the cabbages at the call centres too much information that is not covered on their screens
 
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Hi, many years ago when converting a Toyota hiace van into a camper I rang one of the insurance firms to ask "What are the criteria for my vehicle being classed as a motorhome"?
The reply was " It needs a bed, a cooker & a sink".Ambiguous reply to say the least. Mine ended up with a cooker, a sink, plus a mattress that rolled up because I needed to able to remove it. The van was insured, on my say so, and never inspected in the three years I had it.

Dezi
 
Pablito said:
Hi,
Having an absolute nightmare sorting out insurance for a Europe trip. The problem is this our van is a DIY conversion (LWB toyota Hiace) it does not conform to the campervan rules wardrobe/windows/fixed cooker etc and I have 3 previous driving offenses on my licence in the past 5 years ( I know), that being said i have never made an insurance claim in 20 years of driving and currently have 4 years no claim bonus....We need insurance for 6 months minimum hopefully a year.... I have tried at least 15 insurers/brokers and feel like we are running out of options:(... Any advice gratefully accepted - We are supposed to leave next week !!!!!

Thanks in advance,

Paul....
Click to expand...

Comfort Insurance will insure self builds.

Full UK & Continental breakdown cover is available, with no limits on height, weight or length.
365 day EU cover
Cover for up to £5,000 personal effects
Generator cover
Awnings cover
Additional cover available for satellite TV’s & satellite navigation systems

Self-build or privately convertedSelf-build or privately converted motor caravans can theoretically be from any of the above groups, but most often are simple panel van conversions. In order to be considered as a motor caravan, the vehicle must have:

a.A fixed on-board water supply
b.At least one bed of 6 ft. length
c.Fitted wardrobe cupboards
d.Seating for diners at a table
e.A gas supply fitted to comply with the Gas Safety (installation & Use) Regulations; and
f.The conversion must be within 90 days of completion

The only thing with Comfort is that it does not cover your vehicle while it is in the custody or control of a member of the motor trade.

John
 
It is problems such as getting insured that put me off ever doing another van :( My last one was insured with Shield, they required pictures & receipts of the inside & outside. When I did speak to them they did seem reasonable in that they said that they want to make sure that the van is converted to a camper & not just a van with an airbed & a camp cooker which can be removed. I alos got the V5 changed which doesn't cost anything but they also asked for pictures (on my previous conversion I just sent the V5 off with the details changed to motorhome & it came back done)
Even getting a van insured as a private vehicle can be awkward & many insurance companies won't even quote. Have you looked on the self build site to see what insurance will cover self builds.
 
Van or conversion

You say you have not fully converted to a campervan, then simply insure it as a van. If you register it as a campervan then you cannot carry goods of any kind so clearly you have to make a decision of what you want for its intended purpose, flapping about in a grey center area of not one particular use is the main problem. Once you are insured you are covered automatically for travel in any EU country for whatever your insurance company allows!
 
you need to speak with your local dvla office .you dont need a gas cooker you may have a microwave . and the cupboards can be the seat boxes . etc .they can give you a definative list .its in how to import a vehicle into great britain.ref..p15 revs november 2004 department for transport information booklet... page 30 -31. they will probably want to inspect the finished conversion. thats if you want it as a m,home on the log book. with out it can be difficult to get m,home ins. possibly an engineer,s report will be neccasary as wellfor ins. the cooking as to havea minimum of two gas rings or a microwave in either case having a fuel/power source.if i could scan it and put it up i would but i,m dum about computers. sorry.
 
For what they're worth, The Dept of Transport's stated requirements are just that.

Not the same as some insurers, who often have different conditions they want met before accepting a panel van as a motorhome.

I'm with insurance Choice who seem less strict than some, and will insure a panel van as a motorhome whilst it's being converted and do not demand it to be re-registered as a Motor Caravan on the V5.
 
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Try these people - 01685 881955. I was finding it impossible to find very unusual insurance for my car. After loads and loads of calls, these were the people who found me the specialised cover I wanted.
 
Hi Pablito.

My selfbuild is insured with Shield. Caravan Insurance from Shield Total Insurance

My van is a selfbuild (by me) i started with an empty van which i insured with shield who classed it as a van until it was finished, then it was classed as a motorhome & covered to its full self build value.

This is "time driven" & you will need to send them monthly photo updates. This is done to stop people messing them about with trying to cover an old van with an airbed in the back & then claiming their £100,000.00p motor home has been nicked :D

Here is the link to what you need in your van to make it a motorhome off of the Sheild site:- www.shieldtotalinsurance.co.uk/self-build-motorhome-insurance

This is the standard list they all seem to use.

As for the DVLA. I just fill in the log book with the changes & 4 photo's of my van.

I sent 1 of the out side to show the windows & 3 of the inside to show the changes fitted the requirement list. The DVLA made the changes & sent back the log book with the now "Motor Caravan" class. They don't need to come & have a look at it.

It goes without saying if your not going to convert your van fully then it cannot be insured as a motorhome. So the only option is to insure it as a van with some stuff in the back.

Play it straight & you won't have any problems. Which becomes more important if you ever need to make a claim.

Now i need a brew :D
Mostin.
 
hi, they may require a look at it. but yes photos work but time is often a factor. if they insopect it it seems to push it through quicker. also depends where you live as some dvla offices come to you ,some want you to go to them. but its not a problem. follow the rules that suity you best. and if you have a word locally you cando just what they want . cheers .happy camping.alan.
 
Hi Folks,

Just joined and found this thread which is a real head scratcher for me too. I'm converting my Mitsubishi Delica SWB into a go-anywhere discrete camper. This is the form I got from the DVLA a few days ago.

All the criteria seem reasonable enough, no requirement for a sink. The only cause for concern is in the cooking facilities section. I plan to have my 2 burner accessed from the rear, with the gas bottle safely outside the vehicle. I was hoping to "weld" the furniture to the ply floor with glue (flat surface to flat surface) I suppose it all depends on whether the inspector interprets the guidelines according to the spirit of safety or following the criteria by rote.

4931796264_bd1dc7af1f_b.jpg
 
hi ,and welcome . thats just about word for word what i have from dvla. .. no mention of windows or a water supply. years ago it used to say a fixed water supply (some converters fitted a tap that worked but no sink) that disapeared sometime in the 80,s . wish i could transfer stuff on line , maybe one day i,l get the hang of it. but if you meet the above items you have a m,home /camper . you need nothing more . but cant have less .
i would use self tapping screws tofix to floor and walls .easy to undo and empty van if nec. cheers thanks for putting that up. cheers alan.
 
Try Pete Best ( google them)
The insure modified vehicles so should be able to do it or point you in the right direction.
They cover my massively modified Vitara for £125 a year fully comp
 
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