Solar panels, controller, leisure batts, inverter, B2B etc. from a clean sheet

[wildebus]

True to a certain extent ...

Any mods from standard should be declared (it's the person taking out the policies responsibility to declare them ...NOT the insurance companies responsibility to ask )

None declared additions/Mods to a vehicle CAN be used be the insurance company to reduce cover to 3rd party in the event of an accident (they have a legal duty to maintain cover to 3rd parties in the event of an accident )
Or to reduce the amount you get paid for damage/injury etc ...

BUT they will likely take legal action to recover costs to 3rd parties that they have paid out ...

Modifications DON'T always lead to an increase in policy costs ...

BUT always declare anything none standard on your vehicles ...
To make sure your cover is what it should be .

Whenever I have had discussions with Insurance companies on this matter - which becomes far more relevant when doing a van conversion as the vehicle is constantly being modified and changed from the time the insurance was taken out - they have virtually no interest in any mods as far as the camper conversion is concerned and they just want to be informed if there are any mechanical or performance changes - just the same as with a car.

The important thing with some camper/motorhome mods is to inform the insurance company when they have increased the value of the vehicle so you are covered appropriately.

This is my take and experience of the subject. Others may have different.

 

[trevskoda]

Same here AIB did not want any pictures or paperwork, just that it was mot and taxed, they also increased the value to a good price which i agreed with.

 

[Okta]

One or two companies are now insisting that solar panels are professionally fitted. They might not be any better fitted but it gives them somebody with business insurance to sue if a panel flies off and hits a school bus.

 

[1 Cup]

Trev you can buy three 110 AH Lithiums for £750 on Amazon right now.
Lithium is the future, Lead batteries are actually much more expensive in the long run. At 50% discharge mine will recharge 5000 times, at 100% it’s 2000 times Trev. Less weight, greater usable power, they’re a no brainier in my honest opinion Trev. As for fire risk not the type used in motorhomes Trev, they’re much safer.

Will power cut up them battery's £300 or less cheap Chinese 2023 some improved in biuld quality and some are still faulty out of the box.

 

[merl]

Will power cut up them battery's £300 or less cheap Chinese 2023 some improved in biuld quality and some are still faulty out of the box.

I've seen a teardown.of the eco worthy battery at £265 and it was fine especially considering the cost. Only issue was the leadout cables were thinner than ideal.
Used the typical 100ah prismatic cells and a basic non BT BMS but still 100A rated.
Looked pretty decent TBF especially if you weren't going to be running anything over 500W regularly and BT monitoring wasn't your sort of thing.

 

[jacquigem]

Whenever I have had discussions with Insurance companies on this matter - which becomes far more relevant when doing a van conversion as the vehicle is constantly being modified and changed from the time the insurance was taken out - they have virtually no interest in any mods as far as the camper conversion is concerned and they just want to be informed if there are any mechanical or performance changes - just the same as with a car.

The important thing with some camper/motorhome mods is to inform the insurance company when they have increased the value of the vehicle so you are covered appropriately.

This is my take and experience of the subject. Others may have different.

Agree in order to turn down a claim for non disclosure of a modification the insurer would have to be pretty sure that the modification led to the loss. Insurance ombudsman policies this.

 

[merl]

Whenever I have had discussions with Insurance companies on this matter - which becomes far more relevant when doing a van conversion as the vehicle is constantly being modified and changed from the time the insurance was taken out - they have virtually no interest in any mods as far as the camper conversion is concerned and they just want to be informed if there are any mechanical or performance changes - just the same as with a car.

The important thing with some camper/motorhome mods is to inform the insurance company when they have increased the value of the vehicle so you are covered appropriately.

This is my take and experience of the subject. Others may have different.

Yeh, I had a conversation with my insurance co about the internal mods I'd made and they said they were only concerned about performance mods. Knowing how devious they can be when it comes to paying up a claim I always declare "changes to 12v system" just in case a charger or whatever catches fire. I've never been asked for more information or a certificate for the changes.
From personal experience of our MH theft I can say that at the time our ins co had to pay us the current market value even though this was higher than the purchase price and hence the value I'd declared. I had to push and complain to get this though and initially I was told that I could never be paid out more than the purchase price.
Out of interest they paid me for all of the contents inc fixed electrical apparatus so the solar parts, chargers, inverter etc, I needed to show receipts for anything not standard and apparently they would not have paid any installation costs, initially they wouldn't pay for the 2 TVs because they said they were 'portable' and hence not fixed, I argued the toss and they gave in. They initially wouldn't pay for the tools either claiming they were 'tools of the trade' but again backed down after I pushed.
Interestingly any reasonably expected camping items like gas bottles, hoses, EHU leads bedding, kitchenalia etc even an awning they paid the replacement cost unless I showed a receipt in which case they paid the receipt cost. Shot myself in the foot re the gas bottles which I showed cost me a fiver each second hand when they would have gave me full price without a receipt!!! Bonkers

 

[wildebus]

For an agreed value policy on a self-build, I had to supply photos of the camper, showing what was fitted as part of the conversion, and listed the value of the items. for one year during the conversion, it was a matter of periodic updates with photos and increasing value as the conversion progressed.
This I thought was fair enough as specifications, especially on DIY-jobbies, vary so much, plus there are always people who are out to defraud.

I remember when I renewed this year clarifying what was and what was not included under the policy. So like you are saying, stuff needed/used for "camping", such as camping chairs, BBQ, awning, bedding, this kind of thing is covered. But other items such as Phones, Laptops, Tablets, Cameras, Drones, etc would not be as they are just personal possessions and nothing to do with using the motorhome per se.
Something that is worth bearing in mind, especially with the trend for expensive e-bikes ... these are very unlikely to be covered by any motorhome policy, no matter how carried. Owners are advised to make sure they are covered by their household insurance policy and that that policy covers how they are are secured in transit (so if using a external carrier, they are still insured, for example).

Insurance rules can be odd. I remember I had a motorbike claim... The motorbike insurance paid for the bike repairs, but I used the household insurance to claim for both a new leather bike jacket and a new crash helmet! I have also used the household insurance policy to cover the cost of a solicitor for an employment matter with ACAS, which seems a bit weird.

 

[JQB]

Im a tad worried about lith batts with all the talk about fires etc, though they are light in weight.
Me id go with lead carbons and 100w solar for every 100ah battery, 3oow solar and 3 lead carbons with a votronic regulater would be my choice.
But as you say lith and a big inverter may be down your road, but expensive, all down to cost and depth of pockets.

Lithium fires seem to be an issue with boat insurers according to Boat Owner magazine. Fire risks, assuming correct charging proceedures are followed, depends on the type of lithium battery i understand, lithiumironphosphate being ok i read.

 

[Okta]

Lithium fires seem to be an issue with boat insurers according to Boat Owner magazine. Fire risks, assuming correct charging proceedures are followed, depends on the type of lithium battery i understand, lithiumironphosphate being ok i read.

The Practical Boat Owner Article makes a brief reference to LiFePO4 being safer than other Li-ion batteries but largely follows the line of a very ill informed advice sheet produced by one of the marine insurers, Navigators and General. The guidance tries to deal with all types of Li-ion batteries as if there were only one type. Fires on boats are a serious matter but I would rather sleep in an enclosed space with a LiFePO4 battery than with any of the lead acid types.

 

[Big Bill]

Why not look on ebay there is a 3Kw Mastervolt pure sine wave inverter with two 100 Ah LiPo4 Merlin batteries (military spec) a 50 Amp Solar charge/alternator charger and isolation transformer with circuit breakers and battery capacity gauge and low voltage cut out all for £1500. Certainly the setup for camping in the wild.

 

[Big Bill]

I only have four left.