I’m thinking about buying a used 7.5 and converting it to a camper. But can’t seem to find anyone that will provide insurance for personal use. Has anyone got any experience or could point me in the right direction ?
Cheers
FuSs:
I’m thinking about buying a used 7.5 and converting it to a camper. But can’t seem to find anyone that will provide insurance for personal use. Has anyone got any experience or could point me in the right direction ?Cheers
What are trying to insure it as?
A private truck or a camper?
Go to an insurance broker, and talk to them on the phone. Most web sites will load you for anything unusual, even if they quote at all.
Adrian Flux.
Footman James.
Carole Nash.
Plus many others. Check Campervan magazines and websites for adverts.
As Franglais says, you will need to ring around brokers. To get a sensible quote you will need to persuade DVLA that it is indeed a motorhome and have that on the registration document. Not done it with a 7.5t but my son did it with a 3.5t and he had to send photos showing it had windows and the interior was fitted out ie not really a load carrying vehicle any more. If it’s just for getting it home to do the work then probably simpler to get someone with fleet insurance and /or trade plates to do it for you.
Nice one. I was hoping there would be an easy answer, will be a camper eventually or that’s the plan, il have to do so more digging
Cheers
adrian flux will give you a 1 year camper build insurance even if it looks like a panzer tank at the moment.
for dvla you need 1 window in the rear area,seating,storage,sink,gas burner and a table fixed to the interior.
pm me if you want a template of a letter to them that will be bulletproof for acceptance along with your 10 pictures .
it costs nothing to change the bodytype but they arnt helpfull if you ask questions.
the new rules for registering converted campers was implemented in October, they are the death nail for pop tops and any bus or library type vehicles, there are lots of blogs on them on utube, but for the bigger ones the main thing is the driving area must have doors both sides, so the mid body one door vehicles are out, there are lots of little things like no more stealth vans all must have camper type graphics along the sides, beds are a certain size, water tanks must be included, all previous pop tops are no longer acceptable for new conversions only fixed high tops, whether a mid height top panel van will be ok or if it needs to be high top I am not sure but it seems lots of completed vans etc have been rejected even if applied for before October,
well dieseldog the new window rule is two opening windows on one side not including the drivers or passenger doors
good service, cheap price and include breakdown cover too, which is hard to find, by all accounts.
its who i insure with, and plan on continuing doing so.
New, October anyway, qualifying conversion rules here :-
gov.uk/government/publicati … or-caravan
2 windows it is too.
hotel magnum:
well dieseldog the new window rule is two opening windows on one side not including the drivers or passenger doors
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
i see now the gov rules your mentioning.
i just got a 09 T5 book back re regd last week and an 02 trafic recent poptop conversion 3 weeks ago so i must have scraped through.
the internal pish is basically just the same,and it just says show decals and a awning rail so thatl mean using the same length of alloy awning rail and a bit of velcro to hold it on for the pics,then removed again and used for the next one without drilling holes into the van.
same for the decals…£30 worth of happy camper crap slapped on top of some soapy water,then pull off again 5 mins after the pics.
to be fair,so long as you jumble them up a bit,you can just use another vans pics for dvla as they are a tad retarded when it comes to looking at them.
i just take pics that are quite close up for all their requirements and then just use them again and again for most of the separate van pics as a kitchen unit looks like a kitchen unit ect and by doing so you never know if its in a boxet,t5,transit or whatever,then you only need the 4 external pics to take for each van.
i print mine off on A4 paper so the quality is crap but enough to see whats what instead of being crystal clear.
i dont see the windows need to open,just 2 AND looking at the countless posts on various forums then it depends on how you read the criteria which may mean 1 on each side.
to me it reads 2 on 1 side,but when i let my misses read it then she reads it as 2 on the van,1 either side,which again is open to debate and no biggy.
a bit of black vinyl and another pic or just velcro on a spare loose window will suffice at a push there as not everyone will want windows in their sleeping areas .
i think a lot of it will depend on what beancounter opens the application though at the moment it appears mass scaremongering means they are refusing left right and centre just to be on the safe side.
apart from those being overly ■■■■,then companies like adrian flux are happy to give you camper insurance even if your bus looks like a panzer tank and itl remain to be seen what the speed limits apply there…
id think the main reason for the graphics and such are once again revenue earners and the time taken to realise that the fine for what they thought was a van,turns out to be a camper and they need to cancel it or plod gets some egg on his face,hence stickers down the side.
il find out on next week how the poptop regs work as my mates company at the moment has about 15 new vw vans in various stages of poptop build so id imagine its just a different formality otherwise he will be bankrupt next week and il find him hanging from a rafter. 
hotel magnum:
well dieseldog the new window rule is two opening windows on one side not including the drivers or passenger doors
If Im reading the right bit, I take it to mean 2 windows either on same or different sides. I dont see a requirement for them to open though, just allow a significant amount of light, which I take to mean they are not keen on high tint windows.
Give these a shout :
ask for Colin Casserley, they handle all sorts of odd ball vehicle insurance
Wicked. Thanks for all the reply’s genuinely been a massive help !
reading some of the new changes as per Magnum it states that the vehicle/motorhome must have 2 front doors…many german ones do not have one let alone 2, and i dont see the need to buy a 7.5 ton lorry, just to convert…unless its to save money on a diy project rather than buying a custom made…but surely thats gonna be a bit expensive fuel wise to run…whereas a second hand motorhome to buy can be more beneficial as if its a petrol it can be converted to run on gas also…say a lovely winnebago for sale today less than £2000… got a small problem with it but mot`d till next year.
update from my mate who has a large conversion company.
from a few months ago till october 19 then DVLA in their infinite wisdom having decided there were to be new rules to be able to reclassify vans and such as campers decided to refuse anything and everything they could as they were unsure as to what the new classifications would consist of,though there were a good few exceptions to this depending on who looked at your application.
since oct19 and they have now decided,then nothing with a poptop will pass as a motor caravan and they advise to reclassify it as an mpv which leads to another can of worms.
basically if you can stand up in it,and it has camper stickers with 2 windows somewhere 1 on each side is fine (again dependent on the pleb that opens your application) and what looks like a bit of rail stuck along the roof to imply its going to have an awning fitted later then itl pass assuming your pics look like a camper inside.
if you have a poptop and want it to be reclassified,then it may be prudent to borrow a fiberglass hi roof and sit it on top for the pics before removing it again.
another alternative is to just remove your numberplates,use a bit of double sided velcro and bung them on a suitable looking similar van in asda carpark or where ever you find one.fire off a few pics,then use your own internal ones…job done. 
Been trying to get personal insurance for a 2006 Renault Magnum 6x2 tractor unit tried all the usual suspects, Adrian Flux, Footman James, NFU, and they all say either its to young, they don’t insure for show use and any form of commuting, even once a month is a no no. Anyone else managed to get an under 20 years old truck insured for personal use?
Thanks in advance Geoff
qwakers:
https://www.anthonydevans.co.uk/good service, cheap price and include breakdown cover too, which is hard to find, by all accounts.
its who i insure with, and plan on continuing doing so.
Thanks qwackers just sent them an email with vehicle details.
Finally hot my truck insured for personal use £835pa unfortunatly the company who were providing the breakdown and recovery insurance went out of business so when Iget it MOT’d and taxed iI will be looking for that.