Insurance - querys

JoeySully

Hi All

new to campervan so have a few questions

Thinking about buying a campervan. What should I do about insurance.
I guess I can test drive a campervan that already has an open insurance policy?

If I purchase it how do I go about insurance? Does any insurance company do insurance over the phone? or do they all require you to send in all the documentation first?

Also Engineers reports! is this required by all camper van insurers ?

I rang my car insurance company and they told me that I cannot drive a Camper van under the "driving other cars" section on my policy.

thanks

Irishgoatman

This thread has most/all of the brokers.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=73353960

(this post might appear twice as the first one that I did seems to have vanished)

niloc1951

JoeySully wrote: »

Hi All ..................................................I rang my car insurance company and they told me that I cannot drive a Camper van under the "driving other cars" section on my policy.

thanks

Interesting comment from your insurance, check again.

A camper as a vehicle is in the same category as a car, that is it's a private passenger vehicle with not more than eight passenger seats (EU Category M1).

But beware, if you bend it you will have to pay as the 'other vehicles' bit usually only gives basic third party cover :eek:.

Also, within the insurance industry campers attract a lower premium than cars due to their lesser claims cost, that is why you can get a €80,000 camper of any engine size (up to about 7 ltr) fully comp for €335 per year, so your insurance company should be happy that you are temporarily driving a vehicle less likely to be involved in an accident

JoeySully

thanks for the replies

Yes I was surprised that they would not cover me on a camper.
The agent I spoke to did not checks at all, when I said VAN he just said NO.



Yes I understand the third party bit. I just want to make sure I'm insured and road legal.

Is there some way to transfer camper insurance to a different owner?

niloc1951

JoeySully wrote: »

............................The agent I spoke to did not checks at all, when I said VAN he just said NO...................

Aha, perhaps you should call it a 'motorhome' next time
and if you are asked its make use the builders name eg. Adria Coral C, not the base vehicle manufacturers name eg. FIAT Ducato, unless you are specifically asked.

If it's a home converted van just try to concentrate on the fact it is not a goods vehicle as in a delivery van but a private passenger vehicle, like a car.

JoeySully

OK after another query with a different agent the answer is still NO

I asked her to check twice and was told that they would not cover this type of vehicle even if it is M1 category. :rolleyes:

This is with 123.ie and RSA insurance

spaceHopper

You need to re-read the linked tread, only a few brokers do camper van insureance and if you have a car on the road it's 350 ish a year, you need to pick a van first before you buy check the cover, maybe first time out go with the same company as the current owner.

Irishgoatman

spacehopper is quite right. Go on to the linked thread and read/have a look at all the postings.

Plenty of people have asked the same kind of questions as you.
I think the list of brokers is pretty comprenhensive.

JoeySully

Thanks for the replies.

How does one test drive a camper van then?

My car policy will not cover me to Drive a camper
I cannot get insurance on it until its registered in my name.
I cannot do a temporary transfer of my car insurance on to the camper.

Irishgoatman

If I were to try selling my camper the first thing I would do is change the Ins. to any driver, that way it can be test driven.

If the owner of the one you're looking at really wants to sell it suggest, to him, that he changes his Ins.
if he's not prepared to do that then perhaps he's not bothered as to whether you buy it or not.