insurance (advice for van??; non-thumper)

[andy230]

Hello all

Van got an MOT- hurrah!
Not got to insure it- booo!

Previously I got motorhome insurance- f**kin dear at about 600 quid as I remember.  The renewal is about 480.

My question: as its a motorhome (sink, cupboard, bed, cooker), do I have to insure it as such??  Can I insure it as an LDV 400?  Does it matter whats in the back?  Obviously I wouldn't be able to claim on a "bells and whistles" campervan policy which (genuinely) covers my £1.50 LidL plastic cultery.  Not bothered!  Anyway, I'm sure the campervan policy wouldn't cover my racebike in the back, or even allow me to carry it (think of the consequences of an accident...)

Any advice from those with experience??  I don't want to tell (whopping great) lies to the insurance co (not worth the hassle) but I'm almost certainly flouting their rules by having fuel and a motorvehicle in the back anyway...

Cheers, any advice grategfully received

a

[Andy M]

Sounds like a race transporter to me. Don't know what it'll do to the premium, but they'd find it a lot harder to argue about the bike in the back or cooking indoors if you tell them about it.

Does it have windows? I seem to remember from my mum and dads camper magazines that if you fit windows as part of a self build you definately have a camper. As such will get on any camp site but will also insure as such.

Andy

[guest27]

Dunno owt about campers etc, but it seems to me that insurance companies are happy to exclude loads from the insurance if you ask - like whilst it is a camper or race transporter you do not want your Lidl cutlery and an old Tesco bag covered.  Maybe a chat to an insurance shark, sorry , broker could help - cannot harm - and see what they can come up with.  I guess a higher excess will not help because you cannot guarentee that the clutter in the back will get damaged and written off as the excess...

R

[squirrelciv]

Best advice I can offer is go to a broker and ask the questions informally. Don't go to YOUR normal broker, pick one at random. Sure as eggs is eggs you'll find out what deals you can get, but it is best to be honest though. A tick in the wrong box and no cash for Mr Duncan when things go t1ts up :-(

[guest18]

Also worth trying specialist insurers, try to find a custom car/van magazine and try some of the phone numbers in the back.

It has been known (often!) for someone to phone a company like NU on their "normal" quotation line and be quoted stupid premiums only to phone the same insurers "specialist" department and get a nice cheap deal...

eg I heard of a bloke with a modded Defender 90 who was told it was uninsureable then phoned a "specialist" and ended up insured by the same company for sweeties!!

Insurance is bizzare, oh, while I remember *NEVER* accept the first quote they give you without haggling, nine times out of ten you can get *something* knocked off the price.

Also as Pat says, tell them *everything*, and keep copies, that way their legal ******* can't squirm out if you ever have to claim.

Good luck!
Smudge

ps, congrats on the MOT