Campervan

rubbledoubledo

Hi all.
Looking for some info. The rules now have changed.
A camper has to have a DOE every year. Is that the case.

What companies insure them. Approx the cost
Is a factory job better than a conversion when looking for insurance.
If the camper is ur main mode of transport, would the insurance be higher.

What would the general price range be for insurance.

Thanks again

Irishgoatman

rubbledoubledo wrote: »

Hi all.
Looking for some info. The rules now have changed.
A camper has to have a DOE every year. Is that the case.

What companies insure them. Approx the cost
Is a factory job better than a conversion when looking for insurance.
If the camper is ur main mode of transport, would the insurance be higher.

What would the general price range be for insurance.

Thanks again

Hi, I can answer some of your questions.

DOE is the same as for cars, Every year for campers over 10 years old, every 2 years for others.
Insurance is, as far as I know, only through Ins Brokers. If you scour back through posts, quite a few months, there is a post that I started to get the names of brokers.
As far as I know, you have to have another vehicle as your main mode of transport. But I can see ways round that;).
All the quotes that I have had are around the 350 euro mark.

Can't comment on factory versus conversion but I don't see that it should make any difference.

Hope this helps.
I'm sure someone else will comment if I'm wrong but this is all from personal experence.

rubbledoubledo

Thanks for the info Goatman

rubbledoubledo

I am definately set on getting a camper this year.
My plan was to get rid of the car, no good to me. Camper i would be useing all year round.

Handy for my job as i could stay at my base. Also weekends the hassel of looking for hotels, if i want to stay out for a night.

Do insurance brokers look for ur car insurance also.
I do not want to be paying insurance and tax for a car that will be parked up.

Nathandph

Hi. I have a 1990 fiat ducato campervan and am looking for an exhaust manifold for it. Would anyone know where I could get one?

Thanks.

Nathan

niloc1951

Dolmen do camper insurance if you don't have a car insured, it's about €650 and it has all the same benefits as the normal one.

Nathandph

Yea dolmen do insurance. About €365 a year. And tax is about €88. Doe is a new thing since last year. Is needed annually. Around €88 for the test.

rubbledoubledo

niloc1951 wrote: »

Dolmen do camper insurance if you don't have a car insured, it's about €650 and it has all the same benefits as the normal one.

This was my plan as well.
To buy a van type conversion. As i would be driving this the whole year round. Plan was to get rid of the car.

650. The next person that will say to me , cheap tax , cheap insurance, by god what ever about cheap tax, not cheap insurance.
So most people here are driving full blown campers, you go away for a couple of weeks in the year, plus a few long weekends, and you have to pay 360 euro. The 650 would be less of a rip off.

It is either a camper or not. Why should it make a difference if it is ur main mode of transport or not. My car is 280 for the year, that is ok, but then you have the NCT plus tax, for a vehicle that would be parked most of the year.

rubbledoubledo

I think myself there is no such thing as cheap insurance for a camper.

niloc1951

rubbledoubledo wrote: »

I think myself there is no such thing as cheap insurance for a camper.

I suppose it's down to what is insured
A friend of mine has a 2012 Autocruise Accent which cost in the region of €65k and is used as his daily transport as well as a camper and for that €630 or thereabouts for fully comp and all the other bells and whistles is very acceptable.

rubbledoubledo

A well now , that is a different kettle of fish.
I would have no problem in paying that amount, if i was driving a camper that value.

Say a conversion under 5000 euro, just to do it third party, exclude contents, would it be alot cheaper.
I have my mind set in getting rid of the car

paddyp

I thought about getting rid of the car but when you factor in better mpg in the car and the additional cost of insurance on the camper then keeping the car breaks even for us at about 6000 miles. Our friend only gets 26mpg in his van and 47 in his car his break even point is 4500 miles. At 15000 non holiday miles a year he saves about 1200 euro keeping the car and camper versus just running the camper. We'd save about 600 on the same.

Van is a real pain around any city for parking, lost of height barriers at shopping centers, public parks etc.

stevire

Buy a banger of a car, insure it for about 300e. Buy a decent camper insure it for 350-380e. Works out about the same as insuring the camper alone. The car insurance also allows me driving of other vehicles which is a big plus for me!

sunchaser

Have a camper and also have a Smart for two which is towed behind the camper, the smart is ideal for commuting to work every day. If I have to travel a distance to do a job, just hitch up the smart and away with me. Smart dose about 60 mpg. not bad Tax for year 199 euro, insurance 220 euro and of course the dreaded NCT.

spaceHopper

Have you ever seen the crash test BBC Top gear did on smart cars, they are classed as quad bike and don't have to pass any saftey standards, look it up on youtube it will scare the be-jasous out of you. Have to wonder about the new ESB electrice cars as well

RiderOnTheStorm

I just got my first campervan (Fiat Ducato) so all this is fresh in my mind ...

Got my insurance thru a broker. €380 flat fee. But you HAVE to have a car insured in your name. As other posters said, it prob balances out as its approx 300 for car insurance ... .making it 600+ in total. I would reccomend you keep your car (or get another cheap banger) so that you can keep your no-claims-bonus . You dont accumulate a NCB on the camper (if its not your main means of transport). And you may want a NCB in 5 , or 7 or 10 years time!

Tax is a fixed €88

DOE is every year for campers of a certain age. OK, you might have an old car and a young camper, but its usually the other way around, so its will usually be NCT @ €55 every 2 years and DOE is €80+ every year. So another advantage for keeping a car.

Cant comment on the conversion. But other posts here seem to indicate that insurance co's dont like conversions. But at same time, after its converted, and its type is officially changed on the log-book, then it officially becomes a camper and its history doesnt matter any more.

dickwod1

Nathandph wrote: »

Hi. I have a 1990 fiat ducato campervan and am looking for an exhaust manifold for it. Would anyone know where I could get one?

Thanks.

Nathan

Your Fiat Ducato is the same as my Talbot Express or a Citroen C25 or Puegeot J5.

You could ring a main dealer Fiat/Citroen/Puegeot and they could possibly get one for you or you could try these http://www.no1gear.com in the UK if you have no luck here.

From a English Talbot Express forum ... New ones are available from the main dealers. The gaskets are widely available on ebay for around £10. What tends to happen with these manifolds is that they warp where the face meets the cylinder head. These can be re-faced at most engine reconditioners as i had mine done 2 years ago. If you buy a used one be careful as this may also need to be re-faced

dickwod1

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

Tax is a fixed €88

Tax is now €102 per year since 1/1/13

sunchaser

Have a look at this Smart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iKGfo1wmOM&NR=1&feature=endscreen

RiderOnTheStorm

dickwod1 wrote: »

Tax is now €102 per year since 1/1/13

crap ...... thought it was 88 (or 90) .... waiting for the logbook to come thru before I can apply for tax .... thx for the warning!

dickwod1

Enter any reg number here https://www.motortax.ie/OMT/motortaxinforeg.do to see what the tax rate is for that vehicle

ickmann

hi lads ,
am converting a 01 iveco minibus into a camper, would anyone know what car i could get some seats with arm rests and integrated belts out of???

crabbypaddy

ickmann wrote: »

hi lads ,
am converting a 01 iveco minibus into a camper, would anyone know what car i could get some seats with arm rests and integrated belts out of???

Late model voyager, vito, v220 or if you have deep pockets executive caavelle. Voyagers and v220 tend to be worthless so good source.

ickmann

the vauxhall v 220 , voyager ones look well comfortable

white van man pyh90tm

guys don't waste all your money converting a van, you only need the basics, after all it's about being outdoors and not taking your home comforts with you. i have a normal 2.2 2009 ford transit and all i done to it as follows

full insulation, a fixed bed, a portable cooker, a portable toilet, an inverter and led lighting, no windows. i added an awning later. i have loads of storage containers under the bed and if i need to wash dishes i use camp site facilities. nice and cheap and easy. i would rather stop and cook outdoors than in my van, ok if it is wet i have a tarp that can be put over the opened rear doors too.

rosco p coltrane

white van man pyh90tm wrote: »

guys don't waste all your money converting a van, you only need the basics, after all it's about being outdoors and not taking your home comforts with you. i have a normal 2.2 2009 ford transit and all i done to it as follows

full insulation, a fixed bed, a portable cooker, a portable toilet, an inverter and led lighting, no windows. i added an awning later. i have loads of storage containers under the bed and if i need to wash dishes i use camp site facilities. nice and cheap and easy. i would rather stop and cook outdoors than in my van, ok if it is wet i have a tarp that can be put over the opened rear doors too.

And Revenue changed your log book from a commercial van to a camper with that set up?

crabbypaddy

Banned already lol. I'd say his windowless box with no washing facilities has the same effect on the ladies.

crabbypaddy

crabbypaddy wrote: »

Banned already lol.

Dozer McCloud doing the rounds on the poitín again.