insure campervan as primary vehicle

99Luftballons

Hello,
i am wanting to convert a vw transporter into a campervan and just try to add up all the cost to see if it is feasable. and I have to say, every time I am looking for something I realize it will be more and more expensive...
just got this message back from the insurance company today to get an estimate price
"For a ‘primary vehicle’ quotation we have to refer the case on to Aviva who will hopefully provide a quotation. Primary vehicle quotations start at €1150.00."

bit of a shock because one of the big advantages of going through all the trouble buying a campervan would be to have cheaper tax and insurance.
we really only use the van on weekends and holidays, main reason is that there will be space for all the windsurf equipment etc.

seriously considering just buying a bigger car in this case. costs just seems to add up.
any tips and hints are greatly appreciated

crabbypaddy

99Luftballons wrote: »

bit of a shock because one of the big advantages of going through all the trouble buying a campervan would be to have cheaper tax and insurance.
we really only use the van on weekends and holidays, main reason is that there will be space for all the windsurf equipment etc.

seriously considering just buying a bigger car in this case. costs just seems to add up.
any tips and hints are greatly appreciated

Camper insurance is based on a group scheme profile of occasional use you can't expect the same price for full time use. The companies won't want you at all without a car so I would secure the insurance first (if you can see below) and then later contact them about getting rid of the car. In the past people have been charge about double.

If you're thinking a low roof transporter - the insurance companies and clubs don't want to cover them so you have to be prepared to take it all the way to declined cases with the insurance federation.

My dad is windsurfing for about 40 years had several campervans, a van and a couple of estates over the years. Last time he was changing cars we measured a ton of small vans and cars for one to fit his windsurfing gear inside (he hates straps / bags) etc.

He won't touch a galaxy / sharan so in the end we found a suzuki xl7 2.0td. If you fold down the passenger seat you can get something like 2.7m from the back corner to front corner. You can still have driver and 1 passenger behind.

They are cheap as chips , fit under all the height barriers, tons of space, very capable off road, has the 2.0td engine and ancillaries from psa - the same one thats used in the peugeot 406s that have astronomical mileages on them. Economy is about 38-42mpg (45mpg on long slowish drives like cork to castlegregory) which is fantastic given the size and height of it and the giant tyres. Geartrain is aisin warner - top quality stuff everything else is suzuki really well made. Only thing he's had to replace were a couple of vacuum solenoid and swirl valve actuator - from peugeot they are about 1/3 of the price. - €32 each for the valve and €80 for the swirl valve actuator.

99Luftballons

Hey thanks for the info . Yeah I don't get that that low roof are so hard to insure.i thought there is one provider through a club no problem? Will look at the Suzuki any idea of road tax and insurance?

crabbypaddy

99Luftballons wrote: »

I don't get that that low roof are so hard to insure.i thought there is one provider through a club no problem?

The cheap tax and insurance is only there on the basis of people on average using them as occasional use leisure vehicles its a concession we're lucky to have. If it was easy to vrt / tax and insure any old thing in order to avoid tax get low insurance those concessions wouldn't be there. Small low roof vehicles are much more lightly to be used as a daily driver as you want to and that falls outside the risk profile of the group insurance schemes. If you want insurance through the club you'll have to have a very comprehensive conversion and I don't know if they will cover daily drivers either.

Moomat

99Luftballons wrote: »

"For a ‘primary vehicle’ quotation we have to refer the case on to Aviva who will hopefully provide a quotation. Primary vehicle quotations start at €1150.00."

Might be worth giving SNI and see what this is about.