Insurance question re. standing height in vw transporter

unreg999 · 20-07-2023 3:01am #1

Hello,

I'm in the final stages of buying a vw transporter t3 (I think, it's 2003!).

It was privately converted and has been registered as a camper, it has a fixed bed, cooker, sink, lights, storage, proper gas containment and full access from the front to the driving seat!

The problem is that I was looking through some old posts about insurance and I noticed that standing room of 1.8m seems to be a requirement of all the insurance companies 😔

I see the low top vw transporter van campers EVERYWHERE so they seem to be very popular and make really good campers- reliable engines, sturdy bodies, low rust etc but how do people get them insured if you can't stand up in them and that's a requirement???

Please help, I know insurance has been done to death here but this really has me worried ☹️

Ps as far as I can tell there are 3 camper insurance companies in Ireland- Dolmen, Stewards (Stuarts ?) and Richardsons... Is that correct?

Thank you in advance for any help or insight you can give!

20-07-2023 9:25pm

Ours is insured with the Irish Vintage Engines and Tractors association as a vintage camper. The insurance is a little restrictive in that it only covers Ireland, UK and Isle of Man - but it serves us. We since added a high top after having it for 5 years. Been with them for 6years at this stage.

Some people claim to have got low roofs insured with Stewarts but cant confirm that.

You can try approaching the Irish Motorcaravan Club, but be careful - the chairman is a prickly characture and if he takes offense (easy to happen - we asked to many simple questions) he will refuse and ban you from joining the club. I saw a report of someone having their offer of membership/insurance rescinded for no reason and with no notice which left them in the lurch. I don't like dealing with an organisation with an arsehole as the gatekeeper.

It obviously can be done so don't give up hope.

unreg999 · 21-07-2023 3:59am

Thank you so much for answering, what kind of camper(van?) do you have? What was the process of putting the high top on like? I heard it costs around 2k to buy it, install it and fit it out...

I spent most of today googling, emailing and phoning various companies.

Dolmens WILL insure me but only at the premium rate of 775-945 😳

Richardsons will also insure for 385 but require a ton of paperwork, all of which I have luckily but just have to request a few bits!

Haven't managed to get an answer from Árachas (formerly Stuarts) but Dolmen told me they won't insure a low top. I'll wait to hear that from them myself as they also told me that Richardsons wouldn't 🙄

I emailed the IMCC but haven't heard back from them either yet, good to know about the difficulties the owner has created for some people 🙄😒... however I've heard they have a group rate of 340 but it's 55 for an individual to join so Richardsons is still the cheapest and least prickly option!

April next year I can insure it with Campion for 140 (I believe) as a 20 yo Classic but I must check if the same restrictions apply as you (Shoog) have found for vintage. I know there's a cap of 5000 miles (or km, not sure!) annually 🙄

The man I'm buying from reckons I can put a high top on it for around 2k, that's 1k for the top and around another 1k to have it installed, a window put in, padded /insulated out etc 🤷 so I might do that for next year if I can afford it. Not sure if that will bring me to the 1.8m internally then or not?!

Anyways I'll more than likely go with Richardsons, had a good chat to the woman who works the phone there, Marie Therese and she was really sound- lovely, funny and extremely helpful too which was a breath of fresh air!

I'll post back with more info as I have it, hopefully help others who might be searching... It's a confusing minefield to navigate so if anyone else has anything to add or info to help it would be gladly appreciated 😊💚

21-07-2023 5:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120878171#Comment_120878171

Ours is a 98 VW T4. I installed the high top myself. Best thing I ever did as it transforms the whole camper experience. The High top itself cost me €900 plus €250 delivery, it came from a man who makes copies of the Rimea ones down in Mallow, I got mine at a reduced rate because it was the last one he had that season. The process is scary but not that daunting when you get going. Since we didn't need a bed up there I left in the gutters and the over cab roof and back section of the original roof so I didn't need to add any steel reinforcing which would add probably half as much again to the cost of materials. You just glue it on with Sikaflex - had three mates come round and do a test fit and then the next weekend we glued and lifted into place. Depends on how handy you feel. We now have huge amounts of storage over the cab, at the back and down the sides.

Campion offer two levels of Insurance (as of last year). They never stipulated a mileage limit for us. The basic one which you mentioned is supposed to cover you just to and from shows. The second one was introduced for holiday use and brought the price in line with Richardsons quote. If you have all the paperwork I would go with Richardsons. Once you have it they just roll it over year to year and its probably quite easy to roll it over onto another camper once you have the relationship. We changed out the double seat for a single and added the high roof so that we could get other insurance - but we haven't got around to it yet.

When we first looked there was a point blank refusal by Dolmens, Richardsons and Stewarts to consider low roof vans with no front to back access. Looks like things might have changed a bit.

unreg999 · 21-07-2023 1:03pm

Ah brilliant, that definitely sounds like something I will look into (installing high top) but no way I could do it myself lol Hopefully I will find someone who can do it for me when the time comes 😊

I never thought of the increased storage, just the head clearance standing room, of course it would be a huge opportunity for storage too (there really isn't much in her currently, just under the bed and in the double swivel seat!) 😊

Did the high top bring your inside room to 1.8m or over out of interest? They don't look that big but I guess it would be a standard for high tops to be at least that and they are specially made for the t3, t4,t5. I think I'd have a really nice little camper for myself with that addition 😊 The engines seem very reliable and I've seen them go back to the late 80s!

The one I'm buying is a t5 SWB, the 1.9 TDI. I already have a VERY eye-catching custom built 'caravan' with TONNES of storage, a stove and double bed but it's not something I would feel comfortable camping in on my own. It draws a LOT of attention and when my ex built it for me we went out in it together, now I'm on my own I feel very vulnerable in it!

My little van will be my little taste of freedom, it's pretty stealthy 😊 I've already named her Saoirse 🔥