'Have you made any modifications to this vehicle?' is one of those questions we normally say no to when searching for car insurance.
But if you’ve had your van converted into a camper you’ll need to start looking for specific campervan conversion insurance and declare the changes you’ve made.
It may sound scary, but don’t worry - there are lots of UK insurers who are set up precisely to cover your campervan conversion.
What’s classed as a modification in a campervan conversion?
Basically anything which changes the way your van looks or drives is considered a modification - and this includes inside the van too.
If you’ve had your campervan converted to go away on holiday, chances are you’ve added pop-top, seats, windows, kitchen fittings, insulation, power supplies, gas systems the list goes on.
All these things are classed as modifications and so must be declared with your insurer.
You’ll need to check that your policy covers you for all the contents of your campervan conversion, otherwise you could be left in the lurch if anything goes wrong while you’re out on the road.
When does a van become a campervan?
A recent change in DVLA rules means that you no longer need to re-classify your small van as a campervan unless of course, you want to.
In that case, there are certain criteria that your new campervan must meet and these new changes primarily relate to the outside of your van.
The reason this change came about is that police need to be able to easily identify a motorhome from the outside, which can be difficult to do without certain features.
DVLA guidance now specifically states: “The body type of your vehicle will not be changed unless its exterior looks like a motor caravan in traffic.”
Therefore it’s worth remembering that you do NOT need to re-register your vehicle as a campervan and can keep using it as you wish, provided you have adequate campervan insurance.
For the full guidance please refer to the DVLA’s website if you wish to re-register your van.
Who should I choose for campervan conversion insurance?
A campervan conversion is a special vehicle and so requires specialist insurance to match.
This should be with a provider who understands campervans and is able to give you a fair price and level of cover to match the investment you made when converting the van.
At Taylored Campervans, we recommend two insurers for your campervan conversion.
Adrian Flux offers specific insurance policies for campervans which even includes a free green card for European travel.
All their premiums are calculated individually based on your requirements, rather than using a computer-generated system.
Safeguard is another insurer who has had great feedback from our customers, and their policies can be personalised to include cover for personal possessions meaning peace of mind when you go away.
We are on both Adrian Flux and Safeguard’s list of converters to make life easy for any of our customers looking to insure their campervans.
Make sure you mention this when insuring your campervan conversion and you may be entitled to a discount.
Another thing to bear in mind when insuring your van is to cover the full cost, including conversion.
Does specific campervan conversion insurance cost more?
As with any insurance policy, there are various factors to take into account which can affect the price you pay.
These include the age and model of your van, where it’s stored, the number of drivers, your claims history and any no claims bonus.
Generally speaking though, you shouldn’t be paying through the nose for campervan conversion insurance; however, it is worth spending time to find the right policy for your van and your needs.
Hopefully, you’ve got a clearer picture of the things you need to consider when taking out campervan conversion insurance.
If you’re converting your van with us, please talk to us if you’ve got any questions about insurance and we’ll do our best to help.
Email [email protected] or call 01271 269056.