The Red Beast

wildebus

Forum Member
Tookey said:
Is there a concern that they could use that rejection as reason not to pay in event of a claim :unsure:
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Not if they have insured on that basis. This is (IMO) why a self-builder should use a specialist company and discuss with the broker the details when discussing the policy.
It used to be the case where you would have upto 6 months or a year (depends on policy) to complete the build and reclassify. With the change in stance of DVLA, the specialist brokers and underwriters (typically Markerstudy) have revised their stance to not demand that, but have usually wanted more proof that the conversion is not just a mattress thrown in the back and a camping stove (that proof used to be the DVLA reclassification, and now to a degree the 'right' rejection reason)

The problem some people get is they say they have a campervan, very often DO have a proper Conversion, but is not documented at all or classified as such, and then when a claim is made, they get offered the value of, say, a 10 year old transit van (so sod all) rather than the value of a fully converted campervan that is worth 5 times that or more.

FWIW, my 'Zebra' camper IS a Motor Caravan legally on the V5C, but I still provided photos of external and internal, and listed all the key expenses to back up an agreed valuation figure, as the usual method for insurers of looking for similar vehicles to compare for valuation would never work!
 
Red Dwarf

Red Dwarf

Forum Member
Determined to get the van finished, a wee break in the weather and I got the carpet in and the table leg socket fitted. Also fitted some turnbuckles, a pack of twenty for a fiver off eBay. They’re marketed as birdcage door catches!
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Squiffy

Squiffy

Forum Member
I may have mentioned this before, my insurance is with Saga, Ha ha to those that say Saga is only for old folk. However when I was looking for an insurance company to insure my pride and joy Saga gave me the cheapest quote on a self built van based on £40.000 but insisted on an engineers report before they would continue with the policy, they did not except the fact that it had been declared a "Motor caravan" by the DVLA. In my case I had all receipts from conception to completion of the van and all in it did physically cost me £38.000 to build this was a New XLWB van included. I then went to my local MOT station where the owner who happened to have engineering letters after his name, made out a report on the van and its build construction. He kindly did not charge me for this but I could guess that it could cost a fair amount if it was done in the terms of a business.
Even so if it had cost £200 or 300 over the last 6 years I've had peace of mind that God forbid that it went up in flames or was stolen and never recovered I would at least have been given my total cost back and I could start again. You do of course if you take this avenue have to have total confidence in your abilities in building a commercially viable vehicle that would stand the test of scrutiny by an independent engineer. Although I was lucky enough to afford to spend a truly large amount on this vehicle a commercially built vehicle with what this vehicle has installed is around the £65.000 mark when originally built. I suppose it is now worth in the region of £38-40.000 so all in all it pays to have an engineers report backed up by copious amounts of good quality photos, while building and once built. Phil
 
Red Dwarf

Red Dwarf

Forum Member
Now the ice cap has retreated and were just down to an odd nightly frost, I thought it time to get some work done on the van.
It’s been stood now for far too long, so got it off to the garage for a mot and a brake overhaul. Got the van home, my mate arrived last week and gave it a machine polish and got some graphics on. Going to pick up some bits and pieces of materials this weekend to finish off a few interior jobs and then it’s up the other half to make the much awaited cushions.
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Nabsim

Nabsim

Forum Member
Totally unrelated to your van but we watched three hares chasing each other round a field this morning, seemed it is a good omen 👍
 
Red Dwarf

Red Dwarf

Forum Member
It’s been a long time in the making, very close now. Thanks for the encouraging words folks.

There’s some ancient thing about three hares being a fertility rite or ritual, the Tinners Hares... if you suddenly get the urge, you can blame the hares!
 
Red Dwarf

Red Dwarf

Forum Member
The loose spring u bolts were a result of fitting new springs and my neighbours son not tightening them up fully when he fit them... or maybe they bedded in on the nineteen mile drive over the bumpy single track to the mot station!

I got four new callipers fitted for good measure, but the brakes are a bit spongy, so going back to the garage for a bleed through next week. I’ll tax it from June 1st, yay!
 

wildebus

Forum Member
I wouldn't be surprised the bolts needed a tighten after a a new install and a bit of bumping as springs settle :)

Something of possible interest and comes up depending on familiarity of sprinters at MOT garage is the amount of play on front suspension/bushes/'something' that is a fail on most vans but ok on a Sprinter as that is the design (there is a "special note to MOT Testers" issued that I used to have printed out ready in case it was flagged up.
 
Red Dwarf

Red Dwarf

Forum Member
The spongy brakes (after the new callipers had been fitted) turned out to be the front pads, they’d gone slightly banana shaped. New pads fitted, now stops on a sixpence.
 

Sprinter 1 cup

Forum Member
wildebus said:
I wouldn't be surprised the bolts needed a tighten after a a new install and a bit of bumping as springs settle :)

Something of possible interest and comes up depending on familiarity of sprinters at MOT garage is the amount of play on front suspension/bushes/'something' that is a fail on most vans but ok on a Sprinter as that is the design (there is a "special note to MOT Testers" issued that I used to have printed out ready in case it was flagged up.
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Yes mot this year on sprinter and they put a advisory, But should of they on bushes ?. Or are they just adding more notes to vehicle's to say they done an inspection !.
 
Red Dwarf

Red Dwarf

Forum Member
Just back from the first road trip of any significance. Did around fifteen hundred miles, taking in Edinburgh, north Lancashire, Newbury, Thames valley, Ely, North Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.

I fitted an outrageously expensive Dometic compressor fridge during the build and this was its first real test. With two fairly cheap 120ah batteries and 2x 100w solar panels, it worked a treat. Turning to its coldest setting while driving and then easing the thermostat up a bit once stopped, there was no time when we were without sufficient power. (The hab batteries are also charged from the engine while running).

A day before heading home northwards, the van developed an intermittent starting fault. Now sorted (I hope), appears to have been caused by a decaying engine earth strap. The only other downer was the original Merc CD/radio head unit finally died. It had been throwing the odd tantrum prior to the trip. Sorted that with a converter panel to take a standard single din unit.

Only problem now is finding the time to get away again. This retirement malarkey, I have come to understand, doesn't mean you have free time!

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