Indepndent Evaluation

[narrative_escapes]

I am buying a camper van from a professional converter (the usual deal, they purchased the new T6 and converted and then it was on the forecourt for me to buy).

I am looking into agreed value insurance but it seems to have gone from just provide is pictures to needing an independent evaluation (and then I assume it may come in somewhere between the van price and the price I paid due to the mark-up on these conversions)?

Anyone done this under these circumstances?
Anyone know an evaluator?

I also feel I'm a bit stuck as I sort of have to have the insurance before they decide what agreed value they agree with (as I need to collect it and drive it home).

 

[JasonW]

Sorry to hear your predicament....

I'm finding insurance to be awkward as well... Initially as mine is a panel van and the conversion not yet taken place they are happy to insure on that basis, but when i said it was being converted into a motor home shortly, they weren't sure they could insure it... and told me to ring customer services but still took my initial payment for insurance cover as a panel van..

If it has been registered by the converter with the DVLA as a 'panel van with windows' then you may struggle to get a higher level of 'motor home' insurance cover...

Realistically, I think the best i can hope for is to list the modifications carried out during the conversion and try and get insurance cover somewhere in between.

In your case I think i would take it to a couple of caravan / motor home sales centers and ask for a valuation as if they were going to purchase it from you... get 2 or 3 prices in writing and hope thats enough for your insurance company... But either way it sounds like you will have to drive around in it for a while with a lower level of insurance cover than the money you've paid for it....

 

[narrative_escapes]

It was more difficult than I appreciated. Ultimately it came down to two choices.

Safeguard - who even kept their old for new rule despite it being a conversion as they work with a range of dealers and mine is one of them. I asked all the questions in multiple ways and they insisted they would get a new transporter and put it through the conversion process with the dealer if within the new for old rule.

A-plan who insure modified vehicles so they accept that they have insured a van that is modified as a campervan.

Then I have also found a company whose name I forget here that will provide gap insurance to invoice as long as the van is bought as a concertion from a VAT registered dealer and the invoice reflects this.

For various reasons I had to go with A-plan and the Gap insurance.

But Safeguard seemed very good. But not useful to you.

A-plan would be though I believe.

As for it all being reliant on what's with the DVLA - we better hope not because they're being very strict on the typical poptop roof concertion and literally no one is getting away with it currently.