Buying Insurance for Campervan Conversions – Everything You Need to Know

While many people prefer to buy a ready-made campervan, there’s still a huge number of enthusiasts who convert a van themselves – either because it’s cheaper, they enjoy the work involved, or they already own a van and fancy a change.

While there are plenty of resources out there to help you get started with the actual work of converting it, you also need to think about legally driving it – including looking at specific insurance for campervan conversions.

In this guide, we’ll take you through everything you need to know about buying insurance for campervan conversions, so that you can make sure you’re legally covered and that you get the best deal.

Do You Have to Declare a Camper Conversion?

You do have to declare any changes you make to your van if you’re converting it into a camper, but you don’t need to legally re-register its body type as a campervan unless you’ve added obvious features that change the appearance from the outside.

This is important because it can make a significant difference to the cost of your insurance policy – although it depends on your provider.

https://www.gov.uk/contact-the-dvla

Body Type Vs. Modifications

Every vehicle is registered with a body type, which you’ll find on your V5C form. The DVLA classifies all campervans as a “motor caravan”, but if you’ve just bought a van, it will be given a different classification.

The DVLA once made you re-register the vehicle to confirm it as a motor caravan if you converted it, but then changed the rules.

Now, the only deciding factor on whether you need to register your campervan as a motor caravan is if it looks like one from the outside. This is important because it means police can easily identify it on the road while running checks on your license plate, if needed.

So, if your conversion has added an awning and a pop-top roof, you’re going to need to re-register it as a motor caravan. But if you’ve only changed the interior, then you don’t need to.

That deals with body type, and the DVLA. But your insurers are another matter.

You might not need to tell them that it’s officially considered a motor caravan, but you do have to disclose to your insurer that you’ve converted it, and you need to list all the changes you’ve made. These are called modifications.

Regardless of the vehicle and what you do to it, you need to register all modifications with your insurer when you take out or renew a policy.

That way, they can determine whether your changes impact your premium – do they make it more appealing to thieves, or less secure, or more expensive to replace if something happens to it?

In short:

• You only have to tell the DVLA that you’ve converted a van into a campervan if you change the appearance from the outside
• You DO need to tell your insurer about your conversion and list the modifications you’ve made.

What Factors Influence Campervan Insurance Costs?

You’ll know the typical factors that influence regular vehicle insurance. These apply to all drivers and can either increase or decrease a premium. They include:

• The model of your van
• How old the van is
• Any previous incidents or claims made on that vehicle
• Where you store your van
• How many drivers
• Your age
• Where you live
• Any no claims bonus

Those all still apply when you’re insuring a campervan, but then there are additional factors that must also be considered.

These include:

• Mileage – are you using the campervan as your daily runner as well as for camping trips? If so, how far do you expect to travel when you are camping?
• Structural modifications – have you made any changes to the car’s body that could weaken it, especially if done as a DIY project – such as cutting the roof to add a pop-top?
• Contents – what furniture/accessories have you added to the van as part of the conversion? Are they left inside the campervan, or only added when you are going camping?
• Any additional security features you’ve added

It’s a substantial list, but it doesn’t mean that insurance for campervan conversions has to be a scary price. There are ways that you can make sure your insurance costs are manageable.

How to Get the Best Insurance Prices for a Campervan Conversion

There are some ways that you can help to keep your insurance prices for your campervan conversion down.

Choose the right van

The first step to keeping your costs low is to choose the best van for a camper conversion. You’ll want to make sure it’s big enough and comfortable enough for your camping style, but also consider the engine size and budget.

The larger the engine, and the more expensive the van, the higher your insurance costs. Also, you’ll want a van that is easy enough to repair – buying an obscure model won’t help and can make insurance costs go up.

Don’t overextend yourself

One of the biggest potential causes of an insurance hike on a campervan conversion is amateur work which damages the structure of the vehicle. If you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t try to make big changes to the bodywork yourself.

The chances of you damaging your van are pretty high, and once you do that, you’ll have to either admit the damage on your policy or invalidate your policy if you don’t tell them.

If you’re experienced in working with cars and vans then absolutely do whatever you want, since you’ll be able to do it to a professional standard.

Otherwise, stick to converting the inside of the campervan yourself, and leave the bodywork to the pros.

For self built conversions, it is important to get specialist self build campervan insurance which ensures you have the right coverage for all your custom modifications and additions.

Hide valuables

If you plan on leaving valuable items inside the campervan – such as a TV – then make sure you hide them as best as you can. This might mean removing them from the van completely when you aren’t camping, or just moving them out of sight.

Obviously with a wall-mounted TV you may want to leave it installed, but then add curtains or blinds to the windows. Anything you can list as a modification that shows you aren’t displaying valuable items that could encourage a break-in can help lower premiums.

Store the campervan safely

Another big part of security is making sure you store your campervan safely. If you use it as your everyday vehicle, then you don’t have much choice – you’ll be limited by whatever garage/driveway space you have.

But if you don’t intend to use your campervan often, and you don’t have a secure parking spot for it, consider hiring one. If you can find a nearby secure garage, the cost of hiring it long-term might be outweighed by the savings on your insurance quotes.

Be honest

This doesn’t really lower your insurance cost, but it’s an important tip all the same. Always be honest when you get an insurance quote.

You might think that manipulating the stats upfront is a good idea. But lying to save £30 a month now will be extremely costly if you have an accident in 9 months’ time and your insurer declares your policy invalid.

Use a specialist broker

When buying insurance for campervan conversions, you’ll want to use a specialist broker like us. Otherwise, if you go with a generic broker or insurance company, you might not get the right plan to cover your campervan, and you could be liable for additional costs if anything did happen.

We know the best insurance providers and work with them to get you the right insurance quote for your campervan conversion.

FAQs

Can you legally convert a van into a camper?

You can legally convert a van into a campervan, provided it remains roadworthy. If you’re doing any serious modifications to the body work, only attempt it yourself if you have experience working with cars. You don’t need to tell the DVLA that you’ve converted the van if you only make changes to the inside.

Do you have to tell insurance about van conversion?

You will need to tell your insurers that you’ve converted a van into a campervan, and you’ll need to declare any modifications you’ve made, including furniture you’ve added/seats you’ve permanently removed.

Do you need special insurance for a campervan?

You can insure a campervan with any insurer, but if you don’t choose a specialist then you probably won’t get the best deal. Using our broker services, we can help you to find the best quote for your campervan conversion.

Get an insurance quote for your campervan conversion now.