'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.
