Converting a vehicle into a motorhome is not something that should be undertaken lightly, but if you know what you’re doing, and have the relevant experience then it does provide an unlimited amount of freedom and customisation options.
To self-convert a panel van or other vehicle into a motorhome you’ll not only need good automotive knowledge, but also some experience of plumbing, electrics, furniture and cabinet building for fitting the interior. It’s something that should really only be taken on by someone very confident of their abilities, or under the supervision and advice of a professional motorhome converter.
If you have built a self-converted motorhome you need to get an insurance policy which fits your motorhome’s needs exactly, and also bear in mind that many specialist motorhome insurers will only cover professional motorhome conversions, and cannot provide cover for self-builds. There are insurers out there though, so shop around for a number of quotes, be honest with what you need, and ensure you get the best deal.
You may also need an “engineer’s report” and/or a “Gas Safety Check” in order to take out insurance cover with some insurers. A car garage may be able to produce an engineer’s report for you, whereas a Gas Safety check needs to be carried out by a registered “Gas Safe” engineer (the new accreditation which replaced ‘CORGI registered’).
The key to getting adequate insurance cover is assessing how much your motorhome is actually worth, so keeping a track of costs during the build stage is key to being covered once you’re on the road. Wherever possible keep receipts of parts and materials, and log how much parts add up to. One of the key principals of insurance is to put you back in the same position you were in before the loss, so having an accurate figure of how much it would cost to rebuild your motorhome is absolutely vital.
This also raises another issue however, the fact that only you know how much the motorhome cost to build and only you can build it again, there isn’t a supplier the insurer can use to buy you a new motorhome, so any settlement is likely to be in cash. It is for this reason that many self-build motorhomes will be insured on an ‘agreed value’ basis, meaning you and the insurer agrees a value for your motorhome prior to starting the insurance policy and your premium is based on this insured amount. In the event of a valid total loss, i.e. your motorhome is stolen or damaged beyond economic repair, you would receive a cash settlement for the total agreed value.
Don’t be tempted to underestimate the value of your motorhome in order to get cheaper insurance, because should the worst happen it is you that will be left out of pocket. This is why keeping an accurate track of how much your motorhome cost to make during building is vital, as it’s the only way to have an accurate figure of what your motorhomes value should be on your insurance documents.
Get a quote for self build motorhomes today.
