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Hi Marc'...

Just my, very limited, "experience" on insurance...

A couple of years back, I looked at getting a minibus for use as  a general dayvan/camping-van.

But when chasing up what the insurance implications were, we found that initially it was going to be far from straight forwards.. 

When looking for cover(even to just to get it home), many wouldn't insure minibuses and those that would, were either a) very expensive or b) wouldn't insure above X amount of *seats.

(*when I told 'em I would unbolt  the "excess" seats, they then said that it'd no longer be "standard"- and it'd be different to what would be stated on the V5c - and therefore they wouldn't cover it anyway...).

I'm not saying it will be "uninsurable" but just be prepared for some degree of faff..

So, if it could be delivered or driven back by someone with the appropriate insurance, all the better.

Obviously once it's home you can "modify" it, get the V5c altered (be it to "windowed van" (?) or "motor caravan") and them get it insured accordingly

It'd be worth joining here:  http://sbmcc.co.uk/forum/  

Me again.....

Just re-reading Marc's opening post..

Marc'..If looking to seat 6 for travelling (4 in the back, on existing belted seats?), sleep 4 inside AND, Quote: " ..add dining table and seats, beds, cooker, sink and fridge from a caravan: ", then presumably it's going to need to be coachbuilt midi-coach/mobility bus size..? 

But if it's just a "van" you're looking at, could you not manage with just 2 sleeping inside and just use a quick erect awning and/or pop up tents? As for the kitchen-cooker-sink lark, rather than fiddling things to fit existing caravan cupboards(which you'll have to mess about with anyway), could you not just adapt/knock-up a lift out/detachable cupboard unit, that although could be used on-board at a push, is really better sited in an awning? 

eg:   http://www.campervanlife.com/removable-kitchen-unit-help

http://westcountryconversions.com/accessories/removable-kitchen-unit/

(it probably wouldn't meet  dvla's  "motor caravan" criteria...but as you're looking at a "Day van" , do you really want it to be fully fitted out with  furniture?...)

Hi Marc..

I see now, it's 2 adults and 2 kiddies

(It thought it'd be a bit "snug" sleeping 4 adults! )

I understand the  reasoning behind using a donor-caravan but it's just that, as you were talking "Dayvan" and were also needing to be retain 3-4 belted seats in the back, whereabouts are you going to be able to mount all this "furniture"?

The transverse-rear double bed,with storage beneath(like that ebay van), is "currently" my preferred layout for a van but if you're looking to also retain (remount?) two pairs of the belted bus seats, I think that there will be very little room left to mount  a caravan kitchen-cooker-sink-fridge cupboard arrangement.     

That was my reasoning behind posting those links to smaller and simpler  "removable" cupboard designs.

Maybe I'm just getting side tracked by the "Dayvan" element..?  

(Years ago, some friends of ours started stripping a caravan and although it looked a tidy unit, with everything supposedly working, when properly checked the appliances turned out to be all but scrap and the cupboards split/fell to bits and needed so much rebuilding and altering, they may as well have made them from scratch )

If hell bent on using second-hand caravan stuff, rather than a complete van, I'd maybe look at a caravan breakers and just buy the few bits you actually need?..

That way, you're not spending your time stripping it down, nor are you knee deep in scrap!

Quote: Originally posted by Billy x on 10/3/2015

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Somewhere on the Dvla website there is a 'definition' of a campervan. Perhaps somebody can link to it? If you can convert van to conform with this definition then it can be changed from a minibus to a campervan & insurance should be easier & cheaper. I think thats how it works. I'm sure somebody who has home converted a van to campervan can confirm this?

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