Demand for motorhome conversions has hit a 29% high this year, January to May 2022, up from a steady average of 17% across 2019-2021, as airport and ferry chaos drives another summer of staycations.
Motorhome insurance comparison expert, Quotezone.co.uk, warns of potential issues renovators need to look out for.
Conversions – changing another type of vehicle into a motorhome – need to be updated with the DVLA for police identification purposes, and must comply with the internal and external check list of what a motorhome should look like.
When officially converting a vehicle to a motorhome (motorcaravan), renovators need to include four permanent internal fixtures: sleeping accommodation, seats and table, cooking and storage facilities – updating the V5C form and providing photographic evidence of the changes when complete.
Other, more cosmetic changes such as alloy wheels, new fitted kitchen, design or branding, are classified as modifications and need to be updated with the insurance provider, to ensure the policy is accurate and doesn’t run the risk of being declared void.
Greg Wilson, Founder of Quotezone.co.uk, comments: “There was an understandable boom in motorhomes across the pandemic when foreign holidays were restricted, with families exploring staycations and investing in motorhome for sale. Our latest data shows that this trend is continuing, with 29% of our customers in the process or just finished converting their vehicles into motorhomes in order to enjoy a staycation closer to home.
”Of course, with logistical issues at many airports across the country, many of the households that bought or converted their motorhomes within the past two years may also being thinking about making their own changes, with renovations or upgrades to their motorhome possibly on the cards.
“We’d just advise motorhome and campervan enthusiasts, who might not know they need to declare any current or previous renovations, to contact their insurance provider. They may also be unsure what counts as a conversion and what’s simply a modification.
“It’s worth noting that some changes, such as engine remapping and LPG conversions, often have no effect on insurance premiums, others such as alloy wheels might have a minimal price rise due to the increased value of the vehicle – but we’d still recommend that motorhome owners advise insurers of these changes.”
Quotezone.co.uk compares quotes from over 110 UK car insurance providers, helping over 3 million users find a more competitive deal each year on everything motoring, such as car insurance, converted motorhome insurance, campervan insurance and caravan insurance.