Lancaster Insurance

Perhaps you ought to quietly point this out with a copy to the ASA?

In message , Neil Paxman writes

I also have a hardtop and sent off some piccys and all seems well. Mine does have those funny long windows with the rounded corners let into the sides of my hard top though................

You should write to the letters page in Land Rover Monthly. Insurance companies are getting scandalous.

I added soundproofing to my Series 3 and Sureterm Direct cancelled my insurance. They said it was an unacceptable modification to add soundproofing underneath the seats.

I am with Graham Sykes and at the moment I have had no problems. However, we shall see if my Africa trip for four months causes any problems.

Andy

Thats nuts! They didn't bat an eye lid at a near on 200 bhp 4.2 Jag lump and three speed auto conversion in my IIa .... then again it doesn't have sound proofing either.

Lee D

In article , Neil Paxman writes

NFU Mutual works for Marge. And they're not expensive either...

Regards,

Simonm.

On or around Thu, 18 Aug 2005 11:05:28 GMT, SpamTrapSeeSig enlightened us thusly:

Series III hardtop is listed as "van" with them, too - mine is.

FWIW they wouldn't touch my modified Discovery at all.

P.

It seems to me that all these stories of insurance do not show any consistancy, it looks very random to me.

I guess to some extent they are trying to compute an overall picture of risk, so that for some a big engine mod is not going to put them into the boy racer category, but for others that is more likely.

I had mine with lancaster, and im pretty sure that the photos i sent them were of it sporting a hardtop. It has side windows in though if that makes a difference to them?

Yup

Having had a 'conversation with a telesales clone yesterday, it appears that the absence of 'windows' whether they are proper windows or those dinky little window lights set into the roof is the reason I now drive a Van not a hardtop.

Result, insurance 45 quid dearer,

Nice scam Lancaster. The clone even had the cheek to say "there weren't many of your type made..." Lets see, Land Rover Series 3 hardtop... mmmm, about fifty thousand?

Thanks for all the comments guys

so Paul S. Brown was, like...

Funnily enough, I went into a branch of NFU the other day (not my local one) to ask if they would accept a Disco with modifications. The basic answer, once you had untangled all the wherefores and hereinafters, was - no chance, unless you already do a lot of business with us, in which case we might do it as a favour to a big customer. I'm going to try my local office - as others have said, it's all a bit random. I have a feeling that Saga won't wear the intercooler and chip I've just had done.

i'm in a self built motorhome club, and members have had problems being allowed onto campsites if their van's don't have side windows (some deliberately don't want side windows, they have roof windows, but want it to be a stealth camper... i.e. look like a panel van to the general public)

Their solution.... get some black vinyl stickers made up in the shape of windows, they got that magnetic backing on them, and when they come to a camp site, they stop just down the road, and plonk the fake windows on the side of the van,

Maybe you could do something like that, send in new photo's, with some fake 'heavily tinted' windows on the back section.

so CampinGazz was, like...

Wouldn't work on a Landy with ally panels, but great idea.

Until you have an accident, having left the "windows" at home, and the assessor clocks that it is really a van. Then you have misinformed them, and they have the right not to pay out, and you're driving uninsured. Great idea to fool campsite operators, but I'd be more cautious with insurers.

BTW, what's the deal with "driving whilst uninsured" these days? When I learned to drive back in 1970, I was taught that it was about the worst thing you could do. What if you mowed down a bus-queue of pregnant women who were the sole supporters of large families, etc. More important that a current MoT, for instance. Now it seems to be an optional extra. I read in the local paper of people caught with no licence, insurance and so on - the usual penalty seems to be a small fine and a 6-month ban for someone who can't legally drive anyway.

Sorry to ramble - too much Tia Maria for this time of night.

Allow me to reassure you that there are no ambiguities so far as sentence is concerned here in 't Norf. If it's clear cut, it's passed to Crown Court who can dosh out longer than 6 months in custody - and do so, on a happily regular basis.

so Mother"

On or around Tue, 23 Aug 2005 22:21:58 +0100, "Richard Brookman" enlightened us thusly:

I don't think "campervan" implies any particular configuration of windows. You are required to have things like sinks and cookers, I believe.

And a fixed bed AFAIK.

Steve

Ask Lee_d, as his 101 is an 'official' motorcaravan now, as he had to do it for his MOT. (The place i took mine to keep letting me off as its fairly obvious i'm working on it!)

I don't think a bed is necessary - just the 'fixed' sink and cooker.

most 'proper' camper vans don't have a fixed bed - on some they are in an extendable roof section.

Mine's been classed (on the V5) as a motorhome for a good few years. Didn't have to prove anything, just told DVLA it's a motorhome, new V5 returned.

Technically you do need a 'fixed' sink and cooker - mine is built into a fixed, yet removable kitchen unit - which is also fine. No requirements for a bed but I _do_ seem to recall something about side and back windows, and even some kind of size specification for same.