Buying and insuring a car/van in France for use there and in UK

hi there this is my first post , having been prompted to sign up whilst doing some browsing on the above topic,

my interest is in buying a van in france to take back to england where it will be converted into a camper and then used regularly in both countries . Obviously one needs to be well informed to take on this venture and weigh up the advantages and problems one could encounter.

for me the fact that road tax is not payable and the MOT equivalent the CT, only needs to be done every two years is a worthwhile incentive to balance out the expected higher purchase costs

the area where I am less clued up is around insuring the van for use by myself amd wife in both countries. Are costs comparable to the UK? will our no claims histories be considered by the french insurers who wel presume would be the only option for finding cover.

another advantage would be the availability of vans in the 10 year age bracket not suffering the same corrosion problems those on the UK roads seem to always succumb to. There seems also seems to be a good choice for consideration on the boncoin site. I also would assume the sellers are a bit more easy to deal with that the shady dealing one is obliged to risk through some the uk selling sites!

anyway I would be grateful for any help in these areas from people who have more direct experience of keeping a vehicle on the french roads and pleased the possibility exists through these forums

martin A

There is one important question here; which country are you resident in?

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I am not sure converting it in the UK would necessarily make for simple paperwork, wouldn’t you be better off having it converted in France if it is to have a CT? David’s question being the paramount one, of course.

I have houses in both countries and I do not see that a problem especially as my wife has Irish nationality and could be the registered keeper

do interior modifications need need to be updated for the carte grise. Again the work can be done in both countries

You don’t see it as a problem but it probably will be. I presume that you are a U.K. resident and the law about U.K. residents using foreign registered vehicles in the U.K. is fairly straightforward.
Converting a French van into a camping car is another thing entirely and no less complicated, the Carte Grise will have to be changed to reflect the change of use and that is far from straightforward.

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yes it does seem that the actual legalities are set out at the top of this discussion

so while the fact is a disappointment its good to know now rather than when its too late, at least i have the high purchase coats in france as sour grapes

so thanks for the helpful replies

martin

Hello Martin and Welcome to the Forum

Please amend your Registration to show your Full Name… as per our T&C’s.

If you are not sure how to do this… simply put your full name here on this thread and I will amend your Registration for you.

cheers

done as requested

only too happy to comply with your terms and conditions but isn’t the once harmless action of revealing ones actual name, and possibly a location, asking for trouble these days

Nationality isn’t the problem, residence is.

yet we trust these details, and more, to complete strangers whenever we shop on line, pay by cheque (OK, rare these days), ask for something to be delivered, opt for a store loyalty card, join Facebook or any of dozens of activities.

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A very significant factor that you haven’t mentioned, is the relative ease of getting a DIY camper conversion registered in the first place.
As far as I know DVLA aren’t very interested and you might even get away with leaving it registered as an ordinary van.
France has very tight regulations for motorhomes. Everything has to be done to French normes, from the gas installations to the seats to the internal layout to the weight calculations. Leaving it registered as a van or car when it’s been converted to a camper, isn’t an option.
This explains the dossier you would need to put together to apply to change the registration category in France

That was what I meant by my first question - I can see it being very complicated getting a foreign ad hoc conversion of an originally French vehicle accepted in France.

yes everything points to getting a uk vehicle, and if the french are using higher quality specs on their conversions, check them out to incorporate the improvements into ones design thinking

I think its fair to point out however, the old adage "the road to hell is paved with good intentions " which I mention having dutifully complied with the french house wiring regulations, in one’s own property, only to see the lack of uptake of those regs in shops and supermarkets .

quote=“earlsgate, post:13, topic:23141, full:true”]
I think its fair to point out however, the old adage "the road to hell is paved with good intentions " which I mention having dutifully complied with the french house wiring regulations, in one’s own property, only to see the lack of uptake of those regs in shops and supermarkets .
[/quote]

? How are shops and supermarkets not complying with legislation any skin off your nose?