Hi, I'm new to the site and not sure how it all works but here goes... I brought a very old caravan out to France with me and it is currently parked on my own land. It is still covered by an insurance policy I took out in the UK but that will expire in a couple of months. I was told yesterday that caravans (and trailers over a certain size) must be registered in their own right, ie they should have a carte gris, and should have their own insurance. Does anyone know if this is correct and, if so, what this insurance is likely to cost. My old caravan only cost £900 about 3 years ago so isn't really worth much at all.
No that’s the point. If you want to tow it with a French registered car you have to have a French immatriculation for the caravan, its own registration not that of your car.
We moved to the Pyrenees in January and decided the weather was too poor to make the journey with the caravan. Now we are regretting it as we are stuck with the car re registered here and the caravan in England.
It’s too expensive to bring it here on a flat-bed.
Yes that is correct. Visit http://www.carte-grise.org/mode-emploi-carte-grise-caravane.php . In other words you have to go through the same process as for a vehicle except it does not need and MOT (control technique) because it has no engine. In order to immatriculate it you will have to get as many details as you can for the manufacturer about its construction - all the relevant part numbers, detailed drawings etc. We have been through the process with a trailer which was not a recognised make. It is a bit of minefield and can be expensive (€300+?) if you have to get others to do it for you. Unless you are thinking of towing it I would keep quiet about having it and do not move it.
Also check out with your French insurer, just in case... Why not put it here for sale for "pieces"? Count the hassle, the costs! Is it worth it. Kids prefer cash today ;-)...
If the caravan belongs to my daughter can I put her UK reg plate on it and tow it back to the UK using my french reg car?
Hi Gillian, its possible to tow a trailer with UK reg if the trailer is insured. e.g. I rent sometimes a French registered trailer to tow a boat (up to 3000 kg) but have German registration. The company which is renting the trailer has given me in writing that in case of accident their insurance covers damages. But friends wanted to register their caravan and it was turning out a nightmare with all those confirmations for gas etc... If you have such old caravan it may not worse it to go through it. After all, caravans are pretty cheap here in France.
ok thanks.
You’ll have to do that before you change the immatriculation on your car. We have just discovered that the incompatibility of the two systems will cause us lots of problems. We have changed the car to French plates and now can’t tow our British caravan to get it over here.
Thanks for that. The fact sheet makes things very clear. I think I'll be taking the caravan back to the UK to give to my daughter - it will be easier! :-)
So that you can start asking questions relevant to your particular case perhaps it may be useful to read this fact sheet:-
http://paris.angloinfo.com/information/transport/vehicle-ownership/importing-a-caravan/