We are selling our house in the UK and are about to part exchange our camper van for a LHD Dethleffs motorhome with UK registration plates. The camper van is insured with SAGA but they will not cover the motorhome because the speedometer only shows Km, not mph. When we get to France we intend to go through the process to register the vehicle in France and then get French insurance. The problem is trying to get insurance to cover us while we are still resident in the UK, but then to cover for an overlap (grace period?) while we actually move house and sort out the French insurance. We will not be keeping a house here and do not intend to come back to the uk, therefore will lose our uk residency. The companies I’ve tried so far don’t insure unless you are a UK resident. Any ideas?
Hi,
Bit of a late reply-we full-timed in our Hymer in UK & France using Comfort Insurance & my son's UK address. Our LHD Hymer was originally imported into UK from Belgium. We finally got her French Registered (with good advice from SFN), cancelled Comfort, then just insured her through Credit Agricole's Pacifica Insurance & their English-speaking helpline. Pretty expensive...
Roger
Here we go again! Having complied with Saga’s requirements for insuring the Dethleffs motorhome in the UK, they have now just told me that I cannot have a grace period for when we drive to France. They previously told me that I could have 14 days to cover the journey to France and to sort out registration and insurance in France. Apparently there was no note on my file to state this and the underwriters will not insure if not uk resident. Very frustrating!! Any suggestions please?
Thanks Elaine - We’ll be doing this with our 2nd vehicle, but need to drive the motorhome to get the dogs over there. Looks like it’ll be okay now with the overlay disc - just need to sort out paperwork needed to register it in France now.
Excellent news, Saga have agreed that I can use an overlay showing mph stuck directly to the speedo face plate. Just need to get the garage to arrange to do this before I pick it up. Phew!
How about a car delvery company to transport your vehicle to France on a low loader?
I did try Stuart Collins but was told they didn’t insure the make/model I am buying.
Thank you, my Dad has also just suggested doing this - I’ll certainly see if it’s possible.
Try Stuart Collins...
Friends of mine imported a year old LHD motor home into the UK. They had to get a FIAT dealer to put a sticker on the speedometer (not on the plastic screen in front of it) displaying mph in addition to the km/h before they could register it. I’m sure you could get the opposite done to enable you to insure your van with SAGA. Then get it registered and insured in France as soon as you arrive.