Chatelier Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 What a great Forum! Can I start my postings with a question? Has anybody got experience in leaving a (not bought yet!!!) Motorhome on a Season-Pitch (I am not sure if this is the right term?) abroad. We would take it there in Spring, visit it several times and bring it back in September. We would also let friends and family borrow it. Any advice appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Chatelier - 2009-09-23 12:02 PM What a great Forum! Can I start my postings with a question? Has anybody got experience in leaving a (not bought yet!!!) Motorhome on a Season-Pitch (I am not sure if this is the right term?) abroad. We would take it there in Spring, visit it several times and bring it back in September. We would also let friends and family borrow it. Any advice appreciated! Yes, buy a caravan! :-D Plus welcome to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porky Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 I doubt very much that you will be able to find an insurance company (underwriters) who will permit you to leave your van unattended. If you do find one please let us all know as there are an awful lot of people who would like to leave their van in a secure place for a few weeks on an extended trip just to return to the UK for a short time. You can put it in a locked garage and they still will not agree to it. So good luck and we look forward to hearing how you get on Roy Fuller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmcclin Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 JudgeMental - 2009-09-23 12:43 PM Chatelier - 2009-09-23 12:02 PM What a great Forum! Can I start my postings with a question? Has anybody got experience in leaving a (not bought yet!!!) Motorhome on a Season-Pitch (I am not sure if this is the right term?) abroad. We would take it there in Spring, visit it several times and bring it back in September. We would also let friends and family borrow it. Any advice appreciated! Yes, buy a caravan! :-D Plus welcome to the forum! Good one :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Hi Chatelier and welcome to the nut house! This is a problem that has been discussed before and, as others have already said, no solution was found. Some insurance companies may let you leave it there but I don't think they'd give you much cover worth having if they did. If you do intend to drive it around, and hence why you want a motorhome, then you will probably not be able to get insurance especially if you intend to let others drive it too ... I can feel a really BIG insurance fee coming on if you can find a company willing to take the risk!!!! As JudgeMental has said (rather flippant for you M'Lud, someone ruffled your wig? :D), if you intend to leave it on a seasonal pitch, assuming you mean it will be there all the time, including when you/others are actually using it, you might as well have a caravan and the insurance situation for leaving one abroad may be different. Sorry not to be more positive. :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonB Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Also, if your motorhome is over 3500kg it will cost around £200 HGV charges for a six month period, at curent exchange rates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 RonB - 2009-09-23 8:37 PM Also, if your motorhome is over 3500kg it will cost around £200 HGV charges for a six month period, at curent exchange rates. Sorry, could you explain what you mean about £200 HGV charges ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olley Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Hi technically you are supposed to pay daily road charges whether or not you are actually on the road, ie. parked in a campsite. But no one to my knowledge has ever been done for it. Whether the Swiss police turn a blind eye, or are themselves unaware of the exact wording of the law I don't know, but I would imagine thousands of motorhomes over 3500kg only put the days they actually travel on the form. Olley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonB Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Big Momma On vehicles under 3500kg you pay road toll charges if you use toll roads. On vehicles over 3500kg you pay a general heavy vehicle tax applicable to all roads. As Olley says both apply whether you are on the road or not. You are not even permitted to cross the border into Switzerland with a heavy vehicle without first contacting the Swiss customs, by phone if no border post exists, so I would imaging the fine is pretty steep if you get caught avoiding the charge. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
passionwagon Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 olley - 2009-09-24 11:21 AM Hi technically you are supposed to pay daily road charges whether or not you are actually on the road, ie. parked in a campsite. But no one to my knowledge has ever been done for it. Whether the Swiss police turn a blind eye, or are themselves unaware of the exact wording of the law I don't know, but I would imagine thousands of motorhomes over 3500kg only put the days they actually travel on the form. Olley 8-) Not so-the vehicle has to have the appropriate vignette when on the road. If on a site or a garden there is no fee. The fees are very clear. Upto 3500kg you pay an annual fee (expiring in the following February) at border or garages before the border (in Germany for example). Over 3500kg you have choice to either take out a period vignette 1,3,6,12months OR a 10 day vignette where you cancel the days when travelling. For over 3500kg this can be a saving. Remeber the vignette is needed on motorways and A class roads. If diverted off rural roads onto one of these the vignette has to be in place. Incidentally do not try to cheat by using a under 3500kg vignette. The Swiss police are very aware of this and will hit you hard. As the man said buy a caravan and remember it too requires the annual vignette as well as the car.Pip pip *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chatelier Posted September 25, 2009 Author Share Posted September 25, 2009 Mmmh, sounds rather complicated, we have travelled with our old Motorhome (Rapido low profile) in Switzerland in 2002 and simply bought a "Vignette" on the border (which cost 40 Sfr) to cover us for the motorways. It might have changed since then and I will inquire into it, I will also ring around the various insurances. Regards the suggestion of having a Caravan: Good idea, but husband not enthusiastic!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonB Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Sorry Passionwagen but you've got it wrong. First, the vignette system has nothing to do with vehicles over 3500kg, for the heavier vehicle you need a permit. Second, the over 3500kg charge is a HGV charge whether on the road or not. I agree that this can get a bit complicated. Have a look on the Motorhomefacts web site under the the forum on Swiss Touring and "Swiss Toll Road Charges-Amended" for the full SP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olley Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Hi this is copied from the official Swiss road toll leaflet: Vehicles over 3500kg (The vignette system does not apply-but see towed vehicles below) This charge is not a toll but a general heavy vehicle tax and applies to all Swiss roads. You will be asked to park up at the border control and take your V5 vehicle documents to the adjoining customs office here you fill in a simple declaration form (permit 15.91) stating how long the vehicle will be in Switzerland, used on the roads or not, and you will be charged on that basis. Note it says "used on the roads or not" Olley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
passionwagon Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 RonB - 2009-09-25 12:29 PM Sorry Passionwagen but you've got it wrong. First, the vignette system has nothing to do with vehicles over 3500kg, for the heavier vehicle you need a permit. Second, the over 3500kg charge is a HGV charge whether on the road or not. I agree that this can get a bit complicated. Have a look on the Motorhomefacts web site under the the forum on Swiss Touring and "Swiss Toll Road Charges-Amended" for the full SP. >:-) OK so I called it a vignette which is french for 'licence plate sticker' in any case my description of the two Swiss road charges is correct. Please try to accept help for others and not be so clever. Why do people on these forums try to score points. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonB Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Passionwagen Helping others is just what I was trying to do after you wrongly criticized Olley's statement and confused the issue. Nor was I criticizing your use of the word 'vignette' but only that it did not apply to vehicles over 3500kg. This is not being clever, it's trying to help the original poster and others reading the thread who might be getting confused by the conflicting answers. If you can't bear having your statements corrected then I suggest that you don't make them, because we all get it wrong sometimes and then just have to put our hands up and admit to the fact rather than start a paper fight. For my part I'm sorry if I upset you by my answer - let's call it quits. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 It really doesn't matter who says what, provided the questioner gets the answer in whatever form he or she can understand. We don't seek brownie points, just facts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonB Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 If someone posts incorrect advice which if followed could lead others into incurring a hefty fine then that advice needs correcting. That's not point scoring, it's getting the facts right - to everyone's advantage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 http://www.ezv.admin.ch/zollinfo_privat/informationen/02262/02263/index.html?lang=en Maybe those who are interested you will find above link/site helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chatelier Posted September 28, 2009 Author Share Posted September 28, 2009 You are absolutely right, it's impossible to find an insurance which allows you to leave your Motorhome unattended abroad! Back to the drawing board, it might have to be a caravan after all. Thanks for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Chatelier - 2009-09-28 2:46 PM You are absolutely right, it's impossible to find an insurance which allows you to leave your Motorhome unattended abroad! Back to the drawing board, it might have to be a caravan after all. Thanks for your help! A rethink seems sensible. The motorhome is a high value item with heavy depreciation to be left doing nothing for much of the time. A caravan seems like a much better bet for this type of use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 olley - 2009-09-25 3:56 PM Hi this is copied from the official Swiss road toll leaflet: Vehicles over 3500kg (The vignette system does not apply-but see towed vehicles below) This charge is not a toll but a general heavy vehicle tax and applies to all Swiss roads. You will be asked to park up at the border control and take your V5 vehicle documents to the adjoining customs office here you fill in a simple declaration form (permit 15.91) stating how long the vehicle will be in Switzerland, used on the roads or not, and you will be charged on that basis. Note it says "used on the roads or not" Olley My Swift Kontiki is 3850 Kg. One of our favourites sites in Switzerland is Camping Du Vidy which is situated right on the banks of Lake Geneva at Lausanne. On the 2 occasions we have crossed (From both Germany and France) we parked up at the Border with relevant paperwork which we handed to the officials. On both occasions we were issued with a Vignette valid for 12 months. Appears the Swiss do not know, or comply, with their own rules (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.