Tomored Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Having bought for the first time ever, Caravan Europe, a sites book sold by the Caravan Club. I read that you are supposed to take your registration document and your Mot certificate with you when you go abroad as well as your driving licence and insurance document. Well I never have, and am now considering myself rather lucky that I have never needed them. I have always taken my driving licence and insurance document and left it at that. My immediate thoughts are that if you take your registration document and mot with you as well, anyone stealing the motorcaravan has got all your paperwork. You are left with neither van or documents. In your van you have also probably got your return ferry tickets to Britain, so your van could be brought back here and sold, while you are still trying to explain to some foreign policeman that your van has been taken. How do others get over this problem, are photocopies allowed? I should be most interested to here what others think. When away everything that we have is stored in our vans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Take photocopies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knaus Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 I am sure you need the original documents. I usually photocopy all my documents twice. Leave one set at home and take the original and photocopies with me. I hide them in the van in separate places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Photocopies are not allowed it must be the originals. I must admit I just leave mine in the van & don't worry about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomored Posted March 6, 2010 Author Share Posted March 6, 2010 Knaus - 2010-03-06 2:57 PM I am sure you need the original documents. I usually photocopy all my documents twice. Leave one set at home and take the original and photocopies with me. I hide them in the van in separate places.What happens if the van gets pinched? :'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porky Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Tomored - 2010-03-06 3:04 PM Knaus - 2010-03-06 2:57 PM I am sure you need the original documents. I usually photocopy all my documents twice. Leave one set at home and take the original and photocopies with me. I hide them in the van in separate places. What happens if the van gets pinched? :'( I agree with the take originals and copies, with a copy at home suggestion. Have a tracker fitted, then if it does get pinched you know where it is. Then you have nothing to worry about and can get on with some serious enjoyment(lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 We were asked for our documents by the police in Germany last year and I gave them the copies, there was no problem and we were on our way within 5 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 You may get away with copies but it should be originals. If your van gets stolen it is the theft itself that is inconvenient and it makes no differance if the documents are in it or not. You can carry all your papers around with you but we never bother, just keep one credit/debit card and passports with us when the van is parked away from a site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Syd - 2010-03-06 4:07 PM We were asked for our documents by the police in Germany last year and I gave them the copies, there was no problem and we were on our way within 5 minutes.Well, yes, but..............The authorised version is that you are required to take the originals of all vehicle documents, including insurance certificate. How that is then interpreted in the various states, will depend on how that wish to interpret it. However, that just one German copper accepted your copies, I don't think establishes a precedent one could safely rely on in all the other 25 states.I just think you were lucky! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 We take the originals, that never leave our sides when we leave the van. Same goes with vehicle insurance certificate and copy of all the relevent phone numbers, i.e. credit card contact numbers, passports and EHIC card. In the van we have copies of all of these in case we get our "inhand stuff swiped. The van also has a tracker, has extra external locks and is alarmed. I can't think of any more precautions I could take so anything else is down to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, which is why we are insured with a reputable company rather than the cheapest quote. All that leaves me free to holiday without a care! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomored Posted March 6, 2010 Author Share Posted March 6, 2010 I take on board all that has been said, but it still throws me that you are not only expected to take your vehicle and all the papers that prove ownership into a situation where you could them all taken from you. The other strange thing, is that when you have to produce these documents for scrutiny, the policeman looking at them probably doesn't even know what he is looking at, just that he has asked for documents and you have given him some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monty the motorhome Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 As well as the original and a copywith us, plus a copy at home, we also have a small memory stick on our keyfob, which contains scanned copies of all important documentation (secure coded so others can't open it if lost) so we could at least print a copy if necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 To be fair though there's very little of this hobby that bears close "logical" scrutiny! We spend large amounts of, what is in our case, none regainable savings, on having our holidays in the back of a van! Admittedly it is a luxurious van, but a van none the less. We are closer to our "neighbours" than the length of our living room at home, rely on a limited water supply, having to "slop out" at least every other day, (a practice that is even removed from prison life now!) Have an electricity supply that is less reliable than that in many thrid world countries and as you have mentioned have all this relying on a couple of flimsyish locks and plastic windows! So the fact that all our paperwork could be stolen doesn't enter into the reckoning to any great degree I suppose. At least not in my case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 If I was so paranoid as to worry all the time I'm on holiday that my van and documents were going to get nicked I'd stay at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 I scan all important documents, including passports, dog passports, insurances etc, and place them onto 2 SD cards, hubby has one, and I have one. I also prepare a word document with details of our tunnel bookings, who we are, what dogs are with us, and who to contact in an emergency. Each of the SD cards has clearly marked on the case "read in an emergency" - hopefully it never will have to be! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 The ONLY original documentation i ever carry with me is my Driving licence and that's a credit card ! everything else is a photo-copy,originals available at home in the UK to be produced at MY nearest Police station if I am ever asked to do so. All through my driving life of 50years thats how it always has been. When did it change ? no one made it universally known. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knaus Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Peter I agree with you wholeheartedly. ~Why leave your own front door if you worry all the time. What will be will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Rayjsj - 2010-03-07 12:59 PM The ONLY original documentation i ever carry with me is my Driving licence and that's a credit card ! everything else is a photo-copy,originals available at home in the UK to be produced at MY nearest Police station if I am ever asked to do so. All through my driving life of 50years thats how it always has been. When did it change ? no one made it universally known. Ray That's fine in the UK but most other countries it is a legal requirement to have the original registration document with you in the vehicle. I had a car broken into in France some years ago the Police would not do anything until they had seen the registration document. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 peter - 2010-03-06 9:32 PM If I was so paranoid as to worry all the time I'm on holiday that my van and documents were going to get nicked I'd stay at home. Amen to that Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 lennyhb - 2010-03-07 1:25 PM I had a car broken into in France some years ago the Police would not do anything until they had seen the registration document. My motorhome registration is in two parts, one English one Welsh. I 'll stick the Welsh version in the Van, that should confuse the issue a bit !! Ray ;-) PS it's not the getting stolen, it's me Losing them that I'm worried about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Rayjsj - 2010-03-07 2:09 PM lennyhb - 2010-03-07 1:25 PM I had a car broken into in France some years ago the Police would not do anything until they had seen the registration document. My motorhome registration is in two parts, one English one Welsh. I 'll stick the Welsh version in the Van, that should confuse the issue a bit !! Ray ;-) PS it's not the getting stolen, it's me Losing them that I'm worried about. Made me chuckle but may backfire if you need their help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 I suppose you could tell the DVLA you have lost your original registration document and get them to send you another one to leave in your van ... :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 That's a good idea they will probably charge. Lets not all do it at once they might wonder why loads of motorhome owners have all lost their reg documents. (lol) (lol) (lol) (lol) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porky Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 If you take a colour copy (both sides as any original) unless you put the two side by side it is practically impossible to tell it is in fact a copy*-) Roy Fuller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herri Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 monty the motorhome - 2010-03-06 8:27 PM As well as the original and a copywith us, plus a copy at home, we also have a small memory stick on our keyfob, which contains scanned copies of all important documentation (secure coded so others can't open it if lost) so we could at least print a copy if necessary. Now that is a good idea (stick) (lol) Why didnt I think of that. Thanks Herri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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