deegee Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 I am investigating every aspect of buying a new motorhome ready for purchase next month. I'm presently outside the UK as I spend a lot of time helping out in poorer countries. I am told by insurers that I've approached that they will only insure full time UK residents. I am an Englishman, British born, have a British passport, hold a full British driving License, have a UK address, but because I am not PHYSICALLY present all year, I am refused insurance. I don't get the connection. Can anyone advise me where to go? And what do full-timers do or those who spend a lot of time outside the UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Comfort Insurance is probably your best bet their standard cover allows 365 days abroad a year, you have a UK address so shouldn't be a problem with any insurer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Others with more knowledge of the UK insurance market will no doubt be along soon; but I'm guessing - and it is only a guess - that they might be declining to quote as they perceive a high risk of vehicle theft/damage due to it being unattended for long periods of time. Clearly it is patently untrue that they will only ensure "full-time UK residents"......almost all UK residents are not at home/in the country all the time.....so one thing to understand from them is how long do you have to be away form the UK each year before they don't regard you as a" full time UK resident" any more. One month? 3 Months? 6 months? In a calendar year, or in any running 365 days? If you could arrange things so that you could undertake to be away for less than their limit, then the problem might be easily resolved. Perhaps worth exploring whether they'd be more ready to quote if you were to undertake that the vehicle would be kept in some approved motorhome secure storage place if you were to be away abroad for more than (say) 30 days? Or would insuring it via someone who doesn't go away for long periods, with you as a named driver, be an option? (I recall that you don't......or certainly didn't used to.....have to be the legal owner of a vehicle to take out insurance on that vehicle). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 Have you tried asking others you work with, or organisations you work for, what they do? You will be far from alone, and the fact that you have a permanent UK address should help. Presumably you maintain a permanent forward on post, or have a standing arrangement for someone to gather it up and send on to you, so communication should not be a problem? Have you tried contacting the Association of British Insurers (ABI), The British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA), on the Motor Insurer's Bureau (MIB) to seem if any of them can advise? If you try contacting Barry and Margaret Williamson (MagBaz Travels) here, http://tinyurl.com/3orcv5b, they may be able to help, as they travel extensively full time. VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) or even Medcins Sans Frontieres may also have useful advice. However, I still reckon hiring would be easier, and probably cheaper! :-D Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deegee Posted July 1, 2011 Author Share Posted July 1, 2011 Brian Kirby - 2011-07-01 12:22 PM Have you tried asking others you work with, or organisations you work for, what they do? People I do service with are not in the market for motor-caravans, most of them have given up material life in the West. I was advised by the Caravan club that I would need to buy motor-home insurance in the country in which I spend most of my time. Well no locals here have ever heard of a "motor-home", the concept is off this planet for people who save up for years to buy a bicycle, IF they can. Have you tried contacting the Association of British Insurers (ABI), The British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA), on the Motor Insurer's Bureau (MIB) to seem if any of them can advise? If you try contacting Barry and Margaret Williamson (MagBaz Travels) here, http://tinyurl.com/3orcv5b, they may be able to help, as they travel extensively full time. VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) or even Medcins Sans Frontieres may also have useful advice. Thanks for this. I'll follow it up. However, I still reckon hiring would be easier, and probably cheaper! Definitely. But not at all the same. We did hire once and it was so impersonal, we wouldn't do it again. We want a "home", not just a van. It will be our base and home when we are in the UK. At that time we will be "full-timers". Thanks for taking time to respond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 There are lots of people who fulltime in their vans in the UK or indeed in Europe. So you can get Fulltimers Insurance without needing a UK address, you must however provide a contact address in the UK which may be family or freinds. If you are going to limit the use of the vehicle to UK/Europe then I do not see what the problem is unless it is where the vehicle will be stored whilst you are away. If you can keep it on the drive of a family member then this is the address you should use and there should be no reason for not being able to obtain Insurance. As an example, when I insure my van they ask where the vehicle is normally stored. They do ask my profession BUT they do not ask whether I spend long periods of time out of the country. So it may be what you are putting on your Insurance aplication/quote form that is perhaps making the Insurers ask more probing questions. HOWEVER, in this country, it is the vehicle that is being insured and not you and therefore, if like me, the vehicle were to be kept on a drive of an occupied house then again I see no problem. visit www.motorhome365.com - a fulltimers forum, I am sure they will be able to provide you with additional advice to that already provided. COMFORT provide 'Fulltimers' insurance (not cheap). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phill Fougere Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 Hi Folks, I had this problem when I lived in Singapore. I purchased a vehicle for my in-laws to use and for me to use when on holiday in the UK. It was registered and insured(SAGA) in my name. When my in-laws attempted to add to the cover the insurance company would only allow the person holding the policy to make alterations. The in-laws told them that I lived in Singapore, there followed a period of silence, after which the insurance company advised that they could not insure a person unless they were "Normally Resident in the UK". I checked with several other insurance companies and they said the same thing. I changed the ownership of the vehicle to the in-laws and took out insurance in their name with myself as a named driver. Phill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Momma Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 Phill Fougere - 2011-07-02 2:43 PM Hi Folks, I had this problem when I lived in Singapore. I purchased a vehicle for my in-laws to use and for me to use when on holiday in the UK. It was registered and insured(SAGA) in my name. When my in-laws attempted to add to the cover the insurance company would only allow the person holding the policy to make alterations. The in-laws told them that I lived in Singapore, there followed a period of silence, after which the insurance company advised that they could not insure a person unless they were "Normally Resident in the UK". I checked with several other insurance companies and they said the same thing. I changed the ownership of the vehicle to the in-laws and took out insurance in their name with myself as a named driver. Phill Certainly not doubting what your say above. However, I know of fulltimers who have sold up Bricks & Mortar and tour Europe on a full time basis, returning to UK just for annual service, MOT. Insurance and Tax is done on-line. They are British but not permanently resident in the UK, they use family or freinds address in UK as a contact address which is legally acceptable and COMFORT Insurance will provide them 'Fulltimers' Insurance. Weird old business isn't it *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deegee Posted July 3, 2011 Author Share Posted July 3, 2011 Phill Fougere - 2011-07-02 2:43 PM Hi Folks, I had this problem when I lived in Singapore. I purchased a vehicle for my in-laws to use and for me to use when on holiday in the UK. It was registered and insured(SAGA) in my name. When my in-laws attempted to add to the cover the insurance company would only allow the person holding the policy to make alterations. The in-laws told them that I lived in Singapore, there followed a period of silence, after which the insurance company advised that they could not insure a person unless they were "Normally Resident in the UK". I checked with several other insurance companies and they said the same thing. I changed the ownership of the vehicle to the in-laws and took out insurance in their name with myself as a named driver. Phill What would happen if YOU had an accident and a claim whilst using it. Would your in-laws then lose THEIR No-claims bonus? In other words, in getting someone to act in this way for a driver, is there a risk to their own NCD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
602 Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Or would insuring it via someone who doesn't go away for long periods, with you as a named driver, be an option? (I recall that you don't......or certainly didn't used to.....have to be the legal owner of a vehicle to take out insurance on that vehicle). Hi, Er ...... Insurance companies insure the OWNER, but are interested in the DRIVER. I'm told that they now ask if you are the KEEPER. In the early days at DVLC, a woman wrote in complaining that her V5 showed her chaufeur to be the registered keeper. DVLA are only interested in the registered keeper, and only the keeper can register and tax the vehicle, its in the Act. You could try asking your insurer if they will cover you, if the van is insured for a UK based friend to drive, plus yourself as a named driver as well as being the owner. It is possible that a named driver does not get all benefits, but is responsible for any "tickets". 602 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phill Fougere Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 Hi Deegee. to all intents and purposes it was their car and Yes I guess that their NCB would be affected. The situation did raise a point for many of my expatriate friends who kept a car in the UK to use when they returned on holiday or for the use of friends returning on holiday. Their insurance was invalid! i guess that the way to go, as always, is to check with your insurer if in doubt. Phill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deegee Posted July 3, 2011 Author Share Posted July 3, 2011 Phill Fougere - 2011-07-03 3:26 PM Hi Deegee. to all intents and purposes it was their car and Yes I guess that their NCB would be affected. The situation did raise a point for many of my expatriate friends who kept a car in the UK to use when they returned on holiday or for the use of friends returning on holiday. Their insurance was invalid! Phill There are so many Catch 22 situations when you live abroad or move around. Do you think it's worth taking the risk of the insurers never finding out where you physically "live"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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