Just wondering what the real world implications are. Decided to keep my Viano for the time being and i think i could probably do a reasonable conversion with a bed and removable kitchen pod type of thing. Anyone self converted and then got fully declared insurance?

Removable bed, spinny seats, sun roof no problem. No kitchen though bike inside.

Most of the specialist camper insurers will cover you for a conversion in progress, just tell them your intentions when taking the policy out and you don’t have to keep informing/declaring the modifications as you do them. You get other benefits like contents cover with the specialists too.

Can’t speak for all of them but Esure didn’t want to know when I tried to put my van on the policy so had to take another policy out with a specialist, probably worth a call to your current insurer to double check before you go ahead with anything.

Mine was with adrian flux when i was converting. Once registered as a motorhome i think it’s with caravan club now which worked out cheapest – they do self build insurance.

Note there are a bunch of things you need to include for the DVLA to change it to a motorhome. They were being dicks about it but apparently it’s better now if you tick the boxes (including it being a hightop).

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/converting-a-vehicle-into-a-motor-caravan/converting-a-vehicle-into-a-motor-caravan

Yes. Admiral Multicar.

A Plan and Brentacre also do policies for self convertors.

Yes. Insured it during convertion and for 10 years through Shield for the whole time. They were always cheaper than Adrian Flux and helpful on the phone.
I know others who used NFU Mutual.
http://www.shieldtotalinsurance.co.uk/
PS to get conversion to a motor caravan the criteria are apparently stricter than they were when I did it 12 years ago. Also needs to be a fixed conversion not one you can lift out or it is just a van with some camping gear in it.

My T5 has been with Brentacre since I got it as a bare van. Covered as a conversion and as it now is. All mods declared as and when added at no extra cost. Also fully covered for business yuse and towing as it is my principle farm truck as well as a weekend away van and a bike carrier.

Yes loads of times. Speak to Brentacre. They’ve always been the cheapest for me and they largely don’t care what you do as long as you let them know.

They forbid large increases in power but that’s usually not on the menu for camper vans.

Yes we use Brentacre, they just wanted a few updates on the easy once we’d added expensive bits – there was no extra charge as we went along. Think we got up to a year to convert with them & have stayed with them for the 2 years since. Obviously there are others that offer the same.

I wouldn’t go near Flux, I’ve heard too many bad stories about them, right back to when I had aircooled VWs over 20 years ago.

Used flux and made a couple of claims, no issues

But yes, them or brentacre are the most common

So you can’t convert a T6 to a pop camper. But you can buy one as a pop top camper.

I don’t dispute the source but that seems odd