I know some people don't like them but try confused.com and get quotes for all the permutations of claiming for engine etc. I always went through them as we seemed to get really high quotes the traditional ways (ringing up etc) and the companies everyone else said were cheap just were not!
They tend to find smaller insurance companies who want the business and offer good prices. We got quotes of £700-1100 from the "usual" companies but ended up paying £350 fully comp protected no claims for our 9 year old Corolla 1.6 petrol, and that was with me only driving for less than a year (missus had the no claims bonus of 7 years).
Also try adding on a relative who lives nearby, or a lady friend (sister even?). That can bring the quote down, rather strangely, even if they never drive it. Happened to mate of mine who when he added his wife onto policy when she passed her test price went down £100!

Can't you cancel the engine claim, SORN the camper for 6 months/1 year and then repair it once you've sorted out finance issues etc? You wouldn't need to insure the camper and with no engine (and no wheels if you feel the need) its unlikely to go missing. The money saved on the insurance and lack of claim affecting the volvo insurance will go a fair way to sorting the camper.

Running two vehicles and renting on one salary is always going to be difficult.

And another option – get another part time job for a few months. I know my brother did when he was short of money. He delivered pizza's (I think) and while that may not be an option for you with the car issues you could try bar work in the evenings etc. I know it would suck big time but a few weeks or months hard graft may sort you out financially and make it able to keep the things you love, pay off debts etc.
Also if you haven't already, scour the house for stuff to put on ebay. Everything can go on, just try it to get a few extra quid.
It completely sucks to have no money and no obvious way out I know, I've been there – I couldn't afford the train fare to my best friends wedding, couldn't go out even for a pint, just basic food and general misery. It gets better, and the harder you think of ideas and just graft at it the quicker it'll be a distant memory.
It's depressing to be in this sort of situation but it will get better.

So you have 2 cars (one clearly expensive to run/restore), multiple bikes and a house all to yourself?

Why not just borrow the cash off your butler?

😉

PikeBN14? What the **** is your problem – the **** do you know about how I look. I don't exactly see how thats **** relevant.

wrote
one_very_grumpy_hippy

Don't cancel the claim-the incident is now recorded against you and the actual figure too. Which you will go against you and is on the database now. Maybe not as much as an actual claim.

Yes im grumpy, Im sorry I didnt see the humour in that comment. Im struggling to stay at all positive now, I dont really see the point in doing all this for another X many years to end up in a box. I consider cutting out the middleman daily at the moment. Im struggling at work to work as hard as usual and to be honest some days its a struggle to get up.

Ive endded up with the house to myself covering rent and bills that two people were sharing. The problem is at the moment my outgoings are putting me in a position that i cant afford to run the cars that until 3 months ago I was managing to cover. However since then – ive had manifold go, cambelts go, you name it its broken on me. Im trying to find somewhere signifcantly cheaper to live unfortunately there isnt much about at the moment.

I regularly work long hours – 50/60 hour weeks which doesnt leave a lot of time for another job. Needless to say the majority of any overtime I earn get swallowed by being pushing in to a higher tax / student loan bracket (700 quid of OT turning in to just shy of 300 nett)

The prices for insurance are from a couple of comparison websites and a few calls.

The van I bought as a restoration projject for 150quid, nearly a decade ago. The volvo was bought nearly 5 years ago as a proper car for work and transporting bikes. It was the best car i could get for 4k, I'd got my second proper job after uni and could afford it at the time, since then petrol costs have effectively increased by 40p a litre (97/98 ron) moving my petrol costs from 30 a week to nearer 60 just to go to work.

Been trying to sell all extraneous bikes / parts however its galling to be practically giving away bikes you love for the money to pretty much just go in my petrol tank.

The only option I can see is to move back to my parents for a few months and get myself sorted somewhat. It'll be hard and I dont know how my sanity fragile as it is will cope.

My car insurance renewal was double this year!
Its pure fraud! How can a company go from the cheapest to one of the most expensive in 12 months!
My details haven't changed-infact i now have a better address!.

I shop around every year, i don't think i have ever stayed with an insurance company.

Just thought i'd ask. Assuming "hippy" means you've got a VW? May i enquire which one? 1-2K for an engine seems steep. I've got a 1200 aircooled case here that needs a rebuild. And i know a guy that i've used before in Wombourne that will rebuild one for half that.

And they come back amaaaaaazin!

Its a 73 bay, tin top, devon conversion (original) with a 2.0 litre subaru legacy conversion. Fully rebuilt engine until it sucked in half a ton of water.

After blowing up a 1600 and then the replacemnt blowing up im done with aircooled's

SUBARU?! Heathen!

You shouldn't have had any bother from a good aircooled!

Sorry cant help with that.

How much work was it to convert? Put it back for less and the residual value will be back. Not sure people will find it as desirable with a subaru in it!

Blame all the whiplash and minor injury claimants. That's a major, probably the most major, factor in increasing insurance premiums.

Try Churchill the bulldog for quote? Swinton?

Mate got quoted for his first 2.8 litre 4×4 for just £330 all in. Well he is over 50 with no claim etc so he gets it cheap but was told it might just be for one year so he decided to give it a go then if they double it the next year he will go for another company.

😯

Everyone who has driven it thinks its the future. For example its 130ish BHP, its still a flat four. It'll do 0-60 in about 10seconds compared to 22.7sec on a 1600 aircooled. Ive had it up to 105mph and it cruises all day at 75. Its about 10mpg more efficent than a stock 1600 and you can accelerate up hills.

Whats not to like. You can also scare boy racers and the double take you get when you overtake people is great.

The conversion with a custom built gearbox and a fully built engine was about 4k.

After two 1100 odd quid recon / rebuilt 1600 went pop i decided on another option.

Subaru Ej20 is a popular conversion – they usually go for a fair amount more than a stock 1600.

P.s. This was done back when i lived with my folks and the financial woes were a thing of the future…

Don't cancel the claim-the incident is now recorded against you and the actual figure too. Which you will go against you and is on the database now. Maybe not as much as an actual claim.

This is true. Causes great fun explaining why a policy has gone up 🙂

This is true. Causes great fun explaining why a policy has gone up

Probably as much fun as explaining why you charge for non-fault or windscreen claims?! 😉

one_happy_hippy – Member
The only option I can see is to move back to my parents for a few months and get myself sorted somewhat. It'll be hard and I dont know how my sanity fragile as it is will cope.

Can't be any worse than it is now though, can it?

I don't know you personally, but from the tone of your posts you are not in a good place.

Nothing wrong in swallowing a bit of pride and sorting yourself out financially and mentally.

1HH,

You need to do something pretty quickly as inflation and the 20% VAT rate will most likely reduce your £30pw.

Moving back to your parents offers the most immediate and largest reduction in outgoings (rent/utility bills etc). Then IMHO ditch the Volvo even if for a loss, p/ex for a low insurance group high mpg car/van suitable for work (do clear the o/s loan – don't be tempted to carry over).

You might even consider a new car which would probably get the Volvo off your hands for no loss, might get you free insurance for a year (Renault had a deal going) and most importantly gives you three years of certainly over commuting related costs. Sure in three years time you need to find quite a large cash sum to keep the car but you can simply hand it back and return to the banger market etc.

Claim for the camper engine and every cost related to restating – the claim is for a relatively small amount and I don't believe the amount really factors in the insurance companies premium calculation. Get it back on the road so you can take a road trip to relax a bit although consider a 'working holiday' to ease the burden. If you go with the new car the dealer might even throw in a few months of 'free' storage (creative invoicing – car dealer speciality).

The current 38p per mile you receive for business milage is 2p/mile short of the IR MAR figure of 40p – I doubt it's worth claiming back the shortfall although it sounds like you'd get back 0.8p/mile as a higher rate tax payer (1,000 miles a month = £80). It's possible you could backdate a claim a few year so it's worth looking into.

If you have a suitable bike stick it in the car and cycle when possible on company business – net 8p/mile at high rate. This allowance rate might even allow you to move out of the higher rate tax bracket making overtime worthwhile.

Consider moving employer for more money – sometimes this is the only way to negociate payrise and better conditions with your current employer who looks to be taking the pi** as you are doing more than 45hrs a week (including travelling time?).

Not sure this is a great suggestion but…could you not find a campground/caravan park and live in the campervan for a few months so help you get out the hole? Electric hookup and a little heater…? No? Probably worse for stressing you out than living with parents, actually.

Or find a flatmate but plan to leave in 6 months for your own place again?

Go to parents. Save like f*&%. Could probably save £1k a month, stretch it out as long as you can bear, 12 months later you have your £12k deposit to buy. Two years, £24k which would really help. Looking back it could be the best decision you ever made…

I run a 3.5 V8 and the 40ppm easily covers my costs – how come your 38ppm doesn't cover yours?

And by driving straight to site, you're getting paid for that mileage, whilst not paying the 'private' mileage to drive into your 'home' location – double win.

If i do this – i *may* get enough back to clear the loan on the van – however it wont go anywhere to recoup the thousands ive put in to it.

By having motoring as a hobby, you were never, ever going to recoup that money. I hate people that think there's car's worth £x because that's what they've spent on it.

The van was never bought as an investment. I am fully aware that im not going to recoup the money ive put in to it, that was never the reason I bought it. I just loathe the thought of basically throwing away thousands of pounds and hundreds of hours. The intention was never to sell the van.

0.38p a mile covers my fuel, however it doesnt come close to covering everything else – the volvo realistically needs work as its highly inefficient. If i sell it I may recoup enough to clear the outstanding finance but then im left without a car and no cash to replace it.

Cycling for work is a hard one. Possibly if i was fit enough – daily to the office howvever my contract states I must have a car available for work. Cycling to sites isnt I wouldnt be able to carry the amount of gear i regularly need. Often have a volvo full.

If I move back in with my parents i'll probably be able to save £750 ish a month. My concern is that i'll end up even more suicidal. I will basically have a very small room containing a house worth of stuff. I'll also have about zero freedom as both my parents are getting on and its not fair on them to disturb their life style. E.g. I wouldnt want to watch tv / listen to music after 11pm / come back late or move around the house late at night. Its a smallish house and the sound insulation is virtually zero. Effectively if I wanted to go somewhere to relax then it would have to be out of the house.

You wouldn't be able to use the living room to relax? Small tv in room with headphones, all your current stuff could be put into storage, no need to live under all your stuff from the house. I'd keep quiet after 11pm if it saved me £200 a month 🙂 You can't be affording nights out on the town at the moment so no need to turn up at 2am, just go to bed earlier!

OP do you know how insurance companies work?

You claim you pay even if you have protected NCD.

Same with sticking your bike in your shed or garage feeling smug that you have 'insurance'.

You claim and you end up paying for the cost of the payout.

I've just been struck with a similar thing o_h_h – moved from one address (rented, parked on the main road near a chippy and a pub) to a quiet culdesac and parking on the drive with CCTV, and 2/3 the milage and my insurance just went up 10%. WTF?

just went up 10%

Staged accidents claims
False claims
(Fraud)

Also check your policy carefully. Insurance companies are quietly cutting back on levels of cover and what you are covered for. Not so long ago I didnt realise that I wasnt automatically covered 3rd party on other peoples cars.

If you assume you are (and arent) and you are stopped or have an accident we are talking 6points for driving without valid insurance.

I will basically have a very small room containing a house worth of stuff. I'll also have about zero freedom as both my parents are getting on and its not fair on them to disturb their life style. E.g. I wouldnt want to watch tv / listen to music after 11pm / come back late or move around the house late at night. Its a smallish house and the sound insulation is virtually zero. Effectively if I wanted to go somewhere to relax then it would have to be out of the house.

welcome to the world of not owning a house/ being given a deposit these days!!

Staged accidents claims
False claims
(Fraud)

Also check your policy carefully. Insurance companies are quietly cutting back on levels of cover and what you are covered for. Not so long ago I didnt realise that I wasnt automatically covered 3rd party on other peoples cars.

If you assume you are (and arent) and you are stopped or have an accident we are talking 6points for driving without valid insurance.

Yeah I always check my policy carefully, I am insured 3rd party but don't need it (I have access to 2 other cars that I'm named on) but good call.

As for staged accidents and uninsured morons – if I ever find any I'll stab them, with 12 years NCB I find it slightly annoying to be told my insurance goes up each year despite my cars getting older, cheaper and doing less milage in nicer areas.

if I ever find any I'll stab them

really?

really?

No. But I'll want to.

You claim and you end up paying for the cost of the payout

I hope not……
I had a claim on household ins 4 years ago for £58K when the Kitchen, dining room & next door's garage burned down

Well ive just handed in my notice on my house, so as of the 4th of October im out of there. Where im going is another matter.

The army always needs cannon fodder don't they, what the max age for recruits?…

if you bought the volvo 5 years ago how have you still got finance outstanding on it?

38p/mile should easily cover a car's usage. fuel is what – 15p/mile – leaving 23p/mile for other costs. Lets say you spend £500 on maintaining the car every year (if its costing you more, buy a mondeo for £500 and throw it away when done), and do 10,000 miles – that's 5p a mile leaving you 18p/mile for other costs. Insurance + tax is a grand, so 10p/mile. The way I see it you're still getting 8p/mile in profit for every mile you drive for work.

on tax – I can't believe this statement

700 quid of OT turning in to just shy of 300 nett)

a higher rate tax payer (assuming you're not in the 150k upwards bracket) pays 40p tax in the £. student loan is 9% of everything you earn over 15k. the most that will be is 49% tax – so £700 would equate to £350. frankly it sounds like you're probably a lower rate tax payer so you'll see a lot more than that back.

Finally – a camper van is a high cost luxury item. I doubt I could afford one, and I'm a higher rate tax payer with little outgoings aside a mortgauge. Either move back in with your folks, move into a shared house with lower costs, or ditch it. Simple

Chin up OHH. Parents can't be that bad. I have done it, you get buy – the extra breathing space financially must be worth it though? Personally sailing that close to the wind depresses me a whole lot.

The volvo is fuct, im getting 27mpg at the moment if im lucky, i was feeding it 95 ron before and it was eating the engine, so ive had to go back to 97/98 ron. 4.545 litres to the gallon @ 125.9p/litre is Over 21p / mile.

Factor in a couple of tyres a year @ min 60-70 quid each, the 1250 i had to spend rebuild the engine after the manifold fell off. The things a black hole for money. Looking at ebay i'd be lucky to get a grand for it if it was in good nick.

With what I earn as soon as I do any overtime it seems to make a massive difference to my tax and im not sure how they calculate student loan repayments but as soon as I start earning over my basic salary it seems to increase exponentially. Not that i'll ever pay it off – I worked out that if i ever managed to pay it off then i'll have paid the govt. about 70k in interest However at current rate of repayment i'll be a 116 so i doubt i'll ever get shot of it. I think I paid about £40 of capital off last year the rest was interest.

Stuff will sort its self out, what form that takes is another matter.

Dont get me wrong I get on well with my parents, ever since I moved out. When im at home me and my mother just argue.
Im nigh on 29, been single for a long time, pretty much accepted that's the way its going to stay, recently things looked up a bit – not long term hopeful but at least that i wasnt completely unlovable – however if I move home then that type of thing is going to die a death again pretty quick.

Ultimately, it's just money. What's the worst that can happen?

Well, I know its just money, but ive been getting pretty hungry recently…

Looks like you only have to options then…

Cannibalism & ?…

but ive been getting pretty hungry recently

one_hungry_hippo ?