Newbie with issues to start full time living (1 Viewer)

[newtovanlife1]

Hi everyone! looking to go full time in a van conversion early next year maybe a coach built depends on funds anyway will be not going to sites unless i need to once in while will be using any places i can park up with no problems such as where the HGV park at nights on roads.
there is a few problems due to personnel reasons i will not have an address for things like DVLA and insurance and i dont have anyone i could use. and as you need an address for insurance for the van how do i stay legal? if something went wrong and i needed to claim i would not want to end up with nothing which can happen. also do the police bother you if your parked in places like i have said?

i am all new to this and looking for any advice from people who have been there cheers!

 

[Baycott]

Hi from East Sussex and
I'm sure some full timers will be along to answer your questions later but I think an address is essential

 

[Deleted member 29692]

i will not have an address for things like DVLA and insurance and i dont have anyone i could use. and as you need an address for insurance for the van how do i stay legal?

The short answer is you can't.

You might get some suggestions about dodges and grey areas but that's all they will be.

The vehicle has to be registered to an address as does your driving licence.

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[Armytwowheels]

Hello and welcome. We are fulltimers but we use a relatives house as our address. We pay council tax and are on the electoral roll there and we stay there quite a bit too.

As much as we wanted to be totally independent we could not find a way round not having a UK address. You have to exist somewhere otherwise you will never get insurance.

 

[Boringfrog]

How do " travelling people" get around this?

 

[Gromett]

I have been fulltiming for well over 6 years now. I am afraid the bad news is you will need an address.
I used a Physical mailbox with mailboxes etc. However the DVLA a couple of years ago decided they didn't like that and forced me to use a real domestic address.

You may get away with things initially but eventually you will probably find something where you need a real address. This can be a friend or relative but I think I would recommend you get this sorted out up front rather than having to panic when it is forced on you.

I hate the fact that we are penalised in this way but it is what it is and we have to deal with the world as we find it not as we wish it to be.

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[busby]

Hello and welcome. We are fulltimers but we use a relatives house as our address. We pay council tax and are on the electoral roll there and we stay there quite a bit too.

As much as we wanted to be totally independent we could not find a way round not having a UK address. You have to exist somewhere otherwise you will never get insurance.

How do you pay council tax for a relatives property,,,very confused..BUSBY.

 

[irnbru]

They probably pay as additional occupants I guess.

 

[ianthebuilder]

hi new,,i am planning to do exactly the same ,and this prob has been pointed out to me on more than one occassion, i have a friend who is going to rent me a room and because they already pay council tax they will have no increase with me being a lodger,i think its only in the case of a single person that you get a discount,i am sure that the more people that are registered to the address is no extra charge,,, unless they get the 25% single occupancy discount,,,if im wrong im sure someone who knows more on here will tell me,,,good luck,

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[Judge Mental]

How do " travelling people" get around this?

Oops!

 

[ianthebuilder]

lol what did i say wrong judge? lol

 

[Jim]

You'll find plenty of places to legally stay full time, some you'll pay for others you wont. Of course you need to think about water and waste and this can be a problem for some.

There are thousands who full time without a pucker address on their driving licence, they don't worry about it, its hardly the crime of the century. But if you don't want to break the law, you can change the address on line for free, so you could if you wished, change it every time you move campsites and remain totally legal. As for the log book address. Gromett is right, you can't use a Post Office Box but you can use a virtual address, like these guys provide, I know many who do so without issue, DVLA are only interested in ensuring they can contact you and that the data they sell the parking companies is correct and you are contactable.

Often touted as a big barrier to full timing the reality is the address issue is easily overcome.

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[Armytwowheels]

They probably pay as additional occupants I guess.

Yes that's correct. MIL used to get a discount for single occupancy, we now pay the difference.

 

[scotjimland]

you need an address for insurance for the van how do i stay legal

Correct... Insurance companies require a physical address where they can contact you.. this can be a c/o.. a friend or relative.. You also need to declare you are full timing, ie motorhome is your main residence.. which means a full timers policy..

To my knowledge Comfort Insurance are the only ones who provide full timing cover.. and it's on a 'case by case' basis .. so you need to enquire.. it's not cheap.. around £1000 .. but as you are not paying council tax, utility bills, mortgage etc.. it's still a lot cheaper than living in a house.

I've no doubt some fulltimers 'wing it' on a standard motorhome policy.. it enables them to pay the VED.. but non declaration of full timing to the insurer voids the policy., so in effect they are uninsured and driving the vehicle illegally.

Lots to consider.. and there are several hurdles, but as said, all are surmountable..

 

[Eve]

We did it for 10 years,and used my daughters address,make sure you go on the system for voting as this is were everyone including insurance check up on,it's public knowledge.
We use to park on there drive and sleep when at home,and was told that invalidates the insurance,you would think sleeping in the van ,less chance of being stolen ,but it does not work that way?????

I would recommend you buy all the airs books,if planning Europe,treat it like abig learning curve don,t rush it enjoy it,people are very kind and will help you .
I never regretted this wonderful life style,circumstances forced change,just enjoy.!!!

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[shane the nomad]

Well done for taking the plunge,Go for it,One of the best things i ever done.love to wild camp in remote areas. Not totally independant as you need water and waste outlets.Easy to sort in france with service du camping car. Look like a petrol pump,but you can fill fresh water and empty both tanks for e2 - e5 Cheaper than chips !! As for Address for insurance/driving license,Family and friends are best bet if they are ok with it..Good Luck Have Fun,Your on the best site for help and tips and knowledge

 

[Crusty jack]

many peeps use the boatmail website; they provide you with an address and forward your mail to you as agreed. Toby Trux

 

[Hymer Mike]

Broken Link Removed

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[busby]

They probably pay as additional occupants I guess.

That was THE POLL TAX..BUSBY.

 

[John & Joan]

http://www.boatmail.co.uk/ Canal Cruisers and Full Time vessel users have the same issues as Full Timers in a vehicle.

 

[John & Joan]

You could be liable for Council Tax if you spend a lot of time on one site, or return habitually to one site. See Motorhome365 forum (a sister site to this one) for more on this.

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[scotjimland]

You could be liable for Council Tax if you spend a lot of time on one site, or return habitually to one site. See Motorhome365 forum (a sister site to this one) for more on this.

as we found out... summoned by Colchester council for non-payment..

 

[Puddleduck]

How do " travelling people" get around this?

I did admin work for a Romany family at one time. One of the family was "settled" and his office was the home address for all family members. I made sure that all the paperwork was filed and that all vehicles were taxed, tested and insured, dealt with all the legal stuff. When Norm did go off on his travels I ran the office in his absence.

These people were true Romany (as I am in part) not the travellers that have the bad reputations.

 

[roadster55]

This is one of those things that sounds fantastic until you start to go into it in more detail. It seems to me that even if you've got a relatives address to use whilst you go off as free as a bird and full-time, if you're unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident that writes off a massive motorhome, or some foreign slag steals it, I struggle to imagine an insurance company paying out enough to buy you a new one without asking questions? Has this actually happened to anyone? I know Comfort will insure you in this situation, but has anyone actually claimed?
I don't know but I would imagine they'd be devious enough to require proof that you were actually residing at the relatives address as a bare minimum, utility bills for example? Knowing Insurance Companies they'd find a way to avoid paying out...
I reckon the only sure way you'd be safe would be to use a property as a base. It obviously couldn't be let because you'd have to be on the electoral register - which means you couldn't get an income from it, so you'd have to have other means. You'd have to return for short spells to keep it legal, but at least you wouldn't need full timers insurance which strikes me as being confusing to understand and to qualify for to say the least.

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[busby]

This is one of those things that sounds fantastic until you start to go into it in more detail. It seems to me that even if you've got a relatives address to use whilst you go off as free as a bird and full-time, if you're unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident that writes off a massive motorhome, or some foreign slag steals it, I struggle to imagine an insurance company paying out enough to buy you a new one without asking questions? Has this actually happened to anyone? I know Comfort will insure you in this situation, but has anyone actually claimed?
I don't know but I would imagine they'd be devious enough to require proof that you were actually residing at the relatives address as a bare minimum, utility bills for example? Knowing Insurance Companies they'd find a way to avoid paying out...
I reckon the only sure way you'd be safe would be to use a property as a base. It obviously couldn't be let because you'd have to be on the electoral register - which means you couldn't get an income from it, so you'd have to have other means. You'd have to return for short spells to keep it legal, but at least you wouldn't need full timers insurance which strikes me as being confusing to understand and to qualify for to say the least.

But surely if you are paying for full time insurance they know you are not living at the address that you give them and are just using it for vehicle registration etc. If the insurance was not valid i don't see them offering it to you..BUSBY.

 

[roadster55]

But surely if you are paying for full time insurance they know you are not living at the address that you give them and are just using it for vehicle registration etc. If the insurance was not valid i don't see them offering it to you..BUSBY.

I'd be concerned that their underwriters might ask questions if the claim was big enough? I just can't recall ever reading or hearing of any full-timer making a claim for all the years I've been involved in motorhoming - hopefully I'm wrong.

 

[Puddleduck]

It obviously couldn't be let because you'd have to be on the electoral register - which means you couldn't get an income from it, so you'd have to have other means. You'd have to return for short spells to keep it legal, but at least you wouldn't need full timers insurance which strikes me as being confusing to understand and to qualify for to say the least.

You could be on the electoral register at your "accommodation" address and let out your own house.

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[crabman]

don’t try and buck the system it always backfires and you end up screwed, never take insurance companies for fools they have heard it all before, as for renting out your house i would think twice about that, i have had experience of it, never again

 

[scotjimland]

It seems to me that even if you've got a relatives address to use whilst you go off as free as a bird and full-time, if you're unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident that writes off a massive motorhome, or some foreign slag steals it, I struggle to imagine an insurance company paying out enough to buy you a new one without asking questions? Has this actually happened to anyone? I know Comfort will insure you in this situation, but has anyone actually claimed?
I don't know but I would imagine they'd be devious enough to require proof that you were actually residing at the relatives address as a bare minimum, utility bills for example? Knowing Insurance Companies they'd find a way to avoid paying out...

If you declare you are full time and are insured as such, the relatives address is only for a contact address , a c/o mailing address,.. you don't require to live there or pay any bills ..
If your van is stolen or damaged in an accident you would need somewhere to live while it is being repaired or replaced..that is why the full timers insurance is expensive..

 

[crabman]

yes of course but alwyas tell the truth is what i am saying, when appying for insurance, then they sting you for ££££££ but if anything goes wrong a refused claim you have the turuth to back you up,

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