Can you insure a motorhome in storage if you don't have a driver's liscence?

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grumblebee

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Hello all, I'm a newbie here!
I have a bit of an unusual situation and could do with some advice.

I've just purchased a lovely truck motorhome conversion. Due to desperate times myself and a friend will be moving into it and living in it full time in about 6 months time. We can't do so at the moment as neither of us possess driver's licences due to health problems. My friend will be able to learn to drive in a few months time and after that will get the required HGV licence (it's 7.5 tonne).

Until that point the truck/motorhome will need to be kept in storage. I've found a very secure place (CASSOA gold) locally about 30 minutes drive from where I live. The previous owner is kindly offering to drive it there for us where it will stay until my friend qualifies to drive it. The storage is super secure - a farm with a secure building with metal roller shutters, CCTV, two families on site at all times with dogs and guns. The storage site operator is the only one allowed to drive a vehicle in or out of the storage building and if they damage your vehicle in the process, they cover the cost. So, I'm not worried about my future home being stolen or accidentally damaged in this way. What I am concerned about is if there were a fire and the whole place burned down or there was some other similar event that caused damage/destruction in some unforseen way.

So this brings me to my question. Is it possible to insure my vehicle as the owner whilst it is offroad and in storage without a drivers liscence? I've been googling and googling but the only insurance that ever comes up is that which covers it on the road and obviously asks questions like how long you've been driving and if you've made any previous claims etc. I assume I may have to declare it off road (SORN) either way, but that will defintely have to be the case if I am unable to insure it. It's a very secure facility and chances are it will be perfectly safe sat there for 6 months, but myself and my friend are pinning absolutely everything into this future home and if something unforseen were to happen and we lost it, it would be devastating. Without going into detail about our circumstances it is our only hope and will take every penny we have, (not to mention we will spend the next few months selling everything we own and will be giving up our current rented accommodation) so I would feel much better knowing it is covered. Is this possible? Can anyone recommend a particular company who could help with this?

The other concern I have is "sleepy van syndrome". Obviously we won't be able to drive it until qualified. Just how bad could the damage be if it is not driven for 6 months? Could it cost thousands? The storage facility is on private farm land, I'm wondering if the owner might be willing to just drive it in and out of the building (like a few feet) once a month to keep everything lubricated etc even if it is declared SORN? I may have to offer more money for that and will have to pay for a taxi there and back everytime to bring the key (1 hour round trip), which could get expensive, but that may ultimately be cheaper than paying for repairs if it's not moved for 6 months. It's a Leyland Daf 1997, converted into a "tiny house". Only has 70,000 miles on it. Everything currently working and has an MOT until about the time we will be getting it out of storage.

Any advice appreciated, thank you in advance!
 
Wow. That's a lot you've bitten off. Just try ringing a few insurers and ask. They may just cover fire & theft if off-road. Try AIB, they are very helpful. Just explain the circumstance.

Can you not get the van closer to home? Someone to drive it there for you ? They will need to be insured obviously. Temporary cover won't be a lot ££s

It will need moving around and protecting from mice etc if on a farm. I'm sure the owner won't mind unless his storage insurance demands that all vans are fully insured.

Good luck
 
As David and Sally says, phone AIB insurance first, then a few other companies if necessary. You might find the storage owner will hold a key for you and move it every month.
I would also remove as much soft furnishings as you can, make sure there are absolutely no food crumbs anywhere. Get a few of those supermarket dehumidifier tubs and put those around. And I’d also put down either traps or mouse poison as you definitely don’t want anything chewed. Make sure there is no water anywhere, in any tanks ( even the toilet) that can freeze and open all the taps to get every drop of water out.

Don’t panic, this is just covering all bases. As long as you’ve checked your vehicle is damp free it should be ok .
Many years ago I had to bring my motorhome from France to the UK and it was literally left in a farmers field for 9 months. I knew nothing about checking for water in tanks etc... I went over and shunted it back and forth a few yards every 6 weeks or so. Had to be towed off the field when it was time to leave ( heavy rain for weeks) but it started first time. There was no damp, no damage.
Good luck with your venture.
 
Might be worth looking at self build forums and who they use for insurance.

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:hiya:
would it be worth purchasing electric bikes to get to and fro the storage site? Not cheaper than taxi but maybe something you would need once on your travels as you have a large outfit and would need some way of getting about places you stop.
I think you would have to find someone with appropriate licence and insurance to move it about for you so probably not practical. I know many MHs survive a 6 month lay up, and it may have already done this whilst being converted.
Good luck with your plans
 
If you park truck up then just isolate the batteries, have dragged trucks out the hedge after 10 months stood up and used with no problems.

Any good insurer should insure vehicle in storage, without need for road insurance.

I know NFU used to do a deal like that for machinery, vehicles, and houses etc.

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Not trying to put a dampener on it - but are you REALLY SURE this is what you need to do? I can't help feeling that, not knowing much about motorhomes etc., you're really opening up yourselves to a whole host of problems. A few have been mentioned already and I have to tell you that, in the wrong circumstances, owning a motorhome, in storage or fully mobile, can develop into a huge money pit - which is obviously a serious consideration for you. Have you considered the cost of getting an appropriate driving licence - you can't use your usual driving school and commercial instructors are seriously not cheap. And if you are having trouble with insurance now I shudder to think how you, as novices, are going to get road insurance on a truck.

I'm usually a very positive person but I see oh so many pitfalls in this situation that I feel I have to warn you before you get any deeper into the potential mire.

What I, and probably others, would really like to know is why you have chosen this particular path for your future? Have you any experience of this kind of life?

However, whatever you decide to do I, and everybody else here, really wish you the best of luck and we'll all offer as much help as we can. At the very least invest £15 in a full membership to get the maximum benefit from the forum.

Oh yes, and :welcome4:
 
If it is sorned it can't go on the road so doesn't need a driver, other than that all our tractors are insured for any driver so don't need a named one, and they are only £53 for that.
 
Good luck, expensive, but you can insure on a provisional licence. You could also consider taking the test in it. If you can get someone to instruct you.
 
6 months in a barn will kill the batteries if it doesn't get plugged in and charged regularly
 
Nanniemate said:
Good luck, expensive, but you can insure on a provisional licence. You could also consider taking the test in it. If you can get someone to instruct you.
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No you can't, C1 test has to be taken in a vehicle meeting test criteria.
In any case, how would you get it to the test centre?

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You may be able to insure it as an asset against fire through a regular insurer but I doubt a motor insurer will even consider insuring
Couple of the questions asked will be what kind of licence do you have... Full/provisional.
How long have you held it.
 
the solution to the insurance issue is have a friend or older family member with a licence insure the vehicle in storage for you
 
pappajohn said:
It was always my belief you can't insure a vehicle if you aren't the registered keeper.
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what about lease cars? perfectly ok to insure an asset but not to insure for driving by somebody else to reduce premiums. like a parent insuring a son or daughter's car in their name with the son/daughter as a named driver is wrong
 
pappajohn said:
It was always my belief you can't insure a vehicle if you aren't the registered keeper.
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They will be the registered keepers, don't have to have a licence to drive it to be that.

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pappajohn said:
It was in reference to a friend or relative insuring it. If they aren't the registered keeper they can't insure it.
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Yes but they can give the friend's name as driver.
But how do you go on with a fleet of cars or lorries , you may own them but someone else drives them
 
I have had vehicles insured thru NFU that I have dropped back to Fire and theft coverage when not planning to have them on the road for extended periods . You can also have named drivers on policies .
 
Apart from all the foregoing, it's got to be possible to get insurance, what about a collection of cars or anything , might never move again but surely they will be insured.
 
chaser said:
Yes but they can give the friend's name as driver
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But it has to be insured in the keepers name to begin with and without a licence that isn't going to happen.
Fleet vehicles are insured any driver by the owning company.

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tacr2man said:
I have had vehicles insured thru NFU that I have dropped back to Fire and theft coverage when not planning to have them on the road for extended periods . You can also have named drivers on policies .
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But you have a current licence and the vehicles are registered in your name so you can insure
 
pappajohn said:
But it has to be insured in the keepers name to begin with and without a licence that isn't going to happen.
Fleet vehicles are insured any driver by the owning company.
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Sorry but I'm sure you are wrong on this, on this farm before I took over my mother's name was on all the log books and she had never had a licence to drive anything
 
chaser said:
Apart from all the foregoing, it's got to be possible to get insurance, what about a collection of cars or anything , might never move again but surely they will be insured.
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If they're a collection they will be insured as an asset in the same way an art collection would be.
 
chaser said:
Sorry but I'm sure you are wrong on this, on this farm before I took over my mother's name was on all the log books and she had never had a licence to drive anything
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As I said, they would all be insured any driver on a company policy otherwise it would cost the farm a fortune and make nosense to insure each on individually on a private policy.

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