V5c insurance warning ⚠️

[Samebutdifferent]

@BobbyMillar agreed, you make some good and salient points, but the I'm not sure the DVLA treat this type of vehicle classification as all being van 'conversions,' they simply look at what's before them and decide if it meets the criteria.

Professional converters who source brand new vehicles from the manufacture for conversion legitimately register them a Motor caravans, even though there are no fancy exterior decals and have a pop top, so why don't MB.

@RFT god knows the DVLA deserve most of the abuse thrown at them, but I feel the main culprit here is MB

 

[PeteS]

It seems that the VW California has the same problems and on some they are classed as an MPV.

 

[Samebutdifferent]

It seems that the VW California has the same problems and on some they are classed as an MPV.

Yep, been on and off for years!

I believe that when challenged regarding registration VW claim the body type on the V5C is nothing to do with them, it's the DVLA who decide.
That seems strange, since as I mentioned professional converters register converted vans as Motor Caravans.

 

[Vandolfthegrey]

Don't bother even trying to change the description on your V5C as DVLA won't do it I'm afraid.

New v5 arrived today and it's now officially a campervan (motorcaravan)

 

[Samebutdifferent]

@Vandolfthegrey I believe your mp was brand new this year? Did you also have reimbursement from MB for insurance costs and a letter from them admitting an error in registration?

There's no way all mp owners who want to reclassify would would get that treatment from MB or DVLA

 

[Vandolfthegrey]

@Vandolfthegrey I believe your mp was brand new this year? Did you also have reimbursement from MB for insurance costs and a letter from them admitting an error in registration?

There's no way all mp owners who want to reclassify would would get that treatment from MB or DVLA

Yep, that's right

 

[BobbyMillar]

New v5 arrived today and it's now officially a campervan (motorcaravan)

For anyone still interested DVLA finally returned our V5 also changed to a 'Motor Caravan' status. They also refunded me £210 of Road Tax following the change.

 

[Eric Robinson]

For anyone still interested DVLA finally returned our V5 also changed to a 'Motor Caravan' status. They also refunded me £210 of Road Tax following the change.

Why did you qualify for a refund? What was the road tax for the MP prior to being classified as a Campervan? and what is it now. The reason for asking is I changed my VC5 back in 2019 soon after I bought it and as far as I know Im still paying the original amount. IF the DVLA are owing me some cash it would be good to Know. Thanks.

 

[Samebutdifferent]

For anyone still interested DVLA finally returned our V5 also changed to a 'Motor Caravan' status. They also refunded me £210 of Road Tax following the change.

Same question as in post 25 and same comment regarding all Marco Polo owners getting support from MB regarding the error in registration.

 

[Eric Robinson]

Same question as in post 25 and same comment regarding all Marco Polo owners getting support from MB regarding the error in registration.

I commented way back on post 9 as I changed my VC5 soon after purchase. Its only when I looked at my V11 that I noticed that its listed as a diesel car and not a Motorhome as listed on my replacement VC5. Methinks the DVLA are due me a refund. Ive just written to them.

 

[Samebutdifferent]

I commented way back on post 9 as I changed my VC5 soon after purchase. Its only when I looked at my V11 that I noticed that its listed as a diesel car and not a Motorhome as listed on my replacement VC5. Methinks the DVLA are due me a refund. Ive just written to them.

My post was directed at @BobbyMillar really, but it seems owners of new vehicles who apply for reclassification and have the support of MB are successful. I think that is certainly not the case for the owners of 2,3,4 or 5year old MP's

 

[Eric Robinson]

My post was directed at @BobbyMillar really, but it seems owners of new vehicles who apply for reclassification and have the support of MB are successful. I think that is certainly not the case for the owners of 2,3,4 or 5year old MP's

Well mine is 2019 and I never went near MB. I looked at the rules as laid down by the DVLA as to what constitutes a Motorhome and simply quoted their own rules and supplied images of my MP to back up my claim. As far as I was concerned there was no argument, it was a clear small dunk, according to DVLA's own rules.

 

[Samebutdifferent]

As mentioned previously you were very lucky, many van owners not just Marco Polo find it impossible to reclassify.

 

[Vandolfthegrey]

Why did you qualify for a refund? What was the road tax for the MP prior to being classified as a Campervan? and what is it now. The reason for asking is I changed my VC5 back in 2019 soon after I bought it and as far as I know Im still paying the original amount. IF the DVLA are owing me some cash it would be good to Know. Thanks.

Think I only got a refund because Mercedes admitted it was an error and should have been registered as a camper. Pre 21 vans are officially registered as cars/mpvs

 

[BobbyMillar]

My post was directed at @BobbyMillar really, but it seems owners of new vehicles who apply for reclassification and have the support of MB are successful. I think that is certainly not the case for the owners of 2,3,4 or 5year old MP's

Hi I think your pretty much right there. 'new' and with a MBUK letter should be ok, recent (last few years) doable with a well constructed argument, older ship has probably sailed and DVLA will likely reject on the basis of if its not been correct in many years why bother now.

 

[BobbyMillar]

Why did you qualify for a refund? What was the road tax for the MP prior to being classified as a Campervan? and what is it now. The reason for asking is I changed my VC5 back in 2019 soon after I bought it and as far as I know Im still paying the original amount. IF the DVLA are owing me some cash it would be good to Know. Thanks.

The refund part is because when I bough it, with the way it was registered, it classified for the extra ~£335 bit for cars over £40k at new, which runs for 5 years. This is on top of the usual VED based on the vehicle banding ~£180. So by reclassifying it as a motorhome you dodge the £335 for 5 years, but the underling VED of the new classification is slightly higher so you don't get all of the 335 back (also not quite sure what date they applied the refund from so I don't think it covers the whole year). Note when I sent in to the DVLA my V5c with my letter from MBUK and a letter from me I also sent in another DVLA form which applies for a refund. This has also taken about 5 months to get through the DVLA!