JJ’s Renault Master camper build [Phase 1 - Complete]

[JJ0063]

13 minutes ago, Westbay said:

"Not sure on fridge/sink/hob at the moment as the budget is all but gone, may just get the woodwork done and then those bits can be added as and when. "

Isn't the fridge/sink/hob a 'must have' to get it re-classified as a camper rather than a van with DVLA ?

I don’t have any intention of reclassifying it, DVLA reject 99% of them and their checklist is nuts - I don’t want silly motorhome decals etc on it either!

No real benefit of changing it on the V5

[St.Jude]

10 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

I don’t want silly motorhome decals etc on it either!

It would be cool if you got decals that were the colour of the van, but were a hi-vis type that reflected at night.

[mat_the_cat]

13 hours ago, JJ0063 said:

No real benefit of changing it on the V5

The only benefit I can think of is higher speed limits. My insurance went down when I reclassified it, but don't know whether that is commonly or currently the case.

[loserone]

The speed limits aren't dictated by what's on the v5 apparently 

[JJ0063]

20 minutes ago, mat_the_cat said:

The only benefit I can think of is higher speed limits. My insurance went down when I reclassified it, but don't know whether that is commonly or currently the case.

Only if you’re under 3.05t GVW, anything over (mines 3.5T) means the speed limits stay the same.

Most insurance premiums don’t change, where I work and insure mine, they insure it as a camper if it’s a camper, regardless of what the V5 says. I’ve got this insured as a ‘camper in conversion’ and it’s about £260 from memory 

[wuvvum]

On 27/08/2024 at 22:16, mat_the_cat said:

Have you thought what type to go for? This makes interesting reading on the pros and cons of going lithium.

https://nohma.com/van-conversion/electrics/lithium-leisure-battery-for-campervans/#:~:text=Lithium batteries can receive a,difference between lithium and AGM.

I'm probably going to try lead carbon AGM next time I need to change my leisure batteries on the LT, as it probably does hammer them  if we use the AC when parked.

My uncle went lithium on his (fancy German A-class) motorhome last year.  They take up the same amount of space as the old leisure batteries but they have a ridiculous number of Ah.  They were bloody expensive though.

[Erebus]

8 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

Only if you’re under 3.05t GVW, anything over (mines 3.5T) means the speed limits stay the same.

Most insurance premiums don’t change, where I work and insure mine, they insure it as a camper if it’s a camper, regardless of what the V5 says. I’ve got this insured as a ‘camper in conversion’ and it’s about £260 from memory 

That's cheap.  Who's that, if you don't mind me asking?  No probs if you'd rather not say, just thinking it'd be worth me trying them when my camper's insurance is up for renewal

[mat_the_cat]

 

  

18 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

Only if you’re under 3.05t GVW, anything over (mines 3.5T) means the speed limits stay the same.

Oooh, has that changed in say the last 10 years? I was always under the impression that the cut off was 3.5t, not 3.05t - but I'm clearly wrong (and have been for years!)

https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

Although various sites are still saying the cut-off is at 3500kg.

18 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

Most insurance premiums don’t change, where I work and insure mine, they insure it as a camper if it’s a camper, regardless of what the V5 says. I’ve got this insured as a ‘camper in conversion’ and it’s about £260 from memory 

Ah, I changed the V5 when I converted it to a camper, so informed the insurance company at the same time. So may well have had the reduction even without the V5 change.

[wuvvum]

3 minutes ago, Erebus said:

That's cheap.  Who's that, if you don't mind me asking?  No probs if you'd rather not say, just thinking it'd be worth me trying them when my camper's insurance is up for renewal

It's a policy he knocked up himself at work, not available to the general public, soz.  🙃

[JJ0063]

8 minutes ago, mat_the_cat said:

 

  

Oooh, has that changed in say the last 10 years? I was always under the impression that the cut off was 3.5t, not 3.05t - but I'm clearly wrong (and have been for years!)

https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

 

Honestly I’m not sure, it’s been like it for as long as I can remember. Everything official .gov refers to the 3.05t cut off (weird cut off tbh) but not sure how long its been that way!

7 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

It's a policy he knocked up himself at work, not available to the general public, soz.  🙃

I’m not even allowed to amend my own policy to add a private plate, so I think pricing my own insurance up is slightly out of my pay grade 😂

[mat_the_cat]

1 minute ago, JJ0063 said:

Honestly I’m not sure, it’s been like it for as long as I can remember. Everything official .gov refers to the 3.05t cut off (weird cut off tbh) but not sure how long its been that way!

Re-reading the gov.uk link again it refers to the unladen weight, so depending on what it weighs after the conversion you may be entitled to go faster. But if the speed limits aren't dictated by the V5 class as @loserone suggests, how do the police decide whether to give you a ticket or not? I recall around 20 years ago travelling in a van on a 60mph road, saw a camera van but didn't realise I was over the 50mph van limit so didn't slow, and ended up getting a ticket for 57mph. Ironic thing was I was following a friend towing a trailer which would also have been subject to the 50mph limit, but I assume that as she was driving a pickup, the class on the V5 would have signalled a 60mph limit.

Sorry for the thread tangent!

[loserone]

Some of the Facebook groups suggest posting back photos of the camper to support the argument that it's a camper and they drop the prosecution 

[EyesWeldedShut]

If you change the V5 to Motorhome then uprate the GVW using SVTech or a similar company (guy I know is cheaper than SV and would probable certify a Master with assister springs/airbags and maybe higher load rated tyres) then you can fall into the interesting* position of paying Private HGV Car Tax (£165) but you can still get a (cheap) Class 4 MoT

So long as you have the C1 on your licence to drive an over 3.5 tonner then it's a win-win?

*some of the horsebox manufacturers were getting their things V5'd as Motorhomes for a few years to exploit this but I think that's been stopped. 

[JJ0063]

15 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

If you change the V5 to Motorhome then uprate the GVW using SVTech or a similar company (guy I know is cheaper than SV and would probable certify a Master with assister springs/airbags and maybe higher load rated tyres) then you can fall into the interesting* position of paying Private HGV Car Tax (£165) but you can still get a (cheap) Class 4 MoT

So long as you have the C1 on your licence to drive an over 3.5 tonner then it's a win-win?

*some of the horsebox manufacturers were getting their things V5'd as Motorhomes for a few years to exploit this but I think that's been stopped. 

This sort of thing sounds interesting and I have a class 2 licence so no issues in that department, bigger issue I see is resale, most people will only have a car license so you’re limiting the resale market big time. 
 

Interesting loophole though!

[EyesWeldedShut]

3 hours ago, JJ0063 said:

This sort of thing sounds interesting and I have a class 2 licence so no issues in that department, bigger issue I see is resale, most people will only have a car license so you’re limiting the resale market big time. 
 

Interesting loophole though!

You just downrate it to sell it - paper exercise.
Very common with horseboxes* - used to be downrating to get them in under 7.5 tonnes but these days uprate them to get a decent payload in a 3.5 tonner.
Motorhome guys have done it for years - usually cos they're something stupid like 3,350 kg kerb weight before you load up the booze, bikes and birds.

Bit less handy with a 3.5 tonne horsebox as it moves up to a proper VOSA plating which is about £100 more that the Class 7 it used to be. You do save that on the excise licence though as the £165 Private HGV rate kicks in.

[St.Jude]

On 28/08/2024 at 08:01, Westbay said:

"Not sure on fridge/sink/hob at the moment as the budget is all but gone, may just get the woodwork done and then those bits can be added as and when. "

Isn't the fridge/sink/hob a 'must have' to get it re-classified as a camper rather than a van with DVLA ?

This has been in my head and I apologise for the thread nudging in a different direction.

I have an idea of getting the older Renault Master van (the angular one), and painting it to look like a Renault Spares van, but as a camper.

Would the DVLA take a dim view of that if I said it was a camper?

[loserone]

They are pretty much refusing to reclassify anything as a camper these days even if it meets the specifications 

[JJ0063]

OMG gel plates massive chav etc

[mintwth]

Gel plates?

Don't go reading other threads for ideas. It could be the start of the slippery slope to a modified van like this 

[JJ0063]

Dog couldn’t give less of a shit 

[loserone]

That's a Renault not a pug mate.

[Matty]

18 minutes ago, loserone said:

That's a Renault not a pug mate.

Told you that'd happen JJ 🤣

[EyesWeldedShut]

3 minutes ago, Matty said:

Told you that'd happen JJ 🤣

Number ten gets a smack was it?
That's a Reno not a Pug mate

 

[Barry Cade]

Vans are 60mph on a dual carriageway.. don't ask how I know... twice.

Dual purpose and campers can do 70..

 

[JJ0063]

2 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

Vans are 60mph on a dual carriageway.. don't ask how I know... twice.

Dual purpose and campers can do 70..

 

That image doesn’t quite match the official .gov which says it’s 3.05t rather than 3.5t for motorhomes

https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

[Barry Cade]

3 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

That image doesn’t quite match the official .gov which says it’s 3.05t rather than 3.5t for motorhomes

https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

True! Uh-oh.. I'm about to go down a wormhole again...  just read this..

"Additionally, even if your vehicle is classed as a campervan or motorhome, you will have to obey goods vehicle speed limits if you use it as a workshop, for storage or to carry goods for exhibition or sale."

[SunnySouth]

10 hours ago, Barry Cade said:

Vans are 60mph on a dual carriageway.. don't ask how I know... twice.

Dual purpose and campers can do 70..

 

Different speed limits in England & Scotland…. Fucking ridiculous, FFS🙄

[Barry Cade]

13 hours ago, SunnySouth said:

Different speed limits in England & Scotland…. Fucking ridiculous, FFS🙄

Yup, on the upside, they’ve put bags over the Speed cameras from the English border north? You can hike up the A68 now 😁

[JJ0063]

Floor in

Solar panel fitted

Made a small ply board I can mount all my electrical shit to and bolt in

Got given a free leisure battery from a mate, reckons there’s a 50/50 chance of it being fucked, his business partner took it out of his van when changing to lithium and it’s been sat in his warehouse for a year or so. I’ve stuck a repair charger on it and it was only at 7.4v but it’s taking a charge so we’ll see. Nothing ventured and all that shit.

[JJ0063]

MaxxFan deluxe fitted 

solar cables and the main starter battery cable routed from the battery to where it will connect to the DC to DC charger