Hi all from newbie camper owner (in dire need of a bit of advice)

Just spent an hour reading this when I really, really should be in bed.

Karma to you Caro for sticking with it and doing the right thing even though it could have cost you dearly. I'm sending you the biggest pile of Yorkshire karma I can stuff into a post to you and wish you all the best.

 

Yep, just checked, nothing behind either seat. Just the entire chassis number in the engine bay and the m-plate front nearside near the fusebox.
My MP! Why didn't I think of that? That's a great idea (I'll have to be quick though, don't they go off on their 51 week holiday sometime around the beginning of Summer)?
So the plan tomorrow is: Call my MP, call the Police AGAIN and see if I can get a traffic superintendant or vehicle checker, call the AA, call insurance company AND to cap it all, call Renault cos hubby's Kangoo sounds like the timing belt is on it's way out (time to get the rollerskates out again)!
Oh andanother HUGE thank you to ALL of you, because honestly I would have cracked up without your support. Cx

 

I dont suggest you do the following at all as it would be illegal


Buy a complete rotter of a late bay thats complete with vin and v5 and re ring yours back to a late bay

Dont do what i said above its very naughty


But not as naughty as turning a 79 into a 72 no tax fraud to start


I would never do it myself but if the police aint interested then what next?

 

Didn't someone say earlier that the '79 is on the dvla site, but shows as unregistered for 10 yrs? That's like a very long resto! re-register it, get some new number plates, get it checked by an vosa or whoever and get a new chassis plate made. Then it's completely legal.

 

Sorry, answers to three posts here... When I spoke to the DVLA in the week they told me it was registered to someone but they couldn't tell me who. When I spoke to the police they told me it was written off. When I HPI's it, it came back as written off in 2001 and no sign of it since. When I went on the DVLA website it just gave the basic details and said it was unlicensed.
Good news - my MP has a surgery tomorrow morning 10 minutes away between 11.00am and midday!
Even if I managed to get the V5 for the 79, would it be legal for me to get new chassis plates made?
Gonna have to get to my bed soon my eyes are out on stalks! Cx

 

Apologies to all if I'm sounding harsh in the written word, am used to writing this way I guess!

Careful with the 79 ownership, an insurance company will have paid out and possibly someone had bought the wreck as salvage.

You might be able to register it as the keeper, but proving it on those chassis plates might prove difficult.

I'd try and get the police to put in writing, having seen those plates, that no criminal activity has happened here, get them to reference exactly what they are seeing on the van. Also, if they are saying that no criminal activity has happened, do they believe it to be a civil matter?

I'd go to citizens advice at the least, and try the insurance fraud bureau:
http://www.insurancefraudbureau.org/contact/

I'm hoping the lack of traction you've had is down to it being the weekend, trading standards are still an avenue for you.

 

Been reading through all of this, so sorry to hear you're having such a lousy intro to bus ownership.

Doesn't sound like you're going to have any luck with getting your money back from the scumbag vendor but as other folk have said, at the very least you have a van. It might involve a lot of hassle, but you're definitely doing the right thing by trying to get it all straightened out at the very start.

Hopefully your insurer will be a bit more helpful than the police. It's understandable, if not very palatable, that plod don't see ringing a 40-year-old (or 31-year-old) van as a priority. What's less forgivable is that they're dumb enough to think it's easier to swap a load of parts than just fix the numbers.

Is it insured through a classics specialist? I'd imagine they'd be more sympathetic/helpful than one of the big everyday ones.

Sorry I can't offer any sensible advice, but have some sympathy and karma instead.

 

Thanks Raoul.

Okay, another update for you all: (sorry, this is a bit long-winded).
MP said to approach the insurance first and if no joy go back next Monday. So, here is my email to the insurance agency yesterday:
Dear Jason,

Policy Number: xxxxxx
Reg No: CKO ---K

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today and listen to my concerns about my campervan. I have written below the account of what has happened to make me suspicious about the vehicle and what has transpired. I would, as we discussed, appreciate you escalating this to the underwriters, as even with the green light from the police, I am still concerned about the provenance of the camper and how I stand legally regarding the insurance. Please could you ask them to look at my concerns and let me know their thoughts on this and how I stand?

Thanks as always for your help

Caroline xxxxxxx

Over the last couple of weeks I have been restoring my van (CKO ---K) bit by bit. I discovered a registration number etched into the quarter light windows that didn't match my camper. (This number is H-- ---V) At first I thought okay, it's a 40 year old van, it may have had the windows changed. However, it unsettled me so I checked the registration on the DVLA website and found it belonged to a 1979 red campervan. This worried me further so I tried checking the differences between a 72 and a 79 camper and found 3 distinct differences that were obvious: a 72 camper has 3 screws in the headlight surrounds and a 79 has 1 (mine has 1); a 72 camper has a flap over the petrol cap and a 79 doesn't (mine doesn't); a 72 camper has full hinges and a 79 has wire hinges (mine has wire hinges).
Now I was even more worried and so I contacted the police.
Over the phone they told me not to worry as so long as the VIN number matched, all the 79 bits could have been added later and as far as they were concerned everything was okay. I asked if I was legal, they said yes. I asked if I was insured, they said yes. This was on 24-05-2012 and the Incident Number is CH58895 and the Officer number 094696.
It still didn't sit right so I HPI'd both vehicles and it transpired that the 79 model was written off in 2001 as a cat C. This worried me further so I had a look online at things to look out for and the numbers on the VIN plate on my van are stamped in rather than raised up, also the engine in my van matches the engine number of the 79 camper, so I telephoned the police again and asked if someone could come round and look at the van. The following day the police came to my house and I told them all of the above. They checked the vehicle over, looked at the VIN plate and the m-plate and said they would investigate the history of both vehicles and the person who sold it to me. A couple of hours later I had a call and they said it had been passed to CID who had looked at everything and they were satisfied that everything checked out. As far as they were concerned I had a 72 van with 79 bits on. (I have asked for them to confirm this in writing). The Incident Number is CHS9529 and the Officer attending was 123XB.

I realise it seems that I may be over-reacting but I am very concerned that should I, God forbid, ever have an accident and have to make a claim, if it turns out that I am indeed driving a 79 vehicle rather than a 72, my insurance will be void. I just want to make sure I have covered every avenue and let every authority know my concerns.

And here is the reply:

Hi Caroline,

Please find enclosed the reply from the underwriters following your email yesterday, its good news!

Regards

Jason Bees
Advance Insurance Agencies Ltd
8 Avon Reach, Chippenham, Wilts, SN15 1EE.

From: Jonathan Mitchell
Sent: 29 May 2012 10:22
To: 'jason.bees@advanceinsurance.co.uk'
Subject: CKO ---K


Jason

Further to your e-mail I can confirm that as the client has had confirmation that the vehicle is not stolen from the police then we as Underwriters would not look to follow the matter any further.

We will attach the details advised by the client to our file in case any questioned are raised in the event of an claim

Regards

Jonathan Mitchell
For Towergate Underwriting Cherished Car
Sandersley House, Upton Road, Poole, BH17 7AG

I then went back and asked if I was therefore insured to drive, even if I had to make a claim and got the answer:
Correct, as the police have confirmed that its not a stolen vehicle then everything is ok.

Regards

Jason Bees
Advance Insurance Agencies Ltd
8 Avon Reach, Chippenham, Wilts, SN15 1EE.

So there you have it, not a single soul cares about my problem (apart from all you lovely people). The one good thing is I am now able to actually legally use the van whilst I'm carrying on my investigations!
I'm thinking of actually making a trip in person to the DVLA.
This has got to be the most ludicrous situation I have ever come across! I might rename the van Jammie Dodger!

 

By the way the exes (xxxx) after my name in the email are just where my surname was, not me trying to influence the insurance agency with kisses!

 

I must admit you had me going with the kisses i thought blimey that worked Sounds like your getting somewhere which is good, well done keep up the good work, and i look forward to your what shall i call my bus thread )

 

I like poptop's ideas, but then I thought maybe "skuldubbery" I shall have to start a new thread for this!

 

this sounds like the 79 was written off and the parts used to make your bus .....all lovely if the mplate matches the bus =good ....if the vin,s match /marry up with documents =good.

hope the best for you and the bus ......
peace out johnny

 

Nothing matches anything Johnny apart from the dodgy vin and the V5 (which is why I may end up calling her the body dubble)!