There can be quite a lot of confusion for new owners looking to buy a campervan conversion. It’s an investment that demands time and research to ensure you purchase the right campervan conversion with the size and layout that suits your future needs. Choosing the converter company should have equal time and thought for many important reasons, in this article we will discuss some of the factors that you should consider.
As a potential buyer of a campervan conversion you should seek advice from an unbiased industry body and there are schemes in place to help you choose a converter without bias. Any campervan or motorhome conversion company that is approved with the following agencies will provide peace of mind that you are investing with a reputable and regulated company.
Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA)
This Agency of the Department for Transport provides testing and certification to internationally recognised standards. If a conversion company is VCA approved then you can be sure that the whole vehicle including the interior fixtures has been through a rigorous testing procedure – and passed!
The Whole Vehicle Type Approval scheme (WVTA) provides testing, certification and production conformity assessment by an independent body. Once a campervan or motorhome has passed Type Approval the conversion company is regularly visited and audited to ensure that all future production meets the required standards.
When you purchase a from a company that has Whole Vehicle Type Approval you can be assured that safety concerns such as seat belts and fixings, crash testing of the rear travelling bed/seats, habitation and gas safety have been certified.
Even something as simple as adding electrical accessories to the conversion could potentially interfere with the vehicles base safety features. ABS breaking or Stability Controls are just an example of safety features that need to be re-tested once accessories are fitted. Selecting a company that has been certified by The Whole Vehicle Type Approval scheme is one of your major considerations when selecting a campervan converter.
If you would like to read more, please take a look at the government website regarding Vehicle Type Approval.
National caravan council (NCC)
The NCC Approved badge ensures that the company and conversion has complied with all the industry construction regulations and standards current at the time when the campervan conversion left the factory. This independent reassurance is another key approval that potential buyers can use for peace of mind. The emphasis of the scheme is on consumer safety and covers habitation to ensure all products comply and are safe.
The NCC Manufacturers’ Approval Scheme enforces converters to provide even higher protection above the requirements of the British/European standards. Once approved, each conversion is licensed to carry an NCC Approved badge and a certificate is also issued to the new owner of the conversion.
You can visit the NCC website and download a PDF to view a List of Current Approved Leisure Vehicle Models built by NCC Full Members
Volkswagen motorhome qualified converter
The Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Motorhome Qualification scheme recognises converters whose first priority is quality. Volkswagen have combined legislative, regulatory and industry standards into one qualification giving you even greater peace of mind and security for your investment.
We go into greater details about this on our previous article and as part of the stringent criteria for the scheme we have to:
- Meet legal type approval standards allowing first registration as a campervan or motorhome
- Pass the National Caravan Council (NCC) habitation and safety standards
- Have at least a three-year trading history
- Register on the Body Builder Database – a platform where we can call up extensive VW technical data
- Provide a minimum of £5 million liability insurance cover
- Offer the same warranty to match the base vehicle
Suffice to say that we are delighted to have been recognised by Volkswagen to be a Motorhome Qualified Converter. You can find out more and also view the few other companies with this qualification on the Volkswagen Motorhome Conversions website.
When you buy a conversion from Hillside Leisure you will be buying a fully approved and fully registered “Motor Caravan” on the V5 log book. This is something that all buyers should look out for as it can affect your campervan insurance and residual re-sale value. Imaging buying a conversion that can only be insured as a simple commercial panel van without the extra cover for all the hard work on the conversion and habitation equipment. Being registered as a Motor Caravan can also affect the legal speeds that you can travel on dual-carriageways and provide cheaper ferry fees than a listed commercial vehicle.
We pride ourselves on being one of the top UK companies to have all of the above mentioned approvals in place. Coupled with our friendly and helpful sales team and comprehensive aftersales support we know we are a reliable choice for anyone looking to buy a UK based hand-made campervan conversion.
If you are looking for a campervan conversion and would like to see our range of fantastic vehicles, have a look at our website or get in touch by calling 01332 207976 or emailing sales@hillsideleisure.co.uk
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