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Caravan help!


mmaddock
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Looking to buy a cheapie caravan for the odd weekend away. 

I know it has to have its own carte gris, but are there any other requirements for a caravan in France?  Is insurance compulsory?

Intending to buy a French one because I don't want to go through the hassle of registering it here - the car is French reg so the 'van must be too.  Not withstanding that I want to use it perhaps this weekend or next week!  (anyone got anything for sale? 4/5 birth?!)

Any helps and hints appreciated,

Cheers,

Matt

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[quote user="mmaddock"]Looking to buy a cheapie caravan for the odd weekend away. 

I know it has to have its own carte gris, but are there any other requirements for a caravan in France?  Is insurance compulsory?

Intending to buy a French one because I don't want to go through the hassle of registering it here - the car is French reg so the 'van must be too.  Not withstanding that I want to use it perhaps this weekend or next week!  (anyone got anything for sale? 4/5 birth?!)

Any helps and hints appreciated,

Cheers,

Matt
[/quote]

Hi Matt, from what I have seen ,cheap French registered caravans are dire.

You may have to pay around 2000 euros plus for something that is acceptable.

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You don't have to insure the caravan itself but you'd have to bear the loss if it was written off in a fire or stolen.

You must inform your car insurer and have your policy updated for 3rd party risks while towing. This cover is only valid while the caravan is attached to the car.

Sid

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[quote user="sid"]

You don't have to insure the caravan itself but you'd have to bear the loss if it was written off in a fire or stolen.

You must inform your car insurer and have your policy updated for 3rd party risks while towing. This cover is only valid while the caravan is attached to the car.

Sid

[/quote]

Oh yes you do, assuming that it is required to be registered (most have their own CG being over 500Kg), under French "continuous insurance" rules, they must always be insured.

Sid is thinking of UK rules...

 

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Thanks for the replies.  I asked our local insurance agent and she said if it was less than 750Kg PTAC then it could be covered 3rd party on the car insurance, if not it needed its own.

Regardless, we went completely nuts and fell for a very nice "Camping Car" and put a deposit down on that yesterday!  Now my next question!...I have seen those free 'camping sites' where all the French park their C/Cars up and where you can get clean water from, but as I recall you needed a token to get access to it - does anyone know where you get the tokens from?

Cheers,

Matt

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[quote user="Nick Trollope"][quote user="sid"]

You don't have to insure the caravan itself but you'd have to bear the loss if it was written off in a fire or stolen.

You must inform your car insurer and have your policy updated for 3rd party risks while towing. This cover is only valid while the caravan is attached to the car.

Sid

[/quote]

Oh yes you do, assuming that it is required to be registered (most have their own CG being over 500Kg), under French "continuous insurance" rules, they must always be insured.

Sid is thinking of UK rules...

 

[/quote]

Nick

I'll certainly check this again but my insurance agent told me that the caravan would be covered by the car insurance for third party risks so long as it was attached to the car, but that I would need to take out a separate policy, either for comprehensive or just third party risks for all other times, but that this was not compulsory, ie we'd stand to cover our own losses in the event of theft, fire... etc etc.

I would have thought that if insurance was compulsory then a green vignette would have to be displayed? I can't say I've ever seen that.

Perhaps you could point me to a definitive reference somewhere on the web (not just another 'somebody says').

Cheers

Sid

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Hi Matt,

Most of the camping car bornes are free to use, but occasionally you need a token from the Mairie or it will have a notice saying where to buy one.

Look for one of the guides in most newsagents, they are published by the CC magazines and should give all the details you need.   They Normally say whether you can stay overnight and for how long.

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Thanks James.

When you fill up with water is it just a tap, a hose? i.e. do I need to buy a container, hoses / adapters or such like to fill the tank in the van?  Sorry for such a basic question, but I don't want to turn up and find that we can't fill up because I'm missing something really basic!

Cheers,

Matt

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Matt, it's probably just a tap but may take a hose but the fittings can vary.   We always just used supermarché water containers and a funnel with a flexible nozzle for filling the tank.   I would suggest always using the container for drinks as old tanks can taste bad or worse.   The purifying solutions like milton can leave a taste.

Make sure you don't take fresh water from a tap used for toilet cleaning!

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[quote user="jamesg"]

Make sure you don't take fresh water from a tap used for toilet cleaning!

[/quote]

I'll have to make sure I don't fall for that one!!  

Picking it up on Friday, first trip this weekend!  Planning on a short tour around La Rochelle & Ile D'Oléron area on the advice of our French caravanning neighbour!

Cheers,

Matt

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Matt

Just be aware that you're unlikely to find anywhere to camp over on Ile d'Oleron at this time of year.  In general, aires tend to fill up early in the holiday season, so if you're looking for one, get there soon.

The bornes have threaded taps which will take garden hose fittings (we carry a small selection of the yellow multi-click fittings) so one of those cassette hose reels is a good idea.  Because water tends to 'go off' in the tank, we just use it for showers, washing up, etc and buy bottled water for drinking.

Make sure you buy a set of levelling chocks.... 

 

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Matt

My daughter is currently on Oleron with our camper. There is a superb camp site on the beach (literally) at St Denis d'Oleron only 16 euros a night with electric hook up. As for free overnight stops, you have to get parked up early.

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Hi we use our motorhome alot, going away for months at a time, there is a very book in english called camperstop, this shows all the free sites over europe OK some our free and some ask around 12 euros, this book can  be found on the net, As stated there is a site guide showing french sites in the newsagents. As to water we never use it from the sites having seen people use the hose to wash out their waste etc.

We have a lot of fun, and its a great way to seen europe, off to norway this sept to see the northern lights and whale watch, may even try a bit of ice hole fishing, who knows.

Also depending on what you plan using your van for, ie long trips just over summer within france or longer trips away, Have a look at the gaslow system for refillable gas tanks, great system and for us as saved running out of gas many a time.

enjoy

michael 

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Thanks for the tips & advice - all useful stuff to know for a first timer!  One of the reasons we're taking it away for just a night is to ease ourselves into it gently and learn what we need to know, need to buy!

We'll mostly be using it for weekend/short breaks for the moment ('tho self-empolyed, I still have to work unfortunately [:(]).

Visiting family in the UK should be a bit more relaxing in it though as we can make easy over night stops on the way up / down.  Arriving at hotels with 2 tired & screaming children at 11pm hasn't been a lot of fun in the past!

Cheers,

Matt

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