Of course not, he was too special and it was for the CT tester to recognise that fact and bend to his will.
2 Likes
No he sold it in the end.
I am now living in my third country and I have spent a lot of time in a fourth. One of the things I have learnt in the past 39 years since leaving the U.K. is that just because something is different it does not mean it is any less good. Only a fool is arrogant enough to fight against the norms and argue that black is white in an attempt to prove their superiority. How I used to laugh at the people I met who were pulling their hair out because they couldn’t buy nails at lunchtime, that they were expected to know the basics of the local language or change the way that their car’s headlights were aligned. How far can arrogance carry an individual? In the wise words of Saint Ambrose, when in Rome…
A lot of my natural choices and preferred ways of life come from what I have learned from my time in Germany, France and the Benelux countries, but even so when I am at home I respect the ways of my friends and neighbours. I moved to France because of the way of life here and it’s those ways and traditions that have made it what it is. You are the second person on SF recently who have made a stupid fuss about laws that you believe are stupid, that gains you absolutely no respect in my eyes.
1 Like
Hum possibly you could have put that more delicately? character demolishment of the other being not essential in order to express one’s personal view?
3 Likes
hi adam yes I would definitely like to hear more about that. could you dm me the details please?
You are free to think what you like, as I said prior, is it even a real law, I doubt it, its merely red tape. The manufacters make several seating options, most other countries would allow the freedom provided it is done correctly to change something without such a fuss being made. You could argue the point that a vehicle produced with headlights dipping to the left cannot be changed to RH dipping because that is not how it left the factory. Same as in this instance a seat, it can be changed.
Subject done to death, I will leave it there.
just getting some details, will send them on.
1 Like
The reality is, much like your seating situation, either can be done if approved by DREAL. Then it’s not an issue for the CT.
I can’t really be bothered to go and dig out chapter and verse but, while I’m sure the law doesn’t specify the number of seats, it will say they should be compliant with the number of seats on the CG. The simple answer is to get the CG changed in line with the modification.
2 Likes
The CoC will specify the seating that the manufacturer has submitted for Type Approval. Any deviation from the Type Approval requires DREAL inspection and a modified CG. If the substitued seating is for an alternative type fitted by the vehicle manufacturer then DREAL approval should be easy to obtain. Job done!
If France is considered difficult for such mundane things Germany is leagues ahead. There, even basic accessories require TüV approval.
1 Like
Yes it was, sorry John
It’s not just France. Naivety cost me my Transit van and motorbike insurance | Car insurance | The Guardian
Sadly its just any excuse they can find in UK insurance. Now did the theif target the van because it was a van or because it was a pseudo camper van? Scum insurance companies looking for an easy out.
Well having read the article, the owner bought this upon himself by semi converting it into a camper van and not informing the insurance company.
Sprucing up a van for weekends away seems harmless but, as you have discovered, if you don’t tell your insurer it can invalidate your policy. The argument is that adding any mod cons changes the vehicle’s value and might make it more attractive to thieves (your alterations included a kitchen, heater and solar panels). Had the insurer known, it might have upped the premium or pulled your cover.’
Hi. I have a form of camper imported to France without difficulties from the UK. I declared it to the Douanes and ended up paying about Euros 400 in dues for importing it. Its an elderly truck camper unit, currently sat in our orchard. (There are some French planning concerns if its not moved regularly - the only person whose view its within is our mayor’s mother and he has not said anything yet.)
I bought it in the UK second hand about a decade ago. Since Brexit and Covid it stayed in an industrial unit. I collected it from there about a year ago. Since it does not itself have any wheels it is not regarded as a camper or caravan by the French authorities and does not require a Carte Gris. It is instead treated as a load, so must be within the weight limits of the base truck.
I have added a picture. Because the cab on the Landrover is significantly higher than on similar vehicles, I have a base under the camper unit to raise it. A shortcoming of using a Landrover for the base vehicle, although some manufacturers do make camper units with more elevated front bed sections to suit Landrovers, and these are available second hand too.
There are French companies that specialise in constructing truck campers. They are more commonly referred to as Cellule Amovible, or une cellule d’habitation. See for example: Pickup Billys Cells - French Removable Cells or Cellule Amovible | France | Skpade . There are several others too. There are in the main two different forms of Cellule. Those that fit within the truck sides of a single cab or twin cab truck, and those that require a flat bed.
Limitations that can be overcome depending on the base vehicle are the lack of walk through, and the probably slightly greater height to ascend to enter.
Tie downs are usually with turnbuckles similar to stainless steel marine products. My probably 1980ish truck camper has manual jacks. I have considered going electric which would make loading and off loading much easier. The system I have in mind is custom made in the USA at a cost of about £3000, called StableLift. Stable-Lift Jacks - Truck Camper Magazine
Within the EU (so no duty if purchased) Germany has a little community for truck campers. The biggest forum is the Wohnkabinen-Forum. They have the best information for newcomers and members. The USA has a massive community, see for example www.truckcampermagazine.com/ Australia also has a big community, although more focused on flat bed trucks. ps Alibaba lists a number of very affordable looking truck campers eg Storage and Comfort: Wholesale camper lift - Alibaba.com
I get fed occasional facebook reels showing a complete slide in and out camper box inside a conventional van. I would think that would also class as a cellule amovable load. I note that a german company has developed this to a completely removable campervan interior. Concept camper van has fully removable interior … including bathroom
Insurance is limited to a small number of companies for these in France. Axa failed to enable me to insure it in the end, despite being told they would and could. Many state that they use a caravan policy via www.macif.fr - In the end I got a caravan policy with Allianz, via Isabelle Want. There are some warnings about trailers, caravans etc insured in France with one company, and the tow vehicle insured with another. I chose therefore to insure my base vehicle (the truck) and my trailer with Allianz as well. So far I am very happy with the outcome.
With the camper unit loaded it falls into Class 2 on the autoroute, although the truck without the camper is just inside Class 1. see " la classification des véhicules (https ://www.autoroutes.fr/fr/classificationdes-vehicules.htm) sur laquelle apparaît une précision très intéressante pour vous, à savoir qu’un pick-up avec cellule habitable (que celle-ci soit fixe ou rapportée amovible) est considéré en « véhicule intermédiaire » de classe 2." quote from What is the motorway rate for a removable cell on a pick-up? - The World of Motorhomes
2 Likes
As your truck camper can be demounted (unloaded) does it not qualify as a load?
There are tent modules that can be mounted on the roof of cars or pick- ups.
Hi - yes, it is classed as a load… as above " It is instead treated as a load, so must be within the weight limits of the base truck."
I booked a CT for my van yesterday. I asked the tester whether it would be ‘favourable’ if I removed the double pax seat in the cab and had no seats there. Yes.
Could I replace the double with a single? Yes.
Could I reinstal the double? Yes.
Can I instal windows behind the driver and pax seats? Yes
He got out a C.G. of a van. There was a line to do with seats. It read ‘1 2 3’ . M. Tester told me that that indicated that 1 or 2 or 3 seats were permissable.
I think that in this instance we have jobsworths who do not know the regs. It happens all the time.
Mark Rimmer, who does registrations for a living, made a comment about something to do with a previous dossier of mine "It depends which side of the bed the ANTS person got out of … "
1 Like
Since we weren’t there and didn’t see the CG, that’s perhaps a reach. The logical assumption would be that he looked at the CG and it didn’t match the vehicle rather than he had a guess at how many seats should have been there and then failed it.
According to the CTista I quizzed it’s perfectly clear.- writ large on the CG. You can have one of the three options: one seat, two seats or three seats.
The condition/state of a vehicle is tested as it is presented on the day. If it turns up with a different number of seats from last time that should be irrelevant as long as the seats as presented on the day are acceptable under the rules.
That’s why my 307 Estate was passed with no rear pax seats, which were present for the previous test.
‘My’ CT station has a couple of testers who are endowed with the gift of thought. When my 307 was failed for uneven ‘bounce’ between the rear shockers, I got one replaced. On retest the new one was found to be leaking.
Instead of another fail they suggested, seeing that the leaky one was new, that the garage would be obliged to fit another one under g’tee. They gave me a pass. And, of course, the leaky shocker was duly replace under g’tee.
Was that for every van in France? Genuine question, not being snarky.