Feeling a bit despondent towards my bus...

[gvee]

Having a little crisis today about my bus. Today is the first day I've seriously considered throwing in the towel.

Not permanently - there's no way I want to live a bus free existence - I love them too much!

But sadly due to my current situation and finances it looks like something will have to give real soon.

My insurance renewal quote has come through too, which hasn't help matters. I'm over a barrel a bit due to my age (24) with regards to price but I was really wishing for at least a small reduction in price. No such luck. I won't tell you how much I pay because I don't want to ruin anyone's screen because of a shock induced spit-take :lol: Needless to say I envy those of you who I've seen complain that their premium is too high :msn4:

I'm going to take the next few weeks to mull things over and hopefully find something else that can slip but at the moment the bus is just draining me. No rash decisions. I don't want to part with Lily. I might just have to keep her off the road and see if she can squeeze in to our garage somehow... flat tyres, hard up against the back wall, maybe take the garage door off, put the hinges in the closed position and remount the door; who knows 8)

Sorry, just had to have a little rant. I'm sure it's not as bad as I thought. Just writing this lot has made me feel a little better. Perspective and all that..?

Cheers

 

[rev-al]

Chin up mate - I can't make your premiums lower - but I CAN congratulate you on your youth, and the life ahead of you. (Some of us on this site are old B*****ds & cheaper premiums are cold comfort for an earlier grave !)
:lol:

 

[doz]

I feel your pain. Years ago I use to own a right silly Cavalier Turbo. The insurance was crippling. In the end I just got so despondent I flogged it and brought a diesel. I regret it now. If I had just hung on for a year or so I'd of been able to afford it. If you can park her up to hibernate I'd take that option. When I decided to relive my youth I couldn't find a decent one which hadn't been "max power"ed to death!!!!! If you know your bus and she's a good un and you stand her up properly I'd do that.

 

[K@rlos]

I can't why you can't get cheaper insurance. I was 18 when I brought my bus and the insurance was £1200 fully comp, now it's about £700.

 

[Humphrey]

We've all been there matey. I can remember when my insurance was the same price as my car, but I paid it because I had to build up my driving record (even though insurance isn't compulsory in New Zealand). Think of it this way...it can only get better!

 

[Gadget Boy]

George

post up how much your insurance is an if you have points etc , BUT heres a few tips to get it cheaper :

A) Is it performance modified ? if not, make sure they know its just lowered

B) Are you in a club , you get a discount for club membership

C) Does it have a alarm or mechanical immobliser even a kill switch etc

D) Can you limit your mileage

E ) Can it live in a garage

F ) Do you read any magazines ( All of Em Vw related )

G) Does it have alloy wheel locks

H ) Cant you play one firm off against another as there all keen for the business

I) Do you park it on a secure carpark at work ? I.E with 24hr gatemen ??

J) Also are you in a motoring organisation as this sometimes helps too ( AA, Green Flag ,RAC etc )



All of these tips should help you get it cheaper, also I use all of the above to get mine down every year .... My insurance company tried to charge me BECAUSE premiums have gone up ..... THATS not my fault and I got it cheaper than last year too


Let us know how you get on, Also Id leave it unisured for a month push it in the garage as January is a better time to pay up than bloody december :roll:

 

[ProfessorWheeto]

As a guide I paid £450 last year for fully comp, agreed valuation, limited mileage at 5000, I'm 23, don't live in posh end of Lincoln and a panel beater. Have got decent NCD though. Thats with HIC although I've heard rumblings recently of various companies **** canning their classic policies for under 25s

But to be honest, if its not your daily and you haven't got the time/money to run it, SORN it and get it on a lay up policy.

 

[gvee]

I don't want rid of her so the garage is probably the best place if I can make her fit.

How old are you now Westy, if you don't mind me asking?

I know it is only supposed to get better but the fact is that over the last 3 years every company I've been insured with have tried to shaft me at renewal. I have always fought and got a better price but right now I have even less funds to throw at it so need to battle even harder.

As for Deans questions...
2 years NCD, no points, no accidents, no claims, nothing ever. Full UK drivers license including pass plus (which so far has never made a difference, what a waste of money that was :lol: )

Pretty standard 1641 TP, single-carbed lump in there (or to be transplanted soon anyway).
Member of a couple of local clubs.
I have a steering wheel lock permanently fitted (one that goes from pedal to wheel) and am on the look out for a fuel cut-off solenoid along with a kill-switch for extra piece of mind.
Yes I can limit my mileage - in fact with my current insurers this seemed to make no difference to the premium.
It can't live in my garage at the moment. Private driveway or possibly in the car-port.
It is running on stock steelies, but I suppose I could get locking nuts if that'd make a difference.
Going to be playing the game - no way am I paying the same much this year.
I don't use it for work in any capacity, so it will be at home when I work.
Member of a breakdown service.

I've heard rumblings recently of various companies **** canning their classic policies for under 25s

Can you elaborate on this, not sure I follow?

 

[ProfessorWheeto]

There was a thread on VZi earlier this month with a lad claiming that Adrian Flux have stopped offering classic policys to the under 25s, this is slightly worrying as I'm insured with HIC who apparently use the same underwriters as Flux. (NIG I think)

I'm hoping I don't get a shock come renewal time (and the phone monkeys should be hoping they don't have to break the news to me :lol: )

 

[Gadget Boy]

Hic an Flux are the same company and Im sure Just kampers and Volksworld insurance are both Flux too, so tbh your pretty ****** .... Im with Flux but i proper play my face ever reknewal tbh :evil:

 

[lobie]

try heritage i got a good deal £219 fully comp

 

[George B]

Cherish didn't ask me to touch my toes ...

 

[antoine]

i got a good deal with cherished, i only hit 26 last week.
i dont have a garage, but im not in leeds. my boss has been driving for 25 years and pays nearly twice what it costs me to insure 2 cars just because she's in leeds.

the postcode makes a hell of a difference.


Im sure telling you to move house would be incredibly helpful right now :lol: :roll:

 

[K@rlos]

I'm 22 ATM, 23 in June. My insurance is with Safeguard, got agreed value of £11000, windscreen cover and declared mods which are lowered suspension and a big sound system, nether of which affected the price.

Karl

 

[ZedBed]

I know it's no help now, but the best thing you can do as a newly qualified teenage driver is buy the crappiest moped you can, insure it and leave it in the shed until you've built up so no claims/driver experience/got older. Sad, but true.

 

[blogdroed]

It's well cheap if you keep yur bus down our way ... I'm sure you could move here, couldn't you?

 

[gvee]

They better not be stopping under 25's policies because that really would leave people in that category with even less choice and I'm sure that would equal even higher premiums.

Actually considered buying a moped just for NCD build up, but then also thought about finding a policy that would let me drive other motors (specifically the van, of course) 3rd party... That's always been an age-related challenge but I reckon it can't be any harder than what I'm up against so far.

Feeling vastly more positive today party because I have a job to go do for a few hours and a few extra quid and partly because that mountain is starting to look more like a molehill. It just really wound me up yesterday.

There's absolutely no way the bus is going. I will flog everything else before she goes (shameless plug: anybody want a wii and/or original xbox both in great nick with games and controllers to boot?). She just might be hiding for a few months while I earn some more pennies. Nothing beats a bit of melodrama, eh? 8)

 

[vwwinston72]

Im 24 and insured with adrian flux and at my renewal last year they changed who i was insured with from nig to a different one i didnt question it at the time but it makes sense that nig are not insuring under 25's on classic policies now! Roll on march 2012 and hopefully cheaper inscurance for me!

I've been in your situation to though bud and managed to just about hold on to my van, having it off the road, selling nearly everything else i own etc... but come summer all that is a distant memory when your cruising in your bus and it all seems worth it!

 

[bertiethebus]

Matey if all esle fails, you can live in ya bus 8) :lol:

Insurance is such a joke, i deal with road traffic accidents as part of my job and its shocking to see the way some people go on for whipcash :shock:

Seriously its such a waste of emergency services time am money dealing with them!
Then its off with a skip and a jump to any claim dog who loves a bit of insurance shafting no win no fee or even better, the otherside (insurance co) picks up the costs and passes it on the all of us :roll:

Chin up and merry christmas

 

[antoine]

but come summer all that is a distant memory when your cruising in your bus and it all seems worth it!

assuming you can afford the petrol.

guess why ive hardly driven mine since i got it back. :lol: