Truck Insurance

[Nick Harrison]

No doubt there are many experts out there on this. Where are the best deals to be had on limited mileage race truck insurance?

Thanks. Nick.

[tristancliffe]

No point just getting a 7.5 tonne truck, as several in Mono have that. No point getting a 'normal' articulated trailer, as the Timms have one. So you'll just have to bite the bullet and get something like this

http://www.racecarsdirect.com/listing/3 ... ailer.html



But I think I might give PRP Rescue a call, as their Transrescue package looks quite handy.

[samier]

Im looking for something small, I think the 7.5 tonne is a bit too much for me. I seem to remember Kat Impey manages to get her F3 in something that looks like a 3.5 t Luton? Any ideas what it is? Of course the other issue I have is with the LEZ in London

[andrewcliffe]

Arty can get his Jedi in the back of a Transit van...

Many 7.5T trucks are marginal on weight - eg our truck, with awning, car on transit wheels, dry wheels and a set of wets, spare nose cone and rear wing, a selection of useful spares, a selection of tools only has a bit of margin before the weight limit is reached.

Lighter trucks are probably going to be even more marginal.

Many people would be best off with a good trailer, and to hire a van - once the 2011 calendar is published talk to your local van hire place about a deal.

[samier]

Andrew while I see your point of having a trailer, its something I have used for 2 years was not really an issue with my Junior. The car simply is not big enough to carry spares, so at minimun I would need a large van. The poor weather we have it would be good to have an enclosed trailer, which again can be pricey, costs of 3,000 for a basic box to 6 or 7,000 for a race shuttle.

By transit you mean a Transit Luton surely? Not sure how a Jedi would fit in a regular Transit van?

If I could get the car to fit in a Luton van, that would be ok.. Also I hear about it being converted into a camper so to reduce tax, insurance etc.?? Also can be used to sleep in. Its all pretty confusing at the mo what I will do for next year.

[andrewcliffe]

I think it was a regular transit, not a luton. But Jedi's are tiny!

A race truck ideally needs a dual stage tail lift, so you can get the car quite high, and then you can fit all the racing junk underneath, otherwise there isn't as much room as you think. Getting the car off the floor of the truck means the whole space can be used for the tat you need to go racing.

Our truck has two bunks in it as well as a small gas stove and hob and gas powered fridge from a caravan breakers yard. The truck has been re-classified as a motorhome because of this, and apparently this can help with breakdown services, even if it doesn't change the tax rate and so on. We had to send pictures to the DVLA to support this, which they promptly lost, but they found them in a filing cabinet in a dark basement at Swansea marked Beware of the Leopard.[1]

However, unloading and loading the car now needs at least two people, beforehand with the race shuttle and tow car it could be done by one person. Putting up our race truck awning takes about an hour and needs at least three tall people, Emma isn't quite tall enough! The standalone awning we used to use needed a person on each corner, but they could be of any height really and was so quick you could borrow passers-by or your paddock neighbour if needed. All in the name of progress...

If only going racing by yourself or with a single helper, or different helpers at each race who you have to direct all the time, then a van and trailer and a standalone awning will be by far the more straightforward to live with.

Once you've got the car tucked up in its awning then you could sleep in the trailer, especially if you put some thought into some insulation, or the van, whichever is the cleanest / best insulated. We've got camp beds which pack down to very little and are quite comfy.

I've seen adverts to convert a regular trailer into a covered trailer which may be worth investigating?

[1] bonus point for those able to identify author and book.

[tristancliffe]

[1] bonus point for those able to identify author and book.

Douglas Adams, Hitchhikers Guide...

How many bonus points? Can I carry them forwards to the first rounds of 2011? Would be nice to start the season with a few more points than anyone else.

[Marky Mark]

Our (Kat) little truck is a 7.5t but because of its size we’re well under the weight limit,
Its very economical for a truck- same consumption as my turbo transit! Has a nice insulated twin sleeper with all mods- cooker, fridge, loo etc and peace of mind its all in the back, not dangling off the back! Had to many bad memories of trailers and with the truck un-liveried you can park in the services and feel a bit safer.
So all in all I’m a trucker! Plus I’ve still got a whole load of yorkie bars to get through yet!

Hope to see a bit more of you all next season.
Mark
ps
Well done to all!

[samier]

Mark what make is it? I remembered your truck because with out taking a detailed look it appeared small and compact. Just looking at my options for next year as I dont really want a open trailer for the Renault. I need something enclosed really for many of the reasons you have mentioned in your post

I wish I can enjoy a truck full of Yorkie bars, but Im on a diet! lol

[Marky Mark]

It's a Renault Midlum, sent you a pm

[stevengriffin]

The weight limit is not quite as simple as it sounds... On the 7.5 tonne truck plus trailer issue I was told by a nice Welsh lady from Swansea that the maximum train weight was 8.25 tonnes.
This allows me to use my Iveco truck plus modest caravan. It doesn't leave much weight over for Yorkie bars though.
The other problem is that my wife is frightened that we look like travellers.... I have pointed out that our truck is far too old and we pay far too much income tax to be mixed up with that group.

[Dermot Healy]

..... we look like travellers.... I have pointed out that our truck is far too old and we pay far too much income tax to be mixed up with that group.

Just to put on record that there is at least one reader of this forum who finds the way a discussion of trucks can move so easily towards a sneer at a group of people who have more than enough problems of their own slightly disturbing. As a community travellers may not endear themselves to the areas they visit, but nor do motorsport enthusiasts. And as for tax - i suspect if HMRC were to look carefully at the tax affairs of the inhabitants of a travellers camp or those in a raceday paddock they'd find quite a few similarities.

Of course i'm an old humourless Guardian reading lefty (with a crush on Harriet Harman) who is probably being quite silly.....and yes i do have Irish origins. However, last time Travellers/Gypsies came under serious attack (as they are now to some degree throughout Europe) it was when the world was being threatened by a little guy with a small moustache........and yes i know he subsequently transformed himself into an aimable and very competitive long time Mono competitor hiding in the Midlands ....but we may just not be so lucky a second time.

[stevengriffin]

No offence meant to the Irish or our travelling companions... Very sorry.
Like Monoposti I'm sure they are all nice, law-abiding, tax-paying decent people. I did buy my truck from one of their number.
Dermot, you dark horse. Harriet Harmann? Such a vision of lovelyness.... I think it is important that our Socialist politicians should be privately educated aristocrats, it gives them such understanding of the needs of us ordinary folk.

[arty cameron]

Hi Guys just for clarity, its a Fiat Ducato 2.8 maxi van, and all i have to do is put front wheels on all round, take the front and rear wing off and use muscle to pull it up steep ramps and lift the front wheels up and over the wheel arches and she's in! once out i have room for a double matress. Admittedly only for jedi owners, but its cheap, nice to have a reletively small vehicle which is fast (doesnt even notice it in the back) and without a trailor more economical, and all in safe and secure. any volenteers interested in loading/unloading for me in 2011 can email there interest to artycameron@hotmail.com

[samier]

I would like to see that done, hard to belive it fits in a regular van. I imagined the car would fit in side ways. I will have to see how you fit it in next year.

The Jedi's are very small, I guess from the cockpit you can easily touch the front wheels swing your arms back and you could do the same with the rears!