NSW registration - body type for CTP insurance

[Hairyman]

This has been bugging me for a while and maybe some people who have more experience of the Kafkaesque inner workings of RMS can shed some light for me?

I have a 1990 T3 window van with a DIY basic camper interior.  It is registered for carrying 2 people on the compliance plate but is the same as a povo-spec caravelle without the back seats.  When I lived in Victoria CTP was no problem because everything under 2.5 tonnes(?) pays the same, but when I moved the NSW and registered here I found I was getting charged exorbitant amounts for CTP (green slip) insurance.

When I got the registration inspection/blue slip from the mechanic who initially inspected it, he put the body shape down as a minibus but when I spoke to the idiots at RMS they asked about that so I showed them a picture and explained it would fit broadly the same class as a minivan.  They put it down as a panel van with windows and seats (which, according to what I found online seems to cover estate cars/wagons/SUVs as well  ).  That has resulted my CTP being $700-800 per year, but when trying out different things to try and figure out why I found that CTP for a 1990 caravelle or camper costs about $300.

Any ideas why I am being fleeced like this?  Is it because a 2 seater is flagged as being a commercial vehicle so the insurers assume that I am making deliveries all day, or is it down as the wrong body code?  I want to add a back row of seats so I can carry more people, but would that also help with the CTP?

I tried explaining to someone in a call centre that the caravelle and window van are the same box on wheels from VW so surely should represent the same risk for CTP but computer says no, it's a van (and a caravelle is ???).

Cheers, Neil

[Grantus]

I can’t help you with the NSW system, but I can see flaws.

Friends have a Toyo Hiace, and scored a fine in Qld, less than 10kph over the speed limit for $1450!!!

When they explained their “commercial” vehicle, was not a B-Double, or Semi, and just a private registered van, the fine was dropped to the domestic car level or around $200.

Hopefully someone else driving a classic “2 seater” Kombi in NSW, will give you some more clues…..

[Oldman]

I’ve just re-registered my T2 camper…….Shannon’s CTP was $401 and is listed as a mobile home .
RMS has it as a Camper.
Have you talked to Shannon’s ?
Probably due to the classification by the Blue slip fella when you brought into NSW…….

[wirrah]

Last CTP I paid was $278.59 earlier this year and that was the same for both the '71 Westfalia (Motor Caravan) and the '91 Caravelle (Minibus) - the RMS have it as a windowed panel van with seats!

[Barry]

Neil
My CTP for my T3 Caravelle C is as follows
Premium    $255.98
GST          $25.60
Fund Levy  137.99

TOTAL       $419,57

It is listed as a "Volkswagen CARAVELLE Mibus C FI"

Have you compared here?
https://www.greenslips.nsw.gov.au/price-check

[Melissa]

CTP doesnt just go on the shape on your rego papers - it counts in your address (postcode) and your age as well. If you have your car insurance with Shannons, they give a really good price on greenslips. The shape for our 76 is MH on the rego papers. My 62 has the shape PVS.

[Hairyman]

I did some blind quotes with my current CTP insurer this evening and found that if I plugged all the other same details in, a panel van was quoted $821 and a caravelle was $529.  I don't actually get charged $821 when I renew because I have breakdown cover and a few years with them and it is not the end of the world, but it still seems unfair given that the badge on the tailgate doesn't change the hazard that the vehicle presents to other people on the roads.

The difference seems to be that the caravelle is counted as a minibus and the van is a van, so I guess I need to figure out how to get my vehicle counted as a minibus, which is what the guy who did the original blue slip wrote on it   although RMS seem to have kept the blue slip when I registered it so maybe I cannot prove that.

Hopefully a back row of seats and increasing the seating capacity from 2 to 5 will make the change.


Related question: is CTP cheaper for vehicles on historic plates?  My van is old enough for them and I don't use it that much so it spends a lot of time in the street chewing money.  I have seen a few T3s about on historic plates so wondered if it was worth looking into.

[Melissa]

Regarding your Historic question -it is included in the registration fee. 

Your first year of rego will cost you just under $100  as you have to pay for the new ugly historic plate. If you join a registered club and get them to stamp your paperwork you will pay the RTA and be covered for 60 days per year. Your insurance will also go down as it will be limited use. 

The next year you will only have to pay $50 for the rego for the year (including the green slip) so it is definitely worth the money as long as you have other transport.

[wirrah]

Last CTP I paid was $278.59 earlier this year and that was the same for both the '71 Westfalia (Motor Caravan) and the '91 Caravelle (Minibus) - the RMS have it as a windowed panel van with seats!

Just checked the Audi which I paid only last month. $278.59. Why am I only paying this amount when others are paying a lot more?

[Oldman]

If you’re on Historic plates the CTP will be way less due to the reduced number of possible days driving.
Postcode and age of driver also play a big part…..
I only tick one of those boxes…..age.
I live in metro. Sydney and my kombi is my daily driver………..