In recent years the theft of caravans has been a growing trade in Great Britain. A big marketplace has recently opened on the continent for these stolen vehicles as many people wish to sell up in their homeland and move abroad for a more comfortable life. Buying a caravan has been a low cost option for them and for those wanting a holiday home that fits the individual budget. Unfortunately some have purchased caravans which were not owned by the seller as they had been stolen. It may have been stolen three or four buyers previously, but it is when it is later discovered, it then becomes a problem.

Checks have been made during 2008 in the Benidorm area by English Police and Insurance investigators, and stolen caravans found located on campsites set up for a more permanent lifestyle. This is causing much distress for the new occupants as the legal owners in many instances are insurance companies who have paid out when a claim has been made and not the person you have paid you hard earned cash to. So negotiations have to take place between the current user and the insurance company for the rights of ownership.

Sunseekers have always had in place security systems to stop any suspect property coming into our available lists, but even more stringent checks are made now. We have been helped and advised greatly by the CRiS investigators and the English Police so that we can put caravans on the market with great confidence, as all are, where possible, checked through their full identification system, including looking at any outstanding finance agreements that are set up and being paid against the property for sale.

Hopefully the safeguards we are putting in place will give you the security and peace of mind you want, and that buying a caravan through our Company does allow you to enjoy your purchase without that fear of that dreaded knock on the door from the insurance investigation team.

To help you further, we include the following excerpt from the HPi website:

In 1992, HPI teamed up with the National Caravan Council (NCC) to establish the Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme (CRiS), the national register of touring caravans. CRiS helps to prevent and detect caravan crime and acts as a security check for dealers and private caravan buyers through the issue of a Keeper Registration Document.

All caravans manufactured since 1992 by NCC members are recorded on the CRiS database by their unique 17 digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). This VIN and the caravan description is recorded on a Touring Caravan Registration Document, which is sent to the caravan's registered keeper. Even if you own a pre-1992 caravan, or imported your own caravan into the UK, you can still register it with CRiS yourself. Many insurance companies now require CRiS registration before they will issue a policy.

To apply for your caravan to be CRiS registered and electronically tagged, contact CRiS on 01722 411430 or email cris.uk@hpi.co.uk for further information.

Also, as with your car's V5 registration document, it is important that you ensure the registration of your caravan is up-to-date and that you are registered as the keeper.

The CRiS Check

Buying a pre-owned caravan then make sure you carry out a CRiS Check prior to concluding the deal. Do not get caught buying a caravan with a hidden history or an altered identity. A CRiS Check will not only confirm the caravans true identity, but will also reassure you of the provenance of the caravan you desire and will reveal if the caravan is subject to an HP agreement, reported stolen or been recorded as an Insurance Write-Off. In addition CRiS will be able to confirm if the ‘seller’ is currently recorded with CRiS as the current keeper.

To buy your CRiS Check ring 01722 411 430 between 8:00am and 8:00pm Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm Saturdays and 10:00am – 5:00pm Sundays. The cost of a CRiS Check is just £14.95.

Change of Keeper Notification

When you buy or sell your caravan it is important to ensure the new owner is properly registered as the keeper. The CVR2 Registration Document issued to the current keeper should be used to notify CRiS of any keeper change. Like the V5 document for your car,the CVR2 should be completed by both, seller and buyer and both parts sent to CRiS. There is a small fee for processing this change and it is normally the new registering keeper who would pay this. The fee as at 3rd September 2007 is £12.00. This can be paid by cheque or by credit card via the CRiS Contact Centre.