We've insured our Eriba through CaravanSure (Frank Pickles). We are due to collect the van from AL tomorrow afternoon.
This morning I received an automated email from CaravanSure stating that to continue using their insurance they require the CRIS registration number of the van.

I checked the documentation I received from AL and there is no mention of CRIS number. Unfortunately both AL and CaravanSure are closed on a Sunday so I can't phone to discuss.

Having googled the subject it seems that Eriba vans aren't registered with CRIS by default. Is this correct? I'll, therefore, need to register it before I pick up the van tomorrow.

I have a chassis number for the van, is this enough to register it?

Perhaps I should leave it until we're at AL tomorrow afternoon and register it there.

Does anyone have any advice?

We're leaving north wales at silly o'clock tomorrow morning so I can't get anything sorted then.

Slightly stressed now!

Kevin

Quite right, Eriba 'vans are not CRIS registered by default !

I think others may agree that it is more trouble than it's worth :( and that an insurance with a company that doesn't require a CRIS registration is the probably best route !

Why not try an on-line quote as soon as you can ?

Unfortunately I've already arranged the insurance. I suppose I might be able to cancel via the distance selling regulations. So many things I wished I'd known when arranging the insurance.

Kevin

One CRIS issue I was told about (way back so may have changed!) was that to show the van was imported it had an extra digit or letter added for the window etching. So it was different to the chassis plate.
Ours is insured with NFU and they did not ask for CRIS registration.

Hi Kevin
Just checked our insurance..we are with www.cover4caravans.co.uk in Essex. Very good price and cover. Where it says CRIS no. they have written in the long number that starts VGNER... etc. Also when looking for insurance I asked about covering computers/cameras etc in the van and could not find anyone who did, so make sure all electrical are locked in the car or hidden from view and fingers crossed.
Good Luck, Chris

Surely it's better to cover computers and so on with your home insurance via all risks?

After reading this thread I dug out my insurance which I took out 6 weeks ago on my new (to me) Puck. Sure enough in the small print was the fact that I needed to be CRIS registered otherwise my insurance would not be valid.
Obviously this started alarm bells ringing as there was no mention of this when I took out the insurance online, just a box titled 'CRIS, VIN or chassis number' which I had filled in with my chassis number.
When I contacted the insurance company today they confirmed that I would not have been covered but did accept that if I had taken the policy out on the phone I would have been told about CRIS registration but with the online process it was not clear.
I am new to owning an Eriba/caravan of any kind so maybe this is obvious to seasoned owners but I'm sure there are many like me that could be sitting here with invalid insurance!!

Our first Eriba was CRIS registered by the previous owner. The new one is not. I'm not convinced that there is any point to paying for CRIS registration. Shop around and find an insurance company who do not insist on CRIS registration, there are plenty out there.

CRIS is the National Register for UK touring caravan keepers - that's you and me, similar to the DVLA and is recognised by the regulatory bodies (whoever they are), insurance companies and government organisations such as the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the Department of Transport. The CRIS database holds information that proves you are the registered keeper of the caravan, cross references the caravans 17 digit VIN number to a CRIS keeper record, in the event that a caravan is stolen the police have immediate access to the CRIS database. There is more data held on CRIS for every caravan registered. The insurance companies deem this a good process that has over the years slowed down the theft of caravans. All UK built caravans from 1992 onwards are automatically registered on the CRIS database.

Foreign caravans, Eribas, are not automatically covered. To register a foreign caravan you supply the caravan details to CRIS and they contact the manufacture direct to check the details of the caravan, and if the van is new that you are the purchaser - so Hymer will know if you are the registered owner because they hold your warranty details. However how it works for private purchase or dealer purchased pre-owned caravans I am not sure. The process to check the details of foreign caravans can take weeks and there is a cost of around £50.

There is also a cost, dependent on what option you take for the CRIS identification package you take, CRIS now issue VIN chip, which is a new industry standard in touring caravan identification, that uses the caravans unique VIN within both visible and invisible caravan VIN chip elements. The visible markings are the CRIS registration details which are stuck to the windows - the windows are no longer etched. Whatever package you take puts up to another £40 on the bill. so registering an Eriba caravan can approach £100.

I would recommend you look at the CRIS web site for full details. They are also very helpful over the phone.

I use Caravan Guard who were happy to accept the VIN number but had I had a CRIS registration a 5% discount on my insurance would have been given.

So CRIS registration is about theft prevention and should your beloved Eriba be stolen the police have direct access to all the info they require to recover your van. CRIS also provides a complete ownership history of the van, whether or not there are loans etc outstanding, its accident history and much more. However, I still haven't registered my Eriba -yet.

My insurance company (Shield) gave me 28 days to supply my CRIS number as I'd completely forgot to transfer it into my name when I purchased it. I'm sure if you speak to yours they will do the same :-)

I may well have gone with a different insurer that didn't need CRIS registration at the time had I been aware, I'm on a big learning curve at the moment!!

Poole dweller..... I am with Caravan Guard also, it's them that are insisting on registration so I would check the small print on your policy. They have happily used the chassis number/VIN on my schedule but I found this meant nothing when speaking with them (including a manager) yesterday.

For info it's £60 for the first registration and ID kit but it's going to take about 10-12 weeks!! Caravan Guard are fine with the delay as long as I have applied for the registration.

I am with the Caravan club insurance and I was never asked for the CRIS, as a belts and braces I emailed the club insurance to verify what their requirements are, their reply is below:

Thank you for your email.
I can confirm that the club insurance does not require your caravan to be CRIS registered.We do have vans insured with us that are pre-1992 before CRIS was introduced, and also caravans that are manufactured abroad.


So as you can see CRIS registration isn't an issue for the CC insurance..