Buyer’s Guide To A Static Holiday Caravan
For many of us owning a Static Caravan offers the dream of owning a real ‘home from home’ to allow yourself, friends and family to enjoy fantastic holidays for many years to come.
However, looking for your Static Caravan can be a complicated and daunting task.
To give you a helping hand we have complied this ‘buyer’s guide’, with the help from the leading UK Park Operators, to assist you with the process.
Park Location
Your park location will be crucial to your long term enjoyment of your Static Caravan. And need careful consideration. Remember you may want to take a large number of short weekend breaks and traveling time will become more important than if you were taking an annual 2 week holiday. Many people also ‘lend’ their holiday home to friends and family and again this may influence your choice of location.
You may also want to consider carefully what the region has to offer for your extended visits.
Consider;
· Traveling Time
· Length of visits
· Location to friends and family
· Choice of local Attractions and Amenities
The Park
Once you have decided on your location you need to find the right Holiday Park for you. It is often a great idea to book a visit with parks sales team to allow you to have a full tour of the Holiday Park, available plots and example Static Caravans.
Many parks cater very well for children with excellent facilities including the all important pool. Others have a quieter more relaxed feel that appeals to a very different buyer.
Remember to check how long your park is open for throughout the year as many parks operate a ‘closed season’. A park that closes over the winter may not be a bad thing as it gives the park owner a chance to make improvements and repairs and also discourages the ‘residential’ purchaser. The last thing you want on your holiday park is someone repairing their car next door to you! Also check how long you can site you Static Caravan before it requires replacement or removal, this will be outlined in your contract with the Park Operator. Some parks will allow you to keep your caravan on the park indefinitely provided that you pay the appropriate fees and maintain your caravan in good condition.
Consider;
· Getting to know the Park
· Whether park is right for you
· What Facilities are on offer
· Owner events
· How long is your Holiday Park open throughout the season
· How long you can site your Static Caravan
Running Costs
As with any major purchase you need to consider the price and the ongoing running costs such as;
1. Site Fees - These are annual fees and vary by park and plot
2. Gas - This is normally purchased by the bottle
3. Electricity
4. Insurance - You will need to ensure the value of your static holiday home and contents. Prices can now be found easily on the internet.
5. General Maintenance - Modern Static Caravan are extremely well constructed and require little or no external maintenance as the external aluminum skin is extremely durable. Manufacturer warranties can be extended but do not cover damage from wear & tear.
Many people choose to subsidize the cost of ownership by letting their caravan holiday home. This can help towards the annual fees payable. Many parks will offer rental programmes including booking and maintenance (i.e. cleaning) arrangements. Remember if you let yours you will compromise the time you and you family have to use it, so think clearly about you priorities.
The Static Caravan
You will generally have a wide choice of Static Caravan from a basic model through to a very high specifications luxury example.
Generally this choice will depend on your budget and personal tastes.
If you indented to spend extended periods at it the specification of kitchen and bathroom facilities, are normally a priority. When buying one you need to be aware there may be a substantial waiting time for delivery, if it is manufactured to order.
Many buyers choose to spread payments for their caravan holiday home and most parks offer finance arrangements and special offers. As with any credit arrangements it is always worth shopping around for the best deal. Finance packages offered by park operators usually use the caravan as collateral so you are not risking your home unlike many large purchases that are financed
Location on Park
Finally you will need to consider the location of your Static Caravan on the selected Holiday Park. Although this is the last stage of the process you still need to research fully.
Short Term Car Insurance and Holidays
There are many reasons why you may not be able to go on the holiday of your choice. Money gets in the way all too frequently, along with the logistics of the arrangements. What we mean by this is when you choose a particular type of holiday which involves driving, only to discover that the car is not up to it.
It is too old, unreliable, too small, cannot take the luggage, trailer, caravan or the family. Up until now your choices were limited to hiring another vehicle or borrowing a car and mid-term adjusting your annual insurance policy to cover it, or changing your plans altogether as the cost of hire or the nightmare of insurance mid-term adjustments were too much to cope with.
Is there an alternative to this? We think we may have stumbled on one, a new insurance product for motorists on the internet. It is short term car insurance which you purchase by the day for up to a maximum of 28 days at a time.
There are several companies which offer this type of insurance for cars or vans. You can locate their websites by either their URL or typing in keywords such as short term car insurance, day insurance and temporary car insurance.
They all offer an internet based booking process and payment, with the option to view and print the short term insurance policy on your printer. All policies issued are registered with the MID.
The advantage of this type of insurance is that you can choose the short term period to insure a car/van and it is a separate insurance policy that does not impact on the vehicle owner’s annual policy in the event of a claim.
You also get the benefit of an uninsured loss recovery policy, which is daily breakdown cover for the same period as the car insurance. That is particularly useful for holidays both in the UK and in the EEC.
If your plans require the use of another vehicle which you can borrow off friends or family, then you can insure the vehicle in it’s own right and this includes extended European cover for those driving holidays to France and beyond in the EEC.
It is particularly useful if you need a more reliable car or more space than you have in your own family transport. You can even tow a trailer or caravan if that forms part of your holiday plans. The insurance is generally fully comprehensive, although you would need to shop around to get fully comprehensive for driving abroad.
The insurance offerings vary, from company to company, on their acceptance criteria and the vehicles they will insure, but generally 12 months holding a UK or EEC driving licence with no fault claims within 3 years and less than 6 penalty points endorsements will enable an on line application to be made for cover.
If your trip is scheduled to last longer than 28 days you can take a further period of cover consecutively, thus providing continuous cover beyond 28 days.
What we liked about the products were their flexibility and the speed of obtaining cover. They are more expensive than an annual policy, but a lot cheaper than hiring a car for your holidays.
All in all there is a place for short term car insurance in your holiday driving plans which will allow you to use someone else’s car with the peace of mind knowing you have fully comprehensive cover, and that in the event of a claim it will not affect the annual insurance no claims discount.
Fleet Insurance - Taking Care of All Your Vehicles By the Fleet
There are a myriad of vehicle insurance types to choose from. Each car or van insurance, however, depends on the vehicle itself and in the ownership of that vehicle. Choosing the perfect insurance package for each vehicle is not an easy decision to make. So imagine if you have a whole fleet of vehicles to get insurance for!
Fleet insurance is a great way of managing the cost of insuring your company vehicles and in ensuring that claims are handled with as less stress and hassle as possible. A company may opt to self-insure by way of insurance bonds. This is very expensive and the risk to the business is high, particularly given the number of claims that are probable and the open-ended nature of the claims that may arise. Handling claims can be a logistical and administrative headache and is something that a fleet insurance policy can handle in a breeze.
Fleet insurance removes the burden of having separate policies for every vehicle. Simply consider the monitoring and tracking that would be required to ensure that each vehicle has the proper coverage, gets renewed on time and continued with no period of non-coverage.
Fleet insurance takes away all the worries from the part of the business and vehicle owner. Fleet insurance policies do vary, but the basics remain across all providers. Fleet insurance premiums are governed by the number and type of vehicles, their age and condition as well as the overall mileage that can be expected from the fleet or classes of vehicle within the fleet.
Claims history is also relevant but high risk drivers who otherwise would not or could not be insured may become covered by use of a fleet insurance policy. Individual insurers will have different ways of calculating premiums and assessing the risk that is presented but these processes tend to follow a common path based on the fleet factors we’ve already mentioned.
Limited liability insurance that is included in fleet insurance policies takes into consideration the fact that you must also insure the vehicles and the acts of the driver and the riders during the normal course of business.
Fleet insurance for lorries and caravans should cover the goods that are to be transported as well. If you are commercially transporting goods that are practically the lifeblood of your business, you also need to look at insuring the cost of these goods in the event of theft or loss while in your control, in transit or during a breakdown of the vehicle. These issues also need to be considered when looking at what a fleet insurance policy can provide for you and the riders of the vehicles, and not simply focusing upon the insurance of the fleet itself.
Running a fleet of vehicles in your business presents some unique problems and issues. Fleet insurance can be a very helpful tool so you can do away with the extra burden and liability that may arise in the course of your business. Getting a fleet insurance for loads of vehicles gives the business owner the much needed convenience that individual vehicle insurance policies do not offer.
INA Signs on as Official Insurance Sponsor of Hot Rod Power Tour; INA Collector Auto Insurance to be Highlighted at Industry’s Popular Auto Event
When the 2003 Hot Rod Power Tour kicks off in the “Music City” of Nashville, Tenn., Insurance Group of North America (INA), the consumer marketing and underwriting division of ACE INA, will become the first insurance sponsor of this popular auto industry event.
Organized by Hot Rod Magazine, the tour is an eight-day, seven-city trek, beginning in Nashville on May 30 and ending in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 6. This year, the event is expected to draw more than 200,000 spectators to watch more than 600 car enthusiasts who are expected to complete the entire 1,200 mile course.
Through its sponsorship, INA will have the title of Official Insurance Company of the 2003 Hot Rod Power Tour. INA is also the Kick-Off Night Sponsor and will be linked with a number of major activities on the first night of the tour.
“We are thrilled about being the Official Insurance Company of this year’s Hot Rod Power Tour. It will be exciting to be part of a 600-car caravan as it winds through America’s Bayou States,” said Kurt R. Schwamberger, President of Consumer Solutions Group, a division of ACE INA. “As we stop at venues along the way, we encourage car enthusiasts to come out and visit the tour, and to stop by our booth to ‘kick our tires’ and see how their current collector car coverage measures up to what we offer.”
Those participating or visiting the INA booth at each tour stop can enter to win a custom car cover and other items in the “INA - Hot Rod Power Tour Contest.” Entry forms can be obtained and submitted at the INA booth. Winners will be randomly drawn each night of the tour.
“Collector cars - from antiques and classic cars to street rods, hot rods and exotics - have specific and unique insurance needs that standard auto policies can’t meet,” added Schwamberger. “In designing our collector car coverage, INA set out to create one of the most flexible, well-tailored policies in the market and at a competitive cost.”
With INA Collector Car Insurance, car owners can:
– Insure one car or a whole collection, all under one policy and
with one premium
– Select from a range of coverages
– Select the method and frequency of premium payment
– Insure their car without strict mileage limitations
– Select a zero deductible
– Select the towing option preferred (including flatbed towing)
– Receive coverage for their custom paint job is covered
– Insure excess sound equipment
– Receive an agreed-value for the total loss of your vehicle, or
replacement cost for a partial loss.
Crash tests show the benefits of side air bags
WASHINGTON — For motorists seeking greater protection in crashes, test results released Sunday by the insurance industry show the benefits of paying for optional side air bags.
Versions of the 2006 Toyota Prius and six minivans made by DaimlerChrysler AG and General Motors Corp. that were evaluated without side air bags got poor marks in side-impact tests.
The same vehicles, when tested with the optional air bags, all showed improvements, and the Prius earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s top score in side protection.
Some 96 percent of Prius models are sold with the side air bags, Toyota spokesman John Hanson said. The option costs $650.
DaimlerChrysler’s minivans — the 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country — improved from the worst score to the second-highest on a four-tier scale (poor, marginal, acceptable and good) when the air bags were included. The air bag option costs an additional $595.
GM’s four minivan models built on the same platform — the 2006 Chevrolet Uplander, Buick Terraza, Pontiac Montana SV6 and Saturn Relay — showed minor improvements when the side air bags were included, moving up one notch, to marginal.
In testing the Uplander with and without side air bags, the institute said the middle-row seats either dislodged or separated partially from the floor.
Bob Lange, GM’s executive director for structure and safety integration, said that “in the 10 years this basic structure has been in use for these vans and their predecessors, we know of no cases in which a rear seat became detached in a side impact.”
The side air bags are available for $350 on the minivan models, according to GM’s Web site.
In addition to the GM and DaimlerChrysler models, the Mazda MPV and Ford Freestar without optional side air bags received the lowest scores in side protection.
Several small cars tested received the lowest score in side evaluations: Volkswagen New Beetle, Suzuki Aerio, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Spectra, Saturn Ion, Suzuki Forenza, Suzuki Reno and these models without side air bags — Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus, Mazda 3, Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra.
Hit the road: itching to throw your business into high gear? We have everything you need to get your business fleet up to speed in our 2005 guide to commercial vehicles
With 30 new nameplates launching in 2005 (including 11 new pickups, minivans, SUVs and crossovers), you’ll have an abundance of business vehicles to choose from. Whether your company needs crew cabs with short or long beds, passenger or cargo vans, a versatile SUV with removable seats for more storage, or a crossover for small jobs, your local dealerships are bursting at the seams with proven bestsellers as well as debut models.
Meanwhile, incentives and rebates are flourishing, and vehicles have more equipment and are safer and more affordable than they’ve been in decades. The price on Dodge’s Dakota V-8-powered pickup is just $19,995, and GM is raising prices by only 1 percent on most models. Chrysler is lowering prices on some 2005 models ($3,000 lower on some vans) while offering more features.
Pickup trucks have increased their passenger quarters with regular, extended, crew and king-size cabs. Compact pickups, such as Toyota’s redesigned Tacoma, are larger, while Toyota’s Tundra Regular Cab gets a base-grade V-8 and payload increases. One new name on the block is GMC’s compact Canyon pickup, introduced earlier this year. GMC is also debuting its Colorado model, the Xtreme; and in 2005, its Sierra adds a Crew Cab Denali version. GM’s Avalanche pickup adds OnStar as a standard feature.
Full-size pickups are also accelerating: Ford’s bestselling blockbuster, the full-size F-150, adds a new King Ranch model and a 4.2-liter V-6 engine, plus a Work Truck Group package. The F-150 fits more easily into garages in 2005 with a 5.5-foot box, even though both the regular and the supercabs are 6 inches longer inside. Nissan’s more powerful Frontier pickup is redesigned, while its first full-size pickup, the Titan Crew Cab, focuses on big-time towing at 9,400 pounds. Dodge claims its Ram SRT-10 Quad Cab is now the fastest and most powerful four-door pickup on the market, and a HEMI engine is available for Dodge’s Ram 1500.
Minivans have shed their stodgy cocoons and emerged with sporty styling. Honda’s redesigned Odyssey is shod with run-flat tires. Chevrolet rolls out its new Uplander minivan, and its Venture cargo van gives you a choice of bins and partitions. The company’s Express cargo van and its sister, GMC’s Savana, are the only full-size vans with a left-hand access door. Ford provides electronic throttle control on all E-Series cargo van powertrains and introduces the sleek, new Freestar minivan with fold-in-the-floor rear seats. Dodge’s turbo-diesel Sprinter provides 27 mpg and a cargo capacity of 473 cubic feet, or seating for 10. Nissan’s 2005 wheel-oriented styling cues reflect the maker’s distinctive Z design in its light trucks, particularly its Quest van. The popular Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans include flip-down, fold-flat seats and reclining tailgate seat backs.
And keep an eye on crossovers. These vehicles are a breed apart-they’re a step up from a truck, with the comfort of an SUV. Buick’s seven-passenger Terraza boasts second- and third-row removable seats. Saturn has also rolled out a new seven-seat crossover, the Relay.
The task of choosing vehicles to fit your company’s needs can be mind-boggling. Configurations are endless, depending on your service or delivery needs, and variables include cargo capacities, function, seating, power, performance, maintenance, insurance and operating costs. How many trips will your vehicle need to make each day? How much towing does your business involve? For easy entry and cargo loading, consider sliding or hydraulic doors. Discuss your requirements with a fleet manager or salesperson, and determine the importance of luxury items such as remote keyless entry and that expensive sound system. Safety is another important issue and can affect your insurance costs. Keep an eye on options–they can blow the budget without adding much value.
SUV sales in the United States are expected to reach 2.77 MILLION this year.
Keep on Trucking
IF YOU NEED TO TAKE A LOAD OFF–OR PUT ONE ON–YOUR
BUSINESS VEHICLE, TRY ON OF THESE BEST SELLING PICKUPS.
BASE ENGINE AND MAJOR
MODEL               STANDARD FEATURES
CHEVROLET           2.8-liter four-cylinder, air conditioning, two
Colorado            outlets, electronic shift transfer case, daytime
Regular Cab 2WD     running lights, eight cargo tie-downs in box
CHEVROLET           4.3-liter V-6, ABS, air conditioning,
Silverado 1500      floor-mounted transfer case, cruise control, two
Full-Size Regular   outlets, tilt wheel, theft deterrent system,
Cab 2WD             daytime running lights
DODGE               3.7-liter V-6, rear ABS, six-speed manual
Ram 1500 Full-Size  transmission, one outlet, tachometer,
Regular Cab 2WD     knee bolsters
FORD F-150 XL       4.2-liter V-6, ABS, air conditioning, 6.5-foot
Full-Size           box, four doors, tow hooks and tie-downs,
Regular Cab 4×2     one outlet, removable locking tailgate,
tilt steering, four-pin trailer-towing wiring
harness
FORD                2.3-liter 1-4, ABS, 6-foot box, one outlet,
Ranger Compact      split front bench, quick-release tailgate,
Regular Cab 4×2     four-pin trailer-towing wiring harness
TOYOTA              2.7-liter four-cylinder, ABS, bedrail utility
Tacoma              system, two outlets, tilt/telescopic steering
Regular Cab 4×2     wheel, adjustable headrest
GROSS
VEHICLE     PAYLOAD
MODEL                 WEIGHT     CAPACITY   SEATS   PRICE
CHEVROLET           4,400 lbs.  1,733 1bs.   2/3   $18,255
Colorado
Regular Cab 2WD
CHEVROLET           6,100 lbs.  1,953 lbs.    3    $20,745
Silverado 1500
Full-Size Regular
Cab 2WD
DODGE               6,350 lbs.  1,750 lbs.    3    $21,030
Ram 1500 Full-Size
Regular Cab 2WD
FORD F-150 XL       6,500 lbs.  1,890 lbs.    3    $19,800
Full-Size
Regular Cab 4×2
FORD                4,380 lbs.  1,620 lbs.   2/3   $14,365
Ranger Compact
Regular Cab 4×2
TOYOTA              4,550 1bs.  1,410 lbs.    3    $13,415
Tacoma
Regular Cab 4×2
That old caravan magic…
The caravan has never had such a high-profile ambassador as our new Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett. An unapologetic caravanner, Beckett can now explain the benefits and joys of tugging around what is little more than a well-appointed garden shed, to the whole world.
Certainly, she is in step with prevailing trends because, according to the European Caravan Federation, last year registrations for caravans and motor homes rose by 1.5 per cent, as sales topped 126,108. So Beckett won’t need to spread the word in Europe, which has the three largest caravan markets: in Germany, France and Italy. The strongest growth rate of these three countries was achieved by the French market, with sales rising by 14.5 per cent - 13,000 vehicles - in 2005.
Meanwhile, the German market increased by 4.9 per cent, to 14,195 vehicles, and the Italian market by 1.1 per cent, to approximately 9,800 vehicles. That’s a lot of caravans and motor homes, even though there has been a bit of a blip in the UK as registrations actually fell last year. Indeed, what Beckett could get stuck into is lobbying the European parliament about towing regulations, which could cramp our caravanners movement around the Continent.
According to the Caravan Club, in the Third European Driving Licence Directive the wording proposed in the new legislation allows a combined maximum authorised weight of 3.5 tons on a B-category licence. The club is disappointed that the weight limit for motor caravans on a B-category licence under the new directive won’t be increased to 4.25 tons. That’s because caravans are getting bigger and heavier, especially when combined with towing vehicles that are also piling on the pounds.
The Club also opposes the introduction of an additional test (to obtain a B+E licence) for drivers towing a trailer over 750kg. Obviously, the legislators want to protect us from rogue overloaded caravans, but as the Club points out, UK government statistics indicate that only 0.07 per cent of reported accidents involve caravans. More significantly, motor insurance companies don’t increase premiums for cars towing caravans because the industry view is that most towcar drivers are safe and responsible. Certainly, many vehicles are now more able than ever in the towing department.
Every year, the Caravan Club designates its Towcar of the Year, taking over 40 cars to the Millbrook Proving Ground, in Bedfordshire, and subjecting them to high motorway speeds and a testing hill route with hairpin bends and sharp inclines. Indeed, part of the test process is to stop and restart on the hill. Marks are awarded for acceleration, stability, hill-starting, gearbox suitability, traction, handling, brakes and parking brake. In the entry-level pounds 13,500-and-under category, a Kia Cerato 15 CRDi GS was selected because it was stable and had good gears that coped well with different driving conditions.
At the other end of the scale, in the full-sized 4×4 category, the pounds 34,000 Volvo XC70 D5 was judged to be great to drive and hugely practical as it could cope with a full load. The huge ground clearance and four-wheel-drive system also make this is a very versatile towcar.
Slightly more affordable, though, was the pounds 13,500-pounds 16,500 winner, the Citron C4VTR 1.6 Hdi (pounds 14,500), which cruised comfortably and had great brakes and suspension that could cope with a variety of towing weights. It would be perfect for Margaret Beckett, who, back in 1997, refused to answer when asked what car she used for towing, on security grounds.
For caravan sceptics such as me, who still prefer their vehicles untethered but are curious to find out more about the whole caravanning experience, there’s the Caravan Channel, which describes itself as a broadband TV channel but to me is a website with some buttons to click to watch a video. Even so, it’s a clever idea as you can look at new caravans, destinations, caravan parks in both the UK and Europe, and even the National Boat, Caravan & Outdoor Show, held at the Birmingham NEC back in February.
But a computer screen is probably as close as I’m going to get to a caravan these days, after enduring one too many minibreaks at the (admittedly static) family caravan on the south coast in the early 1960s. However, I do appreciate that caravanning has changed utterly since then, with double glazing, satellite TV, fridge freezers and all mod cons, and can certainly see the appeal of the self-styled “friendly” Camping and Caravanning Club, which, for a pounds 33 family membership fee, offers over 4,000 places to camp in this country and across Europe.
As for Margaret Beckett, with her new responsibilities, she probably won’t have so much time to tow now, but she could still share her caravanning experience with us, as the Caravan Channel invites anyone with suitable footage to send it in for possible broadcasting on the site. Beckett home movies. What fun.
The constant battle
My first real experience of insurance happened in my early 20s. I drove a car–attempted, I should say, to drive a car–from London to southern Greece and back. It was a tiny sports ear, there was a blonde, and she brought a giant teddy bear that was, um, accidentally lost overboard as we took the ferry to France. Prudent fellow that I am, I had insured the ear, its contents, and the malcontents in it. Obviously, I expected catastrophic events to happen on the trip. Boy, did they.
The second most memorable of these was the night we spent outdoors, in the woods of what was then called Yugoslavia. As we slept on the lush carpet Nature had provided, someone stole everything in the ear that wasn’t bolted down. Having kept our valuables with us, and having insurance, we didn’t care that much.
The most spectacular moment was the last one, on the coast road near Dubrovnik, on our way home. Hurtling round a bend in the rain, we found that the ear ahead of us had stopped. We stopped. When I looked in my rear-view mirror, it was clear that the guy behind me, driving a solid European ear with a steel chassis, towing a caravan, wasn’t going to stop. We scrambled out of the ear, and the guy promptly rear-ended my Austin Healey-Sprite, which bounced off the ear in front and eventually found its way over the side of the mountain and down several hundred feet onto the rocks. It was like watching a cheap movie that had no budget for explosives.
But hell, we were in one piece and had insurance. A credit card got us home, and in due course I made a claim for the total loss of the automobile, and separately the contents. I sat back and waited for the checks to roll in. I’d be sitting there now if I hadn’t got sick of waiting.
COLLECTING ON A CLAIM
The ear first: claim denied, I objected, letters back and forth. Claim denied, I cajoled, letters back and forth. In negotiations, they offered what the car was worth at the bottom of the mountain, less recovery charges. I declined. Then it was discovered that although I had bought and paid for comprehensive coverage, the company had only issued third party. Claim denied. Enraged, I took a taxi to their office one lunch time. I stood outside waving a placard saying “This Company Cheats” or some such message.
Finally, they settled. They kept some of what they owed me for this, and some more for that, but the check was big enough to pay off what I owed on the car, so that was something.
The contents dance was just as bad. I filed my claim, accompanied by a list of items lost, photographs, and a Yugoslavian police report. This company couldn’t deny the claim; it merely asked for invoices for every claimed item. I didn’t have those. I might have been able to find one for a camera, perhaps, but shoes? No problem, the company said, just obtain letters from the stores where you say you bought the clothes, saying to the effect that they sold such clothes at that time at a price in keeping with what you have claimed.
I tried. Ah, how young and naive I was. I approached a dozen stores, all of whom sympathetically said they’d help if I wrote to them, which I did. Not one of them replied. I tried the insurance company again. Love to help you, Sir, and all that, and now you must be leaving.
That was more than 30 years ago. Nothing changes, does it? The impetuousness of youth, the desire for adventure and the level of personal service in the insurance industry: constants all.
Vans, wilder: get ready: vans are getting cooler and more customized
ALMOST AS easy as furnishing a warehouse or office, customizing the interior of a van is simply a matter of selecting adjustable shelves, bins, drawers, workbenches, cabinets and more. The choices in 2006 include wood, metal or plastic racks; cargo organizers; overhead and removable bins; ladder racks and panels; and special seating configurations.
Many basic equipment packages are free for qualified buyers, such as racks and bins in the Ford E-Series, and a storage bin system in GMC’s Savana. Under GM’s Commercial Business Choice Program, bin packages and ladder racks are complimentary. Ford’s Commercial Connection Program supplies a no-charge package that includes a full partition, shelf units and drawers. Other programs provide protective, padded wall and ceiling paneling, and there are packages specifically designed for electrical contractors, delivery drivers and others.
If your van is used as an on-site workshop, you can order built-in shelves and storage lockers with outside drop-down doors, which can be propped open with support rods for easy access from the outside.
Need your van fitted with custom partitions, windowless side panels or a rear door? GM’s fleet and commercial program has advice on matching up specific furnishings and vehicles. Ford’s catalog of steel shelving, drawers and cabinets includes a safety partition that allows access to the back cargo area from the driver’s compartment. If your freight requires extra height, you can get a higher ceiling in Dodge’s- Sprinter. Dodge Caravan’s dual sliding doors offer a variety of glass and panel configurations for utility and visibility. If you don’t need swing-out doors on GMC’s Savana conversion van, you can opt for the 60/40-split left-hand, side-hinged doors for flexible loading.
While it is more convenient to order upfits when buying your new vehicle, some entrepreneurs find that their needs change as their businesses expand, and they need to add upfits later. In addition to your local dealer, several independent aftermarket companies can handle the modifications. Look for websites such as www.adriansteel.com and www.inlad.com, which are suppliers to Dodge, Ford and GM. If you need tools and equipment instead of upfits, GM’s business fleet and commercial customers are offered a $500 gift card from Lowe’s Home Improvement, or up to $1,000 off the vehicle’s purchase or lease price under the Business Choice plan.
JILL AMADIO is Enterpreneur’s “Wheels” columnist.
Look Like a Million
Pamper yourself with a luxury vehicle that will eater to your needy
for a professional image and the utmost in comfort and quality.
ENGINE/      MAJOR
MODEL           TRANSMISSION   FEATURES
Audi           4.2-liter V-8/  AWD, parking assist, 8 air bags,
A8L            6-speed auto.   sunroof, cruise control, front-seat
massagers, power rear sunshades,
1 outlet, Bluetooth, DVD navigation
BMW            4.8-liter V-8/  6 air bags, ABS, stability/traction/
750i           6-speed auto.   roll control, cruise control,
navigation system, Bluetooth, lumbar
support, sunroof, power outlet
Cadillac       4.6-liter V-8/  6 air bags, stability/ride control,
DTS (DeVille)  4-speed auto.   ABS, traction control, remote start,
12-month OnStar, XM radio, DVD
navigation system
Infiniti       4.5-liter V-8/  8 air bags, DVD navigation, engine
Q45            5-speed auto.   immobilizer, ABS/stability, rear-view
monitor, Bluetooth, damping
suspension
Lexus          4.3-liter V-8/  8 air bags, Bluetooth, power rear
LS 430         6-speed auto.   sunshade, satellite radio,
ABS/traction/stability control,
cruise control, 14-way driver’s
seat, sunroof
Mercedes-Benz  4.3-liter V-8/  AWD/traction/stability control,
S-430          7-speed auto.   GPS, air suspension, hands-free
communication system, free sport
package option
FUEL ECONOMY
MODEL           CITY/HIGHWAY    PRICE
Audi             18/24 mpg     $66,590
A8L
BMW              17/25 mpg     $71,800
750i
Cadillac         18/27 mpg     $41,990
DTS (DeVille)
Infiniti         17/23 mpg     $56,400
Q45
Lexus            18/25 mpg     $57,175
LS 430
Mercedes-Benz    17/26 mpg     $78,025
S-430
INSURANCE FOR LESS: A clean driving record is one of the quickest ways to keep insurance costs down, as are safety features on your vehicles. A higher deductible is a third way to lower premiums. Ask for discounts, shop around, and check out websites such as www. intellichoice.com and www.insweb.com, where you can compare quotes. The Insurance Information Institute advises checking insurance fees before buying a vehicle. Another company, www.fleetriskadvisors.com, keeps tabs on drivers and estimates their cost to your business with regard to risk and profitability. One client found that newer hires, rather than long-term employees, were less of a driving risk. Many insurance companies offer low-mileage discounts. If you’re leasing, consider gap insurance that covers the difference between what your insurance company pays if your vehicle is totaled or stolen and what you owe the finance company on the vehicle.
Essential employees
THE shadow of the angel of annoyance passed over the city, and we were afraid. It looked as if the doormen would strike. “Doormen” is headline shorthand for residential-building workers–the 25,000 doormen, porters, handymen, and elevator operators who keep 3,500 buildings in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens going. (Three thousand supers belong to the same union, Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, but since many of them work under a contract that runs until June, they were not due to walk.) The doormen wanted more health insurance, the building owners wanted a wage freeze. In days of yore gentlemen rowed to Weehawken and shot each other. These days workers stay home, owners stay put, and everyone shoots the tenants. The last strike ran for twelve days in 1991, but we all know the drill.
Mr. and Mrs. Suburban, on their divot of lawn, are Adam and Eve, or the archetypal property owners of Blackstone, who wield “that sole and despotic dominion which one man claims and exercises over the external things of the world, in total exclusion of the right of any other individual in the universe.” Apartment dwellers live in a vertical village, an immobile caravan in the urban desert. My apartment building–early Sixties, white brick, dull and solid as a TV business show–has twenty storeys. Subtract one for the non-existent 13th floor, and another one for the first floor, which is all lobby and rented space. There are just under 16 apartments per floor (the number diminishes slightly at the top). Assuming 3.5 people per apartment, balancing widows and families, there are about a thousand tenants. Six days a week the mail is delivered; every day of the week the Chinese takeout is delivered. All but the infants and the ill go in and out; ditto their dogs. Housekeepers, baby sitters, lovers, psychoanalytic clients, cable guys, family members from out of town (all smiles and slowness), must be announced. Hot and cold air, gas and e-mail, water and excrement, appear and disappear at command. Some of these services are subcontracted out, or performed by utilities, but most of them aren’t. It takes a lot of on-site activity to keep a building running.
My building has one super, one handyman, four doormen, and three porters. There are no elevator operators, except the tenants themselves on the not-infrequent occasions when a sluggish door has to be shoved shut in order to prick the elevator into motion. Every Christmas everyone gives the building workers cash, in little envelopes with oval portholes for the presidents to peek out. We do it willingly, for the many services the workers perform. When the reading lamps from the Reagan administration give up the ghost, they install new ones. When the Kennedy-era knob on the medicine-cabinet door pops out of its mirrored base, they find another. When the refrigerator dies, they replace it, not with a brand-new one, of course, but with a working one scrounged from the basement or some other property. We could conceivably do all these things ourselves, though it would mean shlepping to Canal Street or Jersey. So there’s no way. We gratefully surrender the burden to them.
A building’s doormen mark the eddies of ethnic succession. When I moved in, in the late Seventies, the senior doorman was Irish-American. When he retired, the next in line was a son of Italy. Now we have eastern Europeans and Hispanics. I have read that a lot of buildings in the south Bronx employ Albanians. Yo, posses, stay out of those blood feuds. The weather is a safe, and perennially interesting, topic for everyone (for fellow tenants too, in those brief Quaker meetings of elevator rides). But many doormen have specialized interests. One loved the Yankees, one loves dogs. Another asked me about John J. Miller’s book on the Olin Foundation.
When labor and management push back from the table, irreconcilable, the building changes its character. When it is fully manned, it is snug and serviceable; if not quite home, then the home of home, the place we find the place we live. When the doormen go on strike, comfort and familiarity are withdrawn. The building becomes an indifferent, perhaps hostile, shelter, something out of Robinson Crusoe or The Castle. Defoe’s hero met strangeness head-on, gamely taming it. Kafka’s hero despaired.
Tenants sign up for emergency duties. Garbage can no longer be thrown down the chute to the compactor. It must be collected in plastic bags on each floor, then brought down to the basement, and hoisted to the street out the garage door. Tenants sit at the front door, screening visitors–a thankless task, since inevitably someone fails to leave notice for a housekeeper, and isn’t home when you call on the intercom. The housekeeper came all the way from Queens (ultimately, from Ecuador); she is only six floors from her goal; but unless you or some exiting passerby recognizes her you have to bar the door. It is at these moments that you realize you really don’t know anybody in the city, or at least nobody around you. In the country, my friend told one person in the morning that he needed a new chainsaw. That day, every person he met asked what had happened to his old chainsaw. In the city we are monads (anagram: nomads) passing in the night. We could have a tenants’ committee, but those have to be organized by old Jewish teachers, and they’re dying off. As the building slowly fills with tweenies and their squeaking girlfriends, any possibility of organization goes glimmering.