Caravan Insurance - UK-Money.com

Protect your caravan with caravan insurance

If you don’t own a caravan you spend most of your time on the road complaining about caravans holding up traffic. If you own a caravan then you are part of the clan that has contributed to a huge increase in caravanning activity in the UK. According to Statistics released in February 2002 by Visit Britain, over 17 million camping and caravanning trips were taken and over 69 million nights were spent either in a touring caravan or a static caravan on British holidays. That’s a huge amount! With all this investment in caravan holidays, comes an increased investment in caravans too. The caravan industry is now worth over £3 billion in the UK and looks likely to increase year on year.

As your caravan can cost you anywhere between £5,000 and £20,000, then you would be wise to insure your caravan as well as the vehicle that you use to tow it. Imagine if you and some friends took your caravan away for a weekend to a holiday campsite. You pitch up and put your awnings down, then all head off to the local pub for the evening. When you arrive back at camp you can’t find your caravan anywhere and soon come to the realisation that it has been stolen.

Not only have you lost the caravan but you have also lost all of the personal possessions that were stored inside the caravan too. If you are not insured then the coast of replacing the caravan, if it is never recovered, and all of the possessions and accessories that were inside the caravan would be insurmountable. Your friends may even make you fork out for the things they have lost too. If you have caravan insurance, this will cover such incidents, and much more besides.

What vehicles can you insure using caravan insurance?

When we think about caravan insurance we all automatically assume that this refers to touring caravans; ones that you hitch to the back of your car. However there are a range of insurance options available for all types of caravans including:

1. Touring caravan insurance.

2. Static caravan or static holiday home insurance.

3. Motorhome insurance.

4. Trailer tent insurance.

Not all insurers will offer policies to cover all of the above. The most popular product offerings are those for static and touring caravans but you will be able to find insurance companies that offer the product you require, it could just take a little bit more research than it would do for car insurance.

What types of caravan insurance are available?

There are two main types of caravan insurance available. Most companies will only provide a comprehensive caravan insurance package, but there are some out there that will cover your basic insurance needs.

1. Basic caravan insurance – These policies are similar to third party fire and theft car insurance and will cover your basic insurance necessities. This includes theft or your caravan, its destruction by fire, public liability cover and a new for old cover if you suffer a total loss on the caravan that you own.

2. Comprehensive caravan insurance - Just like comprehensive car insurance, comprehensive caravan insurance covers all of the above and more. You can also insure against accidental damage, storm damage, flood, personal accident, personal possessions and contents cover, emergency accommodation costs, replacement hire and driver cover if the driver falls ill and no one else in the party can drive.

What are the timing options for caravan insurance?

Caravan insurance can differ slightly from standard vehicle insurance. Normally you have to insure vehicles all year round as you use them on the road all year. With caravans you can choose to insure them:

1. Monthly – a useful an cheaper insurance option if you only use your touring caravan during the summer months then store it off road in a securely locked garage or secure compound.

2. Yearly – for all round peace of mind you can insure your caravan for the whole year; particularly applicable for static caravans or vehicles that are kept in your drive or on the road where they will could be susceptible to theft or damage.

Where can you get caravan insurance from?

The advent of being able to purchase caravan insurance online from a reputable array of insurers is not quite upon us yet. You will find a raft of information sites available online and there are a couple of insurers that offer online quotes but most sites just provide email and call back facilities. It is imagined that in the next few years quote and buy online facilities for caravan insurance will become much more prevalent, but at present you need to try other sources too.

It is strongly recommended that you obtain several insurance quotes from companies mentioned in yellow pages. Also inquire with any caravanning clubs that you are a member as they may know of insurers who will offer you membership discounts. Another useful avenue is insurance brokers who have access to a panel of insurance providers that may offer caravan insurance products.