Caravanners rich and spending– but have they got the right Caravan Insurance Policy?
While good value caravan insurance does not cost much, it seems that caravanners are splashing out more on caravan equipment than ever before – although that may not matter as caravanners tend to be richer than the rest of the country. Research by Barclays Personal Loans revealed that over £1 billion is spent by Brits per year on camping and caravanning. The amount spent per caravanner has more than doubled over the past five years, which includes caravan equipment and camping holidays. Some three million people in England and Wales are regular caravanners, which is over seven per cent of the adult population. A somewhat surprising revelation is that caravanners are 30 per cent wealthier on average than the general population, with caravanners enjoying an average income per head of £32,725 compared to £25,400 for the country as a whole. Gary Duggan, managing director for Barclays Personal Loans, said: “It is clear that camping and caravanning are experiencing something of a revival, despite the distinctly unfriendly camping weather we have experienced this summer! With holidaymakers shunning traditional package holidays in favour of more independent breaks and keen to support the UK tourist industry, camping or caravanning is a great alternative”.He added: “Modern day caravans now come with all the mod cons and luxuries you would expect from a home on wheels and caravanners are happy to spend large sums of money on them as is evident from these statistics” Taking the above into consideration it seems important to Caravanners that they choose the right Caravan Insurance Policy. The Caravan Insurance market can be like a mine field. As a consumer you should not assume that you are the expert on Caravan Insurance – it’s not as simple or as “Main Stream” as Motor Insurance and each Caravan Insurance Company offers it’s own variations of cover – not all Caravan Insurance Policies are the same. The Caravan Insurance Company you are speaking to should be experts so pick up the phone to them and make sure they are! You could give Cover4Caravans a try on their freephone number 0800 9707172. A Freephone number answered by someone in the UK is always a good start!

Caravan Owners Told To Check Tow Bars Are Properly Fitted to avoid any Caravan Insurance issues at a later date.
If you tow a caravan the chances are your towbar is not fitted correctly – that’s according to research conducted at the National Boat, Caravan and Outdoor show.
Expert technicians from towbar specialists Towequipe checked towbars against industry guidelines and found that almost half of the towbars fitted did not meet regulation standards.
The most common fault found was bolts that were not tight enough, leading to potentially serious problems when towing a caravan.
“This shows just how important regular maintenance checks are,” says Cover4Caravans director, Richard Burgess. “When contracting a technician to install your towbar, it’s essential that you check they are working to set industry guidelines. The equipment must be fitted by qualified and experienced personnel in order to ensure that your caravan is being towed safely and securely.”
Safety checks should be carried out at regular intervals and most suppliers will be happy to verify that their towbar has been correctly installed.
Having a correctly and safely fitted Towbar could avoid you having a Caravan Insurance Claim which may put your policy into jeopardy – if your towbar has not been correctly maintained and it has not been checked before you travel you could find your Motor Insurers or your Caravan Insurance Company being able to consider a reduced payment or withholding any claim payment as you had not been taking sufficient care of your vehicle and towbar. It is a general term and condition of most Insurance policies, including Caravan Insurance, that you keep your Caravan in good working condition.
If you need any help and assistance in finding the right home for your Caravan Insurance contact Cover4Caravans free on 0800 970 7172.

No Touring Caravan Insurance Claim
Following recent revelations from the BBC of faking competition winners on its programmes, the Beeb has now confessed that it faked a caravan fire incident on its Top Gear programme. In an episode which featured Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May taking a caravan holiday in Dorset, programme-makers faked a caravan fire that was presented as an accident. Scenes show an explosion where the caravan supposedly catches fire after Jeremy Clarkson attempts to cook chips on a Tolpuddle campsite. Although fire engines were shown rushing to the scene, the fire service said that they were called up by the BBC to be involved in the stunt and the situation was not a real emergency. The makers of Top Gear apparently offered the fire crew around £1,000 to organise six firemen and an engine to fake the sequence, which was broadcast last July as part of a Top Gear special on caravanning called Four Go Mad In Dorset. A Dorset Fire Service spokeswoman said “They wanted us to make it look real. We treated it as a genuine fire”. A BBC spokeswoman said “That the fake emergency had not misled viewers as the sequence was supposed to be seen as comedic. It was Top Gear taking a comedy look at caravanning. Of course the fire service was on site. We wouldn’t contemplate starting a fire without having relevant safety measures in place” she said. It is apparent that the sequence where the presenters are stopped by the police after crashing the caravan into a bollard and causing a traffic jam were also faked. At least this was good news for any potential Touring Caravan Insurance Companies as we assume no claim was made by the BBC for the damaged caravan! Did you know that your Touring Caravan Insurance policy should cover you for the majority of fire damage claims including arson? On a more serious note you should ensure you have fire safety equipment on board your Caravan such as a fire blanket and a fire extinquisher. For a company that cares about your Touring Caravan Insurance requirements log onto www.cover4caravans.co.uk and see what you think. Their Touring Caravan Insurance quotes are usually too hot to handle!

It’s out with the old and in with the new, as caravanners can upgrade their model at the Salop Leisure Holiday Home exhibition, which runs from 27th April to 7th May. At one of the biggest static caravan shows of its kind in the country, Salop will showcase more than 50 holiday homes from all the leading manufacturers, including exclusive new models from Willerby, Atlas, Cosalt and the award-winning BK Bluebird.

The new holiday homes on show are centrally-heated and double-glazed with luxurious carpets, ensuite toilets and even full-sized baths in some models. Prices on new products start at £15,000, although Salop is offering part-exchange deals on old touring caravans and holiday homes and promises a range of flexible finance options as well as swift delivery.

For the avid caravanner, it’s probably worth going just for a browse at the new luxury models as entry and parking at the exhibition are absolutely free and there is a ‘Love Coffee’ shop where refreshments can be bought. Enthusiasts can visit the show from 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 5pm on Sunday at Salop’s new Shrewsbury office off the B4380 exit at the Emstrey Island roundabout.

A £20,000 plan to build a caravan park on the site of a popular marina has been put forward to area’s council, according to local media.

White Bear Marina, near Leyland, currently attracts a number of visitors to its Leeds to Liverpool canal location. Anglers, walkers and cyclists make use of the area, which could now be transformed for caravanners to enjoy also.

Richard Byles, manager of the British Waterways Marinas Limited (BWML) site, told leylandtoday.co.uk: "We run 16 marinas across the county, and at White Bear we have the opportunity to put in four to six touring caravan bays for seasonal use. ‘It is not a massive proposal, but it would offer people another great waterfront experience – the plan is to make the site a bit more viable based on the demand for caravan parks in the area. Nowhere else in the area provides proper access to electricity, water, and waste facilities.’ If the local council accepts the proposals, the site could be up and running for summer caravanners.