Dear All

Well we are nearing one of the biggest days in recent memory, May 6th when we the public get to choose the next government for this country. Having watched some of the TV debates, it looks as if it will be quite a close run thing as to whom will win. Just as an observation it seems to me that Gordon Brown and David Cameron are quite concerned about Nick Clegg as they were attacking him when recently they were dismissing him as irrelevant.

I personally think that Gordon Brown has struggled to follow Tony Blair’s charismatic approach and he has been a bit unfortunate, and this has left him vulnerable. I will be tuning into Sky News’ coverage on Thursday as I feel they are the most entertaining of all the stations and deliver the most comprehensive reports.

We can only wait and see!

Happy touring

Mike

It’s not always easy is it? Trying to compare caravan insurance can sometimes be tricky and it’s possible to find yourself floundering in a sea of confusing terminology, conditions and exclusions etc.

Here are a few thoughts that may help.

Comparing apples with apples

You can’t compare an apple to a pear.

So the first thing that may be useful is to avoid getting hypnotised by the headline price in advertisements.

That’s because caravans come in many different types, shapes and sizes.

Caravan insurance providers typically divide up their products to cater for different types of caravan and situations. To really compare caravan insurance you need to be clear what type of caravan you have and what the insurance provider offers for that particular market.

Generally, your caravan will come under one of several categories from an insurance viewpoint:

• a static – typically permanently located on a site and occupied by you for a few weeks or months per year during the holiday seasons;
• a mobile or tourer – usually moved around frequently when attached to your motor vehicle and sometimes unhitched in caravan parks;
• a motorhome – an all-in-one vehicle that contains your accommodation;
• a park home – a dwelling that is permanently located on a site and occupied by you as your home for most or all of the year;
• trailer tents – a tent that is stored within a towed trailer.

So if you’re trying to compare caravan insurance, when looking at a headline price in an advertisement, it’s advisable to make sure that it applies to your sort of caravan.

Why the differences?

Each of the above types will have a certain risk profile that is different to the others.

Perhaps the most obvious example is the tourer – clearly you are far more likely to be at risk of a road traffic accident in the case of a tourer than if you have a static caravan.

The differences within these categories will, of course, influence the premium you pay for your insurance.

To compare caravan insurance – exclusions and conditions

Any caravan cover insurance will inevitably contain a list of things it will not cover as well as stating conditions that you’ll need to comply with to avoid invalidating your insurance.

These will vary by insurance provider and a close comparison may help you decide which insurance is possibly suitable for you.

Potential things to look for include:

• is contents cover provided on a new-for-old or market value basis?
• what discounts are offered for things such as membership of caravan clubs, parking on approved and secure sites, fitting security devices etc ? (Note that some of these may be obligatory and a condition of cover in some cases);
• does the cover include awnings and other external fitments – even if conditions apply?

All these things are as important as those big-headline prices in the advertisements.

Specialisation

It may also be worth trying to take into account whether or not a generalist provider or a specialist in caravan insurance UK is supplying the insurance.

A specialist may have the experience that allows them to identify your requirements and provide the most appropriate recommendation for your particular situation.

So, it is possible to compare caravan insurance if you take it systematically. You may save yourself some money as a result!

Dear All

No I haven’t gone stark raving mad, this really happened! We heard lots of noice from our fire place over the weekend and whislt out with my son yesterday, I had a call from my fiancee telling me a pigeon had dropped out. I naturally had to rush home to sort the situation out and luckily by this time the startled bird had left through the back door, though my partner was shaken up!

Still that was as bad as my weekend got (with the exception of my sons 3.30am rise today) and we had plenty of nice walks and fresh air, as well as a quiet drink in our local yesterday afternoon.

We hope to have a visit from my sister in law and her fiancee this week whom have had a nightmare with the recent airline problems and have been in Rome last week, and are only now here when they should have been here a week ago.

Well it’s the last week of the month and we are producing our reports and I have sent the targets to the Team which may be high but I believe in being ambitious. I have faith in our service and our knowledge.

Have a great week

Mike

As the owner of a caravan, you may wonder from time to time whether there is such a thing as cheap caravan insurance and if there is, where can you buy it.

What you pay for cheap caravan insurance depends on a number of factors.

Obviously if you have a touring caravan, typically the risks you face are significantly different to those for a static caravan and they are different again to the risks for a motorhome or even a park home. So using a specialist in caravan insurance that understands completely the ins and outs of the business may make very good sense.

Comparing the policies they offer may help you achieve savings without compromising on the right level of cover for your particular circumstances.

What’s right for you

The starting off point to find cheap caravan insurance may be to spend a couple of minutes working out just what your usage requirements are. You may then be able to decide what you need and what you don’t need as a minimum level of cover. There may be other elements of cover that would be nice to have if the price was right.

Typically, different policies provide different levels of caravan cover. For example, some may include unlimited continental travel cover as part of the standard price. This may be an advantage for you if you take your caravan abroad a lot but may be something you do not need if you intend to stick to the UK for your holiday breaks.

Similarly if you know that you are the only person to tow or drive your caravan then paying for a multi driver policy may not be a sensible use of your money.

What discounts are available?

Some insurance providers may offer reduced premiums if you show that you are a responsible and security minded caravan owner. Keeping a look out for these may be worthwhile.

So, for example, discounts may be available if you:

• are a member of a recognised caravan club;
• fit security alarms;
• use only registered and flood safe sites;
• use wheel clamps and hitchlocks (though with some policies these types of security measures may be mandatory);
• use a secure off-season storage site;
• accept an excess on your policy etc.

Cheap or cheapest

A final point that may be worth remembering is that it may be possible to find cheap caravan insurance for your caravan if you sacrifice levels of cover. While this may be tempting from a premium point of view, you may find it expensive in the longer term if you end up having to pay out yourself following a problem.

Dear All

I hope you are all having a good week, we have had our busy times and our quiet ones which is very much a trait of the season. We have almost achived our Touring Caravan target and that is testamont to how hard the Team have worked so far.

The excitement at the moment is that the World Cup is nearing in June, a few of the guys have booked upstairs in a bar to watch the game and I have permission to join them! Very much looking forward to this already.

Sitting here doing some reports for the month so had better to get back to the grindstone!

Happy touring

Mike