Buying insurance for caravans: a brief guide

The first step when you are buying insurance for caravans may involve getting all of the information together about yourself, your caravan and where it is kept.

The location of the caravan

Whether you have a static or touring caravan, insurers may ask for the following information when deciding how much to charge for insurance for caravans:

• the site’s postcode (or the postcode of where your touring caravan is kept when not in use) ;
• whether the site has a history of flooding (if applicable);
• whether any security measures are in place.

What does the caravan insurance cover?

The structure of touring and static caravans may typically be covered from the following risks, although providers may vary on the exact list of perils they cover:

• storm;
• flooding;
• fire;
• explosion;
• earthquake;
• accidental damage; and
• malicious damage.

Whilst some of these risks may seem unlikely, insurance exists to cover things that would be the worst case scenario.

Contents insurance for caravans

Contents insurance for caravans may typically be included in a policy with cover for the structure, although you may wish to check that this is the case before signing up in case your provider sells contents cover separately as a policy in its own right.

For touring caravans, you may find that cover may not be available for the contents of the fridge. Other exclusions and limitations may typically include a restriction on cover for awnings and their contents, although the extent of cover may vary between providers.

Another important limitation for both touring and static cover is a single item limit. This means that the insurer may not pay out over a certain amount for a single item that is left in your caravan. This may be worth bearing in mind before you leave your laptop or camera behind on a daytrip!

Terms and conditions

Just like any other kind of insurance policy, insurance for caravans may come with terms and conditions attached.

Both static and touring caravans are unfortunately at risk of break in and theft. Accordingly, your provider may insist that you fit a wheel clamp and a hitchlock to your touring caravan, to deter and prevent criminals seizing the vehicle.

For static caravans, year round cover may be available, notwithstanding that the site may close for the winter time when the traditional holiday season is over.
However, winter insurance for caravans may be dependent on you draining the heating system before you shut the van up for the cold weather. This may decrease the risk of a problem with the pipe work, which in turn may decrease the risk of you making a claim on your policy.