Our Hobby Caravan Insurance Scheme is now live.

Following some hard work by our I.T. Dep’t the new scheme is finally live.

You should note that you will bot able to obtain a quotation online but you should still input your details, the quotation will then refer to our team and we will contact you directly to offer you terms.

We are not able to offer quotations on every Hobby Touring Caravan ever made but we have a wide acceptance criteria and some very good rates – we will insist upon some kind of tracking device  – all of this will be discussed with you at the time of your quotation.

Please contact us for your Hobby Caravan Insurance quotation – 0800 970 7172.

Richard

At the beginning of the summer, millions of tourists were stranded in airports all over the world. Weddings were missed, work schedules disrupted … and all because of an ash cloud.

Various media reports said that the International Air Transport Association estimated that airlines have lost over one billion pounds due to the volcanic eruption that stopped air travel over major airspace. Yet the British caravanning industry may benefit in the long run. Here is why caravanning could be set to gain popularity with the British public.

Caravanners are in control
The ash cloud may have caused widespread disruption, but it also caused frustration as holidaymakers lost control of their holidays. With a caravan, one of the main advantages is that the caravanner is always in control. If a road is closed, you can simply go around it. If you experience a delay in getting to your destination, why worry? You have your accommodation attached to the back of your vehicle!

The joys of caravanning are not lost on young families either, as you can fit considerably more of the paraphernalia needed for babies and toddlers into a caravan than you can into a suitcase!

Cost
We may be edging our way out of recession in the United Kingdom, but as a nation we are still too nervous to start spending thousands on holidays again.
This theory is backed up by statistics from research by caravanning trade body the National Caravan Council, which showed that 17 million fewer passengers flew out of British airports in 2009 than the previous year*.

Apart from the initial outlay of the van itself together with a yearly premium for insurance for caravans, those who choose to holiday in the United Kingdom do not have to pay much for their new hobby.

The great outdoors and going green
The green movement is growing in Britain. The Green Party even has its own Member of Parliament. So it stands to reason that greener holidays must be the way forward. And a new generation of drivers may be able to help reduce their carbon emissions on the roads – the British driving test is set to include a section on reducing carbon emissions this autumn.

According to the National Caravan Council, caravanners genuinely want to travel in as green a way as possible. Accordingly it gives tips on how to load and tow your caravan in the most economical way possible, and how to be a green tourist when you arrive at your destination.

Has this trend towards caravanning and away from foreign air travel been born out in the figures? Time will tell for 2010. But for 2009, figures for the first half of the year showed that 24% more British caravanning holidays were taken compared with the same period the previous year**.

*http://www.caravanningnews.net/?p=1063
**http://www.nationalcaravan.co.uk/home/index.asp?id=22&rid=458 (press release dated 12.10.2009)

Dear All

Well we had an excellent weekend and very much enjoyed ourselves, I caught up with an old friend on Sunday to catch up etc which was good fun.

We had my mother in law over yesterday so we had a nice evening out, helped by the Slug and Lettuce offering 50% of food on a Monday! Well it is pay day. We have had a busy start to the week, our Hobby Scheme is now live and if you need a quote please call us on 0800 9707172 (freephone) and we will try to obtain terms for you.

I conducted staff one to ones this morning and it is nice to keep in touch with the Team, they all have things to do for the next meeting so I am less popular than usual!

We have Treating Customers Fairly reviews on Thursday and a leaving party on Friday so it’s all go, the weekend will probably just be me sleeping. Oh I can’t do that as I have an active son who doesn’t stop moving!

No rest for the wicked

Mike

Whether you have a touring or a static caravan, looking for holiday caravan insurance can sometimes be confusing. Don’t worry. With our friendly team of professional staff, we can help you with your search, whether you want to make it over the telephone or on the internet.

When we help people look for holiday caravan insurance, we bear the following considerations in mind.

What is covered by the policy?
For touring, static and motorhome insurance policies, a combination of structural and contents cover may be included. The list of perils that may be covered may read like the plot of a disaster movie, but hopefully none of those things will happen!

The risks commonly covered by a typical holiday caravan insurance policy may include:

• fire;
• storm;
• earthquake;
• malicious damage (not all insurers will offer this cover – we do);
• theft; and
• damage from items falling from aeroplanes.

If you are looking for touring caravan insurance, you may wish to pay close attention to the contents section of the policy.

For instance, do you have an awning for your touring caravan? They can be useful for keeping a set of table and chairs or outdoor games to keep the children out of mischief. However, the contents of an awning may not be covered by your policy. Likewise, the awning itself may not be covered if you have left the caravan with the awning attached during a storm.

Other issues to check in the contents part of your caravan insurance may include any single item limits. If you take very expensive items on your holiday, you may find that your insurer may not pay out for these above a certain figure.

Are there any discounts?
Even if nothing is specifically mentioned on their website, it may be worth asking if an insurer may give you a discount for:

• extra security measures that you have fitted. For a touring caravan you may be obliged in any event to have a hitchlock and wheel clamp. But if you go over and above this standard, mention it to the insurer;
• keeping the caravan in a safe place. If your static caravan is kept on a site that is well know for its security (eg. gated or patrolled, or a member of a safe sites club), your insurer may discount the price of the policy. Likewise if you keep a touring policy in a safe site, mention this to your insurer;
• any other no claims bonuses that you may have. Some brokers – such as ourselves – will be prepared to take evidence of your no claims bonuses on other policies as proof of what a careful and responsible person you are. As a result, you may be offered a discount on your holiday caravan insurance premium.

They say that an Englishman’s home is his castle. So have you got yours covered? If you are lucky enough to live in a park home, park home insurance may be worth a look in order to protect what is probably your biggest investment.

The importance of looking around for quotes
When you bought your park home, the park owner or manager may have tried to insist that you purchase your insurance from them. Whilst this may be a convenient option because they are (literally!) on your doorstep, have you considered looking around for other quotes? You may find that this may be a way to secure a more competitive price.

What does park home insurance cover?
The cover provided by park home insurance providers may vary, but the standard risks that may appear again and again typically include:

• fire;
• flood;
• riot;
• explosion and civil commotion; and
• earthquake.

Park home insurance may typically cover the structure of the park home itself. If you have a garage or a garden shed, you may wish to check whether these structures are included in the general cover. Depending on the provider, the contents may also be included, although you may need to make a schedule of any valuable or unusual items.

How much will the cover cost?
The cost of park home cover may depend on a number of issues including:

• your park home’s post code (from which insurers may judge whether the site is more or less prone to flooding or crime than other sites);
• the age and condition of your park home; and
• whether there are any extra security measures that have been taken on your site.

Limitation and exclusions
When you have looked at the risks that are covered and the price of a number of park home policies, you may wish to check out the small print. While nobody enjoys doing this, it may be worth it should you ever have to make a claim.

The contents part of the policy in particular may be an area of the cover where there may be a few exclusions. For instance, if you keep valuables in your park home, you may wish to check whether they are covered. Some providers may treat jewellery and items made from precious metals differently from your other possessions, so if you have these items, you may wish to know where you stand.

Likewise, some park home insurance policies may not pay out for theft claims unless there is evidence of a forced break in. Accordingly, you may wish to adopt the security conscious habit of ensuring that your doors and windows are all locked before you leave your park home.