Comparatively few people may enjoy paying out each year for their caravan insurance (or any other form of insurance for that matter) and with December being such an expensive month in terms presents and parties, every penny really counts.

Yet such cover may be essential in terms of protecting a major financial asset and in some cases, actually a legal requirement.

So, if your caravan cover is coming up for renewal this month, why not give yourself the Christmas present of getting the most suitable cover at a cost-effective price?

The following pointers should help you when thinking about your existing insurance or renewing your caravan cover:

• it hopefully goes without saying that if you are driving a motorhome (broadly speaking, defined as being a vehicle with integral accommodation) then by law you typically must have, as a minimum cover, third party liability protection;

• even if your motorhome is notionally off-road and not in use, insurance is typically still required, unless you have made a SORN (Statutory Off-Road Notification) declaration to the DVLA and received their confirmation that it has been processed;

• for other types of caravan, caravan insurance may not be a legal requirement even if it remains typically highly advisable and policy types exist to cover things such as static caravans, park homes, trailer tents, collapsible caravans and touring caravans – we can now even help you with insurance for German Hobby caravans, something, which historically, owners of these models may have found to be a challenge;

• policies are typically not transferable and if, for example, you dispose of a touring caravan and replace it with a trailer tent, you cannot assume that your existing insurance for touring caravans will cover your new camping configuration;

• in these days of increased uncertainty regarding global weather patterns, it may be more common to find clauses and conditions in policies relating to where you park or site your caravan when it is in use – it is typically important to comply with any such conditions if you are to avoid putting your cover at risk;

• theft is, unfortunately, an ever-present risk for both caravan owners and caravan insurance providers but the good news is that some policies may offer incentives in the form of discounts if you follow sensible theft-reduction measures (some of these, such as the use of hitchlocks and wheel clamps may be obligatory in some tourer insurance policies);

• if you own a static caravan, you may occasionally encounter pressures from site owners to purchase their own insurance policy, however, this may not typically be obligatory and you may find that more cost-effective cover might be available from direct insurance sources;

• even if you have a caravan insurance policy that you have held for a number of years, it may be advisable to try and find the time to periodically review it against other options available in the insurance market – you may be surprised at how things have moved on and the newer options available to you.

Hopefully these considerations will help you save some money on your caravan insurance cover – Happy Christmas!

Dear All

Well today is the last full working day before Christmas and it is all about getting things done and out of the way. My food shopping is going well, I only have a few more items to get and that will be that.

We have family visiting on Boxing Day which will be nice and the actual day will just be us. I will be in the kitchen for most of the day so the pressure is on to prepare a gastronomic feast!

Starting today with a brief new business metting to get prepared for 2012 and then on with the tidying!

Have a fantastic Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Cover4 Team!

Mike

When you compare touring caravan insurance, you may naturally be inclined to look at the price on offer. The levels of cover actually offered may typically be looked at second – perhaps almost as an afterthought.

It may be important though to compare both these aspects of caravan insurance cover.

In tight economic times it is perfectly understandable that you do not want to spend more on caravan insurance than you absolutely have to, however, putting economy before cover may end up with you incurring costs later if you have to make a claim and find that the policy you have just doesn’t cover what you need it to.

Using an internet site like ours may help you to compare touring caravan insurance policies which may match your requirements, giving you the opportunity to buy a policy which provides you with a level of cover that you are happy with and at a price you can afford.

You may find that one simple way of helping to make the cost of your touring caravan insurance premium more attractive may be to look out for policies that may offer discounts for which you may qualify.  For example:

• any caravan club insurance discounts offered to members may be linked to the belief that clubs may be an ideal forum for the sharing of tips and knowledge and may also be a sign of a mature and responsible caravanner;
• fitting an approved tracking device to your caravan may help greatly in keeping if safer and may therefore attract a premium discount – as may the use of approved locks and alarm systems;
• you may wish to remember, when you compare touring caravan insurance, that premium prices may be linked to your estimated mileage for the year ahead (based on the theory that the more miles you cover, the more your tourer may be at risk) so keeping this as accurate as possible may help you to avoid paying for cover that you don’t actually need.

If terms of the actual cover provided by a touring caravan insurance policy, you may find that there may be differences in the cover provided for:

• awnings – not all tourer insurance policies may provide cover for these useful spaces and those that do may only cover damage caused while you were away from the caravan, if you had fully stowed it before leaving;
• new for old replacement criteria – some policies may only offer this if your caravan is up to three years old and you have been the sole owner – others though may offer a new replacement for caravans up to five years old.

One thing that you may notice when you compare touring caravan insurance is that the terms and conditions of policies may vary quite considerably. You may benefit from a careful read of these to ensure that you fully understand them.

Alternatively, if you would prefer us to compare caravan policies on your behalf, then please do get in touch – one of our friendly team will be more than pleased to assist.

Christmas is all about giving, so here at Cover4Caravans we are getting ready to give you lots of new stuff! Here goes: -

1. January 2012 New Cover4Caravans Branding!
2. December 2011 chance to win an ipad2 in our caption Competition!
3. No increase in rates for 2012!
4. An amazing new top secret Insurer for Touring Caravans arriving February 2012!
5. Weekly video blogs!
6. The chance to win more amazing prizes during 2012 in our Caption Competitions!
7. Access to the best Customer Experience you are likely to find!

What more do you want from Cover4Caravans for Christmas?????

Richard