Dear All

Yes it’s Friday and I am taking the “other half” out tonight to celebrate 1 year of parenting (and as my mother in law says we are still fairly sane) and hopefully a curry. We are then going to Romford to buy my son’s pressie and have a bit of time together which I am very much looking forward to.

Sunday is Arsenal’s first Premier League game at Liverpool so that will be interesting. Dagenham have the weekend off as our game vs Exeter was postponed folloing the sad death of Adam Stansfield whom I have seen play in the Conference on many occasions.

Next week is busy, I have updates with staff and a Senior Management meeting, Tuesday off and Wednesday another Managers meeting and my son’s immunisation. More on this to follow I dare say…I also have staff reviews with the team on Wednesday. Busy times but rewarding

The week has been ok as we are nearing the end of the caravan season, if it does rain over the weekend the better for us as people stay in and buy their insurances!! Cynical I know.

Mother and father in law are enjoying time with my son today so that’s all good as well!

If you compare caravan insurance offers between providers, you’ll typically have a greater choice and hopefully be able to find a suitable policy for your needs.

It’s as simple as that!

Your caravan type

Obviously, you’ll have a specific type of caravan that typically falls into a category of one of the following:

• statics (caravans permanently located on a single site and used for holidays or lettings etc);
• tourers (typically a towed mobile caravan);
• trailer tents (a trailer that contains some form of integral erectable tent);
• motorhomes (where the accommodation is an integral part of the vehicle).

However, within these categories there are typically many subtleties and variations by individual caravan insurance provider.

That’s why it may be useful or even important to compare caravan insurance before making a purchase or renewal decision.

The variations

The things to look out for when you’re trying to compare caravan insurance will vary considerably depending upon your caravan type.

However, typically it’s a good idea to look at things such as:

• what do the polices offer with respect to contents cover – new for old or market value protection;
• what excess does the policy carry (that’s the amount you may have to pay towards the costs of any claims);
• what special conditions are applied (e.g. some motorhome policies won’t cover drivers younger than 25);
• what exclusions are being listed – such as not covering external fixtures and fittings of the caravan etc;
• what sort of service is available – does the provider appear to be a customer-service orientated organisation;
• what sort of expertise is offered – is the provider a specialist in caravan insurance or a general insurance company that offers caravan cover.

All these points may prove very important to you if you have a problem and need to make a claim.

The business of money

Of course, price isn’t exactly a trivial consideration either.

There’s no doubt that many of us are attracted immediately to the lowest headline figure – but there may be dangers in that if you blindly go ahead and buy without first checking that the caravan cover gives you what you need. .

Saving a few pounds on the caravan insurance premium may not be such a good idea if it results in a policy that’s less suitable for your particular circumstances and caravan usage.

It’s typically advisable to keep a healthy balance between the desire to pay less and the need for good cover. The good news is that competitively-priced insurance for caravans is available that can offer suitable protection.

Being analytical

So, if you’re looking for any form of caravan insurance in the UK or just approaching your annual renewal, being analytical and selective may be advisable.

To compare caravan insurance quotes may take little effort if you use a service such as ours and you may be grateful you did so in the future.

If you are a member of a caravan club, you may have heard some of the other club members talking about their caravan insurance cover.

You may have been surprised at the premiums they said they were paying for cover roughly equivalent to your own.

You may also have eventually found out that their insurance deals seemed to be better than yours because their caravan club membership allowed them to claim a discount on their premiums.

If your cover doesn’t provide you with a discount for your club membership then maybe it’s time you thought about changing your caravan insurance cover for two reasons:

• some insurance providers will reward you with discounted premiums if you are a member of a recognised club; and
• having a look about at what’s on offer may also highlight a number of other areas where you may be able to benefit from premium discounts.

Helpful measures

One area where this is particularly relevant is surrounding the security of your caravan and its contents.

If you are a security conscious and responsible caravan owner then taking some common sense precautions may help to reduce risk to your caravan. Reduced risk may lead to reduced premiums, depending on your provider.

So, for example, if you have a touring caravan this could include steps like:

• fitting tracker devices;
• keeping your caravan off the public highway when not in use;
• using hitchlocks and wheel clamps when your caravan is unattended.

In fact some providers may feel so strongly about the benefits of preventative measures like this that they may include the use of hitchlocks and wheelcamps as a mandatory part of their terms and conditions of cover.

With a static caravan the steps could include:

• choosing a site with no history of flooding;
• opting for a site with a good anti theft and security record;
• storing your caravan in a recognised secure location over winter.

Maximise savings

So, a look at the internet based caravan insurance marketplace may show you that with some cover for caravans, there may be a number of discounts available in addition to caravan club membership.

If you are already taking these precautions but not getting a discount with your present caravan insurance, then the only thing you may have to do to save some money is change caravan insurance cover provider. So what are you waiting for?

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

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.