Today there are providers of online caravan insurance that can typically provide a fast static caravan insurance quote.

Here are a few tips relating to that process:

• think through your position in advance – you’ll need to be clear about whether or not for example the site you plan to use is approved and secure, as things such as that may reduce your premium;
• be clear about your security – insurance providers like to see evidence of enhanced locks, bolts and alarms and they may result in some discounts;
• keep in mind that if your site has a documented history of flooding, then that may push the price of your static caravan insurance quote up;
• some providers may demand that you confirm that your caravan is firmly anchored in place and raised off its wheels;
• decide whether you want your contents insured on a new-for-old or market value basis and try to avoid under-estimating the replacement costs of your items;
• if you have an external awning, you may have to declare it separately and it may only be covered when you’re away from the caravan if it has been fully stowed away;
• some providers may favourably view membership of a professional owners’ club and reward that through discounts.

Once you have your quotation, remember that there may be some additional factors to consider:

• you may find that it is obligatory to drain down all your water systems when the caravan is not in use;
• some policies may demand that your caravan is connected to mains services;
• your policy may cover your caravan if you’ve rented it out for holiday purposes and your own use for the same reasons – but typically not if you are living in it regularly or have rented it out very long term;
• policies typically carry an excess, which is the first part towards a claim that you have to pay.

Starting to live permanently in your static caravan or renting it out long-term may not be advisable. You may invalidate your existing insurance and also encounter local byelaw issues!

If you are at all uncertain, we offer an excellent telephone service and would welcome your call. We’ll be only too pleased to help.

Your static caravan insurance quote is the first stage in a process designed to ultimately result in your financial protection. Getting it right is worth spending a little time over.

Whether you have a touring caravan, a static, a motorhome or a trailer tent, getting holiday caravan insurance has never been easier.

Either online or by phone, you can now get a holiday caravan insurance quote from a number of providers.

This can give you the benefit of being able to easily identify those suppliers whose policies meet your needs for caravan insurance cover most closely or who may be able to offer discounts relevant to you and how you use your holiday caravan.

Static risk

If it is static caravan insurance that you’re looking for, then you may find that some suppliers may rate damage from flooding as one of the higher risk factors.

Choosing a site with no previous flooding history may therefore reduce this risk and the premiums for cover should reduce accordingly when compared to a site where there has been trouble from flooding in the past.

So while those sea or riverside views may be very relaxing as you sit and watch the sun go down of an evening, they may come at a price!

Tourer security

With a touring caravan, on the other hand, its very mobility is the main risk factor.

Non-caravan owners may not realise just how attractive touring caravans are to thieves.

So you may find that there will be policies, which expect you as a responsible owner, to take some common sense security measures to try and prevent your caravan from falling into the wrong hands.

These could include things like:

• fitting a wheel clamp when your caravan is left unattended while attached to the towing vehicle;
• adding a hitchlock when the caravan is left unattached;
• possibly installing a tracking device.

Also note that with some providers, hitchlocks and wheel clamps are obligatory requirements as part of your cover.

Awning space

All caravan owners may enjoy the additional space that an awning can bring to a holiday living area.

Your caravan insurance may require you to state specifically whether or not you want awning cover included. You may also be expected to take a bit of the responsibility for the safety or your awning yourself. This could include making sure that it is safely stowed away if you are absent from the caravan.

Holidays only

You may need to bear in mind that typically static caravan insurance won’t be valid for any form of dwelling used as a permanent residence. In some circumstances and depending on a number of factors, park home insurance may be required. If you are unsure where you stand on this, then please do get in touch.

In summary, getting the most from your holiday caravan insurance may not necessarily mean paying the earth. You just need to know where to look.

Finding appropriate insurance for static caravans isn’t necessarily difficult but it may be made a little more so by the actions of some site owners who may try and insist that you take their insurance cover. But more about that shortly!

First of all, what defines a static caravan?

Definition of a static caravan

Exact definitions may vary by insurance provider and there’s no substitute for checking.

However, for clarity they typically are:

• caravans that although on wheels, are typically anchored and secured into a single location on a single site (they may be raised off-wheels and that may be a requirement with some policies);
• occupied occasionally through the year for holiday or holiday-rental purposes.

When is a static not a static

If you start to occupy your caravan permanently as your main home or wish to rent it out for extended periods, you may automatically invalidate your existing caravan insurance.

It is typically highly advisable to seek insurance advice before contemplating any such move. You may also need to consider local council byelaws as these differ between caravans used for holiday purposes and those occupied for extended periods.

In such circumstances, it may make sense not to seek a static caravan insurance quote, as that will not provide the cover you need.

Site owners’ policies

It is possible that some site owners may try to pressurise you into purchasing their insurance for static caravans. However, in most cases, you are free to choose your own static home insurance.

You are entitled to search for the insurance that is most appropriate to your requirements and if you are being told that you must take a specific policy, this may be infringing upon your ability to do so.

In practice, purchasing your own insurance for static caravans may provide more suitable cover and be more cost-effective.

Administration charges

Some site owners may also look to charge an additional administration fee if you use your own insurance.

However, it might be worth keeping in mind that having your own static caravans policy and paying the site owners’ admin fee may still be more cost-effective than purchasing their caravan insurance in total.

Static caravan insurance – some tips

When you’re looking for a static caravan insurance quote, remember that some characteristics of statics may be worth keeping in mind:

• you may have a relatively high level of fixtures, fittings and contents that need to be protected;
• some providers may offer discounts if your caravan is parked on an approved and secure site;
• you may be obliged to drain down water systems when the caravan is not in use;
• you may be able to obtain discounts if you use additional security locks and alarms etc.

Looking around

Looking around for insurance for static caravans may be important if you’re to find those suitable deals and using our service can show you some options. And remember, it is not generally obligatory to take the site owner’s cover, so by shopping around, you could save yourself some money!

There are some static caravan parks where custom and practice dictate that you buy your caravan insurance from the site owner. So you may think that getting a static caravan insurance quote could be a waste of time.

Site insurance

You may be able to appreciate the point of view of the site owners – they may want to ensure that you have adequate insurance cover for your static on their site.

One way of doing that is sell you this cover themselves.

So, if anything goes wrong and you have to claim on the insurance, they know exactly what cover you have and how this may link to their own insurance cover.

The trouble with this approach though is that you may not always be getting the most cost effective deal for your particular circumstances.

If you pay the price asked by the site owner, you have no way of knowing whether or not this represents good value for your money.

Freedom of choice

The fact is that, as the owner of a static caravan, in most cases you are actually free to buy your static holiday home insurance from whomsoever you please – in spite of what the site owners may lead you to believe.

So getting a static caravan insurance quote may make very good sense and online caravan insurance sites mean that it is also typically very simple to do.

Your quote

In addition to the features you could expect to from a standard static caravan insurance quote like public liability insurance and caravan contents cover etc, you may also find that there are a number of other factors which have a direct bearing on the risks that your static caravan could face.

That in turn will obviously have a direct influence on the premium levels of the quotes you receive.

These will include things like:

• does your preferred park have a history of flooding;
• is there a 24 hour warden on site;
• out of season, is your static caravan kept in a recognised secure site;
• do you drain down heating and water systems when the caravan is not in use (which is often a condition of the cover).

It may also pay to bear in mind that each static caravan insurance quote may provide a different level of cover.

So, for example, while some policies may include cover for awnings as standard, others may require you to have specific awnings cover. Others still may stipulate that awnings will only be covered for damage in a storm if you are present at the time the damage occurs.

Once you have selected a likely looking quote there is no substitute for reading through the terms and conditions to reassure yourself that you are getting the cover you expect.

Savings

The good news is though that even if the site owners charge you a fee for the administration involved in them processing your own insurance details, you may find that your policy still represents good value for money.

The short amount of time you spend getting a static caravan insurance quote may end up as time well spent, leaving you with a little more cash in your pocket!

If you are getting static caravan insurance quotes it may be easier if you have all the information you need before you begin. You may find that insurers will typically need to know:

• your name;
• your address;
• your telephone number;
• the make, model and age of your caravan;
• whether you have an alarm fitted;
• where the caravan is kept; and
• the value of the contents of your caravan.

Some owners of static caravan sites may try to insist that you purchase caravan cover from them, but it is not obligatory. Before you are tempted to buy your cover from them, you may wish to shop around first. Looking around for other quotes may not take you very long, but may save you money in the long run.

Do note that if you do choose to buy your static home insurance elsewhere, the site owner may ask for sight of your insurance schedule and may charge you a fee. Even if you are charged a fee by your site owner for not taking his caravan cover, you may find that by taking cover elsewhere, you still save money overall.
So it is worth investigating all your options.

What are you looking for?
Now that you have a few static caravan insurance quotes, how do you compare them? You may wish to weigh up a number of considerations before you make your final decision, based on cost, service and cover.

Cost
You may wish to check that you are taking advantage of as many discounts as possible. In particular, have you told the insurer about all the security features you have installed? Is your site a member of any scheme that recognises secure sites? These are factors that insurers may take into account when deciding what to charge for static caravan insurance.

Service
After a successful claim, how long does the insurer typically take to pay for repairs or replace missing items? How helpful have you found their staff when you have been investigating insurance? An insurer that looks after you before you are even a customer may make a good impression when you are collecting static caravan insurance quotes.

Do you have any obligations under the cover?
A full static caravan insurance quote may come with a draft policy attached. When you are checking this for details of the exclusions and limitations, you may wish to check also whether there are any obligations on you as an owner.

For instance, the insurer may expect you to maintain the caravan in good order. And, some static caravan parks close for the winter. While static holiday home insurance cover may typically continue throughout the colder seasons, you may as an owner be obliged to drain any central heating system in the van to minimise the risk of damage caused by burst pipes.

Cover
Finally but perhaps most importantly there is the issue of cover. What risks does the insurer cover? The exact list may vary between providers but the perils that usually crop up may include things like fire, storm, flood, theft etc. Some providers, such as ourselves, provide cover for malicious damage – note that this is not commonplace and may be a valuable element of cover to have.

Static caravan insurance quotes may typically be given for a combination of structural and contents cover. For contents cover, you may wish to make sure about whether any valuable items are included, as some insurers have limits on single items.