Dear All

Many of you may remember that we were taking a very keen interest in the story of the Atlas Caravan workers who were made redundant three years ago, and I was suprised that the issue is still ongoing all these years later.

This is from the BBC Website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-16040733

Shocking that they have not had their pay yet.

Mike

Police have issued a warning to buyers of imported caravans that there is an increased number being stolen and re-sold to unsuspecting buyers.

Thieves are stealing the vans abroad and flooding the UK with them, they then destroy the VIN number, import them and sell them on. These can go undetected for a long time by which time the thieves are long gone. The demand for the luxury European makes is intensifying and thus giving these thieves reason to steal these vans.

The Association of Chief Police Officers Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (AVCIS) are working with the European manufactures and National Caravan Council (NCC) to ensure clearer documentation is issued and identification marks and tags are issued to give buyers faith that they are not handling stolen goods.

Our advice is:

Caravans that are being sold legitimately should have be CRIS registered (etched on the windows and chassis). CRIS can be contacted on 01722 411430 or their website http://www.hpicheck.com/caravans.html.

Beware deals that are too good to be true, as they usually are!

Find the Vin number, which is normally stamped on the chassis rail. If you suspect this has been tampered with, walk away!

Who is selling this van to you, seek assurances like proof of their address and proof they own the van.

Ask for the registration documents as unlike UK vans, European caravans are logged as trailers and have a log book.

Ask for photo evidence of the seller using the van.

Thanks

In the past there may have been one downside to being the owner of a Hobby caravan and that was, there might have been little choice when it came down to Hobby caravan insurance.

You may have been limited to just a few companies prepared to offer cover Hobby caravan insurance. This tended to be because of the very nature of the caravans themselves:

• the high build quality meant that repairing your Hobby caravan or replacing fixtures and fittings may have tended to be more expensive than with some other makes of lesser specification;
• in addition, having to source spare parts from Germany also tended to add both to cost and timescales to the repair cycles;
• of course, it is not just the caravan enthusiast who appreciates the attractions of the Hobby caravan. Thieves may also be very keen to take possession of one – particularly when no money actually has to change hands.

There is better news these days for Hobby caravan enthusiasts though, with more caravan cover providers now offering insurance cover for Hobby caravans. We are happy to include what we believe is affordable, yet comprehensive cover for Hobby caravans as part of our portfolio of products designed for the caravan enthusiast.

Having bought a high quality caravan, you may be particularly concerned to ensure that the cover your insurance policy provides is as comprehensive as possible.

This may mean that, as the owner of a Hobby caravan, your idea of cheap caravan insurance may not be considered cheap by someone else.

Even with Hobby caravan insurance though, you may still find that some savings can be made:

• joining a caravan club or association may entitle you to discounted premiums (often referred to as caravan club insurance discounts);
• keeping your caravan on a CaSSOA site when not in use, may also attract a premium reduction.

Working with you to keep your caravan safe, is how we prefer to operate. So you may find that there are some terms and conditions, which we include as part of our cover, which we feel can help protect your Hobby caravan from thieves and unnecessary damage.

For example:

• when you leave your caravan unattended and attached to your car, you may need to fit a wheel clamp;
• if you have detached your caravan from the towing vehicle, then you may have to fit a hitchlock as well;
• when not in use your caravan must be stored either at your home address, on your private driveway or on a CaSSOA Registered Site;
• it must be fitted with an operational Tracking device, for example: Phantom, SmarTrak, CobraTrak etc;
• policies may also stipulate that, when you leave your caravan unattended, then your awning should be securely stowed away. Failure to do so may result in any subsequent claim for storm damage being rejected.

You may be pleasantly surprised at how much easier it is to find Hobby caravan insurance these days – and at a price that makes good sense.

It may be the case that you have heard stories relating to Hobby caravan insurance. Here is our brief summary of the history and present position:

• historically, owners of Hobby caravans may have found difficulty in obtaining caravan insurance cover or may have been forced to pay specialist insurance prices;
• the reason for this was simple – this form of touring caravan is manufactured in Germany to very high standards and as a result, they obtained a reputation for being particularly attractive to thieves;
• given the high specification of these vehicles, if they were damaged in an accident, the cost of the parts, including importation from Germany, was typically high;
• the net effect of these two factors was that Hobby caravans were typically regarded as being ‘higher risk’ by insurance providers, who may have priced their policies accordingly (or decided not to offer Hobby caravan insurance at all);
• we are pleased to confirm that the situation has now changed and we are able to offer insurance for Hobby caravans at what we believe to be a very cost effective price;
• the providers of insurance for Hobby caravans may apply certain conditions to their cover, for example, it may typically only be valid for the United Kingdom;
• it may also be obligatory to fit a hitchlock and wheel clamp in certain circumstances (this may, in fact, also be a requirement for other forms of touring caravan insurance);
• the fitting of a recognised tracking device may also be mandatory as part of the conditions of the insurance – this to improve security and to deter potential thieves;
• when not in the use or during the winter months, it must be stored either in a CaSSOA site or on your private driveway at your own home – out of use parking on the public highway will not be covered;

Hobby caravans are highly regarded and have a good reputation.

We are extremely pleased to be able to provide an insurance solution that will help you to get your full enjoyment out of this type of caravan. Our Hobby caravan insurance quotations are available online, or please give us a call if you prefer to speak to someone.

Day-to-day, we encounter many types of touring caravan that people wish to insure against harm. From grandiose Hobby’s to the demure Swift classic but the one caravan manafacturing powerhouse we cater for more than any other is BAILEY. Steeped in tradition from their humble beginnings as Bailey’s of Bristol and responsible for a series of innovations that have helped shape how caravans are built down to the bare bones with their Alu-tech shell technology. The result of 100 bespoke tools and 5 patents pending combining to produce a truly resilient framework which reduces the number of fixture points by an impressive 90%, Bailey’s remain as an innovator in caravan design.

This is employed in all the leading lights of the Bailey production line – Olympus, Pegasus and Unicorn which in 2011 are continuing to sweep up praise and acknowledgement within the industry most notably with it’s Unicorn Barcelona receiving numerous nods for not only tourer of the year but also for best luxury caravan for Go Caravan magazine. It’s this that underpins a reputation for not only aesthetically pleasing design but also value for money in a time when buyers are looking for their purchase to be a sound investment. This also supports us in the insurance side of things down to the ground because they also want to be sure their investment is protected aswell!

I hope you found this useful

Tony Thorne

Account Handler