Here are some of the more commonly encountered questions relating to cheap caravan insurance cover.

Can I save money by purchasing cheap caravan insurance cover?

There may be a significant difference between something being cheap and it being cost-effective.

If you purchase a cheap caravan policy simply because of its low cost then you may have an immediate theoretical cost saving over another policy of higher cost.

However, it may also be necessary to take into account the costs you may incur in future if the policy does not cover you for a claim you lodge against it.  In such circumstances, the caravan cover may suddenly seem not to have been particularly cheap after all.

It is therefore advisable to look closely at the cover the policy is providing rather than simply its price and to keep in mind that what may prove cheap for one person may not prove to be so for another.

Is cheap caravan insurance cover available for all types of caravan?

There are a number of different forms of caravan insurance and significant numbers of insurance for caravans providers.

Inevitably, you will encounter price differences between them.

So, if you are looking for (e.g.) insurance for touring caravans then you may find that some policies may be more cost-attractive than others.  This may typically apply for any form of caravan insurance you are looking for and therefore suggests that comparing several options for cover may be sensible.

Can I influence the cost of my caravan insurance?

Typically yes, although the extent may vary depending on the individual policy you are looking at.

For example, some policies may offer significant discounts if you accept higher voluntary excesses.  Others may do so in situations where you have fitted additional security devices and you may also be able to reduce your annual insurance costs if you take steps to ensure that your caravan is securely stored away over the winter season.

Is insurance cheaper at certain times of the year?

Policy prices typically relate to a 12-month period.  The overall annual cost may be influenced by some of the factors as outlined above so, as we are currently in the winter season and some caravans may be securely stored, their owners may be obtaining discount relating to that factor rather than the month when they took out their insurance policy.

Having said that, the insurance marketplace changes constantly and it may be sensible to periodically take a status check on what options are available versus your existing cover.

Whether you are looking for cheap caravan insurance cover or not and irrespective of the time of year, getting the occasional caravan insurance quotation might be a good way of reassuring yourself that your existing caravan cover remains suitable.

It hopefully may not need saying but once again it might be necessary to remind you that this is not a time of year that is known as being particularly kind to caravan owners.  In other words, it might be worthwhile checking out your caravan insurance.

If you needed any reminder as to just how vulnerable your caravan may be, news from the BBC* of widespread destruction on a caravan site in Wales back in November last year, may be a wake-up call.

Some caravan insurance policies may offer incentives for storing your caravan safely and securely in special sites over the winter season and some of the photos contained in the above-mentioned article may just cause you to think again about whether or not you may wish to think on this further.

Of course, from a practical point of view, it may be impossible to absolutely guarantee the safety of your caravan even if it is securely stored in a special facility.  That is why it may be advisable to periodically sit down and consider your overall position with regard to insurance.

If you have a static caravan which is left on a site during the winter months, your static home policy may oblige you to take certain commonsense steps to reduce the risk of disaster.  These may include things such as draining down all water systems, including heating systems where appropriate and using additional battening and anchoring to try and ensure that your caravan remains were you left it.

This is not just an issue for static caravans, as touring caravans and motorhomes parked up for the winter in the open, may be at a similar degree of risk.

An equally unpleasant reality of life is that some caravan sites may be largely unoccupied during the winter months and this may increase your exposure to the possibilities of theft and vandalism.  Once again, your insurance cover may require you to take certain steps in order to try and reduce such risks.

All this may seem a far cry from those carefree days of spring, summer and autumn when you were in and around (and enjoying) using your caravan but a responsible attitude to security and caravan insurance may be essential if your caravan is still to be there for seasons to come.

*Source:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-15958292

A parkhome insurance quote may be necessary if you occupy your property on a permanent basis rather than as, say, a static caravan.

The following points may define elements of cover that you may wish to think about:

• to qualify as a parkhome, your residence may need to be defined as your normal place of permanent domicile and located on a site that the local authorities have designated as being suitable and authorised for parkhome occupation;

• some caravan insurance providers may also require that your site and property is fully connected to mains services and that there is some form of 24×7 site supervision and security presence;

• some companies may decline to offer you a parkhome insurance quote if your site is located in an area where there is a predisposition to flooding or exposure to serious geological risk (e.g. cliff top sites where erosion is commonplace) – if you do find cover for such locations, you may find that your policy will be subject to special terms and exclusions;

• residential home insurance is potentially different to other forms of caravan insurance cover in that your insurer may need to make allowances for the fact that your contents and fittings may be to a higher and more expensive standard – but they may also require that certain categories of item are excluded from cover (perhaps high-value items of jewellery etc);

• typical parkhome insurance may not cover you in situations where you have let out your property for the purposes of income generation and if this is something you are contemplating, it may be advisable to seek our advice and guidance before you do so – as well as checking with the site owner as to whether you can actually let out your residential caravan, as some sites do not allow this;

• if you have items external to your property, possibly including things such as awnings, satellite dishes and garden furniture, it may be advisable to read your policy carefully, as some of these may not be covered;

• remember that you cannot presume that your parkhome insurance quote will automatically cover any form of caravan located on any site, that you decide to move into as your permanent home – if that is your intention, once again you may require specialist advice regarding the insurance implications.

The subject of the best caravan insurance cover may prove to be an emotive one and likely to generate a number of questions.

Here are a few samples together with appropriate answers.

How would you define the best caravan insurance cover?

Arguably, you can’t.

Too much depends upon the combination of your individual circumstances and your own views as to what is important in caravan insurance, as opposed to merely nice to have.

For example, if you have tourer insurance and enjoy taking your holidays in places such as France or Spain, then the best caravan insurance cover for you may prove to be that which provides a healthy degree of continental cover.

By contrast, if you never leave the UK with your tourer, then you may be far happier with a policy that is perhaps a little lower in price even if it does not offer continental driving cover.

Perhaps the only thing that can be said with certainty is that what may be best for one person may or may not prove to be best for another.

Which provider offers the best cover?

Once again, this may be difficult if not impossible to answer.

Some providers may, for example, offer particularly attractive policies for owners of park homes while others may offer policies that are appealing to the owners of touring caravans.

What is important is that you take time to look at several options, comparing one against another, before you make a final decision.

Is there significant price variation from one provider to another?

Yes, there may be.

Caravan insurance providers tend to have very complicated models that they use to decide the price of a policy and no two providers are likely to use identical approaches.

This may lead to situations where some providers are particularly cost-effective when it comes to static caravan insurance, whereas others may be rather more so on touring caravan insurance.

That is why knowing the marketplace may be very useful when trying to find cost-attractive cover for a given caravan situation.

Do I have any control over the cost of my insurance?

Typically yes, although the extent may vary from one provider to another.

Some specialists in providing cover for caravans may, for example, offer you the opportunity to significantly reduce your premium by taking a higher voluntary excess on your policy.  Others may offer discounts if you fit additional security devices or garage your caravan over the winter season, when it may be particularly vulnerable to things such as storms etc.

Interestingly, the utilisation of such cost-reduction opportunities may significantly change your perception as to the true cost of the policy.

You may find the best caravan insurance cover for you to be that which allows you the greatest degree of control over these elements of your insurance cost.

If you currently have caravan insurance that you are content with, you may ask yourself why you would wish to take the trouble of getting another caravan insurance quote?

Here are a few reasons as to why you may wish to do so:

• if you have been renewing your existing caravan insurance for some time but without comparing it to other options in the marketplace, you may find it difficult to describe it as being the best caravan cover for you;

• what may have been suitable caravan cover for you some years ago, when you first took out the policy, may no longer be so;

• even if the policy remains suitable, you may find that there are other caravan insurance policies that are perhaps more cost-effective in terms of the cover they provide for the amount you are paying;

• a significant factor in helping you to decide whether or not to seek a comparison with another caravan insurance quote, may be the realisation that the insurance industry evolves and changes rapidly – it may well be the case that there are now policies available on the marketplace offering facilities and options that were simply unavailable when you first took out your existing cover;

• it is a fact of life that looking for individual caravan insurance quotations and then trying to compare one against another, may be rather time-consuming – we may be able to help you with that though by offering access to several insurers and quotations at one go;

• of course, what may prove to be the best caravan insurance for someone else may prove not to be so for you, so when you are looking at quotations, it is important that they are read in some detail and assessed as being suitable for your needs;

• in today’s harsh economic climate, being confident that we are getting value for money at the same time as securing excellent insurance protection for our caravans, may be important to many of us – one way of providing yourself with some reassurance on that subject is to seek a caravan insurance quote or two.