As we pass the Easter egg period and move towards later spring, the urge to get on with enjoying our caravans starts to increase. Yet spring can also be a period of taking stock and thinking how we’re going forward – including in the area of cheap caravan insurance. Take a look at our checklist at what to consider when looking for the cheapest caravan cover:

1. of course, what is cheap for someone else may not be cheap for you, so don’t just believe those headline ads for cheap caravan insurance – look instead at both what it’s providing and what it isn’t providing;
2. you may find that some policies that describe themselves as cheap caravan cover insurance have, in fact, kept their prices low by compromising on the protection offered – one example may be that continental cover may not be included as standard or if it is, it may be very limited;
3. some touring caravan insurance that majors on low price may only offer new-for-old caravan replacement for caravans up to three years old if they have been owned by a single owner from new – other policies may cover pre-owned caravans also;
4. some insurance providers may not offer quotations and cover to caravanners that have previously made claims;
5. you may be able to reduce the cost of your caravan insurance by fitting approved security devices, alarms and taking other such steps to reduce the opportunities for thieves and vandals – details may be contained within your policy documentation;
6. if you have a static caravan or park home, the cost of your park home insurance (or static caravan insurance) may be significantly reduced if you avoid sites that have a known history of flooding (in fact, some insurance providers may not cover your caravan at all if the site has a documented background of flood problems);
7. in the case of non-mobile caravans, if your site is permanently supervised then this may result in lower premiums;
8. if you are able to store your caravan in a secure and approved location when not in use, you may find that premiums will be reduced which will be a step forward in your search for cheap caravan insurance (in the case of mobile caravans, even if you keep them off the public road when not in use, this may result in lower costs).

In February and March, it is perfectly possible that you are still feeling the financial effects of Christmas and the New Year festivities. If this also happens to be the time of year that you need to think about caravan insurance renewals, then your thoughts may understandably turn towards a search for cheap caravan insurance quotes.

It is true that few things perk us up in the depths of our winter depression more than the thought of finding a bargain.

However, setting out to find cheap caravan insurance quotes, whilst understandable, may not ultimately be to your best advantage.

If you are fond of your caravan, you will typically wish to make sure that you have the most appropriate insurance in place so as to protect your investment in it.

Certainly, that may not necessarily mean that you go out to purchase the most expensive caravan insurance you can find – but equally, deciding to consider only cheap caravan insurance quotes may lead to some issues downstream.

The problem is that what is cheap caravan insurance for someone else may not prove to be suitable or cheap caravan insurance for you. In the event of a claim, you may suddenly find that your so-called cheap caravan insurance has suddenly become extremely expensive indeed.

Ultimately, the suitability of a given caravan insurance policy will vary very much upon the nature of cover provided coupled with an assessment of the way you use your caravan.

For example, you may see lower cost caravan insurance quotes but they may be based on the assumption that your annual mileage is at a relatively low level. Once you actually provide an accurate mileage estimation, you may find that the price escalates rapidly.

Therefore, that insurance may be cheap for someone that is doing low mileage per annum, but for you, it may prove to be more expensive than an alternative policy less restrictive in terms of mileage allocations.

The conclusion may therefore be that it is perhaps better to search for caravan insurance that provides the type of cover that you require ‘as standard’ rather than to go out and look exclusively for the cheapest headline figures that you can find.

The price is, of course, important but it does need to be kept in proportion when you are seeking a caravan insurance solution.

So, however deep those late winter blues are, try not to see cheap caravan insurance quotes as being part of the solution!

Some of us may privately admit that our initial objective, when trying to protect our precious caravans, is to go out hunting for cheap caravan insurance.

What is cheap?

The problem is, it is notoriously difficult to precisely define what ‘cheap’ actually means. Therefore, it may not be too surprising if we subsequently struggle to find it.

Perhaps you think this is slightly overstated and that cheap insurance is very easily defined by simply saying – the lowest cost possible.

Unfortunately, it may be rather more complicated than that.

For example, if you intend taking a touring caravan on a continental trip, then the fact that an individual very cheap caravan insurance policy does not cover use outside of the UK will prove to be a showstopper for you.

The fact that the policy is cheap will be of little consolation.

In that context, you may consider low-cost caravan insurance to be the policy that offers you the full cover you require and at a price that you consider to be reasonable.

The conclusion may have to be simply that what is cheap for one person may not prove to be cheap for you or vice versa.

Reducing your cost

Nothing of this is meant to suggest that trying to keep your insurance costs down is anything other than a laudable objective.

Some caravan insurance costs policies may offer you scope for doing so through discounts, typically for things such as:

• taking additional security precautions with your caravan, including things such as securely storing it over the winter when not in use, fitting additional security locks and alarms and for static caravans and park homes, using sites that have a security presence;
• indicating your maturity by joining a recognised motoring or owners’ association (thereby getting caravan club insurance discounts);
• for motor homes and touring caravans, keeping young and inexperienced drivers off your policy.

So, adopting a few good practices may be helpful in achieving your goal of cheap caravan insurance – without putting at risk the quality of your cover.

It’s a New Year and the old tradition for making predictions comes once again to the fore. One prediction that may be fairly sure for caravanners in 2011 is that they will continue their search for cheap caravan insurance.

The fact is though, that such a search may not yield quite the results that you may hope for.

The first point relates to expectations. It’s a sometimes harsh reality of life that what some people regard as cheap may not be cheap (or suitable) for others. Thinking exclusively about cheapness may also lead to disappointment because costs may be directly related to the quality of the insurance cover provided.

Take, for example, the subject or those long-awaited breaks on the continent once the weather improves.

You may think that you have succeeded in finding unbeatably good and cheap caravan insurance but that euphoria may quickly fade if you subsequently discover that cover outside the UK is either excluded or is very limited.

If you suddenly find yourself needing to pay substantial extra sums for continental cover, your original calculations relating to the low-cost of your insurance may prove to have been woefully inadequate.

The subject of contents cover perhaps provides another classic example.

Policies typically provide two formats of contents protection. The first of these is called new for old cover. As the name suggests, this will replace any contents of yours that are destroyed or stolen, by an equivalent new product (and up to set limits).

The alternative is called market valuation and basically means that the policy will pay out a value for the item based on an estimate of its current value in the market – in other words, its second-hand used value.

From these examples, it’s possible to see that becoming entirely and exclusively focused on the cost of the policy could place you in a position that may cause you troubles in the event of a claim.

While the search for lower cost insurance is perfectly understandable, there must be a balance between the price you are paying and the potential protection you are obtaining.

So, while those advertisements screaming the availability of cheap caravan insurance may be appealing, it might be advisable to read the fine detail of the policy before you become too excited!

Finally, if you are unsure as to the suitability of a particular policy, then we can help. Whether you have a simple question or you want us to compare caravan insurance cover on your behalf, then our friendly team can help, either on the telephone or via email, so don’t be shy!

Nobody doubts that anything claiming to be low cost or cheap has a tendency to catch the eye. There’s no reason to suspect that you as a caravan owner are any more immune to that when you see those great ads for cheap caravan insurance.

However, this may be something of a distraction from what may be really important – you getting the cover your circumstances require.

In fact, some questions need to be asked of any advertisement for cheap caravan insurance, including perhaps:

• given that what’s cheap for someone may not be cheap for someone else in a different caravan situation – who does the ‘cheap’ refer to;
• just what exactly is being provided for the money;
• how can something be considered as cheap unless you have been able to compare it in detail to an exactly identical product (and few insurance policies will ever be identical in terms of the cover they provide)?

There is no intention here to dispute sales language but rather to try and focus attention back to what may be really critical – making sure that there’s a good match between your situation and the protection the insurance is providing.

This is one of those things that may be better illustrated with examples:

• if you sometimes take your tourer abroad then cheap touring caravan insurance that doesn’t include European cover may not be of much use to you and paying extra for it may destroy any cost savings you thought you’d achieved;
• if the cheap policy doesn’t provide new-for-old cover on contents, then you may find yourself spending a lot of extra money if you ever have to replace them in the event of them being damaged or stolen;
• does the cheap policy cover as standard, the average annual mileage you may be doing?

Nothing of this is meant to imply that a bold advertisement for cheaper caravan cover should simply be ignored. What is important though is that its sales proposition is examined in detail and reviewed critically in line with your needs.

If you don’t, you may end up with cheap caravan insurance – or so it will seem until you need to make a claim!