Looking for cheap caravan insurance is an individual thing based on your expectations. What may be cheap caravan cover for you may not be for someone else. For example, you can get cheap caravan insurance policies that are cheap because they offer the bare minimum of cover. Or, you may define cheap insurance for your caravan as being a policy that has all the bells and whistles attached and is at what you consider to be a good price!

Either way, the price and what the caravan insurance cover entails will typically be the major influencing factors on which caravan insurance policy you buy.

Is the price right?

If you have a static caravan, insurers may decide a price for your policy based on the address and claims history of the site where the caravan is based. So if your caravan is parked on a site that has a history of flooding and has had problems with crime, the premiums you get quoted may not be as low as for a caravan on a less troubled site.

By the same token the postcode of where you keep a touring caravan or motorhome may also have an effect on the price of the caravan insurance quote.

Whilst you may not be able to move the caravan this season if location is a problem, cheaper caravan insurance may still be within your reach if you have access to the following discounts:

• lower prices for members of caravanning clubs. Such clubs typically have the bargaining power and clout to negotiate significant discounts on the headline prices that insurers offer;
• security. For touring caravans, hitchlocks are typically an insurer’s minimum requirement for doing your bit to keep the caravan safe and secure. However, for both touring and static caravans, stepping up your security campaign may have the dual benefit of reducing the risk of theft and bringing down your insurance costs.

What about the cover?

Cheap caravan insurance may sometimes still be comprehensive caravan cover, as long as the risks that you would typically expect to be mentioned are included in the insured perils specified. Caravan insurers may typically cover the costs of damage from all or some of the following:

• storm;
• fire;
• earthquake;
• flood;
• theft;
• malicious damage; and
• accidental damage.

The small print

An important part of buying cheap caravan insurance involves reading the small print, as it would be unfortunate if you were prevented from being able to make a claim due to a failure to adhere to the terms and conditions. Accordingly, it makes sense to ensure that you have complied with any maintenance and security obligations the insurer has set.

As the owner of a caravan, you may wonder from time to time whether there is such a thing as cheap caravan insurance and if there is, where can you buy it.

What you pay for cheap caravan insurance depends on a number of factors.

Obviously if you have a touring caravan, typically the risks you face are significantly different to those for a static caravan and they are different again to the risks for a motorhome or even a park home. So using a specialist in caravan insurance that understands completely the ins and outs of the business may make very good sense.

Comparing the policies they offer may help you achieve savings without compromising on the right level of cover for your particular circumstances.

What’s right for you

The starting off point to find cheap caravan insurance may be to spend a couple of minutes working out just what your usage requirements are. You may then be able to decide what you need and what you don’t need as a minimum level of cover. There may be other elements of cover that would be nice to have if the price was right.

Typically, different policies provide different levels of caravan cover. For example, some may include unlimited continental travel cover as part of the standard price. This may be an advantage for you if you take your caravan abroad a lot but may be something you do not need if you intend to stick to the UK for your holiday breaks.

Similarly if you know that you are the only person to tow or drive your caravan then paying for a multi driver policy may not be a sensible use of your money.

What discounts are available?

Some insurance providers may offer reduced premiums if you show that you are a responsible and security minded caravan owner. Keeping a look out for these may be worthwhile.

So, for example, discounts may be available if you:

• are a member of a recognised caravan club;
• fit security alarms;
• use only registered and flood safe sites;
• use wheel clamps and hitchlocks (though with some policies these types of security measures may be mandatory);
• use a secure off-season storage site;
• accept an excess on your policy etc.

Cheap or cheapest

A final point that may be worth remembering is that it may be possible to find cheap caravan insurance for your caravan if you sacrifice levels of cover. While this may be tempting from a premium point of view, you may find it expensive in the longer term if you end up having to pay out yourself following a problem.

Of course, while all of us want cheap caravan insurance, sometimes the cheapest is not always the most suitable cover. However, there are ways to ensure that you get competitively priced cover that does the job! So follow these 5 steps to help you look for the caravan cover that fits the bill!

Step 1 – collect all of your information
Whether you are looking for a quote for touring caravan cover, static holiday home insurance or camper van insurance, providers will need the same information from you to assess your circumstances. Aside from your personal details, insurers need to know the age, make and model of your caravan, together with information about where it is kept (including the postcode). The more information you can give the better.

Step 2 – compare prices
If you are looking for cheap caravan insurance then low prices are among your top priorities. Make a note of all the quotes that you get, and rank them in price order.

Step 3 – compare service and cover
While getting a good price is important, getting a fair price for good cover is the real issue at stake. So whilst it may be tempting to automatically go for the policy that costs the least without further investigation, look past the price to the extent of the cover. Does it extend to all of the risks that you would expect to see? Are there dedicated claims handlers on the team that you have access to? These elements of customer service could be worth paying for if you are unfortunate enough to have to make a claim.

Step 4 – seek discounts
Are you a member of a caravanning club? Do you have extra security measures fitted to your caravan? Is your caravan kept in a park that is well known to be safe and secure? If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, your responsible caravan ownership will pay off, as many providers may offer significant discounts for these things.

Step 5 – enjoy the peace of mind good cover brings
Once you chosen a suitable provider and put the policy on risk, you can relax and enjoy your holidays in the knowledge that your cheap caravan insurance (which in the end may not be the cheapest cover available but gives you the protection you need) it is always there to call on, should you need it.

All of us want to get as much bang for our buck as we can and will look for the cheapest deal possible. However, if you are looking for cheap caravan insurance, it does make sense to ensure you know exactly what the caravan cover entails before you buy. A good deal on your caravan insurance should not be compromised by unsuitable cover.

So, how do you know that the cheap caravan insurance you are considering is also offering you the most suitable cover? The exact nature of your caravan insurance and the cover it provides will depend upon a number of factors, not the least of which is the type of caravan you have.

Static caravans

Static caravans typically stay put in one location but they may also contain more items of equipment and home comforts than a typical tourer. This fact makes them a little more vulnerable to certain types of risks though perhaps less for others.

Examples of risks that may be more common are burglary, theft and vandalism. This may arise because your caravan may be empty for long periods of time and the additional home comforts and equipment may make it more attractive to thieves.

It is for this reason that you may need specialist static caravan cover and why insurers may insist that your caravan is:

• parked on a supervised and specialised site that has full services connected;
• fitted with a number of security devices including immobilisers, locks and alarms.

Although typically the caravan insurance will cover your static holiday home even if the site has closed for the winter, you may be obliged to ensure that your water and heating systems have all been fully drained down while it is unoccupied during this time.

Motorhomes

This form of caravan may be very prone to mobile theft – ie. being driven off quickly.

As it is used extensively for touring, it is in traffic more frequently and therefore vehicle-to-vehicle collisions may be more likely. This means that classic third party and fully comprehensive cover may also be both advisable and in part, a legal requirement.

Your cheap caravan insurance may typically need to cover such risks. In some cases the motorhome insurance provider may once again either insist upon certain conditions being adopted or offer financial incentives through lower premiums for things including:

• the fitting of tracking devices;
• the use of immobilisers (other than the engine);
• restricting young drivers or the number of insured drivers;
• reducing the number of times you take your caravan out of the country (or asking that you get continental cover for your caravan).

It is also worth noting that caravan insurance for motorhomes typically may not cover the use of the motorhome for commuting purposes.

Touring (towed) caravans

This sort of caravan is also vulnerable to vehicle collisions and road traffic accidents.

Given that many people like parking their caravans in quiet rural locations, they may also be liable to vandalism and theft of contents.

Your cheap caravan insurance policy will need to cope with all these risks plus others.

Some touring insurance policies will insist upon the use of a hitchlock and wheel clamp when the caravan is actually unhitched. The policy may contain restrictions relating to the ages and numbers of approved drivers on the policy.

In the case of all caravan types, it may be worthwhile paying special attention to accessories such as that favoured sun-awning. If you’re away from the caravan and your awning is stolen or damaged, it may not be covered unless it had been taken down or stowed away.

Getting it right

Your caravan is important to you and so should be your caravan insurance. While cheap caravan insurance may seem like a good idea at the time, do make sure that you understand fully what the cover entails. If you don’t and something goes wrong, it could cost you a lot more in the long run.