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.

If you own, or have ever contemplated owning, a Hobby caravan then you probably know that getting competitively-priced Hobby caravan insurance may have been a problem in the past.

Obtaining cover could be difficult and when you did find it, the price may have been high compared to some other makes of caravan.

That arose simply, if paradoxically, from the fact that Hobby caravans had (and have) such a good reputation for quality of build and their fittings.

Why is cheap Hobby caravan insurance so hard to come by?

The problems for the insurance of a Hobby caravan were that:

• if they were damaged in an accident or via burglary/vandalism, the parts were expensive to import from Germany;
• the caravans attracted admiration not only from other legitimate caravan owners but also from thieves.

Therefore Hobby caravans were and to some extent still are, regarded as being higher risk by some insurers. Some caravan insurance providers may not even consider offering cover, while others may cover insure your Hobby caravan – but at a price that you may not deem acceptable.

The good news is that things are starting to change – with us offering what we believe is competitively-priced Hobby caravan insurance. We spoke to insurers for some time in order to get cover for Hobby Caravans and found that with the right security devices in place, these caravans deserved a realistic premium to be offered.
Our current policy features include benefits such as caravan and contents sums insured up to £17,000; a £350 policy excess; and cover for accidental damage, theft and malicious damage.

Hobby caravan insurance restrictions

Of course, as with all insurance cover, there are a few restrictions such as your Hobby caravan insurance not being valid if you take your caravan outside of the UK and the use of certain security devices such as hitchlocks and wheel clamps are obligatory (as it may also be with other tourer caravan types).

These restrictions are designed to lessen the risk of something happening to your Hobby caravan insurance which would necessitate a claim, thereby allowing us to offer you what we believe are competitively-priced premiums.

So, if you are a Hobby caravan owner, then why not get in touch and see how our insurance may help protect your asset?

If you have owned a Hobby caravan for any length of time, then your history with Hobby caravan insurance may have followed a moderately familiar path.

Frustration

Many people admire Hobby caravans for their style, equipment and build quality.

They have an enviable reputation for these things but also they have previously had another less pleasing one also. Put simply, they could be difficult and/or often expensive to insure.

The problem had its origin in three factors:

• being a continental (German) make, their parts were expensive to purchase and bring in for things such as repairs following an accident to the caravan;
• the sheer quality of the build and fittings meant that they were expensive to replace – irrespective of the fact they were coming from Germany;
• the reputation for quality meant they may also have been just that little bit more attractive to thieves.

These things meant that some insurers would not provide Hobby caravan insurance and some of those that did, often saw them as being subject to special terms or justifying high premiums.

Some Hobby owners were far from happy with this position but, in reality, couldn’t do an awful lot about it.

Evolution and change

However, the just to remind you that we can provide you with what we believe is competitively-priced Hobby caravan cover.

Because of the additional risks faced by Hobby caravan owners, certain conditions have to be met, which may be different to those you have encountered with touring caravan insurance for other models.

These include:

• your Hobby will be restricted to UK use only;
• when you’re not using it, your Hobby must be stored at your home address on the driveway (not on the public road) or on a CaSSOA approved storage site;
• you may be obliged to have one of a specified range of tracking devices fitted;
• there may be specific instructions relating to the use of hitchlocks and wheel clamps.

Peace of mind

Your Hobby caravan probably represents a very significant capital asset and you won’t want to take chances with it. Having Hobby caravan insurance in place can give you the peace of mind it is properly protected, so why not get a Hobby caravan insurance quote now or, if you prefer, give us a call? We are always happy to help, whether you require a quote or have a question relating to caravan insurance.

Just a reminder that we are now able to offer what we consider to be competitively-priced Hobby caravan insurance – and that may be hugely good news for some Hobby owners.

Why?

If you don’t know, Hobby caravans are German.  Some caravanners regard them very highly, due to their excellent reputation for design, build quality and superb fittings/fixtures.

They’re a highly attractive marque and typically receive some good press.

So what’s the problem?

Unfortunately, Hobby caravans had another reputation – typically for:

• being very appealing to thieves;
• being expensive to repair and re-equip following accidents as their parts were shipped in from Germany (and were often expensive).

As a result of this, some insurers weren’t exactly confident in terms of insuring these great caravans and this meant that for some owners, finding Hobby caravan insurance was something of an endeavour.

Some caravan insurers wouldn’t cover them at all and others may have done so but perhaps typically under special terms.

Sometimes it was necessary to seek special niche insurers or take specialist cover from caravan dealers and suppliers.

That may have meant that choice was slightly restricted and whenever that happens, it’s typically not exactly good news for consumers and the prices being paid.

Hobby owners in the past may have become accustomed to needing to sign some fairly big cheques in order to obtain insurance cover.

In fact, it wasn’t unusual to see some sources suggesting that potential buyers may wish to carefully consider the insurance implications before they purchased their Hobby caravan.

We can help insure your Hobby caravan!

However, we have now reviewed the position and are pleased to offer what we believe is good, cost-effective cover for Hobby caravans.

You may no longer have to trawl around extensively to find that protection or hold your breath waiting for the quotation to tell you the worst.

Of course, it is prudent to take into account, in advance of purchase, the insurance implications of any make of caravan you’re considering. We do ask that you comply with some additional, commonsense security protection for Hobby caravans – these are outlined in the relevant documentation.

Yet our insurance for Hobby caravans now means that the choices available to you have increased.  That has to be good news for those that love Hobby caravans and don’t want difficulties with Hobby caravan insurance to hold them back!