Whether you have a touring or a static caravan, looking for holiday caravan insurance can sometimes be confusing. Don’t worry. With our friendly team of professional staff, we can help you with your search, whether you want to make it over the telephone or on the internet.

When we help people look for holiday caravan insurance, we bear the following considerations in mind.

What is covered by the policy?
For touring, static and motorhome insurance policies, a combination of structural and contents cover may be included. The list of perils that may be covered may read like the plot of a disaster movie, but hopefully none of those things will happen!

The risks commonly covered by a typical holiday caravan insurance policy may include:

• fire;
• storm;
• earthquake;
• malicious damage (not all insurers will offer this cover – we do);
• theft; and
• damage from items falling from aeroplanes.

If you are looking for touring caravan insurance, you may wish to pay close attention to the contents section of the policy.

For instance, do you have an awning for your touring caravan? They can be useful for keeping a set of table and chairs or outdoor games to keep the children out of mischief. However, the contents of an awning may not be covered by your policy. Likewise, the awning itself may not be covered if you have left the caravan with the awning attached during a storm.

Other issues to check in the contents part of your caravan insurance may include any single item limits. If you take very expensive items on your holiday, you may find that your insurer may not pay out for these above a certain figure.

Are there any discounts?
Even if nothing is specifically mentioned on their website, it may be worth asking if an insurer may give you a discount for:

• extra security measures that you have fitted. For a touring caravan you may be obliged in any event to have a hitchlock and wheel clamp. But if you go over and above this standard, mention it to the insurer;
• keeping the caravan in a safe place. If your static caravan is kept on a site that is well know for its security (eg. gated or patrolled, or a member of a safe sites club), your insurer may discount the price of the policy. Likewise if you keep a touring policy in a safe site, mention this to your insurer;
• any other no claims bonuses that you may have. Some brokers – such as ourselves – will be prepared to take evidence of your no claims bonuses on other policies as proof of what a careful and responsible person you are. As a result, you may be offered a discount on your holiday caravan insurance premium.

Holiday caravan insurance means that you can leave your caravan unattended, safe in the knowledge that you have protected yourself financially from some of the natural and man made risks that might damage or destroy it.

What the policy might typically cover

• The structure of the caravanWhether you have a touring caravan or a static one, you may wish to find holiday caravan insurance that will cover the risk of damage to its structure from fire, storm, flood or malicious damage. If you intend to let your caravan to holidaymakers while you are not using it, speak to your insurer about the possibility of having cover for accidental damage from tenants as well as public liability insurance (in case they injure themselves on your premises and try to sue you for loss or damage).

• The contentsThe beauty of holidaying in a caravan is that it can be a real home-from-home. However, the disadvantage of this is that these sorts of items (such as TV or DVD player) are at risk of being stolen or damaged.

  Your caravan policy may include contents cover. Before you go on holiday, double check what the level of cover is for your belongings. If you have valuable items with you, these may not be included, or there may be a limit on how much you can claim for them.

• Alternative accommodationIf you have booked a long holiday and have the misfortune to suffer a fire or storm at the beginning of it, check your holiday caravan insurance to see whether any alternative accommodation is provided or paid for. If it is not, your holiday could be ruined, unless you can afford to pay for alternative accommodation from your own pocket.

What the policy might cost
The cost of the policy typically depends on the location of the caravan. For a touring caravan, this includes where you keep it when you are not using it, and for a static caravan, this could mean the park where it is kept permanently. To price the premiums, insurers might take into account the crime rate of the area, and the security devices that owners have fitted to their caravans. Basic security devices like hitchlocks and wheelclamps are often compulsory anyway, but if you go over and above these requirements, your insurers may reward you with a discount.

Likewise, members of caravan clubs could find that their association has negotiated a special rate, so make you ask about this.

What service you will receive
Finally, consider the level of customer care that you will receive from your holiday caravan insurance provider. An insurer who has lots of experience will understand your needs and may be most likely to give a good service.

There are three main types of caravan – touring, static and camper vans. While there are many elements of holiday caravan insurance that are common to all three types, each also has its own specific features corresponding to the different characteristics and usage patterns.

Touring caravans

Touring caravans may be particularly prone to theft and vandalism. Theft does not just relate to the theft of the caravan contents but of the actual caravan itself. It is not uncommon to find that while some tourer caravan UK insurers recommend the use of hitchlocks and wheel clamps, there are others who go one step further in crime prevention by making the use of these devices mandatory for their holiday caravan insurance cover.

Static caravans

Choose your site carefully. Static caravans are often prone to damage from flooding. You may expect some premiums to be higher if you choose to locate your static holiday home on a site which is close to water or which has had flooding problems in the past.

There may also be special terms and conditions for draining down heating and water systems when your static caravan is not in use over the winter.

Camper vans

If you use a camper van or motor home for your holiday, if it breaks down you have not only lost your means of transport but also your holiday accommodation. Camper van breakdown insurance, which can typically provide alternative transport and accommodation, may mean that your holiday does not have to be cancelled following a breakdown.

Some standard camper van insurance policies may include cover for use of your motor home abroad. This may be limited to a certain number of months or weeks per year. If you feel that you may exceed this limit, remember to let your insurers know so that they can arrange additional continental cover.

Common features

Your caravan is also, on occasion, your holiday home. Fixtures, fittings and the other items that you may add from time-to-time to make it more of a home, may all benefit from being insured with a caravan contents policy.

If you fit a burglar alarm and park your caravan at an approved site, you may be helping to reduce theft and vandalism and may find that premiums are discounted as a result.

Many of the specialist caravan insurers may offer discounts for membership of caravan clubs. They believe that by joining a club, caravanners demonstrate that they are responsible caravan owners.

Some insurers these days provide awning insurance separate from standard holiday caravan insurance cover. Awnings that are not stowed may be particularly liable to damage from windy weather. You may find that cover for some types of storm damage is only valid if you are present in the caravan when it happens or if the awning has been fully stowed.

Whatever type of caravan you have, you may benefit from discussing your needs with a specialist insurance provider to find the holiday caravan insurance which is right for you. We have been providing caravan insurance for over 60 years, so why not take advantage of our knowledge and the special deals we can access? We are always happy to offer advice and guidance on all these issues so that you can feel confident you have suitable cover at a competitive price.