A tourer

These caravans are typically towed behind a car. They can be detached and are used for holiday accommodation.

A touring caravan may have three specific types of risk to face:

• traffic related;
• natural disasters while parked up including storms and floods etc;
• burglary and theft.

Insurance for a caravan needs to be able to cover such risks as they relate to a typical tourer.

Note that you cannot occupy a tourer permanently as your normal address and still use touring caravan insurance. It is intended to cover holiday usage only.

A static caravan

As the name suggests, these caravans are typically semi-permanently parked on an approved caravan site and are used for your holidays.

Once again, you cannot occupy a static caravan as your permanent place of domicile and use static caravan insurance.

They are at risk also from natural disasters and human intervention such as burglary etc, as well as potentially claims from third parties (if you let your static home out).

Motorhomes

Another form of holiday caravan insurance applies to motorhomes – vehicles which have non-detachable accommodation built onto their chassis.

In addition to the classic risks, these also have traffic accident related risk due to the fact that they are a road vehicle.

Park homes

These are dwellings that exist on council-approved park home sites. They are typically occupied as your permanent home.

Trailer tents

There are a wide variety of such facilities around and they can, typically be covered under specialist holiday caravan insurance.
As a general rule, they are tents that fold away into a towed trailer.

The cover you’ll need

The first stage is to look for cover that applies to your specific type of caravan.

Typically, the policies are not interchangeable.

The next thing to consider is what types of risks you plan to cover and to what extent. This is where you’ll need to look closely at the details of the insurance provider’s policy to see exactly what they’re offering for the price.

For example, you may wish to consider:

• do you want new-for-old contents cover or the typically slightly less expensive market value replacement;
• what discounts are available for your use of things such as specialist locks and alarms;
• does the cover offer replacement holiday accommodation in the event yours is rendered uninhabitable;
• does your contents cover provide protection for higher value items in your caravan such as jewellery, PCs and electronic items etc?

Finding suitable forms of holiday caravan insurance involves a careful consideration of these plus other issues relating to the depth of protection offered. Given the investment you may have in your caravan, it’s a subject worth taking seriously.

Opinions as to the reasons for that seem to be varied.

Some are claiming that the stronger position of Sterling against the Euro has meant that people have been putting off their plans to purchase caravans or use them for their annual holidays, as they head off on conventional summer sun holidays.

Others are making some quite complicated claims relating to the cost of imported versus domestic caravans and the effect of the VAT increase (which increases to 20% in January 2011).

Whatever the position, and the exact position may be far from clear until later in 2010 or even early 2011, it seems generally clear that this year has been quieter in the caravanning world than many were predicting likely even as late as June and early July.

However, if some caravans have, in fact, been left mothballed as their owners jetted off to Europe to get some sunshine, this means that a few things are particularly worth keeping in mind.

Even if your caravan is currently parked up, then don’t forget that holiday caravan insurance is still highly advisable. You may not have used it this year but that won’t mean that a disaster couldn’t strike it at any time.

Then it’s worth keeping in mind that if you have a tourer or motorhome, you may be able to save money on your insurance if you’re able to confirm that it is parked off-road. It’s worth thinking about.

Once again, it’s necessary to comment that expert opinion on the economy in the remainder of 2010 and 2011 seems split.

Talk of a double-dip recession seems to be receding but the numbers of voices talking about a rocky road ahead (meaning into and through 2011) seem, arguably, to be increasing.

Talk of getting back to pre-2008 norms seems to be getting harder to find.

If there’s any lesson to be drawn from this, it’s that caution may still be advisable and protecting ones existing assets even more so.

So, holiday caravan insurance may, paradoxically, be even more important.

If the worst happens and the economy is still struggling, you may need to lean even more heavily on that insurance. Knowing it’s there may be a rare rock of solidity in an ocean of uncertainty.

*Source:
Glass Guide
http://www.glassguide.co.uk/Market/?MarketID=5&Editorial=197

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.

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.

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.