Caravan insurance – all you need to have to know

You can always tell when summer season has lastly arrived – there’s a proliferation of caravans on motorways and trunk roads.

If you occur to be stuck behind one particular as opposed to actually towing one particular, there’s a very good reason why it’s going at that speed.

Automobiles towing caravans (or trailers, for that matter) are restricted to 50mph on a single carriageway and 60mph on a dual carriageway or a motorway. And as with any speed limit, that is a ceiling, not a target – many caravans will be towed at considerably lower speeds, specially in inclement climate.

So be patient!

Tour de force

There are about 500,000 touring caravans on UK highways, plus a expanding number of motorhomes.

And if you have spent a number of thousands of pounds on a tourer (a standard price tag for a decent new model is £9,000), it makes sense to arrange suitable insurance coverage in case something goes wrong.

Back to basics

The initial question that crops up with caravan insurance coverage is generally – is it mandatory to have insurance coverage in spot?

The fundamental guidelines are that any self-propelled automobile should be insured to a minimum of third celebration cover. So a touring caravan doesn’t by itself want insurance coverage, but a motorhome does.

But that’s only component of the issue. If a caravan is being towed, it becomes a risky proposition – you can very easily think about the problems it may well cause in a pile-up or if it became detached.

A lot of men and women work on the basis that their vehicle insurance will offer cover for their caravan, but don’t go out on the road with out confirming the particulars:

• Do not assume your vehicle insurance covers you for towing a caravan


• If it does, verify if there is a size/weight restriction


• If you have a tow-bar fitted or have an current one strengthened, check with the insurer to see whether or not this counts as a ‘modification’. Altering the original specification of a car may attract an added premium, and the premium may possibly be declared void if you have an accident but didn’t tell the insurer about the perform you’d had completed


• Check what level of cover you have – it will probably be third party cover, taking care of your legal liabilities to other individuals, but not defending you against harm to your own car. You might be capable to improve this level of cover by paying much more


• Believe about the replacement automobile section of your auto insurance, if it has one: will the replacement auto be up to the job of towing your caravan?

Specialist cover

Even if your automobile policy covers you for towing, it won’t cover you for theft of or from your ’van, and other associated risks. For that you need to have a specialist caravan insurance coverage policy.

Theft is a typical difficulty – about 4,000 caravans are stolen every year. Then there’s the threat of weather harm, vandalism or even fire. And if you do not have insurance in location, you could end up with a large bill.

A number of insurers supply caravan and trailer cover, and it’s worth seeking at the functions of the policy as effectively as the premium. You may think a low-cost program is a great deal, until you make a claim and realise the limitations of the cover.

Storm and theft

A caravan policy will cover theft and attempted theft, as nicely as storm, flood, fire and accidental harm. You must also make sure you have public liability insurance coverage of at least £2m.

Further positive aspects

You can then typically add a number of additional advantages, though you may well have to pay an added premium.

European cover is often incorporated as common up to a certain number of days. You can enhance the cover period if you are arranging an substantial trip on the Continent. Or you can add worldwide insurance coverage if you are travelling additional afield.

Buddies and loved ones

Do your friends and loved ones sometimes make use of your caravan? If so, you should discover out whether they are automatically covered on your policy and upgrade your plan advantages if required.

Loss of use

Some insurers cover loss of use if, for instance, you have to cancel a trip following flood damage to your caravan. It can be a useful advantage, but verify the restrictions. Most policies will pay out only up to a certain amount a day for a limited quantity of days.

Contents cover

Several of the a lot more basic plans do not consist of the caravan contents or gear, which indicates costly kit such as your awning would not be insured. The level of contents cover also varies from insurer to insurer, with some firms refusing to insure valuables.

New for old

If your caravan is up to 5 or sometimes 10 years old, the policy will possibly provide cover on a ‘new for old’ basis.

In other words, if the caravan is written off or stolen and not recovered, you’ll be in a position to claim for a new one particular.

Older vehicles have a tendency to be insured at their market value, so the insurer will spend out the going rate at the time of the incident. You can often arrange an agreed worth with the insurer if you caravan is difficult to value, but agreed value policies are significantly less typical and usually much more high-priced.

Policy exclusions

Caravan and trailer insurance coverage does not usually cover business use or permanent residence. Some insurers also exclude loss or damage from any web site that was not authorized.

If you’ve got a static caravan, you will need a separate, specialist policy that offers additional cover and does not consist of what might be termed ‘road risks’. But you will require to arrange cover if you move the vehicle to another site.

No claims

If you are worried about the cost of caravan cover, feel carefully just before you make a claim. Most insurers enable you to create up a no claims discount, just as you would on a car insurance coverage policy – even though this will most likely only go up to 45% – 50%.

You may also be capable to enhance the excess in return for a lower premium.

Road security

Safety must be a leading priority when you are on the road. Safety measures can obviously support to minimize accidents, but they can also support to reduce premiums as several insurers provide discounts if you fit authorized safety devices.

Mirrors and cameras

By law, any individual towing a caravan have to be capable to see 20 metres behind them and 4 metres either side, which generally involves fitting towing mirrors. And what about a camera? Cameras are not a legal requirement but they can be particularly useful in heavy traffic or when altering lanes.

Learn to manoeuvre

Stabilisers that assist stop the caravan from snaking from side to side can enhance road security. In addition, some owners enrol on manoeuvring courses to increase their skills.

Flat tyres

It’s worth considering ‘run flat’ or safety tyres. You may also want to set up a tyre pressure monitoring program that is ISO 21750 compliant.

Caravan safety

It’s vital to maintain your caravan safe. You may also find that some security measures are a situation of your policy.

Many firms, for example, insist on wheel and hitch locks.

It may well also be a situation of your insurance coverage that your caravan is registered with the Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme (CRiS), which acts as a central database for touring caravans.

Most insurers provide some sort of discount for security devices, though the size of the discount will vary. The insurer may possibly also waive the excess if your security is of a high adequate normal.

Alarms and immobilisers

Alarms and immobilisers are pretty common. A tracking device can also assist to recover a stolen caravan. Then there are wheel locks, which deter thieves and make it hard to tow away the caravan.

You can also match hitch locks that avert a thief from hitching the caravan to yet another automobile without having your consent.

Ground anchors

Ground anchors fix the caravan to the ground and are excellent if you are leaving the caravan at house even though you are away.

Alternatively, a safety post cemented into the ground can protect your caravan from thieves. Or, you could retailer your caravan at a unique site, preferably run by the Caravan Storage Web site Owners’ Association (CSSOA).

You need to then benefit from additional safety such as CCTV cameras or on-website employees. Your insurer would also most likely waive any excess if the caravan was broken or stolen from a CSSOA site.

Caravan insurance – all you need to have to know