Archive for February, 2012

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Insurance For Static Caravans: Top Tips

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

With the increasing popularity of static caravan ownership in these economically challenged times, the issue of insurance for static caravans becomes ever more relevant.

From pre-owned starting around £2,000 (a site called Park Holidays UK were earlier in the year offering them for free!), new caravans starting around £20,000 and top-of-the range costing up to £85,000, there is a price to suit a broad range of pockets.

Similarly there are a range of insurance policies available for the range of budgets.

The main things to bear in mind when insuring a static caravan are :

  • The geographical risks specific to the park (in particular you should be know what the flooding and storm risks are)
  • Theft. make sure you don’t leave valuables there when unoccupied: ensure you have adequate cover for items: check you know what isn’t covered, and if necessary insure them separately
  • Accidental damage.
  • Loss of rental income. What will happen if the caravan becomes unusable during the peak summer months?
  • Liability. If someone should get hurt as a result of something that is deemed your responsibility, you may have to pay some hefty compensation.

These are a few brief pointers to the considerations the static caravan owner needs to make when insuring their caravan, you will find more in depth coverage elsewhere on the site.

Remember always to shop around and compare not only prices, but also coverage when looking for static caravan insurance. Owning a static caravan for your own pleasure and for rental can be rewarding both personally and financially, especially if you have the security and peace of mind of a good caravan insurance policy.

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Caravan Insurance and Security Guidance From Safeguard

Monday, February 27th, 2012

Caravan InsuranceOnline Caravan Insurers Safeguard are advising drivers to remain on their guard despite a notorious gang of caravan thieves being taken off of the streets. Reckoned to be responsible for nearly half of the UK’s caravan thefts, the gang was recently convicted for their crimes.

Owners should be cautious not only of the organised gangs however, but aware of the threat the opportunistic caravan thief presents.

Safeguard manager Rita Sadler spoke of how pleased the company are that this gang have been stopped but warned that caravan owners “still need to be wary of the risks and take appropriate measures to ensure the security of their property.

“Organised crime rings often target larger, luxury models on a ‘stolen to order’ basis. We find that the vehicles are at their most vulnerable when left unattended and unsecured, for example in driveways whilst owners are loading their caravans and also at motorway service stations.”

Sadler also spoke of the increasing sophistication used by caravan thieves, warning that “Locks and alarms are no longer a security guarantee.” Caravanners themselves need to start using more sophisticated forms of protection, like “specially designed tracking devices and mechanical devices such as wheel clamps can greatly reduce the risk of theft. As well as deterring thieves, security conscious caravan owners are likely to receive discounts on their insurance premiums.”

Safeguard themselves make the following recommendations to help protect your caravan:

  • make sure you install an approved alarm and tracking device
  • if you put your caravan in storage, ensure it is at a secure site approved by the Caravan Storage Site Owners Association (CaSSOA)
  • if you keep it on your driveway, ensure you have a locking gate or drive post
  • Make sure no valuables are left where they can be seen in your caravan
  • preferably ensure your caravan has audible security
  • bear in mind that wheel clamps are the absolute minimum requirement for insurance, and should be fitted at all times when the caravan is unattended.
  • Lock down the rear corner steadies of touring caravans with a good quality hitchlock. This will help prevent the front of the unit from being lifted onto a vehicle and taken away

It of course goes without saying that you need a good caravan insurance policy. No amount of security can fully protect you from a determined thief, and in the event that your caravan should get stolen, you should be able to rest assured that you have suitable cover to ensure you won’t be left out of pocket.

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Saving Money On Your Caravan Insurance: Tip 3

Saturday, February 25th, 2012

Caravan insurance needn’t cost the earth. In the third of our money saving insurance tips we talk about the importance of shopping around. Like when you are shopping for anything, if you just buy the first thing you see that you like in a shop you are guaranteed to walk 50 yards down the road to another shop and see either the same thing but cheaper. Or instead you find something you would rather have had, but you’re stuck because you were too hasty.

Human nature means many of us are prone to do this, when with a little patience and thought we could find exactly what we need at a price we can afford. There are many caravan insurers plying their trade on the internet, so there are plenty of ‘shops’ for you to look in (and you don’t even have to get wet!). And like high street shops there are cheap shops and there are expensive shops, so even if you find something that suits you down to the ground, it doesn’t mean you won’t get it cheaper elsewhere.

A key to this is being clear precisely what it is that you need. Questions like… how much cover do you need for belongings?… if I’m intending to rent the caravan out, how much public liability should I have? These are the kind of things that you should be looking to answer before putting your virtual pen to paper on your new static or touring caravan insurance policy (I’m assuming you’re using the internet, because if you’re not then you’re highly likely costing yourself money).

So you may find when you shop around that a policy has cover that you maybe don’t need, and you could save yourself money by getting a different policy that doesn’t have that cover on it. A little common sense and a bit of thought goes a long way here.

Okay it may take you a bit of time to have a look at what the different insurers are offering, but this is time well spent as you will not only be getting cheaper caravan insurance, but you will also have the peace of mind that you have the coverage you need.

Shop around, shop around, shop around. Good advice in all areas of life, and especially so when  it comes to getting your caravan insurance policy.

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Saving Money On Your Caravan Insurance: Tip 2

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

For the second of our tips on how to save money on caravan insurance we turn to the question of storage.

A good deal of caravan owners choose to store their vans on their drive at home. Whilst it is clearly the cheapest way of storing it, it is not necessarily the safest.

In terms of earning premium reductions on caravan insurance policies the best choice is to keep the caravan in a secure storage facility. And the good news is that there is even an association dedicated to this very thing. The Caravan Storage Site Owners’ Association (CaSSOA) were set up in 1999 to help ensure caravan owners were getting good security from storage providers. They evaluate sites on a number of different criteria and award them Gold, Silver, or Bronze Awards based on their security.

These awards are recognised by a number of the caravan insurance companies and attract premium discounts on their policies. These discounts can be up to 15%.

The association has over 550 sites nationwide, which between them store over 80,000 caravans. A figure which is constantly growing. To find a site near you, have a look on the association website at www.cassoa.co.uk.

For a more in depth discussion of secure caravan storage have a look here: secure caravan storage

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Online Green Caravan Insurance Policies Have Arrived

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

Online caravan insurance providers Towergate Bakers have announced plans of a new range of ‘Green’ caravan insurance polices that will allow their customers to offset their carbon emissions they produce on their caravan holidays.

They have teamed up with world leading carbon consulting and carbon offsetting business The Carbon Neutral Company to produce the policies, which will be available from September 2009. They will not be charging extra for these policies as they plan to make these policies available online only, and will use the savings made on postage and processing to pay for the carbon offsetting.

The average amount of carbon produced each year from towing a caravan will be offset by investing in projects such as forestry projects, and renewable energy projects (wave, biomass, wind).

This is very much in line with a recent study that suggested that caravan owners are particularly environmentally-conscious, and with caravanning holiday numbers set to increase this summer to 14 million, this is a very timely and intelligent development. Bookings at caravan parks in the UK are up by about 25%, while passenger numbers at airports in the UK have slumped. The National Caravan Council believe that many new caravanners have changed from taking a  holiday in Europe, and the flight that often entails, choosing instead to stay in the UK. Meanwhile the more experienced caravanners are taking the now-well-established ’staycation’.

Green credentials are further enhanced when you consider that the average return flight to Europe produces somewhere between 250 and 500 kilos of carbon dioxide per person (of course depending on: how far you fly; the age of the plane; the type of the plane). This compares with the 38 kilos per person produced by 4 people in an average sized petrol car travelling 250 miles, towing a medium-sized caravan. If this were a diesel car, this amount would be even less.

The National Caravan Council gave their seal of approval to the project stating, their Director General John Lally: “We applaud this initiative from Towergate Bakers. More and more people are becoming “green savvy” and we’re delighted that caravanners who want to help fight climate change can now match their principles with their holidays.”

Towergate Bakers director Paul Havenhand commented: “We are proud to be leading the charge in carbon offsetting amongst the caravan community. With recent research indicating that people who go on caravan and camping holidays are indeed more likely to be environmentally aware, we feel it is a natural progression to offer a greener way of holidaying. Caravanners can continue to drive with a conscience and do their bit to help climate change.”

We at www.caravan-insurance-cover.co.uk also applaud this development and wish Towergate Bakers luck with this. Hopefully other insurance providers will follow their lead and such policies will become more widely available.

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Cheap Touring Caravan Insurance Policies

Sunday, February 19th, 2012

We all know that times are tough, and we’re all looking for ways of tightening our belts by cutting down on the unecessary expenditures we face. Insurance is one thing that is often a prime candidate for savings, and with a little effort it should be achievable, so if you own a touring caravan, how do you go about finding cheap touring caravan insurance?

First up, shop around, we all know we need to do it, but we don’t always make the effort. But you need to take the time to research the market before you decide which policy you want, and there is always the option to haggle with the insurers to see if they are willing to improve their prices. There may be additional discounts on offer also, for instance discounts for new policy holders. The best way to achieve this is by using the internet, which will offer you the quickest way to do this research. Indeed the internet offers a wealth of information to assist you finding the cheapest insurance policy.

There are other ways to cut down the cost of your insurance, the foremost of these is to increase your excess, which will reduce your premiums. This needs to be done realistically though, by making sure you can afford the excess level you choose, otherwise you are falling into false economy, where you are not adequately protected, but still paying for it. Another option is to increase the security measures you take. Some devices such as hitchlocks are mandatory with most policies, but you can add other things to reduce the risk and in turn the premiums. Burglar alarms and satellite tracking devices are other options for cutting premium costs, however there is a limit to how much such devices can save.

These are just some of the ways you get cheaper touring caravan insurance. There are various sites around that can help you get the best deal, not least here a caravan-insurance-cover.co.uk, where we provide a wealth of information and links to online providers. So have a look around the site to make sure you get cheap touring caravan insurance.

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Guide to Touring Caravan Insurance

Friday, February 17th, 2012

Caravan owners need to be sensible when considering touring caravan insurance, to avoid the risk of costing themselves money. It is very wise to cover the caravan, regardless of the fact that insurance is not a legal requirement. 3,000 caravans are stolen annually in the UK, a fact to make you stop and think. This article will point you in the right direction to make sure you are adequately protected should you have cause to claim.

Price and what the policy covers are the main aspects to consider when looking for caravan insurance. You may have a nasty shock that you are not covered for what you are expecting if you just buy the cheapest policy on offer. So before looking around for the best price, you need to know what coverage you actually require.

The best tip to saving money when buying touring caravan insurance is to use the internet. It is far easier to find the information you need when you are next looking for insurance by going online. There are a whole host of companies on the web ready to provide you with a wide choice of policies.

Shopping around is the way to make sure you get the best price, as with any shopping. You may well find that you end up paying over the odds if you don’t ask for quotes from several providers. Another great thing about buying a policy online is that there is almost always a discount provided. As mentioned earlier you should be aware of you require from a touring caravan insurance policy, as there are several elements to consider.

There are 2 main types of coverage, ‘market value’ and ‘new for old’, deciding which you want is one of the main choices. If you take out a ‘market value’ policy, and need to replace it you will be reimbursed to the amount that it would cost you to buy an equivalent caravan. This is often the only choice of policy available to owners of caravans older than about 5 years. If you have a ‘new for old’ policy and need to replace it, it will be replaced with a brand new caravan of the same (or equivalent) range.

Before deciding which policy you want you should consider if continental cover is something you are going to require. If you do take your caravan overseas you should ensure that you have cover for a long enough period, if you stay in the UK you needn’t buy continental cover. Check how much coverage there is as it can vary quite widely between different insurance policies.

You may well find that a variety of things are not included on the touring caravan insurance in terms of personal effects. It is worth checking your household insurance to see what it covers, as your jewellery will not be covered by the caravan policy. So you should be clear what is covered by the caravan insurance, what is covered by your household insurance, and anything else that you feel should be protected will require an additional insurance.

In the event that your caravan becomes damaged beyond being livable in you will need to find somewhere else to stay whilst away. Whilst a lot of policies will cover you for this, you should make sure that the coverage is enough.

When buying touring caravan insurance there are a number of ways of reducing the premiums. If you join a caravan club you will find that the insurers will reduce the amount they charge to insure the caravan. Things like axle locking devices, alarms and tracking devices, which provide added security are the other main way of reducing the cost.

Making sure you get the best price and the correct cover for your caravan requires some thought and research but is well worth it. You may end up with completely the wrong coverage at way over the odds in cost terms if you just buy the first policy you come across. So for peace of mind, spend a little time and effort when searching for insurance for your touring caravan.

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Find the Right Static or Touring Caravan Insurance Policy

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

The hunt for a good caravan insurance policy can be a challenge. Due to the very specialised nature of the insurance it can appear difficult to identify the right policy, but this doesn’t have to be the case. The key is to get online which offers you a wide selection of insurers and policies, one of which will be able to provide you with the touring or static caravan insurance policy you need.

Knowledge is power they say, and a good idea is to use sites that provide you with relevant caravan insurance information and also the capability of getting a selection of quotes. This will enable you to forearm yourself with the knowledge while at the same time having the choices that will enable you to compare the different policies available, to find the right policy to suit your needs.

Here at caravan-insurance-cover.co.uk this is exactly the service we aim to provide. You will find plenty of information to inform you about what to look out for, what you may or may not need as part of your insurance, ways to improve security, and importantly ways to save yourself money. We are an impartial service, and make it easy for you to compare what there is to offer so you can find the right policy.

If you are in the market for static or touring caravan insurance make use of the site to help you make the right choice. Making sure you get a number of competing quotes means you are far more likely to find the right caravan insurance policy at the right price.

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Saving Money On Your Caravan Insurance: Tip 5

Monday, February 13th, 2012

In the fifth of our series on ways to get cheaper caravan insurance we look at caravan clubs.

There are several caravan clubs you can join, the major ones being the Caravan Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club. And the great thing about being a member of these clubs is that you will find many caravan insurance companies will offer you discounts on you caravan insurance premiums.

If you are wondering why this is, it is because membership of these clubs is a good indicator that you are serious about your caravanning, and take security and safety seriously. As a result of this you will present a lesser risk, and thus a better bet for the caravan insurers. These are exactly the type of people that caravan insurers like to protect.

Membership of these clubs starts at around £40, and benefits extend beyond just getting money off of your insurance. For instance Caravan Club membership pays for itself in just 5 nights at a site with pitch fees savings offered at club sites. So all in all membership makes excellent sense, and not only because of the caravan insurance premiums.

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Static Caravan Insurance Quotes

Saturday, February 11th, 2012

Make sure you get multiple static caravan insurance quotes if you are an owner. As with any purchase in life it is always better to get more than one quote. The internet provides a wealth of available insurers, making it easy for you to search around to find what is on offer.

Be very conscious though that getting the right insurance is about more than the cost of the policy. Probably more important is the coverage of the policy. You should be very clear in your mind about what you need to cover the caravan for, and ensure that any policy you take out covers those risks to an adequate level.

For instance, if you rent the caravan out, you should be looking for a policy that covers both public liability and provides alternative accommodation. Should someone injure themselves while renting your caravan you could well be found liable and very much out of pocket if you don’t have liability insurance. And if your caravan should for some reason become uninhabitable you will have a responsibility to provide any tenants with alternative accommodation. This could again be a big hit to your pocket.

So when you are looking to get static caravan insurance, make sure you get more than one quote, but also make sure you are getting what you need.

As we say here a caravan-insurance-cover.co.uk, “the right policy, at the right price”.

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