Posts Tagged ‘touring’

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Touring Caravan Insurance Thoughts

Friday, May 4th, 2012

Given the state of the economy it is no surprise to see a surge in the number of caravan holidays. It offers a cheap alternative to expensive foreign holidays, and if you invest in a caravan it will bring you great pleasure for years to come. However, the question of touring caravan insurance must be carefully considered if you don’t want to put your wallet at risk.

Alongside the growing popularity of caravan ownership is the issue of a growing popularity among caravan thiefs. The two, not surprisingly, run parallel, despite the conviction a while back of a prolific gang of caravan thieves.

Theft is not the only issue in terms of risk you need to consider. There are the risks of the road, and accidental damage, vandalism, to name a few. A caravan is a significant investment that can be expensive to repair, so it is always sensible to make sure a fully comprehensive caravan insurance policy is in place.

Add to this the risk of fire, or theft of your possessions from the caravan, and also any environmental hazards you may face at the campsite (e.g. flooding), and it is easy to see there are significant risks to consider if you want to keep yourself protected. In terms of theft, it is wise to consider additional security on the caravan, for instance having alarms installed. This can bring a significant reduction in the cost of your insurance premiums.

Any loss or damage with a caravan is an emotional upset, which to some extent can be mitigated. However, the financial upset is more easily handled by making sure you have a good caravan insurance policy in place before you hit the road.

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Contents Insurance for Touring Caravans

Monday, April 30th, 2012

If you are in the market for insurance for your touring caravan it is important you understand just what you need. You may be thinking of just the caravan itself when looking around, but you should also be considering the contents of the caravan. Many owners don’t realise just how much the contents of their caravans along with the personal possessions they take away with them can be worth. Failing to consider this could be a very costly mistake in the unfortunate event that the caravan is burgled or damaged.

Many insurance companies provide contents cover as standard on their policies, but beware that you may find that some basic cover policies won’t include them. It is wise in these circumstances to pay the small additional price to add it to the policy.

Even having contents insurance itself is often not the whole answer, as many caravan insurance policies will have exclusions, generally for more expensive items like electrical gadgets and jewellery. It is important to check just what these are, and if required ensure that you get such items insured elsewhere.

As with all things it is well worth reading the small print to check there are no nasty surprises that may come back to bite you. Some effort up front can save a lot of heartache down the line. Here at caravan-insurance-cover.co.uk we are here to try to help you find the touring caravan insurance policy that is right for you, and to find it at the best price available.

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Touring Caravan Insurance Makes Sense

Sunday, April 22nd, 2012

On those lists of ‘things to do’ should be going on a touring caravan holiday. Many people who have tried it once are converted, and will start looking to get a caravan of their own. However, it is important to understand that if you want to get the best from your holiday, you need to make sure you have taken out touring caravan insurance.

Caravans are a substantial investment and insurance is important to ensure you are protecting yourself. You could find yourself deeply out of pocket in the event that your caravan is damaged beyond repair or stolen while you are away. Caravan theft is unfortunately an all too common thing, with over 3000 being stolen each year.

Having a fully comprehensive policy can seem an expensive luxury, that is until the day arrives when you need to claim. In such an unfortunate circumstance you with be thanking your lucky stars that you had the foresight to protect yourself. Fortunately there are ways in which you can reduce your premiums, the easiest being to get decent security devices.

You will find that you have to have a certain amount of security before being accepted for most touring caravan insurance policies,  normally a hitchlock and/or a wheel clamp. This will offer both yourselves and your insurers some peace of mind. And the more security you add, the lower will be your perceived risk to insurers, and the real risk that you are likely to claim. Bear in mind that security will only offer you a certain amount of price reduction on the policy however.

Another option is to install an alarm on the caravan, as this will attract discounts also. There are also satellite tracking devices available, which have an excellent record for retrieval of stolen caravans. This can be costly, but they can offer a substantial discount, and will act as a great deterrent to a great many thieves who realise their effectiveness.

You don’t need to break the bank to get a decent touring caravan insurance policy, but you could break it if you don’t cover yourself. And if you investigate and take necessary precautions, you can save  yourself a decent amount of money.

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Sort Your Noseweight: Protect Your Insurance

Sunday, April 8th, 2012

Caravan owners should always be aware of ways of preventing unnecessary claims on their touring caravan insurance. One thing they should pay special attention to is the question of the noseweight of their caravan when hitching.

If this is something you need guidance on, the National Caravan Council has published a free pdf guide on their website. This advice was supported by the tyre industry representative body TyreSafe, as their recent Caravan Tyre Safety Month recently came to a close.

You should invest in a noseweight gauge, which will cost around £30. The gauge will enable you to check the weight according to the caravan’s laden weight. The noseweight is recommended to be between 5% – 7% of the laden weight.

Having incorrect noseweight can be dangerous when towing as it can have adverse effects on the stability of the caravan. The weight should neither be too light or too heavy, but the correct amount to prevent any instability and subsequent control issues. Such a simple check can prevent having to make unnecessary claims on your insurance, and in turn lead to cheaper touring caravan insurance the following year.

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Caravan Towing Tips

Friday, March 23rd, 2012

Towing a caravan presents added risks to driving, and should only ever be undertaken responsibly.  The following tips will help reduce these risks:

  • You should allow yourself extra time and space for everything you do. Whether it be braking earlier than normal, or turning wider to prevent catching a curb or cutting a corner.
  • Bear in mind that speed limits are often lower when you are towing. You shouldn’t exceed 60mph on dual carriageways, and 50mph on single carriageways.
  • You must not tow in the outside lane of a motorway that has 3 or more lanes, unless explicitly instructed to do so.
  • Ensure you have a clear view to the rear of your caravan. You will probably need to use extension mirrors.
  • Never carry passengers or animals in the caravan when towing.
  • Your number plate must conform to British Standards, it must show your registration number, and must be illuminated during the hours of darkness.
  • Check you rear light panel before every time you drive off.
  • If traffic is building up behind you, make sure you pull over at a suitable place to allow it to pass.
  • Make sure you park sensibly and don’t cause an obstruction. And don’t park in parking meter bays.
  • Don’t ever dispose of your caravan’s waste water on the public highway.

A lot of these tips are plain common sense, but by following them you will make your experience and those around you safer and more pleasurable. You will also of course be doing yourself a favour in terms of your caravan insurance, by reducing the risk of needing to claim.

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Carry On Touring (But Don’t Forget the Caravan Insurance)

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

It was heartwarming to hear the story of Wally Jinks, 51, from Doncaster, who shared £2,033,705 with his friend Alan Stringer, 50, after the pair matched all six numbers in a Lotto Rollover. Despite his good fortune though Wally has no intention of giving up his regular caravan holiday to the Yorkshire coast. One extravagance though, he and his wife Dawn are going to upgrade their touring caravan.

Lucky for Wally he will have the cash to replace his caravan if something happens, but for most of us, making sure we insure our touring caravans properly is an important financial consideration. A caravan is a big investment, and will make a big hole in the average wallet if it is not insured and something happens.

Luckily in these information super highway days, we have the benefit of being able to hunt down the right touring caravan insurance with ease. There are a variety of insurance providers on the internet ready to offer you there wares. www.caravan-insurance-cover.co.uk is here for the very purpose of helping caravan owners find the policy that is right for them.

We have a variety of resources to provide you with the background information to make informed choices, and to save money when you are looking for caravan insurance. And we provide links to the main insurers on the internet, to aid your journey to the right insurance.

How do I make my caravan more secure? How can I save money on premiums? What isn’t covered on insurance? what do I need to cover on insurance? These are the kind of things we look to help out caravanners with when they are looking for their touring caravan insurance.

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Cheapest Caravan Insurance

Friday, March 9th, 2012

It is quite natural to assume that the cheapest caravan insurance you can find is the best one for you when looking for a new policy. This could be the case, but more often that not it is a short-sighted approach to take. In fact there are several equally important factors to consider when searching for your new caravan insurance.

Buying the cheapest policy can indeed be a false economy. Imagine you are struck by a misfortune and make a claim on your policy only to find that the policy does not in fact cover your caravan for such a loss. Suddenly it ceases the be the cheapest caravan insurance policy!

Price and coverage need to be considered in tandem when looking for a insurance policy. Concentrating on just one can cause you unnecessary expense, in that you may either be paying over the odds for your policy, or may find yourself out of pocket as mentioned above.

Regarding coverage, you should carefully consider just what you need to have protection for, and just how much coverage you should have. Also, your coverage needs differ dependent on whether you have a static or touring caravan. For instance you should pay attention to the fact that some touring caravan insurance policies have restrictions on the age and experience of drivers qualified to tow the caravan. By contrast static caravans are left unattended for long periods of time, and that makes them prone to being burgled.

Bear in mind that cheap, cheaper, cheapest doesn’t necessarily translate to good, better, best, as the cheapest caravan insurance is not necessarily the best.

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Caravan insurance Bike Cover

Saturday, March 3rd, 2012

A great idea for caravan owners is to take their bike away with them. This will enable them to get around in a way that is both healthy and cheap. It is important though that the bikes are stored securely, and in the event that they are stolen, that they are covered by insurance.

You should check whether your touring caravan insurance policy actually covers for bikes. If not, you should check your home insurance policy, as this may cover them. You will probably have to dig deep into the small print to find out, but it is worth it. You may find that bikes are covered, but if you have an expensive bike you may find that the cover is inadequate. In such circumstances you are advised to check with your provider whether your home insurance policy can be altered to cover an adequate amount of loss.

It is also important to bear in mind that no insurance policy will cover a bike if it is not locked up when stolen,  so make sure you do this, and that you have a good strong lock.

Taking a bike away on a caravan holiday is a good thing to do, but you need to be sensible about doing so, and then you will have no concerns as to finding yourself out of pocket.

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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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