Caravan Insurance Online

The caravan insurance online industry… what a strange thing to blog on I hear any rational person say, and I wouldn’t argue with them, especially if they were bigger than me.

But then we all have our little quirks, I know a guy who likes drinking sour milk… don’t ask, he just does.

The beauty of online caravan insurance is the same as the beauty of most things online, it gives you the knowledge, which gives you the power, the power to know what you want, what you don’t want, what you need, and what you don’t need. And from there get the right insurance for your caravan, at the right price.

There are a whole host of online providers of insurance for caravans, some familiar names (Saga for instance), to some less familiar (e.g Direct Choice). And they provide a whole host of different policies, giving different levels of coverage, at different levels of premium.

So, if you own a caravan, touring or static, then when it is time for renewal of your policy, then you would be very well advised to spend some time searching for your caravan insurance online to find the deal that is right for you.

More than this, the internet has a wealth of information about security and safety for your caravan. And there are a variety of ways you can save on the premiums of your insurance policy, again available online. Indeed this kind of information will be appearing on this blog as it moves forward.

So I hope you find something of some use here, and that it can help you save money on your insurance, and find the policy that is right for you. If so, then it will have achieved what it set out to do.

Get yourself an caravan insurance online quote is the message from specialist over 50 insurers Saga. They are encouraging people taking a caravan holiday this year to check that they a adequately protected by their caravan insurance policy before they set off on their trips this year.

It turns out that amongst the over 50s, over a third are planning to take a holiday in a caravan in the coming year.

This is part of a wider trend of increasing numbers of Britains staying in the UK and taking caravanning holidays, as a result of the financial strains of

the current credit crunch. As a result, caravan sales have shown an increase of about 15%.

People are looking to maintain the luxury of holidays, but on a budget. However trying to scrimp on the holiday by ignoring the need for proper caravan

insurance could very much backfire, leaving the caravan owner a lot out of pocket.

Some novice caravanners make the mistake of believing that they are covered by their home and/or car insurance, but they are mistaken. Most car insurances

will only cover third party damage to the caravan, and home insurance will not cover many items.

There is also the probability that theft would not be covered also.

So the word from Saga is to get a full understanding of your needs in relation to taking your caravan on holiday this year, and secondly ensure these needs

are adequately covered by your caravan insurance policy.

The best way to do this is to check out caravan insurance policies online, where you can gain a wealth of knowledge and information, and find the policies

that best fit your needs, at a price that suits you.

Online caravan insurance providers Towergate Bakers have come up with what I think is a great idea. They are going to launch a range of online-only policies that will use the savings made on postage and processing to carbon offset their customers. What a great idea and admirable idea, one that coincides nicely with ‘Green Transport Week’ that is taking place this week.

It is recognised that caravan owners are generally more ‘green’ than the general public, by using low-energy light bulbs, walking rather than driving, and carbon offsetting flights they take.

Caravan park bookings in the UK are up by around 25%, whilst at the same time passenger numbers at airports in the UK  have slumped. The National Caravan Council is of the opinion that many new caravanners have switched from taking a European holiday, choosing instead to stay in the UK, while more experienced caravanners are ’staycationing’.

In green terms it is interesting to note that return flight to Europe produces between 250 and 500 kilos of carbon dioxide per person - depending on how far you fly, and the age and type of the aircraft. Compare this with 4 people travelling 250 miles in an average sized petrol car, and towing a medium-sized

caravan; this would only create 38 kilos of carbon dioxide emissions per person, resulting in some significant savings. And if this were a diesel car, this would be even less.

John Lally, the Director-General of the NCC says: “We believe people are changing their holidaying habits. We know that new people are being attracted to caravanning. We also know that many existing caravanners are choosing to holiday closer to home.”

He futher talks about green credentials of caravan owners in comparison to Joe Public, saying caravan owners:”often choose cycling and walking once they have arrived at their destination and are already more likely to be using energy efficient products.”

He also talks about the NCC wanting “to get the message out that not only does caravanning support rural economies, but it allows you to control costs, get back to nature and to choose a greener holiday option.”

Furthermore, caravanning can also boast further green credentials due to the fact that: 95% of touring caravans on British roads are in fact made in the UK; many caravan parks pay great attention to protecting the environment, with for instance wildlife areas and solar power used to heat shower blocks; the fact that power and water usage is less than a holiday at a hotel.

All in all caravanning is a green leisure pursuit. One of which we should be proud.

The very best way to ensure you have the right policy is to get a caravan insurance online quote. This way you will be able to compare prices, and what policies have to offer.

This is becoming increasingly important in these belt-tightening days, british holidaymakers are starting to shum those costly dollar and euro destinations.

It appears that more than 5 million additional holidays will be taken at home this year, with many people opting for a break in the humble touring caravan.

With over a million members, the Caravan Club reported advanced bookings up 40% this year on last year. The club’s director of marketing, Nick Lomas reckons 2009 will be “the year that welcome the return of the great British holiday.”

If sales are anything to go by then this could well be true, with one of Britains biggest, the Swift Group reporting sales up by 12% on last year.

There is a flipside to this, as an estimated 1600 caravans are stolen each year. It is therefore crucial that people get cover for their caravan. Otherwise they could find themselves very out of pocket.

There are 3 basic types of caravan insurance: new-for-old, market value, and agreed value.

New-for-old: This does what it says on the tin - You lose your old caravan, you get a new one of the same model.

Market value: This pays you the going market value of your caravan,

Agreed value: This means you get the purchase price back. To qualify for this type of policy your caravan must have been bought from a recognised dealer in the past 12 months.

There are a variety of ways to cut premiums. As an example, a 35 year old male insuring a 2005 four-berth Swift Challenger, worth £9000 with Caravan Guard:

- With a hitchlock and a basic wheelclamp: £232 a year
- Also joins a caravanning club, and installs an alarm: £182 a year
- Also buys an approved tracking device: £137 a year

Another way to reduce the premium is to increase the excess - the amount you have to pay in the event of a claim.

You should also be aware of what is excluded from any policy. For instance, damage done by mice or another type of infestation would be excluded. And if you were to move your caravan to the house of a relative, it may not be covered. You should check with your insurer before doing so.

Be aware also that certain makes of caravan can be difficult to insure, in particular German make, such as Hobby. Parts for these can be expensive, and they are certainly popular with thieves often stealing to order. So check before you buy.

As I said earlier, to make sure you get yourself the very best of caravan insurance, you should make sure you get yourself multiple online caravan insurance quotes.

Online caravan insurance is a competitive field, and to find the right policy touring caravan owners should know what the elements are that make up any insurance policy they take out. The elements of a policy are Contents, Continental use, Damage and Loss, general exclusions, Excess, and Liability to the public. It is my intention to offer an insight into the policies different parts in this article.

Damage and Loss of a caravan are covered, normally up to the value of the caravan itself. New For Old cover means that you will get a new caravan replacement caravan, but this is normally only for caravans up to 5 years old. Market Value cover means that if your caravan needs replacing, you can claim the prevailing market value for your old caravan.

Contents and personal effects is often an optional extra, and is generally quite limited in coverage, so check what is covered. Normally excluded are money and credit cards, valuables, audio/video devices, bikes, phones, documents and computers. Forcible entry is also required to be able to make a claim, and also policies differ in whether they cover theft from awnings, trailer and toilet tents.

The policy will also cover injury or loss to a member of the general public from your use of the caravan. This cover will normally extend to people who have borrowed the caravan, as long as it is not hired to them, and they are not using it for business purposes. Normally the coverage is between £1,000,000 and £2,000,000, and sometimes includes costs, but not always.

Continental use coverage is required if you intend to travel to mainland Europe, and does not always come as standard. Roadside assistance (to a maximum amount) and repatriation of the caravan (to its insured value) is included in some policies. Some countries are normally excluded from the cover, mainly the former Soviet Block countries (e.g. Poland, Albania, Bulgaria… etc).

The amount of any claim you must pay yourself before the insurance company are willing to part with any money is called the excess. To illustrate, if you made a claim for 500 and your excess was 200, then you would get 300 from the insurance company. If you up the amount of excess that you have on your policy, you will find that your policy will get cheaper.

All policies have general exclusions, mostly to do with highly unlikely event, but still important to review. Things like hostilities (war, invasion…), terrorism, pressure waves from supersonic aircraft, but also be aware that use other than social, domestic or pleasure is excluded. You will find that by and large these exclusions are consistent between the different policies available.

Clearly I like banging on about caravan insurance, of course I do, I wouldn’t write this stuff if I didn’t! But, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…Caravan Insurance is very important for owners of caravans.

And I also like banging on about how the best place to get the policy you need is to buy your caravan insurance online. Because searching for your insurance on the internet gives you the power that knowledge brings, knowledge borne of a wealth of information at your fingertips.

But let’s not beat around the bush, without insurance owners can be setting themselves up for a whole heap of expensive trouble. A caravan is a valuable item, however you could find yourself deeply out of pocket if you fail to insure it properly. Caravan insurance provides protection if your caravan gets pinched or damaged, but it really is a second line of defence. Ideally your caravan would never get damaged or stolen, but we don’t live in an ideal world, so it makes good sense to make your first line of defence good protection of your caravan with the aim of never actually needing to use your insurance.

Did you know that there are in the region of three thousand caravans stolen in the UK each year, and with the growing popularity of staying in the UK for a holiday and the resulting increase in owning and holidaying in caravans, this figure is set to increase. Caravan owners are wise to ensure that they have the best security they can to prevent their caravan being stolen. Following is a list of ten of the very best ways to protect your caravan, together they create a very effective deterrent.

Security posts are a great idea for people who park their caravan on the driveway of their house. These help stop the removal of the caravan from under your nose, because they are cemented into the ground. Some of these posts come equipped with a towball on top that you hitch-lock the caravan to, and others can be either detachable or foldable to enable the caravan to be manouevered in and out of the drive.

Hitch locks are a useful device in providing a good level of defence against the opportunist thief. You should ensure it is made of heavy steel to cover the tow socket fixing bolts, and also has a very strong lock. Alone, hitch locks don’t provide an adequate level of security for when the caravan is in storage.

Wheel clamps are another option. Wheel clamps come in a range of qualities, but a useful rule of thumb is that generally the simpler they are to fit, then the simpler they are for a thief to take off. It is important that you buy a decent wheel clamp and also be sure that it is correct for your caravan. Beware that some clamps that are available on the market will allow a clever thief to remove both the clamp and the wheel in one go, so make sure you avoid these.

Another useful security measure is to etch either the caravan’s chassis number or your postal code on all of the caravan windows, and also several covert places inside the caravan. Alternatively you could just use a felt-tip pen on plywood inside a cupboard and under the beds, as this is nearly impossible to remove. Even more subtle, you can instead use an ultra violet pen.

Another available deterrent is wheel stands. However, don’t underestimate the tenacity of a determined caravan thief, as wheel stands on their own won’t be likely to prevent them. You should ensure they are locked in place, and you should also confirm that your insurance providers are happy with you doing this, because some policies need wheel clamps to be fitted. It is important check your handbook, as many caravan manufacturers recommend using axle stands for winter storage.

Make sure you take plenty of photos of your caravan, particularly of any distinctive features it may have. These photos can help you identify your caravan in the event that it is stolen.

Either paint or use some commercially available large stick-on letters to put a particular code or number on the roof of the van. For example you can use part of the caravan’s serial number, or any number that is known only to yourself. This may be a great aid should the caravan is pinched as it makes it easy to identify from aircraft and helicopters that police forces use nowadays.

There are a number of companies around that offer a service that entails embedding a microchip into your caravan. These chips can then be identified using scanners. Most vans made from 1998 will have datatags fitted as standard. All older ‘Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme’ (CRiS) registered vans are able to have the datatags fitted retrospectively. Bear in mind that there is a bit of a flaw to these schemes though, as there is a lack of a centralised network of available scanners to trace these missing caravans.

Another choice is a tracking system scheme, which requires the installation of a secret transmitter to the caravan. If the caravan gets pinched the transmitter starts to transmit a signal so the police will be able to find the caravan. There have been quite a few notable successes using this scheme. However there are a couple of issues when it comes to caravans (rather than motorhomes and cars), firstly that the transmitter needs battery power to be able to send out a signal, and secondly that the transmitter is only activated after the caravan is reported as stolen. These issues present a problem if the caravan is in long-term storage, and visited only from time to time.

You should definitely make a note of the chassis number of the caravan, and if it is CRiS registered, you should store the registration documents in a safe place away from the caravan. Other important information should be noted also and kept in this secure place.

The more of these ideas you implement, the greater the chance that your caravan will not be stolen in the first place, and secondly, if it is stolen, then it will be found.

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The National Caravan Council are of the opinion that the government’s new scrappage incentive scheme will not have the desired effect on the sales of new motorhomes and caravans. Motorhome registrations are down 37%, but because they hold their prices well, it seems unlikely that the £2000 incentive will have the desired effect.

There are around half a million cars used to tow caravans, but only a small minority of them are over nine years old and worth less than the £2000 incentive.

John Lally (Director General of the NCC)  said: “The majority of motorhomes are still on the road at 10 years old. Because a significant proportion are diesel and their average annual mileage is usually considerably lower than that of a car or van, at that age they still have a long and useful life ahead of them.

And added, “We need to know more details of how the 50 per cent funding from participating manufacturers will work. How can this be applied by small converters of motorhomes?

He went on to say, “We may see more fuel-efficient and greener towcars purchased by caravan owners, but the NCC would have liked to see additional incentives - such as VAT reductions - to boost holidaying in the UK. Even towing with a large, older-engined car creates less CO2 emissions than flying, as can be seen on www.greencaravanning.co.uk.

Before concluding, “The industry is also concerned about the effect the continuing rises in fuel duty may have on tourism businesses such as caravan parks in remoter rural areas. These businesses, heavily reliant on tourist spending, were adversely affected following last summer’s hike in fuel prices.”

The NCC expressed its disappointment at discovering that moves to improve the situation with trade credit insurance are apparently only going to  apply to businesses suffering reductions since 1st April 2009.

In contrast the NCC were more welcoming of proposals to help the housing market, which they hope will boost the sales of residential park homes and caravan holiday homes, which are often bought by downsizing ‘empty-nesters’.

May 23rd sees the return of National Camping and Caravanning Week. Organised by the Camping and Caravanning Club, the event this year is sponsored by, amongst others, Yeomans, the outdoor leisure company, the Explorer Group, Halfords, and Millets.

The event is described by the club as a “celebration of camping, caravanning and outdoor activities.”

There are a number of events occurring across the country throughout the week. Yeomans are holding various outdoor leisure exhibitions throughout the country, there are events at Ripon Racecourse, a rally at Hill Cottage Farm Camping and Caravan Park in Hampshire, and a fly-fishing demo at the Haltwhistle Club site on May 26th.

There are also a variety of competitions. The Explorer Group are offering someone the chance to spend a week in a brand new 2010 Elddis caravan as a prize. Halfords are offering over £500 worth of prizes (scooters and bikes) to the winners of their ‘Get Active’ competition. Yeomans are offering an Outwell tent worth over £800 as their competition prize.

There is also a photography competition, and a children’s drawing competition.

If you can, get along to one of the week’s events. If not, you may just fancy entering a competition or two. For details
of both check out www.nccw.co.uk.