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.
When buying caravan insurance there are a couple of major things to consider: Price; level of cover. It is easy just to go with the cheapest policy you can find, but this could come back to haunt you should you have to make a claim, and then discover you are not actually covered for that particular loss. The logic of this is that you need to make sure you know what you need to cover before you start trying to look for the cheapest policy.
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.
Continental insurance cover is another element of a policy, one for which you should be clear on your needs. If you take your caravan abroad you will want to make sure it is included in your policy, and also that it covers you for the length of time you are going to be away. You should check how long this coverage is for as it varies widely from one policy to another.
Be careful when considering insurance for your personal effects, as a variety of items are often excluded from touring caravan insurance. Jewellery will not be covered, but you may find it is covered on your household insurance. You need to check what a policy will exclude, check if it will be covered on your other insurances, and if not consider whether you require some alternative insurance.
An eventuality that should be considered is the question of alternative accommodation in the event that your caravan was to become uninhabitable whilst you were away in it. Many policies do include such protection, but you need to make sure that you are adequately protected should it become necessary.
There are a variety of ways you can save yourself money when taking out touring caravan insurance. Becoming a member of one of the main caravan clubs often attracts discounts on premiums. Improving the security of your caravan is another way to save money, with tracking devices, alarms and axle locking devices being the main ways to achieve this.
Clearly there is some effort up front required to make sure you get the cheapest and best caravan insurance for your needs. The alternative of going for the first insurance you find is that you may end up with a wholly inadequate and overpriced policy. What the time and effort will bring you however is a touring caravan insurance policy that gives you peace of mind.
As a founder of touring caravan insurance website Caravan Insurance Cover, Carl Way regularly provides valuable information about touring caravan insurance online.