| Unlike
a touring caravan, a static caravan is subject to geographical
risks in and around the campsite it's situated. This can include
things like flooding, falling trees in winter and burst pipes.
Probably however, the most common insurance risk is theft
and accidental damage.
Insuring your caravan through your holiday
park group insurance may not be compulsory (check your contract)
but it may be cheaper because of the group package discounts.
Acquiring a good quality caravan insurance yourself is now
much easier to find, yet understanding the ins and outs of
the insurance isn't always that simple.
Here we will give you an insight into the
world of caravan insurance, then hopefully any choices you
make when buying your policy will be more informed ones.
With any caravan there are two values of
importance when it comes to insuring them. There is the value
of the caravan itself plus any equipment and accessories,
and then the value of the entire contents of that caravan.
For a caravan under 5 years of age insurance
valuation is often quite simple, it's normally the retail
cost of a new replacement of the same model. Obviously in
the time you have owned the caravan you might have purchased
accessories such as a balcony etc, so this must be added to
the caravan value to get the overall figure for insurance.
To get the value of the caravan contents you
have to assess the total cost of the household items and any
personal effects within the van. (expensive items such as
camera equipment and jewellery are more likely excluded).
Any future claims against your caravan contents insurance
will then be settled on the market value of these items at
the time of loss.
House contents insurance works differently
to this, it is usually settled on the brand new replacement
value of the items at the time of loss.
As we mentioned before, a caravan is a valuable
asset and probably gives you and your family endless weeks
of pleasure throughout the year, so insuring it against the
threat from disasters such as floods, winds, accidents, storms
and theft will give you peace of mind and leave you feeling
a lot more confident.
The correct caravan insurance will give you
cover for considerable damage, and perhaps even a new replacement
if that damage is beyond economic repair.
If you plan on letting your friends and family use your caravan
then some caravan insurance policies have certain conditions
attached to this. Some will disallow it altogether, while
others will cover it as long as there are no rental fees involved.
So, if you do intend letting friends use it, do make sure
the insurance policy covers you for it. If not, make sure
you get a caravan insurance that does.
Check the insurance small print for the new
for old replacement rule. In the event of irreparable damage,
this rule stipulates the maximum age a caravan can be before
it ceases to warrant a brand new replacement. The figure on
most caravan insurance policies is typically set at 5 years
although some policies offer up to 10 years.
If you're siting a static caravan for the
very first time then choose your site carefully. For instance,
Is the site prone to flooding from rains or high water? If
the caravan site you choose is sheltered and virtually risk
free then you could stand to get a cheaper quote for your
insurance.
Try
A Static Caravan Holiday |
Caravan
- Static Caravan/Mobile Home insurance |
How
to value a caravan for insurance purposes |
Caravan
drain down and over wintering tips |
Subletting
your holiday caravan | Buying
a static caravan | What
different caravan types are there? |
