Touring Caravan Insurance

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do you insure caravans outside of the UK?
2. Where can I take my caravan abroad?
3. How long can I go to Europe for?
4. What is "New for Old" cover?
5. What is "Market Value" cover?
6. Can I choose my excess?
7. What is the difference between "Personal Effects", "High Risk items" and "Equipment"?
8. What discount do you offer for fitting a tracking device?
9. How can I pay for my premium?
10. What is the winter weather excess and how can I avoid it?
11. Where can I find my caravan's CRiS or VIN number?
12. Why do you need my postcode for an online quote?
13. Is it safe to get a quote online?
14. What are your minimum security requirements?

1. Do you insure caravans outside of the UK?

Our touring caravan insurance policy is available to UK Residents only (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

We cannot provide cover for caravans which are stored outside of the UK when not being used.

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2. Where can I take my caravan abroad?

Our policy gives you the freedom to tour a wide range of European Countries including any country which is a member of the European Union. The full list of countries you can visit with your caravan is: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine. These are confirmed on page 8 of our policy booklet.

You do not need to let us know when you are travelling to Europe in your caravan as cover is automatically included.

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3. How long can I go to Europe for?

Our policy provides cover for European trips of up to 90 days at a time - up to a maximum of 180 days per policy term.

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4. What is "New for Old" cover?

New for Old cover means that we will replace your insured caravan with the most recent model (or equivalent) if it is stolen and not recovered, or damaged beyond economic repair.

New for Old cover requires you to insure your caravan at the value it would cost to replace with a new model, and not its current value (see "Market Value" cover below).

New for Old cover is available on touring caravans up to 15 years old.

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5. What is "Market Value" cover?

Market Value insurance covers you for all the same things as New for Old, but in the event of your caravan being stolen or damaged beyond economic repair we replace your caravan with one of equivalent value, or pay out your caravan's current market value, instead of replacing it with a brand new model.

Market Value is always cheaper than New for Old, so is a good option for caravanners looking to save money on their insurance premium.

Market Value cover is available to new customers on touring caravans up to 21 years old, but we may be able to renew insurance on caravans which have reached this limit subject to request.

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6. Can I choose my excess?

You may choose any of the following as the excess on your policy: £100, £150, £200, £250 or £300.

We offer staggered discounts for increasing your excess. The higher the excess you pick, the cheaper your insurance premium will be for the year.

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7. What's the difference between "Personal Effects", "High Risk items" and "Equipment"?

Personal Effects are possessions which you have brought from home such as clothes, bed linen and toiletries. These are generally covered by your house contents insurance policy. If personal effects are not covered on your home insurance they can be covered on the caravan policy. If you are unsure, we would advise you to check your household insurance policy before paying to insure them on our caravan policy. Please note that under the cover provided by our caravan policy for personal effects, the maximum we will pay per single item is £250.

High Risk items are not covered under our policy. High Risk items are individual items which have a high insurance risk associated to them, often because they are expensive and either attractive to thieves or prone to damage. This includes cameras, mp3 players, laptops, mobile phones, and pedal cycles; for a full list see page 9 of your policy booklet. As with Personal Effects you can often insure High Risk items through your house contents insurance policy.

Equipment is covered under our policy. Equipment refers to any items which are used specifically in the caravan, or which are caravan equipment or accessories. This includes things such as portable water containers, gas bottles, pots and pans, awnings, and security devices such as wheel clamps and hitchlocks. It also includes items such as televisions and radios providing they are used solely in the caravan.

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8. What discount do you offer for fitting a tracking device?

We offer a huge discount of 25% for approved caravan tracking devices. To see which devices we approve see our caravan tracking page.

This discount is offered because we believe a monitored, pro-active tracking device is the most effective security device a caravanner can purchase, particularly when coupled with an alarm.

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9. How can I pay for my premium?

Existing customers can read renewal payment options here

We offer a range of ways to pay for your caravan insurance policy.

Credit / Debit Card
Paying by Credit or Debit card couldn't be easier. If you have saved a quote online then simply 'login' and use our secure online payment form to complete your transaction, alternatively you can call us with your details and we'll process the payment for you.

Monthly Direct Debit
If you would prefer to spread the payment of your insurance over 12 monthly payments, rather than pay in one lump sum, then simply call us with your bank details. We use a company called Premium Credit Ltd to provide finance and a charge for credit will apply - written quotations are available on request. Credit is available subject to status.

Cheque
Please forward your cheque made payable to "Caravan Guard Ltd" to Caravan Guard, New Road, Halifax, HX1 2JZ. Please ensure you print your full name and postcode on the reverse. Please note your cover cannot start until we have received your payment.

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10. What is the winter weather excess and how can I avoid it?

The risk of damage to your caravan following storms, floods and escape of water greatly increases in winter months.

Therefore, between the 1st November and the 15th March a £500 winter weather excess will apply on damage claims relating to storm, tempest, flood or escape of water from any fixed water installation.

If you keep your caravan at home or in a fully enclosed building you are exempt from the winter weather excess. Similarly if you keep your caravan in storage but it is supervised and inspected on a daily basis by the site staff again the winter weather excess will not apply.

It is also a good idea to drain any standing water out of the caravan's system - water left in the system could freeze. As water freezes it expands and this can cause pipes to burst. As the frozen water thaws it escapes through the burst pipes potentially causing water damage to your touring caravan.

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11. Where can I find my caravan's CRiS or VIN/Chassis number?

For caravans manufactured before 1992 you should find the VIN or chassis number on a plate on the 'A' frame or by the door.

For caravans manufactured after 1992 in addition to the above, you should also find a 17 digit identification number etched on the windows. This is your CRiS number.

The majority of CRiS numbers for British built caravans start with the letters SG, however, more recently caravans such as those built by Stealth have CRiS numbers beginning with SD.

Our understanding is that a chassis number for a trailer tent or folding camper is likely to be found on the 'A' frame.

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12. Why do you need my postcode for an online quote?

Your storage postcode is one of the factors that effects your insurance premium, as some areas may represent a higher or lower risk than others (i.e. city centre or rural).

This means we are unable to provide you with an online insurance quote without your postcode being entered, even if you provide your full address.

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13. Is it safe to get a quote online?

Getting a quote and buying a policy on our website is extremely safe because of our secure quote facility, which means any information you enter will be sent to us over an encrypted channel, direct to our secure server. Our quote engine uses the most powerful SSL encryption commercially available today.

This can be verified by the 'https:' at the beginning of the web address, and also the padlock symbol which should appear in the bottom right of your browser or the address bar at the top when you begin an online quote. For more information see our security and privacy policy

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14. What are your minimum security requirements?

Our minimum security requirements are that your caravan is fitted with a proprietary hitchlock AND is then fitted with a proprietary wheelclamp (covering at least one wheel nut) or axle wheel lock (e.g. Al-Ko Secure) when left unattended and detached from your towing vehicle.

Instead of the wheelclamp or wheel lock you can also meet our minimum security requirements by removing the caravan wheels and storing them away from the caravan and in certain circumstances we may agree in writing that you can secure your caravan using other security devices.

By proprietary, we mean that a hitchlock or wheelclamp needs to be made by a reputable manufacturer.

Dependant on the value of your caravan, and its storage location, you may also require additional security. Our friendly insurance advisers can advise on what security is needed in order for us to provide a quote.

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* Our club discount is available to members of various organisations and can only be claimed once per policy term. Overland Leisure Ltd is an Introducer Appointed Representative to Caravan Guard Limited. Caravan Guard Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Cover only available to UK residents (including Northern Ireland). Full details available on request. For your protection, calls will be recorded and may be monitored.