Top tips & FAQs
Be wise when shopping for caravan insurance - our top tips
- What to look for when buying Touring Caravan Insurance
- Secure caravan insurance discounts
- New for old cover
- Personal effects
- Storm Damage
- European use
- Emergency Accommodation Expenses
- Underwriter
- Difficulties insuring?
- Safeguard your pride and joy
- Outsmart the thieves with our guide to securing your caravan
- Security: Mechanical Security devices
- Security: Corner steady locks
- Security: Electronic Alarms
- Security: Tracking devices
- Security: Tagging systems
- Security: Approved security devices
- Security: Storage
- Security: Keep those documents safe
- Security: Take some snaps
- Security: Remove Valuables
- Security: Time takes its toll
- What to look for when buying Touring Caravan Insurance
Caravan theft is an increasingly real and frightening issue with Police Forces and insurers estimating that over 3,300 tourers were stolen last year. Although not a legal requirement, it makes sense to insure your caravan to protect it against theft, accidental damage and storm damage. Here's our checklist of things to look out for when choosing an insurance provider for your touring caravan.
back to top - Secure caravan insurance discounts
Look out for big caravan insurance savings when shopping for caravan insurance. Caravan club and camping club members (inc. regional, national or owners' caravan clubs) get a 10% discount with Caravan Guard. Up to 45% discounts apply for security devices such as alarms, tracking devices, axle locking devices and secure storage. Claim free caravanners can also secure up to 20% discount.
back to top - New for old cover
This ensures that if your caravan is stolen or damaged beyond economical repair your caravan will be replaced with a new caravan. Most insurers offer new for old cover for caravans up to 15 years providing the owner insures the caravan at what it would cost to replace with a new caravan. For caravans over 15 years old market value cover will apply whereby at the time of a theft or write off, the insurer would pay whatever the caravan was worth at that time. Using Glass's guide, insurance providers such as Caravan Guard can value your caravan for you free of charge. Remember when insuring on a new for old basis you must get the value correct. Also don't forget to add a sum for equipment such as awnings, motor movers, gas bottles, pots, pans and security devices.
back to top - Personal effects
These are items taken from the home on caravanning holidays. Some can be covered on a caravan policy, yet it is advisable to check that such items are not already covered under your household insurance policy.
back to top - Storm Damage
Some policies exclude storm damage to awnings. With some awnings costing in excess of £1000, it is important to check that cover is included. At Caravan Guard we cover storm damage to awnings, so long as the awning is covered in your sum insured.
back to top - European use
If you travel abroad with your tourer select a caravan insurance policy with such cover included. At Caravan Guard we automatically cover you for 90 days per trip, as many trips as you like.
back to top - Emergency Accommodation Expenses
This provides funds for alternative accommodation should your caravan be stolen or damaged to a point where it cannot be used for a booked holiday or whilst away on holiday. At Caravan Guard we provide up to £50 per day for 14 days.
back to top - Underwriter
Every insurance policy will be backed by an insurance company, for example Caravan Guard's is backed by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc. Look out for policies underwritten by a well known insurer.
back to top - Difficulties insuring?
Some German caravans (Hobby, Tabbert, LMC, Roma) are hard to insure due to high theft rates. Although unable to insure such caravans themselves, Caravan Guard can put you in touch with insurance providers who can.
back to top - Safeguard your pride and joy
Preventing theft not only keeps your no claims bonus intact but substantial insurance discounts are on offer. Think beyond wheelclamps and hitchlocks, think secure storage, drive posts, alarms, tracking devices and you will get your rewards.
back to top - Outsmart the thieves with our guide to securing your caravan
Caravan theft is an increasingly real and frightening issue. Theft is now estimated to have reached over 3000 tourers per year - around a tenth of the Country's annual production of touring caravans.
Although when theft occurs insurance companies act to replace the caravan and items of value within, the emotional strain and loss of treasured personal items can cause much pain.
It is therefore within a caravanners' interest to protect their pride and joy using various security devices.
We can make a series of recommendations to help new and experienced caravanners stave off the threat of having their caravan stolen or broken into.
back to top - Security: Mechanical Security devices
Hitchlocks and wheel clamps are very often considered the minimum required security level by insurance providers, acting as a visible deterrent to opportunist thieves.
Remember when buying a wheel clamp that the heavier and harder it is to get onto the wheels, the more difficult it will be for the thief to remove. Also be aware that you will have to manoeuvre your wheel clamp at holiday time, so make your wheel clamp a practical choice too.
The idea of the hitchlock is that it prevents the thief from hitching the caravan onto their vehicle, and although it doesn't prevent theft, it makes the manual haul of the caravan yet another barrier.
back to top - Security: Corner steady locks
lock down the rear corner steadies of touring caravans preventing the front of the unit from being raised. As a result of this anti-lift device, thieves cannot hitch the caravan to their towing vehicle.
back to top - Security: Electronic Alarms
give your caravan audible security. The most comprehensive will use a combination of infrared PIR detectors and motion sensors, which will cause the siren to sound if a thief enters or tries to move the caravan.
back to top - Security: Tracking devices
Locks and alarms are easily bypassed by the more professional thieves and can be removed in seconds. Tracking devices offer the best possible way of quickly recovering a stolen caravan without damage and consequently recovering those precious valuables inside and keeping that insurance no claims bonus intact. Traditional tracking devices designed for the car industry did cause problems as power supply was difficult when a caravan was laid up. There are now tracking devices on the market specially designed for fitment to caravans with low battery drain meaning the use of a leisure battery is sufficient. One such device is the Phantom tracking device.
back to top - Security: Tagging systems
Devices such as the CRiS tagging scheme found on all British caravans manufactured since 1998 and the Stoptheft system hide tags within the caravan which police can scan for if they suspect a caravan to be stolen.
back to top - Security: Approved security devices
Electronic alarms and tracking devices are often regulated by the Thatcham Vehicle Research Centre whereas the Sold Secure approval of mechanical devices such as wheelclamps and hitchlocks is definitely something to look out for. Both Thatcham and Sold Secure subject security devices to rigorous testing procedures.
back to top - Security: Storage
Home is very often considered the safest option. At home security such as a locking gate or drive post can vastly reduce the theft of touring caravans, as can chaining the caravan to the ground.
Remember drive posts are only as secure as their mounting into the ground so make sure you seek advice when carrying out installation.
For those who simply don't want the caravan in the way or don't have enough space to store it at home you may want to consider using a storage site. The Caravan Storage Site Owners Association (CaSSOA) regulates the standards of storage sites. Prior to the recommendation of CaSSOA sites one caravan insurance provider found that caravans were twice as likely to be stolen from storage site than from home, this figure has now reduced significantly with the best sites being regarded as equal to or better than home storage.
If you do decide to keep your caravan in storage whilst not in use, please bear in mind that you get what you pay for. Consider a good secure location, with CCTV, perimeter fencing, controlled entrance and exit, an on duty warden and adequate security lighting. Find your nearest CASSOA approved site at www.cassoa.co.uk.
back to top - Security: Keep those documents safe
Don't leave the caravan registration documents inside the caravan. These will only serve to assist the thief in selling a stolen caravan without arousing suspicion from innocent buyers.
back to top - Security: Take some snaps
When you buy your caravan, take a series of photographs from the front and both sides of the exterior as well as front and back interior shots. Any distinct markings or personal touches will then be recorded and may help police identify your caravan if stolen.
back to top - Security: Remove Valuables
Remember when your vehicle is in storage don't forget to remove valuable items which may otherwise provide extra incentive to break in and even steal your caravan. Should you leave items of any value in the caravan, security mark them with your home postcode - you could use a UV security marking kit.
back to top - Security: Time takes its toll
Please consider that your security devices will not last forever, especially as they are exposed to the elements throughout the year. Physical deterrents such as wheel clamps, hitchlocks, hitchposts and drive posts lose strength if they are left to rust and corrode. Alarms will need to be regularly tested to make sure they will effectively sound if a thief enters your caravan. If a security device is faulty or inadequate, be sure to replace it as soon as possible.
back to top
Caravan insurance discounts - There are rewards for protecting your caravan. Caravan Guard offer touring caravan owners 25% for the fitment of an approved tracking device and 5% discount for an alarm. Insurance premium reductions are also made for good storage.
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