subject: A Guide To Caravan Insurance In The United Kingdom [print this page] When people think about insurance they automatically expect to find themselves being bombarded with a vast amount of jargon which they can barely understand. While it certainly is true that practically all insurance policies include several clauses which one needs to study carefully, there really are only a few which are likely to affect you at any point.
For example, not all caravan insurance policies will automatically include cover for contents and personal belongings and even those policies which do include such cover only provide a limited amount of cover. In fact, they will often exclude cover for things such as credit cards, audio equipment, phones, laptops etc.
As you can see, these are the sort of details you need to scrutinise before you go ahead and sign any form of contract. Also, you'll find that the fine print often states that the policy holder can only claim in the event of a forced entry. In other words, if you happen to leave one of the windows open or the door unlocked and someone goes in and clears out half the contents of your caravan, your insurance company probably won't want to know.
One of the most basic principles of caravan insurance is that it provides cover against damage and loss. Here again one needs to determine what level of cover the policy provides. While some insurance policies will only pay you the market value of your caravan in the event that it gets stolen or damaged beyond repair, some policies include what is known as 'new for old'. This means that the insurance company will replace your caravan with a new one, irrespective of market value. However, some insurance providers will only offer this if your caravan is above a certain age.
One very important aspect of this insurance is that of third party liability cover. In other words, your policy needs to provide cover in the event that a third party gets injured or in the event that someone else's property becomes damaged as a result of your caravan. Interestingly enough, if you lend your caravan to a friend and they get injured they will usually be covered by your liability cover. On the other hand, if they've paid you to use your caravan for the weekend and they get injured, they won't qualify for any compensation.
If you have a touring caravan and you intend taking it across to Europe then you'll also need to make sure you have European cover. Bear in mind however that European cover won't cover you if you're travelling in certain European countries. As a general rule, you'll only be covered in countries who are members of the European Union. With that said, if you're unsure then you'll need to discuss your circumstances and requirements with your insurance provider.
The excess amount of a policy is the amount you'll be expected to pay up front in the event of a claim. For example, if your excess is 200 pounds and you submit a claim for 1,300 pounds then you will pay the 200 pound excess and your insurance company will pay the other 1,100pounds. Many people request the excess to be set higher so as to have the premiums reduced. However, this is something which should be given serious thought, in that you don't want your excess to be so high that you can't afford to pay it in the event that need to make a claim.
The most important thing of all when it comes to shopping for caravan insurance is that you need to make sure you understand exactly what is covered and what isn't.
by: Tom Jones
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