Static Caravan Insurance

All you need to know about static caravan insurance

Static caravan insurance is a specific type of insurance policy aimed, as might be expected to protect a static caravan owner against losses arising from damage to the caravan or liability.

Cover provided

The main cover is 'loss or damage' to the caravan. The policy is usually issued on an 'all risks' basis. This means that unless a circumstance is specifically excluded, loss or damage caused by that circumstance will be covered.

Cover may also be extended to include the awnings and also personal effects. Please note that our recommendation would be that policyholders insure their possessions as part of an 'all-risks' extension on their home insurance policy. The cover is wider, there will be a much higher single article limit, and the contents will be covered in all of the UK, not just the caravan.

Liability arising out of the use of the caravan is also covered. A typical policy will cover £1,000,000 or £2,000,000. This could include, for instance, damage to a car if the caravan should be blown over if not adequately secured. Caravans being towed are more likely to tip over and also damage other vehicles in a road traffic accident. (They are also more likely to be stolen which is why the premium is greater.)

Additional benefits could include the cost of hiring a room should the caravan be severely damaged and some policies will cover the costs of transport should the policyholder have to go and inspect the caravan should it have been damaged.

A final benefit would be legal expenses insurance. This offers protection against legal costs arising should an action be brought against the policyholder, or if they have a valid claim against someone else e.g. a car driving into the caravan damaging it.

Typical Exclusions

One of the few exclusions would be damage by vermin (mice/ rats etc). There are, however some 'standard' exclusions that apply to most insurance policies.

  1. Radioactive Contamination. (This page was written in the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake and Tsunami so is of general concern.)

  2. Sonic Bangs. Damage caused by this is paid for by a different authority.

  3. Riot and civil commotion (if the caravan is situated in Northern Ireland for instance)

Other exclusions will apply - these often depend on the actual policy and so may vary. Always ask for a key facts document before buying and always use an insurance broker unless you are an expert in caravan insurance. When the claim occurs it is too late to change the policy!

Rating Factors

There are many rating factors - most of which are designed to reward good risk management either by policyholders having good security in place to avoid claims or having a proven track record in not having claims.

  1. The age of the policyholder. Many caravan insurance policies will give a discount if the policyholder is aged over 50. Statistics show that the elder the caravan owner the more careful they are and thus are less likely to make a claim.

  2. The age of the caravan. Older caravans may be insured on an 'indemnity' basis i.e. the sum insured should reflect the cost of buying a similar caravan in age and condition. Newer caravans should be insured on a 'new for old' basis. i.e. the sum insured should reflect the cost of replacing the caravan as new (including site levelling and resiting costs.)

  3. No claims bonus. The amount of discount on a no claims bonus has been steadily increasing as insurers look towards more careful owners. Discounts can reach 20% or 30%.

  4. Security. A static caravan is more likely to hold some articles of value e.g. television than a touring caravan and a policyholder is also likely to have brought some valuables with them. This makes it more likely that a static caravan would be broken into. Insurance companies therefore reward customers who fit alarms onto their caravans - just as they do with touring caravans.

  5. The excess. If a policyholder is willing to pay the first part of a claim for loss or damage themselves then the insurance company will pay out less and therefore will reduce the premiums.

How to compare and obtain cheap cover.

Customers looking for caravan insurance should not only look at the price (we have a caravan insurance quote facility), but also should compare the cover provided. They should look at the key facts document (if not the actual policy wording) before they decide to buy - or ask their broker if they have any queries.

More information on static caravan insurance is available. The page also includes a link to the quotation module.

If you want to call B. Portwood & Co Ltd their number is 0191 4772231 and they would be only too pleased to provide a static caravan insurance quote.

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