As experienced providers of caravan insurance, there are, of course, questions we are frequently asked about the subject. Since all of them tend to cut to the very heart of why adequate and appropriate caravan insurance can be so important, we’re happy to reproduce just a selection of those frequently asked questions (FAQs) here.
Do I need caravan insurance?
For one answer, you might turn to the motor insurance for the vehicle that will be towing your caravan. In terms of cover offered by your car insurance policy in relation to towing, policy features and benefits may vary depending on the provider. If cover is offered for towing, typically you may have the barest minimum that is required.
And this cover is likely to be limited to third-party cover only. If the vehicle or the caravan it is towing injures another road user or passer-by, or cause damage to that third party’s property, the other party is typically assured of receiving compensation (up to limits defined within your policy schedule).
In other words, such third-party cover – which may only apply while the caravan is being towed along the public highway – offers no protection against accidental damage, fire, or theft to the caravan itself. You might think it prudent – to say the least – therefore to arrange separate, specialist insurance for your caravan from experienced brokers such as ourselves here at Cover4Caravans.
What to look out for when arranging your caravan insurance
In addition to any third-party cover, you may want to ensure your caravan insurance includes protection against damage, fire, and theft.
Other risks you may want to check you have cover for may include – but are not limited to – the following:
- storm damage;
- cover for the contents of the caravan (if required);
- the awning (cover for which we have written about separately);
- cover that extends to injury to your family or friends;
- public liability indemnity you may need as the caravan’s owner; and
- the inclusion of European cover if you are planning to tour abroad.
Are there different levels of caravan insurance?
The different levels of caravan insurance are reflected by variations in cover offered by different insurers, between different policies, and between the optional extras you might decide to include.
Insurance also needs to reflect the particular kind of caravan you own. It might be a touring caravan, for example, a folding camper or trailer tent, or a static, holiday home (typically berthed on the same site more or less permanently). There are special types of insurance for each of these various kinds of caravan.
Since there may be considerable variation in the level of insurance offered by one policy compared to another, it is important to understand exactly what your particular policy covers – and, just as importantly, what is excluded.
Is my touring caravan covered against damage whilst on the ferry?
Although one of the reasons for arranging caravan insurance is to ensure that cover against the risks of loss or damage is in place whatever the situation – including times when you are in transit on the car ferry – all policies are different.
You would do well to check the fine print of your particular policy, therefore, to double-check that cover against loss or damage does, indeed, extend to periods when the trailer is on a car ferry.
What category of driving licence do I need?
It all depends on the combined weight of your caravan and the vehicle towing it.
Provided that the combined weight is less than 3.5 tonnes, your regular car driving licence is sufficient. If it is greater than that, you need to have passed the relevant test and hold a B+E category driving licence that qualifies you to drive a vehicle while towing a trailer of the relevant weight.
*Please note that the regulations about what driving test you need to have passed were due to change on the 15th of November 2021. Those changes were not implemented, however, and you may need to keep up to date with the latest changes that will be announced on the government website.
Post-Brexit, what insurance documents when towing my caravan abroad?
Not surprisingly, perhaps, there has been some confusion about the consequences of Britain’s leaving the European Union (EU).
As a Parliamentary briefing paper noted on the 18th of October 2021, all UK insurers now provide the minimum third party cover required to drive your vehicle in practically every European country.
Nevertheless, an initial consequence of the UK’s departure from the EU meant that motorists had to obtain a so-called “green card” to prove the validity of their insurance cover. Since August 2021, that requirement has been waived, thanks to the UK’s readmission to the green card free circulation zone (GCFCZ) as a third country.
Members of the GCFCZ include all the countries of the EU, along with Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Switzerland.
If you are going to drive abroad in countries outside the GCFCZ, you will need to obtain your green card – formally an International Motor Insurance Certificate – as proof of cover.
Your UK-issued photo-style driving licence continues to be valid for driving throughout the UK and in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland advises the RAC. If you are driving outside these countries or if your licence was issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, or the Isle of Man, however, you will need to get an International Driving Permit (IDP) – which is valid for just 12 months and may be obtained from the Post Office or leading motoring organisations.
Wherever you are driving abroad, you need to keep the vehicle’s V5C (your logbook) with you, together with any necessary up to date MOT and evidence of paid road fund licence (road tax).
If you are driving through some cities in France, you will also need to purchase a Crit’Air vignette (Crit’Air sticker) – which identifies your vehicle’s emission levels – or face an on-the-spot fine.
*This information is correct as at the time of writing – November 2021 – but as regulations and rules change, please ensure you check official sources.
What are some of the typical exclusions from touring caravan insurance?
It is important to know what risks are likely to be excluded from your caravan insurance cover. Although these are likely to vary from one policy to another, typically most will exclude:
- the use of your caravan for purposes connected with any trade, profession, or business;
- risks already covered by your motor insurance;
- wilful acts of malicious damage caused by you or any other member of your party; and
- claims arising from any curtailment or loss of your holiday, or for any distress, pain, disappointment, or inconvenience.
Do any special security provisions apply to cover for my touring caravan?
It has become more or less standard practice for insurers to impose special security measures to help protect against the theft of your touring caravan.
These include the use of both a hitchlock and wheel clamps if the caravan is left unattended whilst still hitched to the towing vehicle or the fitting of wheel clamps alone if it is not.
If you are unsure of your responsibilities in relation to caravan security, please check your policy documentation to see what other provisions may apply – or give us and call and we will be happy to clarify.
Further caravan insurance questions?
Getting the most cost-effective and appropriate cover for your caravan is our aim! So, if you have any questions relating to your touring or static caravan insurance, then please do telephone us on 01702 606301. We will be delighted to help!