You know how important it is to insure your caravan. You understand that it’s rarely such a good idea to let it automatically renew each year. Instead, you’ll want to review the current cover, make certain it still gives you what you need, and check that there’s not another policy that might do a better job.
All in all, that is to say, whether you’re after cover for your touring caravan or a static holiday home – you’ll need to compare caravan insurance offers.
How to compare caravan insurance – a quick overview
If you want to compare caravan insurance policies, your first step is to establish just what it is you’re looking for. When making your comparisons, therefore, keep the following main points in mind:
- the cover provided – naturally, this is the very crux of what you’ll be looking for. On some level, the caravan insurance cover provided by one policy might appear to be remarkably similar to that of another. But look a little beneath the surface and check for things such as whether or not awnings are covered. Check the policy options on a like-for-like basis. If your current policy offers new for old cover, for example, do the insurance policies you are comparing it with also include new for old insurance cover too?
- exclusions – some policies exclude things you might prefer they did not. Things to look for here might include flood damage, contents above a certain individual value, damage incurred outside of the UK and so on;
- policy terms and conditions – every insurance policy is bound to include lists of terms and conditions – they are perfectly normal and are nothing to worry about. But it’s important to read them carefully because they may make a major difference to the suitability of the most appropriate insurance cover for you. Classic points to note might include what the policy requires of the site for a static caravan, the security precautions you are expected to take with your touring caravan, who can tow it and exactly what you might have to do in the event of a claim. There may be nothing wrong with any of these, but you need to be sure that you can comply with them or your ability to claim in future might be limited;
- price – no caravan insurance comparison would be complete without making some attempt to consider one price against another. But always remember to make sure you are comparing like-for-like (as we mentioned in the first point). One caravan insurance policy might seem to be much more attractively priced. But if it offers reduced cover as a result, then you may need to think about where your priorities lie.
Caravan insurance comparison FAQs
We’ve set the scene now for the four key things to consider when comparing insurance policies. We hope this has given you an idea of the type of things you need to consider when looking for either static or touring caravan insurance. The following frequently asked questions (FAQs) that customers put to us here at Cover4Caravans might help to shine further light on the issues raised:
Should I rank policies based on their price?
It’s probably not a good idea to rank policies solely according to their price.
Instead, try to look at the breadth of cover they provide and where some are more comprehensive or suitable to your particular needs and circumstances than others. Value for money is likely to provide a truer reflection of what you need rather than the price alone.
Is price unimportant then?
Of course, you are always going to take notice of the cost of an insurance policy – none of us likes to pay more for caravan insurance than we need to! In the event of a caravan insurance claim, though, it is not the price you’ll want to discuss but only what cover your policy provides and what it does not.
In the event of a claim, in other words, whatever you have been paying for the policy is unlikely to be something that will bother you under such circumstances.
So, it makes sense to concentrate initially on the cover and only when you have one or two policies that appear to meet your needs, to start wondering whether it is the price differences between them that separate one from the other.
Are some caravan insurance providers better than others?
Don’t be misled by the question. Probably a better way of approaching any such decision is to recognise that some insurance providers offer policies that are, by their nature, more suited to your particular, individual needs and circumstances than others.
A policy that might prove to be very suitable for one caravan owner might not be suitable for you.
That is where expertise in the insurance marketplace – such as the many years’ of experience we have gained here at Cover4Caravans – is extremely useful in terms of reducing the possibility of purchasing caravan insurance that doesn’t offer the protection your ‘van needs or is overpriced for the nature and extent of the cover provided.
Do I need to worry about the policy’s small print?
The simple answer is yes you do – but not because the insurer is trying in any way to trick you in the policy’s small print.
All insurance contains terms and conditions that are designed to make it truly clear where the respective responsibilities and obligations lie between the insurer and the policyholder. They may also clarify exactly what caravan cover is or is not provided under what circumstances.
As such, the small print of terms and conditions are there to help not to hinder, and it is essential that you take the time and trouble to understand them or get help from someone to do so.
How do I choose the most suitable caravan insurance cover for me?
A careful and comprehensive caravan insurance comparison is important, but we cannot deny that it can also be a reasonably lengthy, time-consuming process.
If you don’t like the thought of wading through lots of individual insurance policies yourself, you might be better off using a specialist provider of touring caravan insurance or static caravan insurance – such as ourselves at Cover4Caravans – to do that hard work on your behalf.
We are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – so you know we are a reputable business – and have many years’ experience providing caravans insurance.
We can help you access a number of touring caravan or static caravan insurance policy options from various providers. That way you can quickly compare your caravan insurance options and cherry-pick the caravan insurance that you find appropriate and cost-effective for you.