There are some things that your insurer must know – and if those circumstances change, you are obliged to inform your insurance provider.
These are called “material facts” and they are at the heart of any insurance contract. As the Association of British Insurers (ABI) explains the material facts determine whether or not your insurer will provide the cover you request and the terms on which any policy is issued.
If you fail to inform your insurance provider of any material facts – or changes to them – a claim might be dismissed, or you could even have the insurance cancelled.
Here are some commonplace examples of changes to material facts that might impact your caravan insurance.
You have made substantial changes to the caravan
Many owners like to customise or enhance their vehicles. However successful those changes, it’s imperative that you discuss them with your tourer insurance provider – paying particular attention to certain material facts such as:
- the vehicle’s value – if you have installed new equipment, for instance, this might have increased the caravan’s overall value and you will need to make sure that any new valuation is reflected in the cover provided by your insurer;
- structural changes – it is especially important to notify your insurer of any changes that might have altered the caravan manufacturer’s original specification or those that will have changed your insurer’s assessment of the risks involved in providing cover for your caravan.
When deciding what changes amount to changes in material facts, you need to consider their extent and significance. Only significant changes need to be considered and reported. Simply changing the curtains in your caravan, for example, wouldn’t count!
On balance, though, it’s always best to consult your insurance provider if you are in any doubt as to whether changes you’re making to your caravan are likely to be seen as “significant” in insurance terms.
You are changing the way you use your caravan
A simple – and fairly frequent example – of such a change arises when your policy does not provide automatic continental holiday driving cover and yet you are planning to go abroad in your caravan. Clearly, in such situations, you would need additional cover and an amendment to the policy’s current terms and conditions to provide the cover you now need.
The need to inform your insurance provider might also arise in circumstances where you were close to or had already exceeded the maximum number of permissible days outside of the UK as specified in your policy.
It is also imperative that you discuss with your insurance provider in advance, any situation where you are planning to let someone use your caravan to generate rental income.
Where you store your caravan
When you took out your initial policy, you may have declared to your insurance provider just where you store the caravan when it is not in use. Should that change, for whatever reason, you must notify your insurer. The location is a material fact that may change the nature and level of risks to which your caravan is exposed when it is in temporary storage.
An example might be where you had originally stored your caravan in your garage but have now decided to move it to your driveway as its normal place of parking, due to the fact you wish to use your garage for other purposes.
If you need to make a claim
It’s no doubt stating the obvious to say that you’ll need to contact your insurance provider to make a claim. But it’s worth stressing the merits of checking the wording of your policy documents now, since some insurers require you to notify them within a maximum period of time after the event that gave rise to your claim took place. If you fail to do so and lodge your claim after the prescribed period has elapsed, you might find that your claim is unsuccessful.
Where you are changing anything relating to your personal circumstances
This is typically a routine matter and includes such changes as a new job or profession, change of address, or change of name (if you have married, for example).
Changes to qualifications for driving a vehicle used to tow your caravan
This may or may not be an issue but it will be worth checking with your insurer if, for example, you or another insured driver were diagnosed with a medical condition that might affect your driving, parking or use of your caravan.
You pitch up and intend to leave your ‘van unattended overnight
Our touring caravan insurance policyholders to be aware of the “not in use” clause that is within the majority of touring caravan insurance policies.
Most tourer owners are unaware of this clause, which, in some cases, could see an insurance claim rejected if the caravan was “abandoned” at the time of the claim. For example, if you take your tourer on holiday and then leave it unattended where it is pitched for a few days – perhaps, due to violent illness meaning you go into hospital or, when simply pitching up then going off somewhere else – you could find in the event of a claim that you are not covered.
This is because your insurance premiums are calculated on the caravan being stored at a storage site / at home or, being lived in while pitched up somewhere. Touring caravan sites are less secure and more easily accessed – so are at more risk of being stolen, damaged or broken in to.
If you leave your caravan at a pitch even for a few days and go off elsewhere, it is essential to speak to your insurer and let them know. At least that way, they are aware of the circumstances and can advise if there is an additional premium to pay – giving you peace of mind that you are covered.
So, if your holiday or break is cut short due to an unforeseen or unplanned circumstance that requires you to leave your caravan at a pitch, at least you will know if your tourer is covered or not. It is as simple as giving your insurer a call.
Summary
The obligation to inform your insurance provider about changes to material facts is not an especially onerous responsibility and is largely a matter of common sense.
But it is important to take the requirement seriously because failing to disclose material changes and then subsequently making a claim might jeopardise your chances of any such claim succeeding.
Do you have more questions? Please call us on 01702 606301 – we’d love to help!