There is a common mythology that runs along the lines of “all caravan insurance is more or less the same – apart from the price”.
In practice, that is typically incorrect and there are, in fact, many good reasons why you should make the effort to compare touring caravan insurance.
In order to illustrate this, it’s useful to consider just a few of the areas where one touring caravan insurance policy may differ from another. When you’re looking for your policy, whether it be with one sure insurance or a local insurance broker, make sure the policy meets your needs. It’s a good idea to make a list of what criteria you need first to ensure that you don’t forget to include any policies when you’re communicating with the insurance company.
Overseas cover
Some policies may automatically cover your caravan, perhaps for a specified number of days, if you take it outside of the UK.
By contrast, others may see this as something you will need to pay extra for.
Canopies and related external extensions
You may find that in some cases, the providers of touring caravan insurance won’t cover such items at all. Others may do so but only upon the payment of an additional premium.
In some cases, the policy may include such cover automatically, though special conditions may be applied.
Towing driver restrictions
Although typically it is your car insurance that covers your caravan against third party liabilities (when it is being towed), other elements of cover in such circumstances may be the responsibility of your touring caravan insurance.
Those components may be subject to variation or restriction based upon aspects of the towing driver’s age and licence status.
Flooding risks
The nature of the weather in the UK is such that on certain sites, this will always be a potential hazard.
The cover provided against such perils may vary significantly from one policy to another.
Site security requirements
Yet another area that is worth looking at closely is that of the policy’s expectations with regard to pitches and sites.
Some may only cover your caravan if it is unhitched on a pitch/site that has 24X7 supervision and security arrangements. Other providers of such insurance may vary that, depending on several different factors.
Note, also, that some caravan insurance providers may offer a discount if, while not in use, your ‘van is secured at an approved storage facility.
Hitchlocks and immobilisers
In order for your insurance to be fully in effect, a policy may have very specific requirements in terms of security devices. For example, some may require you to use a hitchlock at all times once your caravan is unhitched.
Others may require that plus the use of further immobilisers, security devices, trackers and alarms.
Discussion
Nothing in the above is meant to suggest that any one factor of an insurance policy is better or worse than any other. Your requirements are unlikely to be identical to those of anyone else and as a result, only you can decide which policy is suitable for you and which conditions are either acceptable or otherwise.
To put it another way, a policy that is great for someone else might not be an optimum solution for you.
The most important point to come out of this is that it is typically worthwhile making the effort to compare touring caravan insurance and for the best insurance you need.
The considerations outlined above have little or nothing to do with the price of a policy. That’s why it typically isn’t advisable to try and review touring caravan insurance options based upon price alone or to believe the myth that all policies are more or less the same.