Static Caravan Insurance
Unlike a touring caravan, a static
caravan is subject to geographical risks in and around the
campsite it's situated. This can include things like flooding,
falling trees in winter and burst pipes. However, the
most common static caravan insurance risk is probably theft and accidental damage.
Insuring your caravan through your
holiday park group insurance may not be compulsory (check your
contract) but it may be cheaper because of the group package
discounts. Acquiring a good quality static caravan insurance yourself
is now much easier, yet understanding the ins and outs
of the insurance isn't always that simple. Here we will give you
an insight into the world of static caravan insurance, then hopefully
any choices you make when buying your policy will be more
informed ones.
How to value a caravan for
insurance purposes
With any static caravan there are two
values of importance when it comes to insuring them. There is
the value of the static caravan itself plus any equipment and
accessories, and then the value of the entire contents of that
static caravan.
The evaluation of static caravan
insurance is often quite simple for a static caravan under 5 years of age; normally the
retail cost of a new replacement of the same model. Obviously in
the time you have owned the static caravan you might have purchased
accessories such as a balcony etc, so this must be added to the
static caravan value to get the overall figure for insurance.
For a static caravan over 5 years of age,
then the static caravan insurance value is considered as the second hand market
price of that particular model. But, once again, you need to
take into account any accessories and include those into the
insurance valuation as well.
How to value the contents of the
static caravan for insurance
To get the value of the static caravan
contents you have to assess the total cost of the household
items and any personal effects within the van. (expensive items
such as camera equipment and jewellery are more likely
excluded). Any future claims against your caravan contents
insurance will then be settled on the market value of these
items at the time of loss.
House contents insurance works
differently to this, it is usually settled on the brand new
replacement value of the items at the time of loss.
Tip - It's worth noting that some
household insurance policies may already cover your static caravan
contents, so do check with your house insurance policy just in
case.
How static caravan insurance benefits you
As we mentioned before, a static caravan
is a valuable asset and probably gives you and your family
endless weeks of pleasure throughout the year, so insuring it
against the threat from disasters such as floods, winds,
accidents, storms and theft will give you peace of mind and
leave you feeling a lot more confident. The correct static caravan
insurance will give you cover for considerable damage, and
perhaps even a new replacement if that damage is beyond economic
repair.
If you have a static caravan which
is left unoccupied for any length of time then the contents will
be vulnerable to the opportunist thief. You might have expensive
TV's, DVD players, microwaves and kitchen equipment stored
inside, so just like your home contents they would need to be
replaced if they were stolen. Most static caravan insurance providers
will give you the opportunity to insure for the replacement of
the exterior as well as the interior of the van, and you might
even get a good deal if you take out both with the same
insurance provider.
Things to look out for with
static caravan insurance policies
If you plan on letting your
friends and family use your static caravan then some static caravan insurance
policies have certain conditions attached to this. Some will
disallow it altogether, while others will cover it as long as
there are no rental fees involved. So, if you do intend letting
friends use it, do make sure the insurance policy covers you for
it. If not, make sure you get a static caravan insurance that does.
Check the insurance small print
for the 'new for old' replacement rule. In the event of
irreparable damage, this rule stipulates the maximum age a
caravan can be before it ceases to warrant a brand new
replacement. The figure on most static caravan insurance policies is
typically set at 5 years although some policies offer up to 10
years.
If you're sitting a static caravan
for the very first time then choose your site carefully. For
instance, Is the site prone to flooding from rains or high
water? If the caravan site you choose is sheltered and virtually
risk free then you could stand to get a cheaper quote for your
insurance.
Some static caravan insurance will insist
that you use extra anti-theft procedures. This can mean paying
for an alarm that connects to park security etc.
Finally, a good insurance company
will offer the choice of 'New for Old' or 'Market Value'. This
means you can name your own premium depending on the cover you
require. For example, if your static caravan is a few years old and
only worth 50% of what you paid for it, you can insure it for a
brand new replacement (which will cost you more in premiums. Or
you could choose to insure it for a payout of what it's
currently worth on a market value basis (cheaper premiums).
Static caravan insurance
statistics
These are the top four static caravan
insurance claims.
-
Theft from static caravan.
-
Accidental damage to static caravan.
-
Storm damage to static caravan.
-
Theft of accessories from
static caravan (gas valves etc).
Tips on static caravan security
Write your name, telephone
number and postcode using an ultra-violet pen on all fittings
and items that can be stripped out from the caravan.
There are plenty of static caravan
security devices on the market that help reduce the risk of
theft. But probably the best suggestion is not to leave anything
of any value on view at any time. Keep the net curtains drawn
during the season when you are not there, and in the winter
remove all items and leave the net curtains open to show it has
been emptied.
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