Insurance Suprise

adikia

I hope that I am posting in the right place, because I think this is of importance to Club members. My caravan insurance with the Caravan Club is due for renewal, so I have been phoning around to get comparative quotes. I was shocked to find out that two
of the companies that gave me a quote for comprehensive cover, did not in fact cover the caravan whilst it is being towed on the road, unless it became detached from the car!  Talk about chocolate teapots!  I'm staying with the Club!!

EasyT

That seems very strange. As far as I was aware any damage caused by the caravan when towing was against the car insurance but any damage too the caravan was against the caravan insurance. Assuming the outfit driver is at fault

EmilysDad

Your caravan is legally covered by your car's insurance for any damage it might cause whilst being towed. Cost of repairs to damage to the caravan itself though is NOT covered.

Wildwood

I think you have misunderstood the policies. They do cover the caravan against accidental damage to it while towing but any third party liabilities are covered under the tow cars insurance.

Basically if your caravan is damaged in an accident that is your fault the car insurance covers claims against you and damage to the car and the caravan insurance covers damage to the caravan.

The split is due to the Road Traffic Act requiring the towing vehicle to cover accident claims even if the trailer is the problem. A number of people do make this mistake but no one has ever produced a caravan policy not covering the caravan against damage to it when being towed. 

Freedom a whitebox

I wouldn't take anything for granted with your insurance cover. Read the policy. I tow with a Nissan pick up. This is privately registered and used solely for private use.

I have had no problem in finding insurers to quote on it. On asking if I am covered for towing, the answer has normally been - " No problem with towing a trailer"! On asking to clarify that I can pull my own caravan, I have found out on many occasions that
it doesn't.

I admit that it is technically a commercial vehicle, but I insure and use it as a private car would be. 

The outcome is that I have to go through a specialist broker via  the telephone and can't rely on using internet sites. 

Im sure that there are others out there who have not checked their policies fully and may find out that they not be properly covered

Wildwood

I wouldn't take anything for granted with your insurance cover. Read the policy. I tow with a Nissan pick up. This is privately registered and used solely for private use.

I have had no problem in finding insurers to quote on it. On asking if I am covered for towing, the answer has normally been - " No problem with towing a trailer"! On asking to clarify that I can pull my own caravan, I have found out on many occasions that
it doesn't.

I admit that it is technically a commercial vehicle, but I insure and use it as a private car would be. 

The outcome is that I have to go through a specialist broker via  the telephone and can't rely on using internet sites. 

Im sure that there are others out there who have not checked their policies fully and may find out that they not be properly covered

A caravan is a trailer. If they say they cover a trailer then they cannot later tell you they do not cover the car van if you have bought the insurance.

redface

EasyT - that happened to me a few months back and the upshot was that damage to the other vehicle was covered by the car insurer (i.e. 3rd party damage) but not to my caravan. It was the van that hit the other vehicle rather than the tow car.

Freedom a whitebox

I wouldn't take anything for granted with your insurance cover. Read the policy. I tow with a Nissan pick up. This is privately registered and used solely for private use.

I have had no problem in finding insurers to quote on it. On asking if I am covered for towing, the answer has normally been - " No problem with towing a trailer"! On asking to clarify that I can pull my own caravan, I have found out on many occasions that
it doesn't.

I admit that it is technically a commercial vehicle, but I insure and use it as a private car would be. 

The outcome is that I have to go through a specialist broker via  the telephone and can't rely on using internet sites. 

Im sure that there are others out there who have not checked their policies fully and may find out that they not be properly covered

A caravan is a trailer. If they say they cover a trailer then they cannot later tell you they do not cover the car van if you have bought the insurance.

...hi wildwood, I agree with your comment, but I wouldn't rate my chances of arguing that point after they have originally stated it isn't in their eyes. You would be tied to their t&c's. 

I would feel very stupid if I found myself in a position of being found to have no insurance and my complete outfit crushed as a result. Extreme I know, but with my luck, not a place I'd be willing to find myself in. 

Wildwood

I wouldn't take anything for granted with your insurance cover. Read the policy. I tow with a Nissan pick up. This is privately registered and used solely for private use.

I have had no problem in finding insurers to quote on it. On asking if I am covered for towing, the answer has normally been - " No problem with towing a trailer"! On asking to clarify that I can pull my own caravan, I have found out on many occasions that
it doesn't.

I admit that it is technically a commercial vehicle, but I insure and use it as a private car would be. 

The outcome is that I have to go through a specialist broker via  the telephone and can't rely on using internet sites. 

Im sure that there are others out there who have not checked their policies fully and may find out that they not be properly covered

A caravan is a trailer. If they say they cover a trailer then they cannot later tell you they do not cover the car van if you have bought the insurance.

...hi wildwood, I agree with your comment, but I wouldn't rate my chances of arguing that point after they have originally stated it isn't in their eyes. You would be tied to their t&c's. 

I would feel very stupid if I found myself in a position of being found to have no insurance and my complete outfit crushed as a result. Extreme I know, but with my luck, not a place I'd be willing to find myself in. 

I take the point but unless they actualy excluded caravans then they would not be able to turn down the claim. Under current law it is up to the insurer to ask the correct questions and if they accept a tow bar they have to assume it wil tow something. If
some trailers are unacceptable to them they have to ensure they check what will be towed. I appreciate their point and would not want to get into the argument myself.

KjellNN

We declared a towbar for our insurance, no increase in premium, and on talking to them said we towed a caravan on a regular basis, still no increase or refusal to cover.