Message Forums

Karen

If you don't tour with your van then a lot of policies will include cover that you don't need - such as European cover and cover for other family and friends to tow it etc,.

I think it would be worth your while shopping around for an insurer whose policy doesn't include unecessary cover.

I've got 5 Star (new for old) cover with the Caravan Club.  I've claimed discount for Mr Ultimates having done their towing course, I've excluded the contents as they're covered on my house policy so I've only allowed for the awning and the motor mover and I've taken a voluntary excess.  All of these help me to keep my premium as affordable as possible.

Thanks, I asked for a voluntary £200 excess, but I hadn't thought of asking my home insurer if the stuff's included (I don't think it will be as we haven't even got outside cover for cameras and stuff, but its worth a try. 

I thought I'd be a lesser risk because it stays in one place all year round, but they're all asking if the park has locked gates - I don't know of many who do, frankly! Most sites I know allow people to come and go (they didn't just mean over the winter).  The caravan club want £505 (including the price of me joining). I've been trying desperately to get hold of Avondale to ask what alarm is on the van, but its constantly engaged (probably with complaints about the panelling!!). Maybe I should ask if I get a discount for Winter Wheels (I'd have to get two for one side on a twin axle I think, because it could still be towed on 3 wheels, couldn't it?)

I've been saying £16500 for the van (book price), £500 equipment (clamp, aquaroll etc - not buying an awning, maybe just a Sunncamp next year) and £500 contents. I've just had a quote from Tourer Select of £417 that's the best so far, but don't know what they're like in event of a claim - I've steered clear of E&L!

All this advice is helping, believe me, I'm just sorry I hijacked the topic!!

Hi, Karen,

I don't mind you hijacking this topic (lol) I've read every reply and all the comments are very helpful, keep them coming.

Thanks Denise

Hi Karen

I too am very interested in your quest for reasonable cost insurance for your new van, the link below is for the Avondale factory fitted alarm, I've just traded my Avondale Argente 530/5, which has the same alarm fitted, very good alarm by the way.

We are replacing the above with a Lunar Quasar 615 twin axle, we couldn't have the bigger Avondales due to the max tow weight of the Honda CR-V being a 'woosy' 1500Kg, which I'm led to believe will be 2000Kg when the new model arrives in 2007, but not much good to me now.

http://www.keenelectronics.co.uk/prod01.htm

Today, I had a call from CC regarding insurance for the Lunar and they want me to fit a tracker system, just like Caravanguard do, who are my current insurers, which I don't really want to do due to the cost.

Caravanguard have a policy of requiring all twin axle vans over 14K in value to have the device fitted, with a 25% reduction in premiums for doing so, which on the surface seems fairly reasonable to both insurer and insured.

However, after my conversation with the underwriter at the CC today, I don't believe they have a fair and reasonable policy regarding security devices required in order to insure caravans, particularly if you have made a claim in the last 3 years, which I have due to the 1st caravan being stolen from my drive. I feel that I am now being unfairly penalised for this, as they want me to fit a tracker device, to reduce their risk of having to pay for another stolen caravan claim, but do not offer any discount for having one fitted.

In my world, either these Sold Secure Gold devices work, and therefore should attract the appropriate insurance discounts, or they don't. If they don't work why spend the money on them in the first place? The answer is I guess that something is better than nothing, so lets all pretend Sold Secure Gold devices work. OK, I can live with that, but what I cannot accept is unfair security equipment requirements based on previous claims as opposed to current risk, which is what I understood insurance to be about.

We currently have a seasonal pitch and I have booked covered winter storage at the same site for the new van, so no different to the 50+ other vans on the site in the same scenario. When I asked if my current risk was any different to anyone elses on the same site the answer was no, but the CC wish to reduce their risk of another claim.....from me, therefore a tracker is required.

To all CC members out there, particularly with CC insurance, would you expect to be treated any differently to your neighbour, just because you had the misfortune of having your caravan stolen, even though at the time it had a Sold Secure Gold wheel clamp and hitch lock, which was stipulated by the insurers??

Have I completely lost the plot here cos I'm not happy with the response from the CC at all, so will be putting pen to paper when I get the time and I just hope I am able to find alternative insurance elsewhere with less stringent conditions attached.

OK, rant over and I feel much better now, good look with the Avondale Karen and check those panels regular, ours has been OK since the front was replaced, I'll miss the Avondale.

Mick