Help wanted, new to caravanning, insurance, security devices etc

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

Well we've just decided to ditch our M/home and go the touring caravan route, but are completely out of our depth, so here's the questions.

 

What if any security devices do we need to get insurance for it, we envisage the van being stored at a local farm with no security as such there apart from sheep with a bad attitude.

 

Can anyone recommend an insurer that does not insist on every Thatcham device under the sun, caravan is 2 years old value around 10k, many thanks.

[jam151]

hi

im also new to caravanning but unlike yourself this is my 1st having only tried camping previously (now never looking back), as i found its best to shop around for quotes but i found a good quality hitch lock & wheel locks were basic requirements, the price does come down if the van is stored in an approved site but basicly the insurances were looking for secure compounds with fences & lockable gates, security cameras etc. you will probably see most will offer new for old on vans up to 5 years old too but the prices do vary, as i said im very new to this so hopefully my comments will help but if not im sure the well seasoned :-D members here can point you in the right direction

regards jamie

[PeteH]

Hi

 

Just come back to a caravan myself after 13years in American R-V`s!!!. I found the CCC where the best for Insurance, and accepted the fact that with an Alko Wheel lock and Hitch lock, my driveway was acceptable storage.

 

I don`t think the neighbors are still too chuffed but hey its 1/2 the size of the R-V so what the hell!!.

 

I have a "new for old" policy, and a "rescue" package with "arrival" which is a hangover from the R-v.

 

Hope this helps?

 

Pete

 

 

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

Many thanks for that, I'll give them a call. The thing that I find surprising is considering my M/home has zero security devices, is worth at least twice what the caravan is, and is parked ( with the insurers knowledge ) on a public car park the hoops I'm going through to even get a quote is unbelievable, add in the cost of a secure storage pound a lot of them demand and it's starting to look very expensive, compared to my van. Must confess wish I'd known about this before.

[Dave225]

I am sorry you are having 2nd thoughts. I assume you decided to go down this route for a number of reasons and I also assume these have not changed just because of a few legally beagly issues.

 

We also went from motorhome to caravan although i do admit there was a gap in between. Our reasons were due to house move and having a shared parking area meant that having a motorhome was no longer possible, plus we found that having a car on site was more useful to us. In addition as age was catching up, as with all of us, we felt that touring around on a daily basis was no longer fun and we preferred to stay longer in one place. The caravan ticked all the boxes for us plus there is no getting away from the fact that for each foot of length, in general the caravan gives more internal space for lounging etc.

 

We use a CASSOa site for the above parking reasons and in many respects it is more convenient as we do not have it cluttering up a drive etc. Yes, we use a hitchlock and a wheel clamp when it is parked over the winter but I admit that while on holiday I am less enthusiastic. I convince myself that with all the nice vans to choose from in a carpark or site, my old shed is likely to be last on the list. We tend to spend all our time abroad and have found security to be much less of an issue than here in the UK where to be honest people sometimes appear paranoid. Equipment get sleft lying around and is never touched, of course someone will always have a story that says otherwise, but in nearly 30 years we have never had anything disappear.

 

If it is a new caravan you are buying then yes, insurance is important in order to protect yourself as best you can. Once it gets older then new for old may disappear and well, sometimes you just have to live life a little and not worry about every eventuality.

 

I do hope you resolve your 'problems' and get to enjoy your caravan.

[Dave225]

Re reading your post and I am a little confused. Most insurers ask for a hitchlock and wheel clamp, which is not too ardous. Some insist on it being attcahed every time you stop, which is frankly a bit OTT plus if your van was actually nicked how are they to know whether it was attached or not? We currently use Saga which ask for the above 2 items but also give discounts on the type of storage and any extra security you may have. Ours has Theftbeaters installed, which came with it. No idea if it actually works as fortunately never had to find out.

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

Yes thanks for that, obviously we will get both items, our problem seems to be as far as insurance is concerned is where we were proposing to leave it, which is in a very low crime area, a storage compound without CCTV and non of the bells and whistles of a Cassoa site, just a garage with some spare ground behind where they store boats and caravans. The closest "approved" Cassoa storage site is 70 miles away, less than ideal, we did not realise the limitations as far as insurance was concerned before we agreed to buy the van, when our previous insurer was quite happy to insure our M/home parked up on a public car park, all for £260 a year including full European recovery, now we are faced with Insurance of a similar price, plus the cost of storage that they will agree to, oh well.

[CliveH]

I think the sad fact is that Travellers/Cackers/Pikies - call them what you will (TCP's) - are more interested in knicking your caravan than knicking a motorhome.

 

A motorhome has a registration number and has to be taxed, insured and have an MOT.

 

A caravan requires non-of these things and so if it is knicked it can be difficult to trace.

 

I would be wary of leaving £10K's worth of 2 year old o a farm. Most Farmers I know round here have more than a little trouble with the TCP's knicking farm equipment - so a nice caravan would be a bonus for the thieving sods.

 

Best theft deterrent in my view is a Tracker. Our friends simply moved their caravan and the company was ringing them saying that the Tracker fitted was registering this.

 

If you are going to leave it on a Farm - I would suggest a Tracker would be a very good option indeed.

 

 

[Dave225]

Just a question. I assume you kept the motorhome at home in order to use it daily so can you not do the same with the caravan, or is space a premium?

 

As an alternative suggestion are there any CC or C&CC sites near you that can offer storage. At least then it will be in a more secure place.

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

We live in a flat, the M/home is parked opposite on a public ( free ) car park, sadly that is going to be turned into a pay and display park with height barriers early next year, guess why, the amount of locals who have complained to the community council about motor-homes "wild camping" over the summer months ( we live on the coast that is a Mecca for tourists in the summer. We've discovered there are no storage sites acceptable to insurers in this area, the nearest one is 70 miles away, think we'll give up the whole idea, and go the Travel lodge/ Premier Inn route, seems far less hassle. :-S

[PeteH]

Hi

 

Very sad if you are forced to give up. Because of Bureaucracy and STUPID neighbors!!. IF there are no Yellow lines I would be tempted to park it ON THE ROAD. and "one finger" the idiots who are trying to RULE YOUR life!!!. But then, as my wife would say I am (probably) the one who would cause a revolution in an Empty House!!. When we "downsized" 3 years ago the PRIORITY (for me) was to be able to store on MY PROPERTY. If the neighbors have issues then it`s time they "got a life". I couldn`t care less if they don't like my caravan that their tough luck!!!. They are luck its not the American R-V which we had until recent!!! 32ft long 8ft+ wide and 12-6 tall.

 

 

Pete

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

Well we have finally given up on the idea, seems so much hassle compared to the M/home, oh well.

[PJay]

1footinthegrave - 2012-10-14 11:13 PM

 

Many thanks for that, I'll give them a call. The thing that I find surprising is considering my M/home has zero security devices, is worth at least twice what the caravan is, and is parked ( with the insurers knowledge ) on a public car park the hoops I'm going through to even get a quote is unbelievable, add in the cost of a secure storage pound a lot of them demand and it's starting to look very expensive, compared to my van. Must confess wish I'd known about this before.

 

It's easier to steal/tow away a caravan, and less identifiable than a Motor Vehicle. No engine with identity marks for starters

 

So are you staying with the MH now then?

We are thinking of going the tugging route, but for different reasons than you. We like to stay put more now, as we get older

PJay

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

To be honest apart from the storage hassle, I'm past the first flush of youth and started to think about lugging heavy containers of clean and dirty water across a field, yes I know they roll, but with the van it's just not an issue, and 120 litres onboard can last four days, then it's just a drive over to the tap, I then I started to think about the setting up or leaving on site possibly in foul weather in a touring van and contrasted that with our current M/home, we arrive in the van, and have a brew in our hands in less time then it would take to wind a jockey wheel down.

 

We then started looking at suitable diesel tow cars, well that opened another can of worms, with DMFs, DPFs, EGR valves etc etc, so sticking with our petrol car now.

 

To be honest there are pluses and minuses to both caravans and M/homes, but on balance for us it came down to sticking with our M/home which on paper ticked more boxes for us, so in some ways we should be grateful for the problems in finding a secure storage site and the insurance "jump through hoops" that we encountered, otherwise the van would be there right now, and we could have ended up regretting the change in the very near future.