Car Insurance

[Tony_374371542]

I have just received my car insurance renewal. In the small print, my insurance company limit the maximum dimensions for caravans to 2.25m wide and 7m long.

I have spoken to the insurance company and they have confirmed that over the maximum dimensions, a caravan would not be covered at all under the car insurance.

My caravan is a Swift Challenger 540 which falls outside the maximum dimensions.

It may be worthwhile checking on car/caravan cover.

 

[emmitdb]

Greetings,

I can only imagine that your Insurance Co. are in some way trying to comply with obsolete legislation and in attempting to do so has fallen between two stools.

First of all, the width of the caravan.

Until 22nd April this year, the maximum width of a caravan towed by a vehicle (under 3500kgs)in the UK was 2.3mtrs.

There are more vans on the UK roads that are over the Insurance Co. limit of 2.25mts than not. (most are somewhere in between 2.25 and 2.3) On 22nd April legislation was altered to allow caravans with a width of 2.55mts. to be towed by 'ordinary' vehicles

Second, the length issue. UK law states that the maximum length of a caravan with either a single axel or close coupled twin axel (ie your 'ordinary' van) should be 7mts. but that length is EXCLUDING the drawbar. In other words the vans habitable area or thereabouts.

I think the Insurance Co. have simply got the width wrong and the length is correct but they haven't elaborated.

Give them a ring and gently point out to them that they might not be right.

See what they say.

 

[Tony_374371542]

Greetings,

I can only imagine that your Insurance Co. are in some way trying to comply with obsolete legislation and in attempting to do so has fallen between two stools.

First of all, the width of the caravan.

Until 22nd April this year, the maximum width of a caravan towed by a vehicle (under 3500kgs)in the UK was 2.3mtrs.

There are more vans on the UK roads that are over the Insurance Co. limit of 2.25mts than not. (most are somewhere in between 2.25 and 2.3) On 22nd April legislation was altered to allow caravans with a width of 2.55mts. to be towed by 'ordinary' vehicles

Second, the length issue. UK law states that the maximum length of a caravan with either a single axel or close coupled twin axel (ie your 'ordinary' van) should be 7mts. but that length is EXCLUDING the drawbar. In other words the vans habitable area or thereabouts.

I think the Insurance Co. have simply got the width wrong and the length is correct but they haven't elaborated.

Give them a ring and gently point out to them that they might not be right.

See what they say.

Thanks for the response del.

i did phone my car insurance company and they confirmed that I wouldn't be insured for third party losses due to the size of my van. The van is insured with the Camping and Caravanning Club and they also confirmed that they would only cover damage to the van but not third party damage.

The result of all this is that I changed the car insurance to a cheaper quote for the same cover, which did include third party cover for the caravan.