choosing a van

[Damian]

The insurance cover for the caravan given by your car insurance is ONLY when the caravan is attached to the car and you are towing, and it only covers 3rd party claims, so if you had an accident in which no one else is involved you cannot claim for any damage to your own caravan.

Whilst it is not legally required to have insurance on a caravan it makes sense to have it, unless you have a very large bank balance should your van cause damage to someone elses van or person, for instance on site, or you have an accident as described above.

The best but not the cheapest insurance is through one of the two main clubs.

 

[Lonesome-Whizkid]

So do you need to inform the insurance on your towing vehicle that you have a caravan and you'll be towing it or do you just say when they ask for any modifications you say yes it has a towbar fitted? And that that is sufficient.?

 

[ProfJohnL]

Its generally sufficient to advise your insures that you have a towbar on the car. However to be doubly sure, there is no harm in specifically advising them you will be towing a caravan, at least then they can't turn round a disallow a claim on a technicality such as size of trailer.

 

[Raywood]

If you inform your insurer that you have a towbar fitted it is up to them to ask if they think the type of trailer is relevant. The law on the subject has changed so that insurers must ask the question and if they do not ask they cannot use non disclosure as a basis for turning down a claim.l

 

[Lonesome-Whizkid]

Is your caravan only covered by your towing vehicle insurance if it's a fully comprehensive policy and not third party? Or is the van not covered at all due to the fact there's no legal requirement to have insurance for it?

So when someone talks about van insurance is it really contents insurance there talking about?

 

[Damian]

Is your caravan only covered by your towing vehicle insurance if it's a fully comprehensive policy and not third party? Or is the van not covered at all due to the fact there's no legal requirement to have insurance for it?

So when someone talks about van insurance is it really contents insurance there talking about?

As for insurance relating to the car and van, it does not matter what car policy you have, as long as you have informed your insurer that you have a towbar, the van is covered for 3rd party damage whilst towing, ie if it causes damage to another car or person through an accident, or RTI as they call it now.

Separate caravan insurance through one of the clubs, for instance, covers you for damage you may do to your own van, or theft of the van , etc .

 

[Lonesome-Whizkid]

And one final question! I see a lot of scrap yards for cars, but in the event you keep your caravan till its non sellable and falling to bits, how do you dispose of it?

Is there some sort of caravan scrap yard too?

 

[FrintonMike]

We have a couple of caravan scrap yards near us in Essex. One does statics and the other tourers