Write Off Insurance

[CaravanNewbie1]

Hi. I'm new to caravaning and am looking at buying a Cat D Caravan from a reputable source. Can anyone advise on any insurance companies who would accept a damaged caravan for cover. The damage is very minor cosmetic (small dent) to the rear which to be honest is nothing so I would have no intentions of repairing. I believe an Engineers Report maybe required but I am struggling to find a price for have this done. Can anyone suggest insurance companies or advise on the cost of a report?

 

[Parksy]

Hi Caravan Newbie, welcome to the Practical Caravan forum.
An independent report for a prospective buyer on the condition and road-worthiness of a touring caravan can be carried out by a mobile caravan engineer who is approved by the NCC. They will offer a quote for the cost of the report.
Click Here to find one in your area.
Contact the Camping & Caravanning Club insurance scheme Club Care who will advise you on whether they would be prepared to offer insurance cover on the caravan subject to an engineers report. You don't have to be a C&CC member to get a quote but it's often a bit cheaper if you join.

 

[Surfer]

What is a Cat D write off? Does it mean that the part was not available? What type of caravan is it as I am surprised that a dealer would even consider selling a write off even if the damage is minor. I am not sure if you can name the dealer although it should not infringe forum rules.

 

[RogerL]

Write-off categories for cars are as follows:-
A - Next to nothing left
B - Not fit to go back on the road
C - Major Damage but safely repairable
D - Just uneconomic to repair as far as INs. concerned
So it's quite legitimate to repair and continue using Cat C & D
I wasn't aware that caravan manufacturers used the same categories - many older caravans would be in Cat D just because of dings and minor paint blemishes - no caravan insurer has ever asked me if my caravan was cosmetically perfect - it isn't but I don't get charged any more for that.

 

[Surfer]

Write-off categories for cars are as follows:-
A - Next to nothing left
B - Not fit to go back on the road
C - Major Damage but safely repairable
D - Just uneconomic to repair as far as INs. concerned
So it's quite legitimate to repair and continue using Cat C & D
I wasn't aware that caravan manufacturers used the same categories - many older caravans would be in Cat D just because of dings and minor paint blemishes - no caravan insurer has ever asked me if my caravan was cosmetically perfect - it isn't but I don't get charged any more for that.

Thanks Roger hence my surprise that a reputable dealer is selling a Cat D. A CAT D could also have damp issues and it is unlikely it will be sold with any warranty except for the cover SOGA would offer. If no warranty of at least 3 months I would walk away.

 

[RogerL]

Thanks Roger hence my surprise that a reputable dealer is selling a Cat D. A CAT D could also have damp issues and it is unlikely it will be sold with any warranty except for the cover SOGA would offer. If no warranty of at least 3 months I would walk away.

If a customer is buying a caravan, openly declared as a Cat D, they're probably paying an appropriately low price and wouldn't expect anything more than SoGA's safeguards.
Any warranty you get on any caravan, or anything else, that's above SoGA comes at a price - it doesn't come for nothing.

 

[Dustydog]

It's all about DISCLOSURE.
As long as Caravan newbie tells the Insurers what he has or is about to buy , Cat D , then he has fulfilled his part of the future contract by making a full disclosure.
As for damp that is a separate issue but in the circumstances I wouldn't expect any dealer to ofer his unit for sale with any implied warranty at all. Take it or leave it.

 

[CaravanNewbie1]

Thanks for all the replies. Great to get other peoples opinions. The caravan is being sold by a salvage agent who is reputable as I say and has been around for a long time. It is normal for caravans to be written off by insurance companies due to the cost of repairs (mainly labour costs).
I have contacted a NCC technician who is happy to do a report on the van and check for any suspect problems for me. As I am not intending to have the caravan damage repaired as it is only a dent I still seem to be having a problem getting an insurance company to take it unrepaired at the moment.
As for the price. Well rest assured I am careful with all of these things and I am paying around £1500 - £2000 less than main dealers would be charging for it.

 

[Parksy]

Make sure that the caravan was not involved in any floods over the past few years, our three month old caravan (along with hundreds more) was written off during floods 4 years ago.

It was towed away from the site by a salvage agent who had bought it from the insurers (C&CC) and the salvage guy was very interested in how much water had entered the caravan and how long the water was inside.
It appeared to me that the salvage guy seemed interested in selling the caravan complete rather than for parts and I couldn't help wondering if somebody later bought an immaculate looking low priced caravan which had had the River Avon containing sewage flowing under the beds to a depth of about 4"

 

[RogerL]

Parksy's post about floods is important to anyone buying second-hand - as well as tourers which were caught in floods, the insurance companies bought large numbers of tourers, new and second-hand, to provide accomodation for those whose houses were flooded because drying out and repairs took months, over a year in many cases. These tourers will have come back onto the market in very poor condition because 12 months continuous use by non-caravanners will really have taken it's toll in wear and tear.