Static Caravan Insurance Buyer's Guide

Why do you need static caravan insurance?

Static caravan insurance is not a legal requirement. However, most holiday parks will ask you to have a basic level of cover in the form of caravan liability insurance. However, just because it's not a legal requirement, this doesn't mean that there aren't good reasons not to insure your caravan. This guide explains the ins and outs of static caravan insurance. 

What is static caravan insurance?

If you own a caravan that is permanently sited, i.e. with plumbing and a permanent electrical link up, you can and should insure it as you would your main residence. Put simply, static caravan insurance can: protect the caravan itself against adverse weather conditions and accidental damage; reimburse you for stolen or damaged contents; and cover other items on your pitch.

What does static caravan insurance cover?

Static caravan insurance cover is designed to protect you against the following:

• Storm cover for caravans – Your static caravan can be insured for damage caused by storm for when the weather gets rough. We can also cover items on your pitch such as decking, veranda and outside furniture.

• Static caravan contents cover – The fixtures and fittings in your static caravan are covered as part of the caravan itself. However, we also cover items such as TVs, cooking appliances such as toasters plus other non-permanent furniture such as lamps and ornaments.

• Park owner for re-siting costs – If the worst happens and your caravan is beyond repair, we will cover the cost of removing any debris, plumbing the new caravan in (electrics and water) and any fees charged by the site.

• New for old replacements available – When you take out a policy with us, you’ll be asked for the ‘new’ price of your caravan. If you choose our new for old cover, you’ll receive a replacement of the same value should your caravan be damaged beyond repair.

• I rent out my caravan – If you choose to rent out your static caravan when you’re not there, you can still get cover. Just be sure to let us know your intentions when you take out the policy.

• No excess on the majority of claims – With the exception of subsidence, landslip and ground heave, you’ll get every penny of what you claim for.

• Flood cover – static caravan insurance with flood cover is not always available if you live in a higher risk area. All of Towergate's static caravan policies come with flood cover so if we can insure you, you'll automatically be insured for flood damage.

• Winter protection – When you leave for the colder months, provided you’ve drained down your caravan correctly, we’ll cover you against damage caused by frost and freezing.

• Keys and locks – In the unfortunate case of a break in, or if your keys are lost or stolen, we can cover you for replacing the locks on your caravan and even your replacement keys.

With the Towergate caravan insurance policy, you’ll have the option to let us know what matters to you most. From there, we’ll provide you with the right policy to protect those things so you have peace of mind.

How much does static caravan insurance cost?

The cost of static caravan insurance varies depending on several factors including:

• Market value versus new for old cover

• Value of the static caravan itself

• Extras like decking, veranda and contents

It's there for hard to give an estimate price however, here are some tips on how to keep the cost of your static caravan insurance down.

Consider how you use your caravan – Do you hire out your static caravan? How many days per year do you spend in it? Do you keep valuable possessions in your static caravan?

Ask yourself all these questions and be sure to let your Towergate adviser know about your requirements. We’ll then work with you to find the best insurance solution to suit your needs.

Consider what you need covered – The sums insured part of your policy will be split into the value of the caravan itself and the items contained in/attached to your caravan. Permanent fixtures and fittings will be included in the value of the caravan itself. Other items may include push bikes, kitchenware and other caravan contents besides laptops and mobile phones. We will also cover outdoor items such as decking and outdoor furniture provided it’s contained or stored within the confines of your pitch. The key here is not to leave anything out and if you end up purchasing more items, make sure you add them to your policy to make sure they’re covered.

Know the value of your caravan – The value of your caravan will affect your new for old value or replacement value. You should know the market value of your caravan and the ‘buy-new’ value if possible. If you have bought a brand new caravan, finding out these values should be easy. However, if you have a second hand caravan or an older model, it’s best to ask a site manager or agent.

Discounts on static caravan insurance! – We offer discounts to our more security conscious customers. We offer a 10% discount if you install UPVC locks or use Ramtech / StarTech alarm systems.

Be rewarded – Recommend a friend to us and if they take out a new policy, you and your friend get £20 to spend in M&S.

Be demanding – We’re here to help you get the best policy for you. So if you want a particular cover, ask us and we’ll set you up with the appropriate policy.

Be sure to tell us if you need to update your policy – If you need to take more items away with you or you modify your caravan in some way which affects it’s value, be sure to let us know so that your insurance cover remains valid. Please also notify us if your storage arrangements change.

What are excesses in insurance?

An excess is a contribution you, the customer are asked to pay towards a claim. Unlike many other insurance policies out there, Towergate’s static caravan insurance waver these costs. With the exception of claims relating to ground movement, all claims are excess free. So whether you’re claiming for fire damage, storm damage, loss or theft of contents, you won’t have to pay a penny.

If your static caravan is damaged by ground movement, your excess will be £500. The term ground movement includes; land slip, ground heave and subsidence. Of course subsidence is a very rare occurrence so there’s no too much to worry about here.

If you’d like your premium to be lower and you don’t mind paying some excess, this option is available to you on some policies too. For more information on excesses, browse our tips and guide sections on the website or speak to a member of our helpful static caravan team. 

Static caravan insurance exclusions explained

You’ll find the full list of policy exclusions in your policy documents. Here however, we want to point out a few exclusions that often escape our customer’s attention:

• Fences and hedges - This is a common question among both home and static caravan insurance customers. Unfortunately, if fences blow over or hedges are crushed by storm debris, they are not covered by most insurers. Please be aware this does not apply to your static caravan's decking or veranda which will be insured provided you have factored them into your sums insured.

• Damage by domestic pets/vermin – Damage by pets generally isn't covered by static caravan insurers. Similarly, damage caused by infestation of vermin also won’t be covered.

• Water must be switched off over winter – If proper precautions haven’t been taken, cover for frozen pipes will be void. You should switch off the water at the mains, drain down all equipment or leave the heating on to remain covered for water damage over the winter months.

• Accidental damage caused by tenants – We will insure you if you rent out your static caravan however, we cannot cover accidental damage caused by hirers, we would recommend you use their deposit to cover damages.

• Landslip, ground heave and subsidence – We cover you for damage caused by land movement. However, this does not fall under our no excess cover. When you take out a policy with us, be sure to ask your adviser about excesses on this cover.

How to resit a static caravan

When talking to customers about static caravans there are always a few things for you to consider.

Alongside values for the static caravan itself and the contents you may need to include, you can also include the cost of resiting the static caravan in your sum insured. It’s a figure that most static caravan owners forget to consider but is something that will be asked by most companies when you call to get a quote.

So what is resiting?

If you were to have a total loss, for example if a fire were to occur and your static caravan needed replacing completely, it would be the cost of;

• Removing any debris.

• Getting the ground back to a good standard pitch.

• Getting the replacement static caravan attached to the mains services.

So all in all, it’s the extra cost of getting the static caravan back up and running for you. So how much does resiting cost?

Resiting costs vary from park to park and may increase if you have a larger static caravan or luxury lodge. The best way to find out the cost of resting your caravan is to speak with the owner or manager at the holiday park. They should be able to provide a figure based on their experience in getting caravans sited themselves.

Once you have found out the figure for resiting on your park, it can be included in your sums insured and if you need to claim, you know that you have some of the cover there. If you need a quote for your static caravan, or about your static caravan insurance, call the team or visit the Towergate website.

Sums insured contents cover explained

Your static caravan is your home from home. Therefore, it's likely you would want to keep some creature comforts around you for the duration of your stay.

Part of sums insured refers to the part of your static caravan insurance that covers your contents. This means that should you lose an item or have an item stolen from you, your insurance will either replace that item or pay out for you to replace it yourself.

The most important thing about sums insured is making sure you have the right amount insured. This is particularly important in the event of a total loss claim. If for example your static caravan burns down and you need to replace five thousand pounds' worth of furniture, electrical goods, and clothes but you’ve only covered yourself for four thousand pounds worth of items in your sums insured, your policy would not be able to pay out for the full five thousand pounds you need to get you back in the same financial position you were before the fire.

To help make sure you aren’t under-insured think carefully about what you’d need covered and what you’d need to replace should the worst happen. Be sure to include all items of value such as:

• Televisions and electrical goods

• Bedding

• Pots and pans

• Clothing

Make sure you are thorough in calculating your sums insured, it’s surprising how the little things add up. Take your time and contact us when you’re ready to get a quote.

Myth busting!

“Falling trees aren’t covered”

With Towergate, you’ll be covered if a tree or branch causes damage to your static caravan provided it is not due to lack of maintenance from the site owner.

“I need to include all my fixtures and fittings in my ‘sums insured’”

Anything permanently fixed in your caravan is covered in with the caravan itself. The things you need to cover in additional 'contents insurance' are household goods and personal property currently within the caravan. For further information speak to your insurance adviser.

"Acts of God aren’t covered"

An act of god is an event that happens beyond human control. Storms and other adverse weather are very much beyond everyone’s control and are therefore very much covered by our policies. We’re here to help when disaster strikes. If we didn’t protect against the forces of nature, we wouldn’t be doing a very good job.

“If a pipe bursts over the winter when I’m not there, I won’t be covered”

Not true. When you insure with us, you’ll be covered for damage caused by cold weather provided you’ve drained down your caravan properly before you leave for the winter. (Subject to the terms on your individual policy)

Why choose Towergate for your static caravan insurance?

As a specialist insurer who've been supplying caravan insurance for 20 years, we've come to know what caravanners want from their insurance. Combined with our flexible approach to insurance and a helpful approach to customer service, we’re confident that our cover and service will be a huge comfort and allow you to travel in your caravan carefree.

Our claims service is in house so you won’t get passed from pillar to post. We pledge to act within 24 hours of being notified of your claim and within five days if you provide us with new information on an existing claim. Our claims staff will guide you through each step of your claim and advise you on how to gain swift resolution of your claim. Simply give us a call and we’ll take it from there.

Can we help you with anything else?

As one of the largest insurance intermediaries in Europe, Towergate offer a huge range of specialist insurance products. In the leisure department alone we offer insurance for; Touring caravans, park homes, beach huts and our insurance4carhire.com team offer great value hire car excess waiver insurance.