Peg down your insurer, campers; Holiday travellers would be wise to

MAY bank holiday is a time when campers reach for their tents or dust down their caravans and head to the Highlands. However, life on the open road can quickly turn sour when you arrive back from the pub to find the tent gone, or your mobile home blown into a ditch.

Tents can cost anything from a few hundred pounds to several thousands, while caravans and motor homes can set you back tens of thousands of pounds.

Yet these are vulnerable items.

Caravan theft is rampant, but the risk of an accident is also worryingly high.

Insurer Norwich Union's Jim Lincoln explains: "Security is a problem, but they have other risks, because they carry gas etc, and are, therefore, highly combustible.

"And it is anything but uncommon to see them lying on their side on the road verges."

The most common claims are theft of contents or of the caravan itself, either from the drive at home or on the holiday site. However, there are a large number of claims each summer because the driver forgets he is towing it, and hits a tree or attempts to drive under a low bridge, or into a garage. Many claims follow bad storms when caravans are damaged or blown over.

Tents are even more susceptible, as are any equipment left within them. They can't be locked and are easily stolen. They can be insured relatively easily, however, under an existing home contents policy.

Many contracts will automatically cover items such as low-value tents, that cost just a few hundred quid, and camping equipment under the personal belongings section, but not all. Some may require them to be specifically listed, or charge an additional premium for inclusion.

Students, too, can often rely on their parents' household cover even though they live away at college. Provided they are still effectively based in their parents' home, and return at weekends, they are likely to still be protected.

But take nothing as read. The best move is to call your insurer and check out exactly where you stand.

Household policies though are unlikely to cover more expensive tents, costing upwards of (pounds) 1000, for this you may need a specialist policy.

Many camping equipment shops sell their own packaged insurance, but you should compare prices and cover elsewhere before opting to buy. The Camping and Caravanning Club has a specialist tent contract whereby the premiums are based on the value of the tent and its contents. It will consider issuing cover for tents of all ages, which is not common.

Remember, if you have no cover and equipment is stolen from your car, it is unlikely that your motor policy will pay out, as it does not normally protect expensive belongings in the car or on a roof rack.

Similarly caravans can be covered under a normal household policy but these would have to be specifically listed and a new policy issued for the payment of a premium.

A normal motor policy will pick up the tab for any accident when being towed, although it is again a sensible precaution to notify your insurer that you will regularly be touring in case they want to charge an additional premium.

The caravan itself, though, is protected under the household contract for loss, theft or damage and the policyholder's legal liability for accidents while the caravan is not attached to the car. You may need to pay an additional premium for extra equipment, such as awnings.

Under your household policy, however, the cover is likely to be limited to say a maximum of 60 days in a year, which may not be sufficient for serious caravaners. Neither are you likely to be able to take the car abroad.

Similarly, claims for unattended mobile homes will probably be rejected without security devices being in use, such as Theft, wheelclamp or hitchlock. Adding a caravan to a household policy would cost roughly (pounds) 3 for every (pounds) 100 worth of value. So a caravan worth (pounds) 10,000 might cost (pounds) 300 to insure.

However, both the Camping and Caravanning Club and a similar organisation for caravaners only, the Caravan Club, offer specialist policies for those looking for tailor-made cover. The Camping and Caravanning Club offers three different levels of cover and a wide range of discounts to its members. Again, you can have new for old cover on caravans of almost any age.

You can qualify for a 10% discount if you buy both the caravan policy and the club's home contents policy. The household policy is also specifically designed for enthusiasts and unlike most normal policies gives protection for more than 30 days.

Club spokeswoman Melanie Thompson says: "Normally, cover ceases if you are away from your home for more than 30 days. But some of our members are away for months, either touring around Europe, or simply avoiding the winter in Spain."

Further discounts are available if you fit Tyron safety bands, which prevent the caravan swerving, or if you have passed the club's driving and manoeuvring course. The Caravan Club runs a useful service called Theftcheck which allows you to register your caravan if it has been stolen.

This helps anyone buying to discover whether it has been stolen.

A club spokesman explains: "Theft is a real problem, and it is not made any easier by some buyers unwillingness to pay much attention to the caravan's previous ownership records.

"Some people are only too happy to turn a blind eye, if they think they can get something on the cheap."

The club has a checklist to help stamp out crime:

lRemove all personal belongings, and leave the curtains open when the caravan is out of use.

lKeep photographs of your caravan, inside and out and note any identifying scratches or other marks.

lWrite the serial or chassis number of your caravan in several places inside, using an ultra-violet or permanent marker pen. Note the location of these marks.

lKeep the CRIS (Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme) documents up to date.

lNote down serial numbers of all fitted accessories such as fridges and cookers.

lDon't choose a storage site on price alone. Consider any site security in place.

Finally if you are looking to buy a caravan, the Camping and Caravanning Club has loans available charging 8.3% between (pounds) 5000 and (pounds) 24,999, and 7.8% above that.

Copyright 2003 SMG Sunday Newspapers Ltd.
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