April 2007
HOUSEHOLD INSURANCE & THE MOTORHOME OWNER
As the weather starts to warm up (assuming it does), motorhome owners will start to plan trips away. Many of these will involve continental touring or travel, and of these many will last longer than the traditional “fortnight in the sun”. Indeed, it is by no means unusual for motor caravanners to plan a trip of a month or more, and a good number now spend the winter months in warmer climates.
So what’s the problem? Surely that’s what motorhomes are for after all. The answer is that there is no problem, provided a bit of homework is done to ensure that the insurance on the home left behind is adequate to cover these extended trips away, either in the UK or in Europe. Many standard household policies have specific limitations on the length of time the home can be unoccupied, and a period of 30 days is not unusual. Not a problem for a few weeks in the Costa’s, but not much help to those looking to get away for longer. So the first precaution is to check what your own policy says. If there is a limit, do not be surprised if the insurer is unwilling to extend it.
The second point to investigate is that of personal belongings. We at Comfort have always maintained that the motorhome (motor) policy is designed to cover items “dedicated” to the vehicle, such as bedding, crockery and the like, and that other personal belongings such as cameras and sports equipment are more properly covered under a household insurance. Unfortunately there is a slight problem here – many household insurance policies have specific exclusions or limitations when goods are left in vehicles, and they do not differentiate between cars and motorcaravans. The result is that policy cover may be limited to a few hundred pounds, and then only when items are in a locked boot or glove compartment.
The problems outlined above have been discovered – often the hard way – and related to us, particularly at the major shows. As a result we set out to produce an insurance that dealt with the specific needs of motorhome and caravan owners. We got together with Norwich Union, the UK’s largest insurer, and our discussions resulted in two packages with special features. These include
* A standard 60 days unoccupancy allowance, with the option to increase this to 90, 120 or 180 days (at an additional premium)
* If personal belongings cover is selected, the full sum insured applies not only outside the home, but also in the client’s motorhome (subject to Horizon Home Comforts policy conditions)
* If annual travel cover is selected, the standard 60 days any one trip limit can be extended to 90, 120 or 180 days (at an additional premium)
* The cover under the contents section for guests’ effects is extended to the client’s motorhome.
For customers demanding higher (or lower) sums insured than are provided by our standard policy, we have an alternative scheme. This will provide total flexibility for clients looking for a bespoke product.
Resource Centre | |
 |
Route Planner Plan effectively for your trip |
 |
Weather Find the warm places to visit |
 |
News Catch the latest developments in the motorcaravan world. |
Awards
