Touring caravan insurance – plan ahead

With camping and caravanning set to boom this summer as people save money by holidaying at home, you need to plan ahead. The year is creeping by, and whether you’re touring round the UK in the summer months, or waiting until September when things are a little quieter, your touring caravan insurance and other preparations need to be up to date. Just like car or cheap taxi cover it pays to do research.

Checking your touring caravan insurance

Now’s the time to check that your touring caravan insurance is up-to-date and meets your needs. If you renewed it earlier in the year as a matter of course, take a look at the policy to make sure it covers everything you need. This is particularly important if you are taking your caravan outside the UK, for example, or if you have recently re-fitted it, or upgraded the model. In addition to checking that your touring caravan insurance is valid, you’ll need to:

• Book a pitch in advance – increased numbers of caravanners on the road this summer means that there’s no guarantee you can turn up at a site and get a pitch. Be organised, and book your pitches in advance. That way, you know that you’ll have somewhere to stay. If you’re planning on touring around, and you don’t like to book in advance, you need to be prepared for the fact that you might have to use a site with fewer or no facilities in order to get a spot.

• Update your equipment – you might want to take this opportunity to look at the camping equipment you own and decide whether you need to buy anything new. From bedding to barbecues, you may find that things are starting to age, or that there’s a new version that’s more efficient, lighter, smaller or all three. Remember that if you upgrade your equipment significantly, or you buy something valuable, you’ll need to update your touring caravan insurance as well.

• Think about space – if you’ve been caravanning for a while and your family’s growing, you might be thinking about sticking the kids in a tent next to your caravan rather than having them inside. This might also appeal to your children – particularly if they’re at an age where they want to stay out later than you and you don’t want them disturbing you when they get in. Check that your touring caravan insurance covers you for additional structures so that if then tent or awning gets damaged, you have the cover you need.