The Most Common Caravan Insurance Claims

Your caravan is most likely one of the most expensive investments you ever make. Keeping it in prime condition can be tricky, as you're likely to encounter at least one problem when looking after it.

Issues such as theft and damage can happen every day. We've looked at the two most common caravan insurance claims to help you keep your caravan safe and give you peace of mind.

Learn more about the importance of caravan insurance below.

Accidental damage

Accidental damage is by far the most common type of claim we receive.

This type of damage can often happen due to bad weather. For example, one policyholder's caravan was struck and damaged when the roof of a neighbouring caravan blew off in a storm. With many caravan sites situated by the UK coast, storms can cause damage to caravans. The weather is unpredictable, so it's common for storms to be the main reason for accidents.

Negligent behaviour from fellow holidaymakers is also a common reason behind accidental damage claims. For instance, one of our policyholders claimed their caravan was cracked across the rear when somebody reversed into it.

Another caravan claim involved a claimant who had just finished washing the roof of their caravan and was returning it to its parking spot. Despite performing what they believed was a safe U-turn, they encountered a misplaced wheelie bin, which collided with the back window of the caravan and smashed it. This shows that caravan cover can be useful, even when you least expect an accident to occur.

There's also a danger of issues occurring while driving with a touring caravan. One of our customers was shaken when the passenger-side wheel of their caravan came loose on a busy road.

The above examples demonstrate just how important it is to take out robust damage cover for your caravan. You can also take steps to prevent accidents from happening in the first place, for example, checking your tyre pressures.

Related: Caravan tyre safety advice from an expert

Theft

Sadly, caravan owners are targets for opportunistic theft and planned robberies, as many caravans are left unattended for parts of the year. As such, theft is the second most common type of claim we receive.

Caravan accessories, such as awnings, are a key focus for robbers as they're often expensive and quite easy to sell on the second-hand market.

Upon returning to their caravan's storage site, one of our customers was shocked to discover that a window had been forcibly opened and their awning was taken. The caravan was fully locked during the robbery, and the storage facility was secured with two separate gates. The thief also blocked the caravan's alarm sensor during the robbery, showing the sophisticated nature of the operation. Without insurance, the claimant would have had to pay for a new awning worth hundreds of pounds.

Aside from awnings, your caravan may also store other valuable items, such as bicycles, while not in use. Having such items in your caravan can be enticing for thieves as they are valuable to steal and can easily be resold.

Touring caravan theft

Worryingly, touring caravan theft (that is, theft of the entire caravan) is a growing crime in the UK. Thousands of caravans are stolen every year. Our recent research shows that, on average, every year, caravan theft therefore costs £9,527,916, with approximately 1,625 caravans being stolen over the last three years.

Replacing your caravan can be emotionally taxing and very expensive—especially without insurance.

As well as considering putting specialist touring caravan insurance in place, it is also worth looking at our top tips on securing your caravan from theft here.

Specialist caravan insurance through Ripe

Specialist caravan insurance protects you against theft and damage, provides public liability cover, and includes additional cover to protect your contents and awnings.

Find out more by getting an instant online quote.