Caravan Insurance

Caravan Insurance Cover in New Zealand

Caravan insurance cover is essential in New Zealand to protect your caravan, campervan or mobile home - both on and off the road. Read on to find out about caravan insurance in New Zealand, what is covered as standard, and what is not covered under caravan insurance.

• General Insurance
• Campervan and Motorhome Sales
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Owning a caravan, campervan or motorhome is a favoured Kiwi right-of-passage. Never ones to ever be tied down to one location, caravan ownership gives New Zealand families throughout the country to opportunity to travel easily throughout the wonders of our nation.

Being a caravan owner gives you the opportunity to holiday in camping grounds throughout both islands, and is an affordable way to take vacations at the beach, near a river, national park or even big city, without the hassles and expense of bach ownership.

Insuring your caravan is essential, it's both a motor vehicle and a mobile home - and is a significantly valuable asset. It is important to have an insurance policy in place that prepares for a number of different circumstances, ensuring you always feel safe both on the road and while set up.

Like finding cheaper car insurance, it is important to shop around to find the best caravan insurance deal.

It is important to note that as a standard policy from most insurance companies, your caravan insurance only covers damage to your caravan if it is in your care and attendance at the time. If it is left unoccupied for a period of time (normally 30 days or less, as stipulated by the insurer), your insurance coverage may be void, unless it is in a supervised caravan park.

You should also note that the contents of your caravan must be insured in a separate clause within your caravan insurance policy, as generally contents cover will not apply.

What Caravan Insurance Can Cover:

• Repair to your caravan and its permanent fixtures including stoves, refrigerators, gas cylinders, carpet, awnings, squabs and stabilisers, in the event of accidental damage
• Total loss of your caravan if the insurer believes it is damaged beyond repair
• Parts necessary for repair as a result of accidental damage, plus the reasonable cost of fitting
• Repair of damaged paintwork to the best of the abilities of the repairer
• Damage caused by goods that have fallen from your caravan
• Damage caused by loading or unloading your caravan while it is on a road
• Damage to someone else's property as a result of the above
• Towing and storage of your damaged caravan
• Emergency accommodation

You will need to check with your insurance provider to make sure that anyone who borrows or makes use of your caravan is also covered. They should automatically be covered under your policy if they are using your caravan with your permission, but may be exempt if they have been refused car or other insurance before, have had a driver's license cancelled, or are under 25 years old.

What Is Not Covered by Caravan Insurance
The following situations will not be covered by your caravan insurance:

• Loss or damage caused by your failure to take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety and security of your caravan
• Damage to caravan tyres
• Damage caused by wear and tear, rust, corrosion, structural failure, mechanical or electrical breakdown
• Items stolen from an unlocked caravan, including after a fire, another theft, breakdown or an accident
• Damage to a caravan left unattended unless in a supervised facility
• Damage to personal effects and non-permanent caravan chattels, unless terms for this have been put in your policy. When contents insurance is purchased, cover for theft must be the result of forced entry of a locked and secured caravan
• Damage in any form if the caravan has been modified or has non-standard accessories unless they are approved or acknowledged by the insurer
• Damage to an overloaded caravan

Like boat insurance, making a claim on a caravan insurance policy can be an intensive process which involves a lot of communication with an assessor, who will need to be called out to the caravan. When it is in a remote location away from a big city, as many caravans are, this could take a significant amount of time.

Looking for more information on insurance policies in New Zealand? Check out the NZS.com directory.

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Motoring images from Flickr: Caravan by the Cliffs, Traffic Lights and Motorway.