Touring caravan insurance?

Author
Discussion

Boxster5

Original Poster:

914 posts

120 months

Monday 3rd June 2024
quotequote all
Firstly I don’t own a caravan but this is a general query regarding insurance.
Someone I know has an old Sprite? touring caravan (circa 1990’s?).
A delivery lorry delivering building materials to them “conveniently” knocked one of the brick piers over which hit said caravan - it damaged the side and the floor.
I think the building materials company paid out and effectively wrote the caravan off as far as I’m aware.
However it is still used as a touring caravan from time to time.
My question is where would they stand if the caravan was involved in an accident on a public highway? Am I correct in assuming the car insurance of the towing vehicle stumps up.
Do caravans have to be insured for use on a public highway?

Edited by Boxster5 on Monday 3rd June 20:28

LandieMark

1,857 posts

160 months

Monday 3rd June 2024
quotequote all
Car insurance usually covers the liability aspect of towing anything.

Cover, including accidental damage, fire and theft for the actual 'van itself requires separate insurance.

Boxster5

Original Poster:

914 posts

120 months

Monday 3rd June 2024
quotequote all
OK thanks for that - it just seems a grey area.
Generally when a caravan is in a crash, there’s nothing left of it - there’s not much to them.
I’ve done site visits to caravan factories and there really isn’t much protection!

LandieMark

1,857 posts

160 months

Monday 3rd June 2024
quotequote all
If you crash and it's your fault, your car insurance will cover any liability and if you haven't insured the 'van, then you've lost the cost of the 'van. A 90s Sprite will be worth about 2p so not really an issue.

If someone else is found liable then it really doesn't matter whether the van is insured or not, they will be liable for the value of the 'van.

Mine is financed and is therefore adequately insured as a condition of the finance agreement. My first one was a cheapish old van worth about £5k and I still had that insured. It was less than £100 fully comprehensive.

The Gauge

4,311 posts

25 months

Tuesday 4th June 2024
quotequote all
Boxster5 said:
Do caravans have to be insured for use on a public highway?
No they don't, but usually owners do insure them if they have any value, but that's more for theft.
If another car hit the caravan whilst it was being towed I'd expect the car at fault to be liable via their insurance.