Caravan Insurance question(s)

[powerdesal]

My caravan is French registered, I have the carte-gris.

The van is not, at present, insured. It has not been on the road since registration.

A few questions :-

Does the caravan require it's own dedicated vehicle insurance and a carte-vert as cars do ?

Could the caravan be insured ( say with a UK company ) and hence just have an insurance certificate but obviously not a carte-vert.

I believe that some people have their caravan covered by their car insurance whilst towing, but I believe this cover is only ''third party'' irrespective of the car cover, and also only covers the van whilst actually towing not whilst parked, stored, garaged etc.

I require full comprehensive cover because of the value of the van and I am possibly going to approach the Camping and Caravan club ( being a member ) in UK to see if they can / will cover the van from a French address, obviously this would only be of interest if the answers to the two questions above are the right ones.

Does anyone have any experience / thoughts / knowledge that is applicable.

[AnOther]

[quote user="powerdesal"]My caravan is French registered, I have the carte-gris.

The van is not, at present, insured. It has not been on the road since registration.

A few questions :-

Does the caravan require it's own dedicated vehicle insurance and a carte-vert as cars do ?

Yes. As it is French registered it has to be French insurance, you will be expected to display the carte-vert and produce the certificate if asked by a gendarme.

Could the caravan be insured ( say with a UK company ) and hence just have an insurance certificate but obviously not a carte-vert.

No. An English

certificate will be worthless.

I believe that some people have their caravan covered by their car insurance whilst towing, but I believe this cover is only ''third party'' irrespective of the car cover, and also only covers the van whilst actually towing not whilst parked, stored, garaged etc.

I require full comprehensive cover because of the value of the van

It sounds like you are thinking of UK not France. There a caravan is regarded as an extension to the car for basic insurance purposes. Full comprehensive cover for it would be by a separate policy..

In France a trailer of up to 750kg gross is automatically insured with the car, above that it needs it's own policy.

and I am possibly going to approach the Camping and Caravan club ( being a member ) in UK to see if they can / will cover the van from a French address, obviously this would only be of interest if the answers to the two questions above are the right ones.

Does anyone have any experience / thoughts / knowledge that is applicable.

Any cover they give you will be for the caravan alone and will have no meaning whatsoever in France. I suspect they will decline you though as with the the caravan being kept outside the UK it will likely fall outwith their risk profiles.

French insurance should be easy enough to arrange

[/quote]

[powerdesal]

Thanks for your comments Ernie, it's as I thought ( but hoped otherwise ).

French insurance is ''relatively'' easy to arrange although there are not a lot of companies prepared to insure caravans, the cost is also quite ridiculous. The quote I got from our AXA agent was not through AXA but another company and was double the premium that we pay for the car even though values are more or less the same.

[Boiling a frog]

There is no requirement for a caravan in France to have separate insurance but there is a requirement to have third party risks.

You inform your insurance coy that you intend towing a caravan . This is added onto your car insurance certificate. However "THIS ONLY COVERS THE CARAVAN FOR DAMAGE CAUSED BY TO TO A THIRD PARTY.

It does not cover any damage caused to your caravan.

If you have separate insurance there is no need to display the vignette.

Caravan insurance in France is relatively cheap. Fully comp insurance is around the 200€ mark.

I doubt if the Caravan and Camping Club will insure a risk situated in another country.

[powerdesal]

BAF,

Interesting, that's two opposing responses.

''Caravan insurance in France is relatively cheap. Fully comp insurance is around the 200€ mark''..................?????????????????????????

We were quoted approx Euro 675 for fully comp caravan insurance !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would really really appreciate further info on where I can get fully comp cheaper.

[Boiling a frog]

I insure my caravan with Mutuelle de Poitiers ,fully comp, cost 198€

I spoke as a caravaner ,having asked the same questions as you have and was looked at in puzzlement when I asked if the vignette had to be shown on the caravan,and exactly what is required/not required.I was informed that my car insurance covered third party risks caused by the caravan while towing as long as I had informed them. Perhaps other companies are different.

Perhaps try the FEDERATION FRANCAISE DE CAMPING ET DE CARAVANING .

I know they offer caravan assurance

[AnOther]

AFAIK in terms of towing a caravan is essentially just another trailer and as such is subject to the same insurance requirements.

Up to 750kg it's own carte grise but insurance usually covered by the car.

Over 750kg it needs it's own policy.

Both only 3rd party although you can take out additional insurance for a caravan, not so easy for a trailer.

You've said it yourself though 'perhaps other companies are different' and personally I'd rather know and comply with the law than unconditionally believe what an insurance agent says.

Is it really credible that your insurance cover depends on you having to tell your company that you have hitched up, what happens if you suddenly decide to take off on a Weekend or a holiday when they are shut ?

[Boiling a frog]

You have misunderstood, great one.

I buy a caravan, I tell the assurance coy ,they add the caravan onto the assurance certificate ,quoting the Reg No.

It is then added, I do not need to tell them every time I want to go somewhere towing it. That would be plain silly.

They told me I am covered third party and the Caravan make model and reg no appears on my car insurance documents and is stated on the policy.

So I have a tendancy to believe them rather than some alleged expert on a forum.

As it is I have separate assurance for the caravan that covers the caravans,the contents, recovery,flood,theft vandalism tempest .etc and I have a certificate of assurance butI do not pose the vignette on the caravan.

[AnOther]

An over simplification which only works if both car car and caravan are covered by the same insurance company. Some insist that they are but it is not the only possible scenario, it's a matter of company policy not law.

With two independent insurers involved obviously a claim could become contentious but fortunately the situation is recognised and rules have been laid down for such instances under the 'Convention générale d'indemnisation directe de l'assuré

et de recours entre les sociétés d'assurances (IRSA)' as follows:

Trailer with GVW not exceeding 750 kg: 100% payable by the insurer of the towing vehicle;

Trailer with GVW exceeding 750 kg and not exceeding 3,500 kg: 70% to the insurer of the towing vehicle/30% to the insurer of the trailer.

Trailer with GVW greater than 3,500 kg: 50% for a tractor/50% for the trailer.

[Boiling a frog]

I think you are doing your usual muddying of the waters by overcomplicating a fairly simple situation.

To the OP

Try the FFCCC they offer caravan assurance.

[AnOther]

[quote user="Boiling a frog"]There is no requirement for a caravan in France to have separate insurance but there is a requirement to have third party risks.[/quote]If that is not muddying waters I don't know whats is.

If '3rd party risks' is not a euphemism for insurance then what is it ?

[sid]

My caravan is now 22 years old. I don't require comprehensive insurance for it as I would consider it a write-off if any serious damage was caused to it. We've had it from new and had countless fantastic holidays in it; it owes us nothing.

I have it insured on my car policy (GAN) for 3rd party risks only. I get a green carnet but am not required to display it. I've looked at other people's 'vans and never seen a vignette displayed.

[Sunday Driver]

[quote user="powerdesal"]BAF, Interesting, that's two opposing responses. ''Caravan insurance in France is relatively cheap. Fully comp insurance is around the 200€ mark''..................????????????????????????? We were quoted approx Euro 675 for fully comp caravan insurance !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would really really appreciate further info on where I can get fully comp cheaper.[/quote]

Steve

To answer your question, I'm insured with MAAF for both my car and my Eriba caravan.

The car insurance includes third party cover for caravans/trailers under 750kg so it covers my 500kg motorbike trailer.  The Eriba has a PTAC of 1100kg so it requires its own separate insurance cover.

MAAF caravan/trailer insurance offers a range of guarantees from simple third party up to tous risques.

My caravan cover is tous risques which includes responsibilité civil, vol (including where a buyer gives me a dud cheque), incendie/explosion, tempete/ouragan, catastrophes naturelles, tiers collision and brise de glace. 

Guaranteed loss value 10,000€, franchise 200€

Personal contents cover (option) up to 382€, franchise 76€

Annual premium 145€ TTC.

Hope this helps.

 

 

[powerdesal]

Thanks SD and BAF and Sid and Ernie !!!!

I am going to have to shop around for the best fully comp quote. The value is in excess of E20,000 so my premium should be double SD +.

[sid]

I have to say that I was sufficiently concerned to go and dig out my policy documents, but I can now confirm that on my GAN Horizon Auto policy both my car and caravan are listed; with their respective make/model and immatriculation numbers and the PTAC of the caravan (1035kg), and the value of the caravan 0€.

So, perhaps GAN have a combined policy or something, but I certainly don't have a separate policy for the caravan. I receive 2 green insurance certificates. I realise that this is not what you require, Powerdesal, due to the value of your caravan, but I believe it demonstrates that you can include yout trailer/caravan with your car policy.