Unigarant · compared independently · advice from Finass
Caravan insurance through Unigarant
A caravan has no engine and no registration number of its own, and that is exactly what determines who is liable and from what moment your own policy starts to work.
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A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
As long as the caravan is on the towbar, it is by law part of the towing vehicle. Liability then runs through the car's third-party liability cover under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). If the caravan comes loose, or causes damage while uncoupled on a site, that falls outside the motor policy and you end up with your own liability cover under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code.
A caravan insurance is therefore essentially own-damage insurance on an object that stands still for most of the year. The loss picture is very different from that of a motor vehicle: not collisions but storm, hail, falling branches and theft from the storage site make up the bulk, together with damage while manoeuvring on the campsite.
Unigarant offers this product. We compare the depreciation scale, the storage conditions and the treatment of the awning and contents with those of other providers. If you also drive a motorhome, we look at the motorhome insurance alongside it.
Caravan insurance through Unigarant: what is covered?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Through the towing vehicle
Liability
Damage you cause to others with the trailer.
Covered while coupled
Under the car's third-party liability cover
Uncoupled: no longer covered
The object itself
Third-party, fire and theft
External causes beyond your control.
Fire and storm
Theft after forced entry
Hail, depending on the policy
Full
Comprehensive
Including damage you cause yourself.
Collision and manoeuvring
Vandalism
Contents as a separate section
What is covered
Situation
Third-party, fire and theft
Comprehensive
Theft after forced entry, with the prescribed lock
Yes
Yes
Fire and storm damage on the pitch
Yes
Yes
Hail damage to roof and walls
Provided that
Yes
Collision damage while manoeuvring
No
Yes
Contents in the caravan or trailer
Provided that
Provided that
Damp, wear and deferred maintenance
No
No
A trailer or caravan is not an independent motor vehicle and therefore has no insurance requirement of its own. Damage you cause to others with it falls under the third-party liability cover of the towing vehicle, as long as the combination is coupled (Article 2 WAM). Once the trailer is uncoupled and has come to a standstill, that cover no longer applies.
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Coupled up, your car carries the liability
If you hit another vehicle with the caravan attached, the car's third-party liability insurer settles that damage. The caravan policy only comes into play for damage to the caravan itself. That distinction matters in the most common accident with a trailer: swinging out or jack-knifing on the motorway. The other party is paid from the motor policy, your own caravan only if you have taken out own-damage cover.
Most of the risk lies at the storage site
For nine months out of twelve a touring caravan stands still. Storm lifting the roof, hail denting the aluminium, a falling tree, or theft from a storage site: that is where most claims come from. Insurers therefore set requirements for storage and security, such as a hitch lock or wheel clamp. If the prescribed lock was not fitted at the time of the theft, there are grounds to refuse payment.
Damp, penetration and age fall outside the cover
The most expensive caravan damage is usually not an event but a process. Water that gets in for years through hardened sealant joints or a leaking roof light attacks the timber in the walls and floor. Insurers treat that as gradual deterioration and exclude it, as they do wear, construction faults and damage caused by vermin. Inherent defect and corrosion of the chassis are also generally excluded.
Awning, contents and mover are separate items
An awning or canopy, the camping contents and a mover fitted later do not automatically belong to the caravan's own-damage cover. They have to be declared and insured separately. For the awning there is often a further restriction: storm damage to an awning left standing in strong winds is not always paid, because you are expected to take it down in time.
Replacement transport after a claim
Replacement transport after a claim Stay mobile with replacement transport.
Breakdown assistance
What does your premium depend on?
Value and year of construction. The agreed value and the age determine whether a replacement-value-as-new scheme still applies or whether settlement is on market value.
Storage address and level of security. An enclosed storage site with access control counts differently from a driveway on a public road.
Type of use. A touring caravan travelling through Europe has a different risk profile from a caravan on a fixed seasonal pitch.
Parts included. An awning, mover, camping contents and bicycle carrier increase the insured interest and with it the premium.
Area of cover. Trips outside the standard area call for an extension of the cover.
Cover and excess chosen. The choice between a restricted and an extended form of own-damage cover, and the level of the excess, feed straight through.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Is my caravan insured while it is being towed by the car?
For damage you cause to others with the combination, yes: the coupled caravan falls under the third-party liability cover of the towing vehicle under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). For damage to the caravan itself, no. For that you need own-damage cover on the caravan insurance. If the caravan comes loose, liability shifts to your own cover.
Does caravan insurance cover damp and water penetration?
Sudden water damage, for example because a branch forces open a roof vent, is covered. Damp that gets in over a longer period through ageing seams and attacks the timber is not. Insurers treat that as gradual deterioration and as deferred maintenance. An annual damp reading and resealing in good time prevent both the damage and the argument about it.
What if the caravan stands on a fixed seasonal pitch?
Report it, because that is a different risk from touring use. A caravan that stands permanently in one place is assessed by some insurers as a static caravan, with different conditions and a different product. Permanent occupation is almost always excluded on a touring caravan policy. If the actual use differs from what you declared, that can count against you when you claim.
Is the awning covered?
Only if you declare and insure it separately. The caravan's own-damage cover does not automatically include the awning. Watch the storm condition as well: if the awning is left standing when strong winds are forecast while taking it down was possible, the insurer can reject the claim. The same applies to a wound-out canopy destroyed by wind.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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