Insurance cover for leaving van abroad for short periods (1 Viewer)

[SeanF1]

Evening all,

My insurers have told me that if I leave my van at my house in France whilst I return to the UK by other means, (no matter for how short a period) then it is not covered and the act of doing this would oblige them to void my policy.

Has anyone come across this and can you recommend an insurer who takes a more sensible approach to this?

The house is in need of total renovation and they initially told me that staying in the van on my renovation visits down there, whilst I work on my house is also not covered as it did not come under the heading of "Social domestic and pleasure purposes". I have argued that as a retired person, this activity is how I choose to spend my leisure/holiday time so of course it fits under the heading, but they are taking some convincing of this and I am currently awaiting confirmation that this part will be covered.

Looks like I need to find a new insurer so any recommendations for companies who will/might cover my specific requirements would be most welcome.

Many thanks in advance.

Sean

 

[Lenny HB]

Most companies limit leaving an unattended van in a place where it is not normally kept for a max of 48 hours.
But if they are happy with the place it left at they will extend that period.

 

[nicholsong]

Do you intend to drive the MH during visits?

If not, you may be able to insure it as a 'chattel' instead of taking motor insurance.

 

[SeanF1]

Do you intend to drive the MH during visits?

If not, you may be able to insure it as a 'chattel' instead of taking motor insurance.

Thanks. Yes I do intend to drive it whilst there

 

[Riverbankannie]

I know mikebeaches used to leave his in Spain for shortish times. He might know.

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[mikebeaches]

During the winters 2018/19 & 2019/20 we stored our van indoors at Chris Parking at Alicante Airport for six months - flying backwards and forwards from the UK through the colder months to use it in Spain.

It all worked well, but as the OP has discovered, it was the devil's own job to find a UK insurer to provide cover for unatended storage outside Blighty.

Eventually, after almost losing the will to live, calling every insurer under the sun, I turned up a broker based in Wiltshire who said they thought they could help. And true to their word they did.

Advance Insurance I Your pride and joy, our passion!

Insurance specialists since 1929. Find a quote for your campervan insurance, motorhome car insurance, Japanese imported car insurance, and much more!

www.advanceinsurance.co.uk

The underwriter was Ageas, but Advance had to negotiate with the head of underwriting to secure agreement to the arrangement.

Ageas

Ageas is a provider of personal insurance in the UK. Ageas has provide cover to over 3 million car, home, pet, van and business customers in the UK.

www.ageas.co.uk

Although I haven't left the van in Spain since the pandemic, I maintained the cover to do so each year.

Good luck with your search SeanF1

 

[gpat]

During the winters 2018/19 & 2019/20 we stored our van indoors at Chris Parking at Alicante Airport for six months - flying backwards and forwards from the UK through the colder months to use it in Spain.

It all worked well, but as the OP has discovered, it was the devil's own job to find a UK insurer to provide cover for untended storage outside Blighty.

Eventually, after almost losing the will to live, calling every insurer under the sun, I turned up a broker based in Wiltshire who said they thought they could help. And true to their word they did.

Advance Insurance I Your pride and joy, our passion!

Insurance specialists since 1929. Find a quote for your campervan insurance, motorhome car insurance, Japanese imported car insurance, and much more!

www.advanceinsurance.co.uk

The underwriter was Ageas, but Advance had to negotiate with the head of underwriting to secure agreement to the arrangement.

Ageas

Ageas is a provider of personal insurance in the UK. Ageas has provide cover to over 3 million car, home, pet, van and business customers in the UK.

www.ageas.co.uk

Although I haven't left the van in Spain since the pandemic, I maintained the cover to do so each year.

Good luck with your search SeanF1

Chris Parking has it's own insurance cover didn't it?

 

[mikebeaches]

Chris Parking has it's own insurance cover didn't it?

Not when we were using them. We inquired at the time. Just possible things have changed now I guess?

Our underwriter wanted specific details of the location and security in place. But the best thing for us was that we could come and go whenever we wished without having to notify the insurer of our movements, as long as we didn't exceed 6 months storage in Spain. In fact initially, before Bre*it, we managed to negotiate 8 months Spanish cover per year. Happy days.

 

[SeanF1]

During the winters 2018/19 & 2019/20 we stored our van indoors at Chris Parking at Alicante Airport for six months - flying backwards and forwards from the UK through the colder months to use it in Spain.

It all worked well, but as the OP has discovered, it was the devil's own job to find a UK insurer to provide cover for unatended storage outside Blighty.

Eventually, after almost losing the will to live, calling every insurer under the sun, I turned up a broker based in Wiltshire who said they thought they could help. And true to their word they did.

Advance Insurance I Your pride and joy, our passion!

Insurance specialists since 1929. Find a quote for your campervan insurance, motorhome car insurance, Japanese imported car insurance, and much more!

www.advanceinsurance.co.uk

The underwriter was Ageas, but Advance had to negotiate with the head of underwriting to secure agreement to the arrangement.

Ageas

Ageas is a provider of personal insurance in the UK. Ageas has provide cover to over 3 million car, home, pet, van and business customers in the UK.

www.ageas.co.uk

Although I haven't left the van in Spain since the pandemic, I maintained the cover to do so each year.

Good luck with your search SeanF1

Thank you Mike. I will give them a call

 

[PlacidoD]

This may help. My son lives in Switzerland and I have told my insurers- Caravan Guard that I may leave the van there and fly back returning maybe one month later (Beats an 800 mile round trip!). They cannot cover while the van is left parked in Switzerland because they have no means of assessing that risk. BUT there is no suggestion of voiding the policy. I simply would not be covered for the duration. Fair enough. I know it is safe there (Semi-rural location surrounded by farms and watchful neighbours). My son works for the Zurich so I dare say he can obtain cover for me if that becomes a regular proposition.

Chris

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[SeanF1]

This may help. My son lives in Switzerland and I have told my insurers- Caravan Guard that I may leave the van there and fly back returning maybe one month later (Beats an 800 mile round trip!). They cannot cover while the van is left parked in Switzerland because they have no means of assessing that risk. BUT there is no suggestion of voiding the policy. I simply would not be covered for the duration. Fair enough. I know it is safe there (Semi-rural location surrounded by farms and watchful neighbours). My son works for the Zurich so I dare say he can obtain cover for me if that becomes a regular proposition.

Chris

Hi Placido, Thank you. That's interesting because my insurer is also Caravan Guard and they have told me that leaving the van unattended abroad will cause them to void the policy.

 

[nicholsong]

Hi Placido, Thank you. That's interesting because my insurer is also Caravan Guard and they have told me that leaving the van unattended abroad will cause them to void the policy.

Different brokers, different BS?

 

[PlacidoD]

"Hi Placido, Thank you. That's interesting because my insurer is also Caravan Guard and they have told me that leaving the van unattended abroad will cause them to void the policy."

This may be a genuine case of "terminological inexactitude". Do they mean void the policy for the duration of your sojourn abroad but it will kick back in when using the van or do they mean cancel the policy? There are differences in our position. As I understand it your van may be left alongside a part finished new home which is not occupied whereas mine will be under the watchful eye of my son and family at their home near Zug. In my case I may simply fly back with EasyJet or whoever to sing with the Halle chorus and then return just 48 hours later. Or I may return for work and then fly back out after say a month. I have already noted that the policy requires me to notify changes including where the van is stored when not in use within 7 days.

Now that you have raised the issue I will have to check the exact wording of MY policy carefully on a rainy day. I am unlikely to leave the van with my son this year but an Easter trip followed by a return in May 2025 has some attraction especially as I have a mileage restriction on my policy through choice given that I am starting with no NCB. Every return trip adds circa 800 miles to my odometer.

 

[Carpmart]

We’ve resigned ourselves to bearing the risk when parking up for a couple of weeks at Chris parking and flying home.

 

[CAB96]

"Hi Placido, Thank you. That's interesting because my insurer is also Caravan Guard and they have told me that leaving the van unattended abroad will cause them to void the policy."

This may be a genuine case of "terminological inexactitude". Do they mean void the policy for the duration of your sojourn abroad but it will kick back in when using the van or do they mean cancel the policy? There are differences in our position. As I understand it your van may be left alongside a part finished new home which is not occupied whereas mine will be under the watchful eye of my son and family at their home near Zug. In my case I may simply fly back with EasyJet or whoever to sing with the Halle chorus and then return just 48 hours later. Or I may return for work and then fly back out after say a month. I have already noted that the policy requires me to notify changes including where the van is stored when not in use within 7 days.

Now that you have raised the issue I will have to check the exact wording of MY policy carefully on a rainy day. I am unlikely to leave the van with my son this year but an Easter trip followed by a return in May 2025 has some attraction especially as I have a mileage restriction on my policy through choice given that I am starting with no NCB. Every return trip adds circa 800 miles to my odometer.

Is your son on the policy? Can he be added? If it is then in his charge would it be covered?

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[gus-lopez]

Evening all,

My insurers have told me that if I leave my van at my house in France whilst I return to the UK by other means, (no matter for how short a period) then it is not covered and the act of doing this would oblige them to void my policy.

Has anyone come across this and can you recommend an insurer who takes a more sensible approach to this?

The house is in need of total renovation and they initially told me that staying in the van on my renovation visits down there, whilst I work on my house is also not covered as it did not come under the heading of "Social domestic and pleasure purposes". I have argued that as a retired person, this activity is how I choose to spend my leisure/holiday time so of course it fits under the heading, but they are taking some convincing of this and I am currently awaiting confirmation that this part will be covered.

Looks like I need to find a new insurer so any recommendations for companies who will/might cover my specific requirements would be most welcome.

Many thanks in advance.

Sean

I'd look elsewhere. Any insurer who thinks that you living in and using the van whilst renovating another property cannot be trusted. I would not have even spoken to them about it.

 

[SeanF1]

"Hi Placido, Thank you. That's interesting because my insurer is also Caravan Guard and they have told me that leaving the van unattended abroad will cause them to void the policy."

This may be a genuine case of "terminological inexactitude". Do they mean void the policy for the duration of your sojourn abroad but it will kick back in when using the van or do they mean cancel the policy? There are differences in our position. As I understand it your van may be left alongside a part finished new home which is not occupied whereas mine will be under the watchful eye of my son and family at their home near Zug. In my case I may simply fly back with EasyJet or whoever to sing with the Halle chorus and then return just 48 hours later. Or I may return for work and then fly back out after say a month. I have already noted that the policy requires me to notify changes including where the van is stored when not in use within 7 days.

Now that you have raised the issue I will have to check the exact wording of MY policy carefully on a rainy day. I am unlikely to leave the van with my son this year but an Easter trip followed by a return in May 2025 has some attraction especially as I have a mileage restriction on my policy through choice given that I am starting with no NCB. Every return trip adds circa 800 miles to my odometer.

Hi Placido, It's OK I have now had them clarify specifically with the underwriters and the advice I had from them was INCORRECT. Whilst the van is unattended in France it will not be covered but the policy is NOT voided. As soon as I go back to the van it will be covered again.#
However, CG have told me this morning that when my policy expires in two months time, they will not want to renew it if I am still using the van to "live in" whilst I renovate my house. Unbelievable, but I could not change their minds. Off to arrange new cover now.

 

[Lenny HB]

they will not want to renew it if I am still using the van to "live in" whilst I renovate my house.

That is probably classed as full time, Comfort may be the only option and the premium for full time will be 2 or 3 times normal.

 

[nicholsong]

I do not understand how underwriters differentiate between a MH parked at storage in UK where the owner is not present, and one parked overseas in similar circumstances.

I also do not understand the difference they make between a MH, not being driven, and a caravan.

I think that it is time Jim, or some other influential in the fraternity organised a forum to which Underwriters are invited, at which there can be an exchange of views between them and owners. They might learn a few ideas about how MHomers use and operate their vehicles.

Has anything like this been done at shows? Were there actual Underwriters there or just brokers?

 

[Jim]

That is probably classed as full time, Comfort may be the only option and the premium for full time will be 2 or 3 times normal.

Aviva may be the only option. There are quite a few brokers apart from Comfort who use Aviva now.

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[SeanF1]

That is probably classed as full time, Comfort may be the only option and the premium for full time will be 2 or 3 times normal.

The crazy thing is that it is nothing like full time. I will travel there, spend 4 - 6 weeks at a time. Potter about on the house and then come home. Then repeat.

 

[SeanF1]

Aviva may be the only option. There are quite a few brokers apart from Comfort who use Aviva now.

Thanks Jim. Do you know if Aviva will cover situations like mine?
Apparently RSA through Caravan Guard consider parking the van at one's property abroad as "storage" and a maximum of 7 days of this is allowed in any one trip. It would seem that I could stay at one of the many campsites or aires in the vicinity every night, drive to the house every day and return at night, but not just park and sleep in the garden of my house. The mind boggles as to why the risk with the latter is greater than with the former but there you go.

 

[Jim]

Hi, I've no idea, their policies change all the time. You need it from the horse's mouth, but they won't speak to you direct; which means you'll need to ask a broker like Comfort or AIB

 

[Vanman]

You want to take your van to a different country and leave it unattended on a building site ... you are surprised that no one wants to insure that scenario?

Could you sell/gift it to someone over there who would live in it for you and gift it back at the end?

Could you take a tent instead?