Car and caravan travel is a popular way to explore the beauty of Australia’s vast landscapes. However, before you hit the open road, it’s important to ensure that you have adequate insurance and roadside assist coverage to protect yourself and your vehicle and caravan in case of an accident or unexpected events. Whilst insurance and roadside assist will be very individual depending on your car and caravan; where you intend to travel, i.e. full time, part time or weekends only. Therefore rule of thumb is to ensure whatever your travel needs are that you have the right insurances in place in case of an accident or unexpected event, including weather event.
First off, we cannot stress enough the importance of reading all the fine print to any policy to ensure you fully understand what is and is not covered, including standard or optional inclusions. Yes, we all have eyes that tend to glaze over trying to decipher the fine print of any policy. However, unless you focus those eyes and read the fine print, you may find yourself caught short when attempting to make a claim or arrange a tow.
What is Car and Caravan Insurance?
Car and caravan insurance is a type of policy that provides coverage for your car and caravan while traveling. This coverage can include protection against theft, fire, accidental damage, and third-party liability, weather events and so forth. Therefore, choosing the right policy with the right insurance provider can be a mammoth undertaking which you will thank yourself later, if something happens, that you took the time to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s.
When choosing a car and caravan insurance policy, it’s important to consider your specific needs and budget. Some policies may offer more comprehensive coverage than others, while others may have lower premiums but higher excess. Here are some key factors to consider:
- Coverage: Make sure you understand what is covered under the policy. Some policies may have exclusions, such as damage caused by floods or storms, that may not be immediately apparent.
- Cost: Compare premiums from different insurance providers to find the best deal. However, keep in mind that the cheapest policy may not always offer the best coverage.
- Excess: The excess is the amount you have to pay out of your own pocket before the insurance company will cover the rest. Higher excess can mean lower premiums. However, the higher the excess amount might also be that you will have to pay more out of pocket if you need to make a claim.
- Additional Benefits: Some insurance policies may include additional benefits, such as roadside assistance or emergency accommodation or other standard or optional inclusions. These can be useful if you plan on traveling long distances and for any period of time.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Car and Caravan Insurance
The cost of car and caravan insurance can vary depending on several factors. Now it might seem that we are telling you to suck eggs in this section, however, this section is included in case there are younger travellers who may need to consider these factors when researching for relevant insurance and roadside assist coverage.
Here are some of the most important ones:
- Age of the driver: This applies to any type of car or caravan insurance policy, so goes without saying.
- Type of vehicle: The make and model of your car and caravan can affect the cost of insurance. High-end or luxury vehicles may cost more to insure.
- Driving record: If you have a history of accidents or traffic violations, you may be considered a higher risk and may pay more for insurance.
- Your experience of towing a caravan or camper trailer and the like. Your insurance premium may be reduced if you have considerable experience in towing a vehicle.
- Whether there is any existing damage to the vehicle or caravan you are wanting to insure.
- The agreed value for the insurance premium to replace the vehicle or caravan between you and the insurer. Or whether you have elected the option for market value – the average value of the vehicle, like for like, on the open market at the time of the claim. (This will also include the age of the vehicle or caravan as one of the determining factors.)
We could go on about the raging debate amongst experienced travellers as to which insurance company is the best or the worst to work with, but we will resist for ease of reading. The best recommendation we can give you is to “do thy research” and “know thy numbers” and “always read the fine print on what is included and what is not included”.
Roadside Assistance:
There is also a raging debate on roadside assistance coverage (which many insurance companies include as part of their policies or can be obtained separately. And, whether roadside assistance for both vehicle and caravan can be accessed as opposed to making an insurance claim. Many have experienced their insurer does not allow for roadside assist coverage for towing a caravan if the caravan is not damaged but the vehicle is in an accident. Others have experienced that they have received great service when an unexpected event happens. And, others have been informed by their roadside assistance provider to request their insurer to undertake the roadside assistance.
Hence, whilst insurance coverage and roadside assistance coverage can be absolute mine fields, and quite challenging to wrap one’s head around, it is best to know exactly when and what situations (bearing in mind one doesn’t have a crystal ball) each insurer will come to the party so to speak.
So again, it is about doing thy research, knowing thy numbers, and always reading the fine print. The only other recommendation is to potentially determine whether having both types of policies in place, even if each individual policy is with a different provider is the best way to go and weigh up the pros and cons including your designated budget requirements.
In Conclusion
Car and caravan insurance is essential for anyone planning to travel around Australia.
If you would like to read a more in-depth article on caravan insurance: My Rig Adventures has put together a very useful article which includes some comparisons of the cheapest insurance companies currently available on the Australian market. https://myrigadventures.com/caravan-insurance-australia/
By choosing the right policies and considering factors that affect the cost of insurance, you can have peace of mind knowing you are protected in case of an accident or unexpected events. Remember if in doubt – ask before committing to a policy to ensure you have the coverage you need.