Caravan Breakdown cover

Some providers of breakdown cover do include caravan breakdown cover as standard, however it would be wise to read each policy carefully. If your policy covers you for towing, it may include assistance if the mechanical difficulty hits the caravan as well as the towing vehicle.

When checking a policy you should check that if it does include cover for towed items that if there is any size of weight restrictions in place, as if your caravan exceeds these limits then your cover will not be valid.

Types of breakdown cover:

Many providers of motor breakdown insurance allow you to purchase their insurance at different cover levels so you can tailor how comprehensive your policy is based on your own specific needs. The levels offered may differ between providers but they may include:

• Roadside: The most basic level of cover, this provides you cover for breakdowns that occur over a certain distance from your registered home address.  Offers a certain amount of time of free roadside labour from a mobile technician and if your vehicle cannot be repaired then you will be towed to a nearby garage. When looking at different policies it may be worth checking where caravan recovery is included.
• Home Start: As the basic roadside package offered by many insurers excludes cover that breakdowns break down close to your registered home address, usually either a quarter of a mile or a one mile depending on provider. If you want to be covered for these possibilities of if your vehicle simply won’t start when leaving home then you will need a home start policy.
• Recovery: If the vehicle cannot be repaired at the roadside, having a policy that includes national recovery means that rather than being taken to the nearest garage your insurer will give you the option of being recovered to a single location anywhere in the UK.
• Onward travel: Onward travel packages are designed to allow policy holders to continue their journey if their car cannot be fixed within a reasonable time frame. What is offered varies by provider but can include the provision of; a hire car, overnight accommodation or alternative travel costs.  If you’re taking your caravan with you, you will want to make sure that you policy allows you to tow with a courtesy car. You may also want to check, if you are travelling to your holiday destination, if there is any provision made to get your caravan or other unit home at the end of your trip if the broken vehicle cannot be fixed and retrieved in that time.
• European cover: If you take your caravan with you on the Continent, you should consider a policy that includes European breakdown cover. Coverage tends to differ on the continent than in the UK with most breakdown insurance providers, so you should check what provisions a policy offers for both your car and caravan when travelling elsewhere in Europe than the UK.