When our Kit was all shiny and new we insured with Shield, you get a discount if in the C&CC, at the time 2008 I had a years free membership of the C&CC, we stopped the insurance when the Tent reached two years old.
For Tent and Kit the premium was around £50 per annum, Shield also did us a seperate policy for the Trailer, which we got new in 2009, the policy for that was around £50 per annum, but we only had that insurance for the first year.
Shield would only payout current market value in the event of total loss, I can imagine they would say in the event of a claim, that our 8 year Tent/Kit and Trailer is worth next to nowt, even though it would cost a small fortune to replace.
But that's insurance for you, different story for Caravans and MotorHomes though.
So what is actually insured, what does the small print say? Supposing if your £500 tent is storm damaged or gets a hole burnt in it, do you get £500? Supposing If your £200 fridge or £50 chair is nicked from your pitch, do you get £200 or £50? Is that how it works?
My point exactly Billy, I listed every single item in my kit, down to a box of tea bags.
The list ran to 10 pages on an A4 document saved in word.
Each item was priced with today's replacement cost, so in the event of loss it could be purchased and replaced.
No insurance company was interested in my list, or the value I put on replacing my gear in the event of loss.
But of course I was naive to think insurance could work in such a simplistic way, so I no longer insure as I do not want the added risk of not knowing what I would get in the event of total loss.
I am convinced that many folk take out insurance on there Tent/Kit/Trailer but don't have a clue what the pay out would be in the event of total loss, so what are they paying for some kind of miss guided peace of mind, who knows.
the tent is insured for market value so if anything happens to it whether act of nature or damages accidentally or vandalised etc, it'll be replaced. if I'm using it at the time they will pay for accommodation/rent for another tent. possessions im not too sure tbh i assume would replace.
£50 excess for a claim so i wouldn't worry too much about claiming for smaller bits, its mainly for the tent. id find £200 to replace a few bits a lot easier and over time than £1000 for a new tent.
I insure my gear too micbrook, £200 ish premium for £9k - gives me peace of mind right now although I probably won't feel the need in ten years time. But if I do I will pay less in premium terms as I will adjust the sum insured to reflect real life rather than as new value.
Works for me, we are all different though - my view is that it is for catastrophes and things that cause major disruption to a two or three week holiday abroad, not for the small stuff.
We looked into having ours insured on our home insurance, but were informed nothing would be insured if left unattended. Quite how someone would nick my tent whilst we were both in it, I don't know!!
Anyway, went with Shield in the end. £102 premium for this first year... covers* us for £3,503 worth of tent and £500 worth of kit.
*(We get "market value" should we need to claim. If my research is correct, the market value of our tent should hold well, for a good number of years (He says, with fingers crossed!)
Briefly, we (Joint policy, for what that's worth??) are covered for:
Loss or damage to tent, providing it is not left erected and unattended for over 4 days.
Damage to or theft of equipment, contents and personal effects. (If theft from unattended tent, equipment must be in a tent with sides that completely enclose the interior, and even then, is only £50 per item, max. £100 total)
Loss of Use:
"If your tent becomes unusable following an insured incident under section one, Insurers will contribute towards the reasonable costs of hotel accommodation and, the hire of a similar tent to enable you to continue the holiday" - "Maximum payable limited to £150 for accommodation costs plus subsequent hire costs of 10% per week of your tent sum insured but with an overall agreed limit." - Up to £500, in our case.
Liability to the Public:
"Covers you and your family or legal representative up to the limit shown in your Evidence of Insurance against liability for causing death or bodily injury to a third party or accidental damage to a third party’s property arising from the ownership
and use of your tent." - "Maximum payable is the agreed limit of indemnity" - £1,000,000 in our case.
Includes European cover for up to 180 day holidays - We're lucky to get 14 days!!
£50 Excess - £Nil if the tent is stolen.
Not covered for:
Wear, tear, and deterioration.
Contents or Personal Belongings valued at more than £200.
Loss of or damage to money, valuables, documents, contact lenses, spectacles, motor driven vehicles, mobile telephones, satellite navigation systems, computers including any personal audio or visual entertainment devices or cycles.
Ok, it ain't cheap, but neither was our tent, and the fact it is covered whilst we are out for the day is a biggy!
Francais,
No, we don't know what we will get if our tent is wrecked, because at this stage, we don't know how old the tent will be, and what the going rate for a similar aged set up would be fetching on the used market at that time. Of course, it's a gamble, as is all insurance, but for now at least, one I'm prepared to have a flutter on!
Admittedly, if I could have found someone to say "We will pay out £x pounds for a total loss", I would have given it, and the relative premium, serious consideration ... but I simply couldn't find anyone who could give me that extra assurance.
My original thoughts (subject to change!) were to carry on this insurance for about ten years, thus (at the same annual rate) paying total premiums equating to approx. 28% of the original purchase price. By which time, I'm hopeful the tent would still be of value to me, but maybe not enough to be paying out insurance for it. (£3500 purchase + £1000 insurance over ten years = £450 per year, for a top quality tent... I think that would be money well spent, and if it got wrecked/nicked the week after, I reckon I'd have still got great value from it!) Any use, or sale proceeds, after that, would be very much a bonus.
Obviously, I've only had this a few months, and certainly haven't made a claim, so I've no idea whether this is a good policy, or indeed, if Shield are any good or not, when it comes to paying up.
I just felt a little more relaxed, knowing we have some insurance, that appears, at least, to be "better than nothing"!!
... Sorry... That's the shortest I could keep this post, without going into detail!
Paula,
Just read your last post (took me ages to compile mine!)
Your premium v sum insured seems to tally with mine, pro-rata, (ish) and I agree wholeheartedly on everything else you put. Reducing the sum insured, as years pass by, sounds an excellent idea.
Hi Mucker, very nice detail, you are a patient man - we have always insured for the first 7 or 8 years.
Our newest tent (tentipi), with one night under its belt goes up in 10 mins and has an £800 stove .... someone could steal the whole thing in a quarter of an hour and it would fit in the back of a Mini!
Makes me feel better anyway, and £200 is nothing compared the the £9k I don't have sitting around to replace it right now. It was all in the trailer last week - two tents in case the big one was dry and rain was forecast on the last day as I can dry the tentipi inside. The big one was brand new as DeWaard sent us a replacement at the end of last year and the other one bought two weeks ago. So I would expect two brand new tents (more or less) for the first 12 months if disaster struck as both of them hold their value well.
In the unlikely event of the trailer being driven over by a lorry I would have been relaxed, well not relaxed but you know what I mean.
well be looking into insuring ours I think as couldn't afford to replace it - had to laugh at mucker - 'quite how someone would knick our tent if we were still in it...', lots of very funny images came to mind there.... made me giggle anyway :)
------------- June 2015: seaview international 2 nights
July 2015: little winnick 2 nights
August 2015: lower polladras 5 nights
august 2015: tollgate farm 5 nights
august 2015: oakdown 3 nights
September 2015: tregarton park
family of 6 with young children
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Tent insurance
- we have always insured for the first 7 or 8 years. 
