Just checked with my insurer to see if i am covered when towing ...no she says, did you not mention this modification when you took out the insurance..i replied that i was not asked if i had a tow bar fitted but she replied oh yes we would have asked if you had any mods done to the car ,,,,,surely a mod is bigger engine,wider tyres etc not a towbar !!!!So £25 worse off today but at the same time glad i asked for peace of mind
A fitted tow-bar (whether at the factory or after) is a modification, and towing is relevant to the insurer's assessment. So it should be disclosed.
That said, whilst a trailer/'van is being towed, it is part of the towing vehicle, and the car insurance picks up the legal liability. If the towed item became detached due to the negligence of the driver, and caused injury, the insurers would have to deal with it. If the towing wasn't disclosed, they may well seek a recovery. That's another matter. As is cover on the trailer itself, or on the tow-bar, for that matter.
Check the Certificate of Motor Insurance. It does not exclude towing. But yes, it should be disclosed, and yes, some insurers will charge extra for the additional risk they perceive.
A trailer or 'van should always be mentioned too if ordering a Green Card, as that document does mention it.
------------- Mike
My advice is worth no more than the price paid for it
i believe that when asked for any modifications they should specifically ask if a tow bar is fitted as i am sure that most people would not see this as a modification as i previously said in my op
Lobey..thats a good question i assume thats not a mod if it came out of the factory that way so therefore given all the wise answers above you would not need to disclose it ..what a farce
When I recently insured my car, two of the many modification options listed included towbar and roofrack, both which are fitted to it.
If you declare when purchasing there is usually no addition premium, if you declare after purchase then it is not a addition premium but a administration change.
Quote: Originally posted by billyboggins on 18/8/2014Lobey..thats a good question i assume thats not a mod if it came out of the factory that way so therefore given all the wise answers above you would not need to disclose it ..what a farce
I don't know whether that is aimed at me, and don't really care.
For anyone else, I specifically said it didn't matter whether a towbar was factory fitted, or after market. It should be disclosed.
But assumptions are always best, so carry on assuming.
------------- Mike
My advice is worth no more than the price paid for it
Glad I happened on this thread! I bought a new to me car which had a towbar fitted when I got it. I was asked if I'd made any modifications to it and I hadn't so never thought about the towbar. As my insurance is coming up for renewal, I'll be checking this out.
------------- " When I die I don`t want my life to flash before me in an instant, I want it to be a 3 hour epic !"
Having spent a lot of time on the subject of modifications and factory options I would urge caution. Different insurers classify differently.
I am with morethan now and they classify a modification as anything fitted or altered AFTER the car left the factory. Any factory fitted options are nt required in the modification declaration including a towbar.
Of interest to us with an x5. Morethan were a lot cheaper as they didn't require us to declare the £16,000 of options that were fitted to it at the factory by it's original owner. I specifically checked and this includes the towbar.
Things get more complicated though as some manufacturers don't fit towbars at the factory. So you order your Audi A4 with towbar. The dealer orders the car and then gets a local company to retrofit a towbar. You may not even know this has happened....
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Topic: insurance ! what a rip off !!
