Staying Covered: How To Find The Right Pop-Up Camper Insurance

We love camping in the UK. Over 15 million camping and caravanning trips were taken in 2015, according to the Great Britain Tourism Survey. One step up from loading your car, 4X4, or van with camping equipment and hitting the road is the tow-behind pop-up camper or trailer tent. Pop-up campers can cost anywhere from £1,000 for a used camper to £20,000 for a new camper, making them affordable to almost everyone. Once you have invested in your camping trip comfort, do you need pop-up camper insurance? What is camper insurance and what does it cover? Keep reading for the answers to these questions and more.

Kinds of Vehicle We Cover

There is a wide variety of pop-up campers and vehicles that cater to every need, style, and taste. Before we get in to pop-up trailers, let's take a quick look at the types of campers to choose from. We offer insurance for all types including:

Conventional Caravans

The most common caravan is a single axle caravan ranging from 3 to 6.5 meters in size. Depending on the size and the layout of the inside, these conventional caravans can sleep 2-6 people.

Twin Axle Caravans

These caravans are generally heavier and larger. The additional axle gives the caravan extra stability when towed. These caravans are often more difficult to pitch and their size means a larger initial investment and support costs.

Tiny Caravans

For those wishing to tow a caravan with a car, a small caravan sometimes called teardrop trailers due to their teardrop shape, is the perfect solution. These camper trailers are simple with a double bed that takes up most of the inside space. These tiny campers can even have cooking facilities and storage areas.

Pop-Top Caravans

Not to be confused with pop-up (folding) caravans, these campers have a roof that extends when pitched to give inhabitants standing room. Having a lower ceiling when towing gives the trailer better aerodynamics, which results in lower fuel consumption. Additionally, these caravans fit in standard-sized garages.

Fifth Wheelers

A fifth wheel caravan is towed with a pick up truck fitted out with a special towing connection on its bed. These caravans offer additional usable space above the truck bed, often used for a double bed or extra storage. Some fifth wheelers even have slide-out sections to extend the interior living space.

Pop-Up Campers

Pop-up or folding campers are easier to store and tow. They are designed to be folded down to a third of their height while in tow. These types of campers are unusual. Maybe due to the inconvenience of having to erect the camper every time you use it and fold it away when you tow and store it.

Why Get Pop-Up Camper Insurance?

Pop-up campers, or their part fabric equivalents sometimes called trailer tents, are on the lower end of leisure vehicle investment scale and consequently, many people struggle with whether they should buy insurance for them. Looking at it this way, most of us can't afford to purchase brand new pop-up campers, and replace them easily if damaged or destroyed. Purchasing insurance will be a wise decision. Do you or are you planning on financing your trailer tent? Financing a trailer tent is all the more reason to get insurance. If your pop-up camper is damaged or destroyed, you will not only have to still make payments, but now you need a new trailer tent as well. When purchasing a trailer tent beware of an increase in scams targeting the UK camping community eager to get back out on the trail after COVID-19 government restrictions on staycations ease. Here are just a few of the common disasters that can occur to your pop-up camper:

• accidental fire
• extreme weather damage
• theft
• vandalism

If you are looking for comprehensive insurance with critical value, look no further. Shield Total Insurance offers customisable insurance for your individual needs. Get a trailer tent / folding caravan quote online right now and follow a short online questionnaire.

How to Prevent Camper Theft

The recent rise in caravan thefts during a staycation in the UK has brought renewed attention to protecting yourself from thieves. Criminals are opportunists that look for weak security and take full advantage of it. When you protect your caravan with theft prevention, chances are thieves will seek easier and less risky thefts. Trailer tent thieves often choose their targets during the day and come back in the middle of the night to steal the vehicle. Look for suspicious behaviour such as vehicles slowly driving around looking at caravans or other leisure vehicles. Report these incidents to authorities. As an insurance company, it is our business to help you protect your caravan from theft. It is a horribly helpless feeling to wake up to discover your camper is gone. Follow these anti-thieving tips to avoid falling victim to camper theft:

• install visible wheel locks
• shine a security light on the camper and/or have a light on the inside at night
• use a hitch lock
• install a proximity alarm system
• install a GPS tracking device

Even with all these security precautions in place, every caravan is at some risk of theft. Only with pop-up camper insurance are you able to feel 100% secure that if your vehicle is stolen and never recovered you will replace it without a financial burden.

How Much Is Pop Up Camper Insurance?

Camper insurance cost depends on the amount of cover and various at-risk factors. Pop up caravan insurance starts at as little as £66 a year and goes up from there. For about £5 a month you can protect your investment and enjoy your trip. For an exact quote, we will need to know the details of your caravan to assess its value and claim risk. Shield Total Insurance™ is a Defaqto 5 star rated trailer tent and folding camper insurance provider.

What Does Pop Up Camper Insurance Cover?

We cover various trailer tents and campers of many styles and models from many manufacturers and importers. There is no age limit for coverage to receive comprehensive market value coverage. Here are some the makes and models we cover the following popular brands:

• Camplets
• Camanche
• Combi-Camp
• Conway
• Dandy
• Eriba
• Jamet
• Pennine Leisure
• Raclet
• Sunnflair / Sunn Camp
• Trigano

Our tailor-made policies could save responsible owners up to 45% off their premiums. We offer many incentives for low-risk policy owners, including a no claims discount.

What is Camping Insurance?

Camping insurance is protection against unforeseen financial liability and loss for your camping trips throughout the year. Trust Shield Total Insurance has cover for far more than just the market value of your tents, caravan, camper van, etc. Camping can be an expensive hobby with many families spending tens of thousands of pounds on camping equipment and comfort toys. For as little as £16 a year, your camping insurance will cover:

Tents

We insure up to 4 tents and the associated hardware. The market value of your tents is covered under all our camping policies. If your tents get damaged or destroyed by fire, theft, vandalism, or natural disaster, your insurance will pay out the cost to replace them. Our camping insurance also has a "loss of use" clause that contributes £100 a day (up to £500) towards alternative accommodation. If you should lose the use of your tents, your camping insurance will help with the cost of a hotel or renting another tent.

Camping Equipment

Camping enthusiasts collect any number of items they use on their camping trips. Camping insurance has the ability to cover your personal effects and equipment including:

• generators
• inflatable dinghies
• cooking equipment
• security equipment
• portable fridges
• camping furniture
• sleeping bags, inflatable beds, other bedding and linen
• bags and luggage
• audio and computer equipment

Injury and Illness Cover

These days more than ever we keep in mind the risk to our health everywhere we go - even when we go camping. Camping insurance covers illness or injury (up to £500) where a driver is needed to transport the victim. We also cover the cost of camping accidents up to £10,000. Our camping insurance experts would be happy to discuss any questions or concerns you may have. Call us today 0800 393 966 or request a callback.

Protect Your Investment

Having pop up camper insurance will give you peace of mind and isn't that the point of a relaxing camping trip? Don't leave home without it. So many things can go wrong but insurance covers the majority of them. If you have any questions about any of our insurance policies, please feel free to contact us anytime.