From hot apple crumble, to knocked-over barbecues, and slippery showers – it’s amazing what can lead to a holiday caravan insurance claim.
It’s great to see the Great British staycation in full swing with parks bustling with holidaymakers and owners enjoying much-needed time in their holiday caravan after months in lockdown.
But even when you’re relaxing in your static caravan or holiday lodge, not every trip can be trouble-free and all kinds of mishaps can happen.
We’ve delved into our records to bring you an insight into the most common holiday caravan claims we’ve dealt with since parks re-opened on April 12th, 2021 underlining the importance of specialist static caravan and holiday lodge insurance.
Common holiday caravan claims
Our top claim from April 12th to August 16th, 2021 was for accidental damage with payouts running into tens of thousands of pounds and accounting for nearly a quarter of all claims so far this season.
The most common accidental damage claim was for cracks in shower trays and walls, sometimes caused by dropping a slippery shampoo bottle or a person slipping in the shower! It’s surprising how easily the plastic or fibreglass linings, screens and trays within showers can be damaged.
A number of TVs also fell foul of child’s play with a number of claims for damaged screens in 2021.
Our second highest claims were for boiler damage and escape of water – together totalling almost a third of all claims.
One claim ran into several thousands of pounds after a burst pipe caused water damage to lino, carpet, wardrobes and bedside tables.
Whilst static caravan fires are rare we have dealt with a handful of severe fire claims over the last few months.
Delicious apple crumble was the cause of one fire – it was so hot it set fire to a customer’s tea towels, worktop and cupboards and the fire service had to be called!
Holidaymakers should take care when barbecuing at their static caravan too and make sure hirers are aware of the fire risk of portable barbecues and hot embers. One fire claim was caused by a portable barbecue being blown over, which set fire to the caravan decking, causing over a thousand pounds worth of damage.
Pesky mice and other vermin have been responsible for some quite costly claims this season with the little blighters nibbling their way into caravans, making holes and nests in furniture, upholstery and bedding – as well as causing a mess and leaving droppings behind!
One claimant was paid more than £1,600 for damage caused to their sofa and caravan by vermin. See our top tips on how to avoid vermin in your holiday caravan.
Louise Farrar, Leisuredays’ Claims Liaison Manager, said they’d been busy dealing with a variety of holiday caravan claims since parks opened up in the Spring.
“It’s great to see so many people enjoying time in their holiday caravans this season but unfortunately accidents do happen and we’ve dealt with all kinds of issues, from shattered window panes to fires and expensive leaks,” said Louise. “We wish owners a trouble-free rest of the season but with the peace of mind that they’re covered by extensive insurance cover should the unexpected happen.”
Static caravan insurance
A static caravan insurance policy should protect your holiday caravan from the effects of stormy weather, fire, flooding, theft, vandalism and accidental damage.
If you do need to make an insurance claim, simply call the Leisuredays’ claims team on 01422 501085, or you can refer to our customer zone ‘Making a claim‘ section. It’s reassuring to know that claimants completing satisfaction surveys in 2020 rated the overall standard of claims service received from Leisuredays an exceptional 9.3 out of 10 on average*.
Find out more about our static caravan insurance or cover for your holiday lodge.
And remember, it’s important to keep your static caravan insurance up-to-date and remain insured all year round to make sure you’re covered should you need to make a holiday caravan claim.
