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Scores of motor-home owners are paying over the odds to insure their vehicles by taking out standard car policies with ordinary insurers. They could save up to a third on their premiums by going to a specialist instead.The specialists say they are competitive because they know the market better than ordinary insurers. In their view, motor- home owners are often more mature and experienced drivers who clock-up low annual mile-ages, generally drive at off-peak times and tend to make fewer claims than car users.Specialist policies also tend to include important elements of motorhome cover that are normally excluded by standard motor insurers. Sandra Deighton, managing director of Leeds-based specialist Safeguard Scheme Management, says: 'Standard insurers that offer quotes for motor-homes treat them simply as vans. This means that they exclude items such as fixtures and fittings and the more valuable personal possessions that are covered by specialized policies.
An owner could be left thousands of pounds short in the event of a claim. Also, good policies cover damage by gas. Standard car policies normally exclude this, so a gas cylinder explosion could mean losing the entire value of a vehicle and its contents. All the specialists listed below insure against gas damage, but cover can differ slightly in other respects. Limits on personal possessions cover varies from GBP 2,000 to GBP 5,000, some European cover is more restrictive than others, and some providers automatically include breakdown and assistance cover, where others do not.
When owners compare quotes it is also important to bear in mind the size of a policy's excess - the part of a claim that a policyholder must pay. Brian Lambert, operations director at Mas-terquote, a specialist provider based in Portsmouth, Hampshire, says: Some specialists quote for policies that include only a standard GBP 100 excess, but others reduce the premiums they quote by including voluntary excesses of as much as GBP 500.
We notice this happening when we call up competitors for quotes when doing our market research. Those determined to find the keenest prices and most suitable cover should shop around among the specialists. They should take advantage of the help-lines offered by most of these companies, where experienced staff can explain policies and terms and conditions in detail. When shopping round, drivers will have to do much of the legwork themselves. Though insurance brokers can deal with some specialists they do not have access to all of them. And not all brokers are aware of the importance of covering a motorhome with this type of insurance and may recommend a standard car policy, despite its shortcomings.
Even brokers who contact specialists on behalf of clients are unlikely to add value and may slow down the process of buying a vehicle or claiming on one by adding an extra link to the chain.
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