Shield Total Insurance has put together the top five most common motorhome mishaps based on claims data from their motorhome insurance customers.
1. Windscreen/glass damage accounted for a massive 46% of all insurance claims and included everything from chips, cracks and scratches to rare full blowouts.
From simple chip repairs to costly replacements, it pays to be covered, especially as a replacement windscreen can cost anything from around £300 for a Fiat Ducato-based conversion to over £6000 for a luxury A-Class motorhome.
Stuart Craig, of Shield Total Insurance says: “Replacement windscreens can be extremely expensive, however there are a number of steps you can take to avoid needing to have a new one fitted.”
Always report a chip straight away to your insurance provider in order to get it repaired as quickly as possible. From a cold snap to a bump in the road, a chip can quite easily turn into a crack, costing you your insurance excess. With Shield, chips and repairs are covered for free as part of your policy and won’t affect your no claims bonus.
Always keep your windows and wiper blades clean as stones, grit and sand can scratch your windscreen reducing visibility.
Make sure all windows are closed before you set off on your journey. Even leaving a side window open slightly, can result in a crack or a dangerous window blow out due to high pressure when travelling at speed.
2. Road Accidents were responsible for 19% of all claims. 24% of the claims in this category were a result of being hit whilst parked, 14% from a collision with oncoming vehicles, and 14% from being hit in the rear by a third party. Accidents when reversing came in with 12% and incidents when pulling out accounted for 9% of all road accidents.
Shield understands that finding appropriate parking for your motorhome isn’t easy and recommends exercising caution when considering where to park. Parking in city centres is challenging and best avoided.
Stuart says: “Park on the outskirts of large cities and use public transport to travel into the City Centre, in most cases it will be cheaper and a lot less stressful.”
If you do choose to take your motorhome in to the city then here are a few points to remember.
Motorhomes cannot be parked in multi-storey car parks due to their size, don’t even attempt it! If your motorhome overhangs into another parking space, you may need to purchase two tickets or risk a fine.
Finally as most road accidents occur when parked, think about other road users. If you choose on-street parking, is there enough space for a wide vehicle to pass your parked motorhome safely?
= 3. Third Party and Impact related claims come in at joint third place, with both accounting for an equal 12% of all claims made by Shield motorhome insurance customers. Says Stuart “You can never be too cautious, anticipate the actions of other road users and always expect the unexpected. Take additional time to thoroughly plan your journey, simple actions can reduce the chance of damage to your much-loved motorhome.
The beauty of a motorhome is having the ability to explore and go anywhere, but not everywhere can accommodate a motorhome! Don’t rely on your sat nav. Buy a good quality, large scale map and take the time to look at the roads, planning your adventure considering are they wide enough to travel down safely without damaging your vehicle.
5. Theft accounted for 6.5% of all claims made. Thankfully the good news is that 40% of those motorhomes stolen were successfully recovered.
Most thefts occur from home so increase security there! There are a number of excellent security products on the market such as trackers, immobilisers and alarms and the investment is worth the extra peace of mind. Shield can also offer lower premiums for motorhomes featuring some types of security device.
Steering wheel locks, anti-theft registration plates and wheel clamps are relatively low cost measures and can be a deterrent to potential thieves.
1. Windscreen/glass damage accounted for a massive 46% of all insurance claims and included everything from chips, cracks and scratches to rare full blowouts.
From simple chip repairs to costly replacements, it pays to be covered, especially as a replacement windscreen can cost anything from around £300 for a Fiat Ducato-based conversion to over £6000 for a luxury A-Class motorhome.
Stuart Craig, of Shield Total Insurance says: “Replacement windscreens can be extremely expensive, however there are a number of steps you can take to avoid needing to have a new one fitted.”
Always report a chip straight away to your insurance provider in order to get it repaired as quickly as possible. From a cold snap to a bump in the road, a chip can quite easily turn into a crack, costing you your insurance excess. With Shield, chips and repairs are covered for free as part of your policy and won’t affect your no claims bonus.
Always keep your windows and wiper blades clean as stones, grit and sand can scratch your windscreen reducing visibility.
Make sure all windows are closed before you set off on your journey. Even leaving a side window open slightly, can result in a crack or a dangerous window blow out due to high pressure when travelling at speed.
2. Road Accidents were responsible for 19% of all claims. 24% of the claims in this category were a result of being hit whilst parked, 14% from a collision with oncoming vehicles, and 14% from being hit in the rear by a third party. Accidents when reversing came in with 12% and incidents when pulling out accounted for 9% of all road accidents.
Shield understands that finding appropriate parking for your motorhome isn’t easy and recommends exercising caution when considering where to park. Parking in city centres is challenging and best avoided.
Stuart says: “Park on the outskirts of large cities and use public transport to travel into the City Centre, in most cases it will be cheaper and a lot less stressful.”
If you do choose to take your motorhome in to the city then here are a few points to remember.
Motorhomes cannot be parked in multi-storey car parks due to their size, don’t even attempt it! If your motorhome overhangs into another parking space, you may need to purchase two tickets or risk a fine.
Finally as most road accidents occur when parked, think about other road users. If you choose on-street parking, is there enough space for a wide vehicle to pass your parked motorhome safely?
= 3. Third Party and Impact related claims come in at joint third place, with both accounting for an equal 12% of all claims made by Shield motorhome insurance customers. Says Stuart “You can never be too cautious, anticipate the actions of other road users and always expect the unexpected. Take additional time to thoroughly plan your journey, simple actions can reduce the chance of damage to your much-loved motorhome.
The beauty of a motorhome is having the ability to explore and go anywhere, but not everywhere can accommodate a motorhome! Don’t rely on your sat nav. Buy a good quality, large scale map and take the time to look at the roads, planning your adventure considering are they wide enough to travel down safely without damaging your vehicle.
5. Theft accounted for 6.5% of all claims made. Thankfully the good news is that 40% of those motorhomes stolen were successfully recovered.
Most thefts occur from home so increase security there! There are a number of excellent security products on the market such as trackers, immobilisers and alarms and the investment is worth the extra peace of mind. Shield can also offer lower premiums for motorhomes featuring some types of security device.
Steering wheel locks, anti-theft registration plates and wheel clamps are relatively low cost measures and can be a deterrent to potential thieves.
