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Happy campers make for happy holidays

The great outdoors is a favourite South African pastime, whether it is ‘trekking’ a caravan to a remote beach location, camping in a tent in the bush, or sitting around the campfire under the stars in your own backyard.

Even if some holidaymakers like to ‘rough it’ in some way, doing so without the workable camping gear and equipment will suck the fun right out of it. To make sure you enjoy taking on the open road these April holidays, make sure your home-away-from-home is sufficiently insured for theft, fire, accidents, weather related damages or liabilities caused by third parties.

“Sufficient cover will eliminate the emotional and financial stress associated with dealing with significant loss that can ruin your holiday plans, or perhaps even cut your holiday short,” says Hannes Smith, Head of Personal Lines Sales and Operations at Mutual & Federal.  “Campers should utilise a checklist of security and insurance measures which they can complete before hitting the road.”

Outdoor facilities and features don’t come cheap, so double check that everything including tables and chairs, gas lamps and solar lights, geysers and other luxury items kept inside a caravan or off-road trailer are covered under your short-term insurance policy.

“In some cases, insurers require certain items to be specified on a policy,” Smith says. “Find out what is required, especially if you plan to take movable electronics such as mobile phones, laptops and tablets with you. Make sure that these items are specifically stipulated in your insurance contract.

“For those who like to travel in style, double check whether permanent fixtures and accessories such as fridges, air-conditioners, fitted canopies and awnings, are sufficiently covered in your policy, albeit at all,” adds Smith.

Much is covered under the all risks section of the personal insurance policies at Mutual & Federal as the listing of all gear is not required, however, it is better to specify a market-related value of items under personal possessions. Ensure that your limit of compensation in respect of trailers or a caravan is sufficient to include permanent fittings, like battery systems and solar power panels.

It goes without saying that precautions before embarking on your adventure have to be taken. For example, ensuring everything is in working order on both the towing vehicle and/or trailer and caravan as pre-existing conditions might have an impact on the settlement of a loss, if such problems lead to subsequent and further damage.

Importantly, make sure you are covered within the territorial limits of your destination if you travel outside of the borders of South Africa.

Here are some top insurance tips:

  • Trailers must be insured for the replacement value, including permanent fixtures and fittings, under the vehicle section of your policy.
  • Check if the cover for your trailer is comprehensive or covers against theft and accidents.
  • Check whether you should take out an add-on insurance product to cover the gap should your trailer or caravan be towed away.
  • Make sure that you read through your policy wording terms and conditions to find out if and how your insurer covers the contents inside the trailer.
  • The VIN and Chassis numbers of the trailer or caravan must be given when adding it on your policy.
  • Trailers and caravans with built in camping gear (fridges, power converter, stove, etc.) must be added to the value of the trailer, as Mutual & Federal does note the fixtures and fittings separately and they must be included in the limit of compensations of the your policy.
  • Although some camping items that you keep in the trailer must be listed, values supplied and must be specified under the all-risk section of the policy, a globular amount can be selected to cover most of the contents.  It must be noted that cover is limited to R1000 or 25% of limit of compensation per item.

When travelling to a camping destination, and especially with large cargo in tow, Mutual & Federal strongly recommends that additional road safety measures should be taken in such circumstances by campers-elect.

“Campers should also try and avoid travelling in extreme weather conditions with poor visibility. They should take regular breaks should the driver get tired. Keep your insurers emergency and road side assistance contact details on hand in case any emergency might arise,” concludes Smith.

[Camping Photo below from Hilton Kotze]

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