UKC

Can anyone recommend an insurance provider who will insure a lot of kit for an extended time in a van. All risks house insurance people aren't very interested. They are happy for me to take stuff on the hill/crag, but left inside a locked van, now that's reckless because it's been left unattended, even if the vehicles locked and everything is out of sight. What do people do to get over this problem? Thanks for any useful beta..

In reply to purple sue:

Hi sue.

Can your van be classed as a camper? Some insurance cos are less picky than others. My van is insured this way and I'm fairly sure the contents are covered, a few thousand anyway.

In reply:

Thanks Jonathan,
Its the climbing equipment value (and kiteboarding kit) that takes it way over the normal contents value, even though the van itself is not worth much. A few grand would not be sufficient in my case. I'll shop around with your advice in mind.

In reply to purple sue:

Sorry I can't help with the insurance side of things, but you can reduce risks yourself. Immobiliser on the van, steering lock, disconnect battery etc. Install a lockable cage inside and keep your kit locked in it. Insurance is a hassle - try to avoid being it in the first place!

In reply to nottsrich:

Cheers for reminding me about these things. I'm also seeking to do some modifications to the van to make it less inviting to break into. Plenty to be done to make it look even more uninviting to gain access to, than it already is.

In reply to purple sue:

I think Snowcard provide some kind of cover - it at least went part way towards it for me. Not if the vehicle is unattended overnight though. It might be worth exploring that.

In reply to purple sue:

All insurance is different (state the obvious), but M&S household contents insurance has just forked out several £K to me for having my MTB nicked when it was locked in, and to, my van. They were very reasonable with me and explained what I had to do to keep my bike covered by the household policy while it was in the van. Not saying they are either the only or the best company, just that they were quite open and straight forward with me. Another insurer, this year, said they would cover my bike unattended locked to a lamppost, but not locked in and to my van with the same lock. Needless to say I've stayed with M&S. I also have a storage system for my gear in the van that is locked closed and secured to the van. It appears to make a big difference whether a thief, or potential thief can see into the van.