Avoid Motorhome Insurance Roof Claims

"one of the main dangers of driving a larger motorhome is low bridges"

Avoid Motorhome Insurance Roof Claims

by Caravan Guard

Owning and driving a motorhome can give you the freedom to take a holiday or vacation whenever you choose. However, driving a motorhome is not the same as driving a car. It’s important to remember that the size of the vehicle effects how the vehicle handles, as well how much space it takes up on the road. 

Whilst travelling down narrow country lanes can be tricky, one of the main dangers of driving a larger motorhome is low bridges. Low bridges often carry warning signs before the bridge and on the bridge itself, indicating the maximum height of vehicle that can pass safely underneath. But you’ll need to act fast to decide whether the bridge is safe to negotiate; so do you know the actual height of your motorhome off the top of your head? Or would you need to pull over and dig out the owners’ handbook? 

Travelling in the UK and Europe means you could see low bridges with a maximum height warning sign given in either metric or imperial measurements, so it’s vital that you know how high your motorhome is in feet and inches as well as metres and centimetres.

Failing to know the height of your motorhome and making the wrong decision to pass under a low bridge can cause a great deal of damage to your pride and joy. Although your insurance company would be able to cover the cost of repairing the damage, your holiday plans may have to be put on hold whilst your claim is sorted out. 

There’s also the possibility of paying an excess towards the cost of repairing the roof damage and a loss of your no claims bonus. As a result, your motorhome insurance premium may rise when you come to renew your policy. 

However, there are ways in which you can avoid such claims. A great idea is to find your owners’ handbook or manual, before you set off on your journey, and make a note of the motorhome’s height in feet and inches as well as metres and centimetres. You can also take down the vehicle’s width and length in both imperial and metric measurements. Keep this information in your motorhome at all times; somewhere to hand so you can quickly find out how high the vehicle is. In your windscreen or on the sun visor is an excellent place to keep this information.

So before you set off on unfamiliar roads, make sure you do your homework first, especially if being guided by a satellite navigation system. If you have the functionality to specify a route suitable for larger vehicles, use this feature! If not, make sure you have the dimensions of your motorhome to hand at all times whilst driving. 

Caravan Guard Limited specialises in motorhome insurance in the UK and can provide a motorhome dimensions sticker free of charge by visiting http://www.caravanguard.co.uk/motorhomesticker