Just renewed MoHo Insurance, Breakdown Cover and Tracker Fee!!! (1 Viewer)

[Millcourt]

Have just gone through the annual tedious task of renewing MoHo Insurance and Breakdown Cover, due 1st August.

My existing insurer did not seem competitive! Seeking quotes from several Brokers/Insurers, the cost for our 3-year old Autocruise Accent with an estimated annual 7000 miles, unlimited European cover with a minimum 60-day trip limit, varied from £306 to £835!!!

The cheapest (which I have taken) was through the Caravan and Motorhome Club (which surprised me). However, the Club insurers do not provide any Breakdown Cover, so this has to be obtained separately. The Caravan & Motorhome Club only offer UK Breakdown Cover - so it was back to the internet/telephone again.

The best I came up with for our needs for UK and Europewide cover was with "First4Recovery" (https://www.first4recovery.co.uk/). They offer cover up to 12m for large motorhomes and offer trip-limit European cover of either 90 or 120 days. To meet our requirements, I opted for full UK breakdown cover for a motorhome up to 3.5 tonnes, with multiple 90-day trip limit travel within Europe (which meets our need for a couple of trips abroad each year) at a cost of £79, which seemed very good value. (Hope this proves to be the case in the unwelcome event of a breakdown!)

When researching the options for this Insurance for the MoHo, I was surprised how some insurers did not care whether or not you had fitted an electronic alarm, immobiliser, or tracking device, whilst others were insistent and usually offered a premium reduction. Ours came with all 3 of these devices fitted, but I was very dubious about renewing the annual fee for our "Tracker". Last year (our first year of our ownership of this MoHo) Tracker charged £90 and (not knowing better?) I paid up. For renewal they had increased the charge to £99. Playing the impoverished OAP role, I telephoned them to cancel and they immediately offered to renew at the current premium of £90. Asking if this was the best they could offer, they reduced it to £80 if I renewed the same day. As the vehicle insurance premium I had chosn was £57 less with a working approved tracking device, I agreed to pay - the net cost being £23. Not sure if I will continue this when next sorting out cover.

All of this took the best part of 2 days, including reading the "small print". Having previously been caught out on a (non-vehicle) insurance claim, I am now rather meticulous at wanting to read through the policy document before buying rather then before claiming.

Is there an easier way of going about this annual chore? Perhaps a comparison site I have failed to find or is it just part of the fun of MoHo ownership?​

 

[chaser]

i have also done the insurance thing a couple of months ago but stayed with nfu for the eighth year in a row £275 cant be bad, but have also gone for www.first4recovery.co.uk half the cost of the others for on paper far better service but as you say just hope we dont have to find out if they are as good as they say but for signing up with they were brilliant, answer the phone within a couple of rings and a uk bloke who gives his name and you then ask for him for any quereys you might have later and must say when i rang again he was as good as his word and put me right. they also do larger and heavier vans if need be.
we shall see, hope not

 

[mikebeaches]

I looked at www.first4recovery.co.uk and they did indeed appear to provide an attractive proposition.

We are planning for our van to be away from the UK for 250 / 270 days, so their maximum overseas single-trip length of 120 days wouldn't work for me.

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[SpeedyDux]

If your insurer uses bands of 1000 miles, limiting your annual mileage to 6,999 instead of 7,000 could result in a lower renewal premium.

 

[Reto]

We use NFU but also nationwide flexplus account which provides full European breakdown for Motorhomes up to 8m (and a second vehicley if you set up joint account) plus Eurowide travel insurance and other benefits all for £11.00 / month - so £133.00 which is less than the £141.00 quoted by first4recovery for motorhome only

 

[Mike800966]

It really is an annual chore but for peace of mind you just have to do it if you are at all limited financially.
I found that its best to make a short list of the facts ie annual mileage, Excess and Value so that you put exactly the same details into each comparison website.
We have been with saga for a number of years and I was happy with them until last week when I rang to ask why I hadnt received any renewal papers.
I was made to feel that it was my fault and that I must have ignored their emails and destroyed my letterbox!
Renewal was £365 and unlike last year it could not be reduced, he said because Defacto said they were 5 star
Anyway, just spoken to a real person at AIB and he came up with an excellent price under £300 inc enough eu cover and EU Breakdown and Homestart excess £200. In short all the bells and whistles.
Lets hope thats the end of it , for another year
Mike and Ann

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[cruiser]

Because my van is so old . I have had real problems trying to get euro cover breakdown. The only one that would do it was L/V For £16.25 a month and you can cancel when you come back . £10. We only go for two months . But they do not care about the age of the van. Or me And I am 73.

 

[Mike800966]

Glad you go it sorted then Cruiser, you didnt say how old the van is?
I think they start to draw a line at 15 years old for european cover
Mike & Ann

 

[joka250]

It's a nightmare trying to bring everything together with insurance. You get a good quote for the motorhome that includes long term cover for Europe and then find it doesn't cover one of your intended destinations but breakdown cover is cheap enough to cover cost of Green card. You then realise they don't do travel and health cover so you look elsewhere. You have a pre existing condition and the premiums are huge (if you can get it) but an insurer offers it but only if you takeout their more expensive European breakdown cover. You then find that the house and contents are onl ycovered for 60 days and you want more. And so it goes on. You finally bring it all together and it's nearlyrenewal time.

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[cruiser]

@Mike800966 . My van is a 1990 Talbot express. They said as long as it is serviced . They will cover it. I have had the van from new . They covered me last year. And I renewed on Tuesday . So as my van is 28 years old. They cover very old vans. And we are going to Portugal for 2 months . Very soon.

 

[ctc]

After paying for breakdown cover I found out that if I had my van serviced by Mercedes, they provided basic worldwide cover. No limits, recovery to a Merc. dealer free from anywhere. Mercedes service turned out to be cheaper than any of the local garages that could handle a MH.