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NEWS
Hailstones cause most RV damage
Golf ball-sized frozen water accounts for around one in five caravan write-offs, says leading insurerWhat’s the leading cause of caravan write-offs?
According to CIL Insurance National Business Development Manager Robert Hare, the most common culprit is hail damage, which accounts for around 20 per cent of all write-offs.
The next most common cause is collision with a stationary object, followed by storm debris impact, rollover, accidental damage while parked, flood, fire, a third party failing to give way and underbody damage.
Speaking at this year’s Caravan Industry Association of Australia National Conference, Hare said an estimated 1500 caravans are written off each year in Australia, at a total cost of $30 million. The average ‘write off’ is $20,000.
Thefts account for 21 per cent of the total number of write-offs. “We estimate that annually 300 caravans are stolen, costing around $6 million,” he said.
According to Hare, the basic formula used by insurance companies like CIL for determining a write-off, is to add the repair cost and salvage value of the van. If the sum is equal to or higher than the total sum insured, “then the caravan is normally written off.”
For example, if the agreed sum insured for a caravan is $35,000 but the repair quote is $30,000 and the salvage estimate $8000, then it’s a write-off.
An RV write-off is classified by a State Motor Registry Office as either statutory (can’t be repaired or re-registered) or repairable (can be repaired and once it’s roadworthy, it can be re-registered).
However Andrew Gallop, the managing director of large Melbourne repairer Hardings-Swift Caravan Services, warned that some caravans classified as a repairable write-off can “get into the hands of a small time, dodgy repairer; all he does is slap on a few panels, doesn’t seal it properly, then flogs it off again”.
Gallop said caravans with traditional aluminium skins are more susceptible to hail damage than those with smooth fibreglass or aluminium composite panels, particularly those with a ribbed finish.
“The typical Australian van has got the ridges in the cladding which catches the hail on the way down and leaves dints (but) on a flat panel (aluminium or fibreglass) van the hail will often have trouble dinting the sides,” he said.
While hail dents are mostly cosmetic, unless the damage is to an awning or plastic roof hatch, Gallop said replacing panels and resealing a traditional, hand-built van can be quite labour intensive and therefore costly, even when minimal new parts are used.
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Written byChris Fincham
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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