What’s covered by who when something goes wrong with your van?
Warranty? Insurance? Or wear and tear? What’s covered by who when something goes wrong with your RV?
We see it every day. You want your RV to stay in tip top condition but sometimes things happen, and fixes need to be made. But how do you know what’s covered by warranty or insurance and what’s not? You might be surprised to know what might be considered wear and tear and will need to be repaired at your own cost!
What does your policy cover?
Firstly, insurance policies and warranties will vary between providers. It’s always best to read your caravan insurance policy first – check the inclusions and exclusions! If you require any clarification, contact your insurance company or dealer first to see if you are covered.
While we do reports for insurance companies and some manufacturers, we essentially are just the middleman and have no sway over either of their decisions regarding any potential claim. We are bound to provide an independent assessment of the situation. This involves providing a report with details of the potential cause of the damage, based on our years of experience.
Common scenarios
Here’s the top things we see all the time and how they may be treated:
1. Water ingress – what you need to know
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- Sadly, most vans we see have some water damage
- When we investigate a water damage claim, we look for the following:
- Whether we can replicate the situation using a water test to determine where water is entering the van.
- How old does the damage look? Is it still wet? Or mouldy? Or does it look like it is older and has dried?
- Have the seals on the van been regularly checked and maintained? How long has it been since the last re-seal of the van?
- Are the seals intact?
- Has there been any impact damage to the site of the ingress? If so, what might have caused it?
- Has the van been stored undercover or out in the elements?
- Has there been a weather event that might have affected the van e.g. hailstorm, excessive rain?
What does this mean for your RV?
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- If your van is new and the water is entering via the seals and it interferes with the caravan’s core purpose of providing shelter, you may have recourse to go back to the manufacturer for rectification. Caravan warranty periods can vary between manufacturers but the latest guidance from the ACCC suggests that if there is a major defect in the van, even after the expiry of the warranty, consumer guarantees may still apply.
- However, if your van is older, unless it has been significantly damaged by a weather event, it’s a lot harder to prove that water damage hasn’t occurred due to wear and tear – especially if seals have not been inspected or replaced regularly. This will mean that the cost of your repairs may not be covered by insurance!!
- And a word of warning…. it’s really hard to determine the extent of the water damage on sight inspections alone. Water can travel, so damage can spread throughout your van! Sometimes the true extent isn’t found until walls or cupboards are removed!
- Our recommendation is to regularly check over your van – especially after rain – so you can nip any potential leaks in the bud before it becomes major damage.
2. Scratches, scuffs and dents
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- When picking up your new van, your dealer should do a handover and give you an opportunity to look for any obvious signs of damage to or inside your van. For new vans, you should ensure you document any damage with the dealer before you drive away. If you don’t, it will be much harder to prove that the damage wasn’t caused after the handover.
- If you are buying a demo or ex-display model, it is unlikely that any existing marks on the van will be covered by warranty. These purchases are usually in ‘as is’ condition so if you have any concerns about the existing damage to the van, please discuss with the dealer PRIOR to signing a contract.
- For older vans, you would have to check your insurance policy to see if it covers this type of damage. Usually, it would only be covered for damage caused by an event e.g. accident, weather event etc. If there’s been no triggering event it would be considered wear and tear and not covered by insurance.
3. Appliance faults and malfunctions
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- Each appliance is covered by manufacturer warranty from new – if it’s a fault in an appliance in a new van, you are best to go back to your dealer for rectification.
- If it’s an appliance in an older van, whether it’s covered by your insurance will depend on your individual insurance policy – some policies cover you for electrical burnout, some don’t; some do, but for an extra premium…so it’s best to check to see what your policy covers
- If it’s a new appliance retro-fitted to your van, any fault with the appliance should be covered by the manufacturer warranty – if you contact the installer, they should be able to assist you in getting it fixed.
- But if it’s an older appliance, chances are that the cost of any fixing will rest with the owner – appliances have a shelf life so may need to be replaced over the lifetime of the van.
4. Doors, cupboards, drawers and latches
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- Again, it will depend on the age of the van. If it’s a new van, and there’s no sign of impact or other damage, then you may have recourse to go back to the manufacturer for repair. The ACCC suggest that all aspects of the van must be fit for purpose and functional. If your drawers or cupboards aren’t working as they should be, then it may be up to the manufacturer to rectify.
- If you’ve been in an accident and the functionality has been damaged by the impact, then any permanent fixtures within the van will generally be covered by insurance. But again, check your policy to confirm that you are.
- If they’ve been slowly deteriorating over years, then unfortunately, the cost of repair falls upon the owner.
If in doubt, please feel free to call and arrange for us to complete an inspection. We can point you in the most appropriate direction and provide advice on potential causes and possible options to find a solution to your problem.