“So often in the world of security you hear people who say ‘if they want to get in, they’ll get in’. Well it’s a lame excuse – because these firms don’t want to spend any money on upkeep”.
Ted Young is unsurprisingly passionate about security. Having joined the Caravan Storage Site Owner’s Association (CaSSOA) as an inspector in 1999, he’s stayed with the firm to this day – and remains a powerful advocate of the organisation’s aims. Starting off with just 43 sites, the association now comprises of a 650-strong nationwide network which stores around 100,000 caravans.
While many caravanners opt to keep their tourer on their drive, recent surveys and statistics show the risks involved. A government study found that nearly half were stolen from private driveways, with a further 45% taken from service stations and holiday parks.
And after twelve years of inspecting sites and supporting the initiative, Ted took the time to reflect with Caravan Times on why CaSSOA was founded to combat the issue.
How it works
“We started off in 1999 because there was a fairly high rate of caravan theft. Our founders decided that if this is so high, then shouldn’t we find out why they’re being stolen? The existing methods weren’t being managed by a proper system – so we had to change the whole ethos to make caravan storage professional.”
Normally CaSSOA store the caravan for 12 months, with storage working out on average at “a pound a day” according to Ted. An owner would typically add £100 for inside storage, with three tiers of security levels awarded by the body. Gold, Silver and Bronze reflect the levels of equipment used by site owners, as well as the quality of administration and management.
How you can save money on insurance
So how have caravan insurers recognised these improvements to storage and security? “Well, all specialist insurers ask where you’re going to keep your caravan when not in use. In the world of insurance, there’s a lot of reliance on the declaration of proposal at first instance. And because all of our CaSSOA sites have been assessed, the insurance company can quickly go down their list and realise that it’s secure, and give rewards.”
For example, specialists Simple Caravan Insurance offer a 5% discount for customers using CaSSOA Certified storage sites.
And it was while working for a company of loss adjusters in Bristol when Ted began to realise the full extent of the problems of storage. “You could go onto a farm site and see two caravans in a barn, and then at the other end of the farm there’s straw which could go up in smoke!”
Since then, Ted and CaSSOA have made huge strides to raise the bar and improve the quality of storage. “One time, caravan storage was really the domain of the farming community. They would have a plot of land, and if anything happens, ‘it’s got nowt to do with me’. But now criminals are much more sophisticated – and we have to be equally as sophisticated.”
