Military Vehicle Insurance

Military Vehicle Insurance – A helpful guide

 

Military vehicle insurance can be a bit of a mine field, so we have put together this helpful guide so that you can get the correct insurance for your military vehicle.

First of all it can be very difficult to value an ex military vehicle because unlike a standard road car the same make and model can be very different. This can because it was modified for a special army unit or have extra equipment added, such as radios, de-act weapons etc.

How do you value your Jeep? A good start would be to take a look at our Jeep price guide page this will give you an idea of value. You can then add the value of any extra equipment you have on the vehicle. Make sure that you tell your insurance company of any modifications that have been made to the vehicle. An SAS Jeep with all the equipment attached is a more appealing vehicle to the would be thief, so will attract a higher premium.

Your insurance company will require six colour photographs of your vehicle to come to an agreed value: from both sides, the front and back, the engine bay and interior.

Where are you going to keep your vehicle? If you intend to keep it in a locked garage at your home the insurance company will be happy with that. But what if you left the vehicle locked up on your drive overnight. Some companies don’t cover vehicles left out side of your home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. if you normally keep them in the garage.

Are you covered if you visit someone away from home overnight who does not have a garage? Same applies to attending a show.

Membership of a Military Vehicle Club can get you a discount of up to 30% on you premium from most insurers. However we have found in the past that sometimes it is cheaper to insure a Jeep with a classic car insurance policy rather than the ex military vehicle policy- it is worth asking the question. You can also be fully covered if you drive a friends military vehicle that is insured with the same company.

Limited mileage discounts are another way to save. Most insurers will offer a discount if you limit the amount of miles you cover. Limits of up to 1,500 or 4,500 a year are common. If you under estimate your yearly mileage and go over you should inform the insurance company. They will ask you for the odometer reading when you start the policy. If you go over without telling them and then need to make a claim you could find that you have voided your insurance cover.

If you have more than one military vehicle most insurers will offer a discount if you insure them together under a multi vehicle cover policy.

Military vehicle written off after an accident. Whether you can buy back the vehicle and repair it will depend on your insurer. It is called salvage retention.

There are four categories of write off vehicles.

Category A. Scrap, the whole vehicle must be destroyed including all parts.

Category B. Body shell must be destroyed, some parts can be used.

Category S. Suffered structural damage, must be professionally repaired

Category N. Cosmetic/electrical damage, not economical to repair

European insurance cover. You can get up to 90 days cover a year from most insurers. After we leave the EU a green card insurance document will be required to drive in the EU countries. Contact your insurer before travelling.

Age limits. Some insurance companies have lower and upper age limits for drivers, so check before you let someone else drive your vehicle.

Excess. The amount of excess will effect the cost of your policy, some have nil excess for accidental damage, fire and theft.

Laid up cover. If your vehicle is off the road for restoration or repairs you can still have it insured under a laid up cover policy. This will cover your vehicle and its parts while being worked on. Accidental damage, fire and theft cover will protect your pride and joy while it is off the road.

This helpful guide to military vehicle insurance will assist keeping your military vehicle safe and well.