Welcome to the first of a two part series, covering everything you need to know about motorhome insurance. Our beginner’s guide will give you the tips and tricks you need, to get the lowest premium and the best coverage, while highlighting the common pitfalls that could leave you uncovered in the event of a claim. Let’s get started.
What type of vehicle does motorhome insurance cover?
There are eight broad categories of motorhome split by body style. Some styles do overlap but insurance companies will most likely offer these eight categories, from smallest to largest they are:
- Micro
- Van conversion
- Camper van (factory converted)
- Compact
- Low-profile
- Coachbuilt/overcab
- American RV
- A class
Some insurance companies will only provide quotes for professionally built and factory converted motorhomes, leaving DIY conversion campers with less options. However, comparison websites have options to select what kind of camper conversion you have, so you waste less time looking at quotes that do not apply to your DIY conversion.
Whether you phone up or use a comparison website, make it clear to the insurance company exactly what type of motorhome you want to insure.
Types of motorhome insurance policy
Similar to insuring a car, there are three types of insurance policy you can take out for your motorhome.
- Third Party Only insurance is the minimum cover you can legally buy in the UK to insure your vehicle against liability or injury to others, and damage to other’s property.
- Third Party Fire and Theft insurance covers everything on a Third Party Only policy, plus fire damage, the theft of your motorhome and damage to your motorhome from attempted theft and vandalism.
- Comprehensive insurance is the premier insurance for your motorhome and covers all the benefits of Third Party Fire and Theft, plus it can be specified with benefits like damage caused by the owner; it may also insure you to drive any other vehicles with permission from the owner. Comprehensive policies do vary widely, so it is important that you read all the details of the policy before commiting to insuring yourself and your motorhome.
Named drivers
The main driver of the motorhome must be named on the policy. If you are intending to regularly share the driving with a partner, you should make sure they are named on the policy too.
Excesses
An excess is an agreed amount that you will pay towards any claim. There are compulsory excesses and voluntary excesses.
- Compulsory excess is a mandatory amount that you will pay in the event of a claim. It is usually deducted from any settlement made. The compulsory excess ranges from £100-£500.
- Voluntary excess is an additional payment to the compulsory excess that you agree to pay in the event of a claim. You can use voluntary excess to lower your premium, but be aware that you will have to pay the compulsory and voluntary excess if you make a claim. Therefore, make sure you are able to afford any excesses that you agree to.
Exclusions
There are exclusions that apply to motorhome insurance that you should look out for in case they apply to you and your vehicle, such as:
- Using a motorhome as a permanent residence or place of business
- Wear and tear of interiors, and damage caused by insects and vermin
- Mechanical and electrical breakdowns
- Theft of contents, where evidence of forced entry is not present
No-claims bonus
If you never make a claim, you will be rewarded by your insurance company with a no-claims bonus. This will get you a discount on next year’s insurance premium.
A no-claims bonus is worth protecting, either by careful driving or by paying to protect it. You can pay for this service, meaning in the event of a claim your no-claims bonus will not be affected.
Coming up in part two of our insurance guide
For a comprehensive guide to finding the best deal on your motorhome insurance, check the Glenn’s Motorhomes blog in June for part two of A Beginner’s Guide To Motorhome Insurance. We will be covering motorhome security, contents cover, and the more exciting aspects of insurance, like being covered for travels abroad. After all, the open road is why you got yourself a motorhome in the first place, right?
Glenns Motorhomes and Leisure Vehicles are proud to offer the finest preowned motorhomes, campers and cars in the Chesterfield, Derby and Nottingham areas. We also maintain, repair and service motorhomes – so you can be assured that your motorhome can go the distance when it comes to holidaying far from home. For more information on our vehicles and other services, contact us by calling 0115 971 7509 today. We will be happy to help. Or, you can contact us online if you prefer.
