Just as the name suggests, a motorhome is more than just a vehicle, it is a small home on wheels. Motorhome insurance, therefore, needs to reflect this dual purpose in order to afford adequate protection for your investment both in the vehicle itself and in the contents which make it a home.

Despite its offering cover against such twin perils as motoring and a mini-home, however, motorhome insurance may often prove to be amongst the most competitively-priced forms of vehicle insurance.

Motor insurance

When it comes to insurance, the likely value of the motorhome probably makes very basic cover (ie third party only) inadequate in the vast majority of cases and third party, fire and theft or – more usually – fully comprehensive insurance is going to be sought. The latter cover is typically designed to indemnify the driver not only against claims from third parties but also provide cover for accidental damage, theft and fire.

Some providers of motorhome insurance, however, recognise that the majority of owners are likely to be of the more experienced and mature type of driver (indeed, some restrict cover only to drivers over the minimum age of 25 years).

Many also take into account the fact that the motorhome is used relatively occasionally during the year, when on holiday, and driven in suitably holiday mood, when there is no rush-hour pressure to get to work. Indeed, some motorhome protection policies may specifically exclude the vehicle’s use for driving to and from work.

Add to all this the fact that motorhomes may be less likely to be the subject of theft than other kinds of vehicle and it becomes easy to see why competitive premium rates are often offered on this type of insurance.

“Home” insurance

As your home away from home, the modern-day motorhome is likely to contain not only a range of personal belongings but also come fully-equipped with such things as television, video-players, computers and satellite navigation. Although it may be necessary to check carefully the maximum levels of compensation in the event of loss through theft or damage, insurance for motorhome policies are typically designed to offer protection for such fittings and personal belongings.

As offered by other providers of motor insurance, motorhome cover may often come with the benefit of a free courtesy car, whilst the motorhome is being repaired following an accident covered by the policy. Motorhome insurance more often goes that one step further, however, by recognising that the vehicle is not only a means of transportation, but of accommodation, too. If the motorhome is stolen or otherwise rendered unusable, some insurance policies may make provision for alternative accommodation (subject to a maximum cost per night and for a prescribed maximum number of days).

Insurance is not something that we look forward to buying. However, it may make a great deal of sense to protect what is often a very expensive purchase in this case your motorhome. It may be extremely tempting to jump onto the first low quote for motorhome cover that you come across. However, does that policy include everything you need? While reading the small print and terms and conditions of insurance is boring, this too may also make a great deal of sense. It is where you may find what you are covered for and what the maximum payouts may be should you have to make a claim.

At the very least, you should read the summary of any motorhome policy you are considering taking. This will usually give you an idea of the main benefits of the policy.

Should you want make the most of your motorhome and travel around Europe then look into the details of your insurance to find out how many days out of the year you may be covered for Europe. All providers limit this amount. Some may give you more days cover than others for the same cost, and this is where you may benefit if you do spend many days out of the year in Europe.

If you are obtaining several insurance quotes, and it may be to your advantage to do so, be careful to ensure that you are checking like for like insurance policies. This means that the policy includes the same amount of European cover, you are paying the same amount of excess on the policy and you are getting other very similar benefits.

When considering the excess you may benefit and make savings if you offer to pay more for your excess than what the insurance provider is asking for. Your motorhome cover always comes with a minimum amount of excess. This may be the amount of money you may need to pay out of your own pocket should you need to claim on your insurance, before the insurance provider will take over the remainder of the claim.
When checking the benefits of your insurance policy find out what the insurance may payout for when it came to personal belongings. For instance, may any personal equipment be covered such as your portable
DVD player? How much may the policy pay towards steps and awnings?

Find out if the insurance provider will offer discounts for limited mileage, if you have installed advanced security measures on your motorhome or if you belong to a specialist motoring club. If you store your motorhome securely during the summer months you may be able to benefit from taking limited mileage insurance providing you do not travel more than the mileage stated on your motorhome cover.

One of the first things you may want to remember when looking for your motorhome insurance policy is that not all policies offer the same. Here are some of the many things that you may want to consider.

• You have the freedom to travel anywhere and at anytime, but do you have European cover and how many days coverage do you have? European cover is offered by providers based on days with some offering you more than others so always check in the benefits on offer.
• Is such as your portable TV, your DVD player or radio covered in your insurance policy and if so up to how much may you be able to claim back in the event they were stolen or damaged?
• Should the worst happen and your motorhome was damaged to the extent that you could not stay in it may your insurance policy pay out towards a stay in alternative accommodation? If this is included then remember to find out how many days and up to how much per day.
• Does the insurance provider you are considering going with for your motorhome insurance offer you lower premiums if you are the member of a specialist motorhome club? If not, consider looking for one that does if you have a membership.
• Is legal cover included in with the cost of your insurance or may the insurance provider allow you to add it in for a little extra each month? This can come in very handy if you are the victim in an accident which you were injured in and which caused you to have to take time from work. You could claim up to so much towards recovering costs.
• Does the insurance company offer a UK helpline that is operated 24/7? If you had to make a claim out of regular office hours and they were closed, it could add to the stress of the accident if you had to wait to make a claim.
• Check to find out if the provider you are considering offers limited mileage insurance. You could make savings on your insurance when your motorhome is off the road; say during the winter months if you take limited mileage cover. You may state how many miles you may travel with your motorhome during the year and stick under this limit.
• Check to find out if the provider offers you the option of adding in breakdown cover for a little more each month. Breakdown cover can be very valuable and if you have it added in with the same provider you could save a great deal of money compared to taking it out on its own.

These are just a few of the considerations you may want to take into account when looking into taking out your motorhome insurance. Whichever policy you take out always make sure that you have checked over the small print thoroughly as this is where you may be able to find out the limits on the cover and what you were and were not protected against.

There are plenty of excellent second hand motorhomes up for grabs and if you are on a limited budget then you might want to consider buying a used model instead of a brand new motorhome. If you do so then you could be able to make some savings on your insurance if you look into taking out used motorhome insurance.

As the value of your motorhome would be taken into account and go towards your insurance costs used motorhome insurance can allow you to save. Depending on the age of your vehicle you could knock a great deal off the cost of insuring it which goes in your favour of course. However there are also many other things to consider that would reflect on the cost of the insurance and help you to keep the premiums each month down to the minimum.

The amount of excess the provider asks you to pay can be considered as a way to cut down on the monthly premiums. Excess is what you need to pay before the insurance will kick in and pay the rest of your claim if you had to make one of course. There will be a minimum amount and this might differ between insurance providers. If you offer to pay out more by way of excess then you could save on the monthly premiums but bear in mind that the excess you choose would have to be paid in a lump sum and if you were unlucky enough to need to make more than one claim in the same year you could lost out on any savings you had made by way of premiums.

What type of cover do you need? For example where are you planning on travelling in your motorhome? If you do not intend leaving the UK then you do not need to take out insurance for Europe. This can add onto the cost of your monthly premiums with some providers giving you extra days coverage. European cover is essential if touring around Europe as you would have breakdown cover, towing and be able to claim on the insurance if you could not live in your motorhome and had to stay in alternative accommodation.

If you only plan on travelling in the UK for one or two weeks out of the year then you could look at used motorhome insurance that comes with limited mileage. You would state a maximum amount of miles that the motorhome would do per year and the policy could work out a great deal cheaper. Of course you would need to stick under this amount as should you go over it you would not be eligible to make a claim on your insurance policy.

There are many ways that you can help yourself to make savings when you are looking to take out motorhome cover. While of course the cost of your policy would vary depending on several things which are beyond your control including the type of vehicle you want insurance for and the years of experience you have driving you can still help yourself to cut down on the cost of the premiums.

The first thing that you have to consider when taking out motorhome cover is where you intend travelling. If you are only travelling in the UK then you will not have to pay out for European cover. However should you plan on travelling around Europe then of course you would have to add this into your policy.

European cover would allow you to claim on your policy in the event that you were to have an accident or break down. The cover would generally payout for the towing and repairs of your motorhome along with providing you with money to be used towards a stay in alternative accommodation if needed. This would be up to so much each day and for so long. The amount of day’s protection you could have whilst in Europe would vary with providers so compare this before taking out the policy.

You will have to pay out some excess if you were to have to make a claim on the cover and this can also vary with providers with some asking more than others. You would have to pay this excess before the insurance company would take over the rest of the claim. While there is always a minimum amount that you need to pay you could offer to pay more and this could help to keep down the cost of the premiums for your insurance policy. However the excess you choose to pay would need to come out of your own pocket in a lump sum so bear this in mind.

You will want to protect your personal belongings in your insurance so check if there are any limits to making a claim for a single item. Some providers will offer you new for old if you were to have to claim for loss or damage but others could take depreciation into account and if so this policy could cost less than one replacing your belongings with new for old.

Finally always check over any motorhome cover that you are considering taking out as there will be limitations and exclusions. You should also check to ensure that you have the correct policy for your needs. It is not good taking out the first cheap policy that you find only to find that you would not be covered for something you need. Go over the cover carefully and it can help to make a list before you start searching for cover so that you know what you want and what to look for when taking out protection.

While we all want to make the best savings on our insurance we also need to ensure that we get the correct policy for our needs. Therefore when looking for budget motorhome insurance you do have to go over the benefits and terms of any policy you are considering to make sure that you would be covered correctly. Otherwise if you were to have to make a claim you could find yourself losing out if it is turned down.

When looking for budget motorhome insurance you will have to decide if you want to have European cover included in your policy. This is essential if you plan on touring around Europe in your motorhome. However you would have to pay extra for this so if you do not plan on travelling around Europe then this is where you could save on your insurance.

European cover is essential as if you were to break down whilst travelling you would have to pay out of your own pocket. The policy would pay out for towing your motorhome, repairs to the vehicle and for a stay in alternative accommodation if you could not stay in your motorhome. The policy would generally pay out for up to so many days and so much per day so this would have to be checked with the provider.

As you will be taking your personal belongings with you then you will want to ensure that your policy would payout in the event that your belongings should be stolen, damaged or destroyed. You would need to work out how much your belongings come to and this would include items in drawers and cupboards. You should also check what the policy would pay out for in the event that a claim should have to be made. Some providers will pay out new for old on your items while others would take wear and tear into account. If your provider takes wear and tear into account then this type of policy would work out cheaper than one providing brand new items.

When finding budget motorhome insurance there are several ways that you can make savings on the cost of your policy. One of these is how much excess you would have to pay on your policy. The excess is what all providers will ask that you pay towards a claim before they will take over the claim and pay the rest. While there will be a minimum amount that you are asked to pay you could offer to pay out more and this would help towards keeping the cost of your insurance down.

The safer your motorhome is then the cheaper you would get your insurance. Therefore if you pay out and install such as an immobiliser or a tracking device you could make some great savings on the cost of your insurance policy. Installing such as smoke alarm can also go towards you being able to save on your insurance as this would go towards stopping fire before it takes hold.

It is essential that you compare motorhome insurance quotes for the best deal. If you were to just continually renew your insurance year after year then you would almost certainly be paying over the odds for your cover. While you might have got the cheapest insurance quote 2 years again the premiums will have almost certainly crept up and by looking around you could save a great deal of money of the cost of your policy.

One of the many factors that are taken into account to the cost of your motorhome insurance is the type of insurance you are taking out. If you have a brand new motorhome then you will want to cover it with fully comprehensive and this policy would provide you with the most security for your vehicle. Third party fire and theft could be taken if you own a second hand model but this would provide little insurance for your own vehicle. For the purpose of this article we are taking about the benefits of fully comprehensive insurance.

A fully comprehensive policy would allow you to insure the contents of your motorhome. This is essential if you are travelling around in your caravan and have a great deal of your belongings with you. You would take an inventory of the items in your caravan including all your personal possessions. This is the amount that you would get back if the worst possible scenario were to happen and you lost everything.

When considering your belongings take into account what the policy would pay out for. Some policies would provide you with new for old. However others would take wear and tear into account and this would be the cheapest way to protect your belongings. If your cover did payout new for old then of course your belongings would be replaced as brand new.

When you compare motorhome insurance and you travel outside of the UK and into Europe then you would have to check to find out if your policy included European cover. You would then be able to claim on the cover if needed while travelling in Europe. If for example you were to break down then you would be able to claim on the cover to be towed and have your motorhome repaired. The majority of policies would also payout for you to stay in alternative accommodation whilst repairs were being made.

There will be limits in all policies and you would have to compare motorhome insurance for these limits when comparing the cost. For instance, while your policy would provide European cover the policy would only protect you for so many days out of the year whilst travelling around Europe. The cover would only provide you with an income for so many days in alternative accommodation and up to so much each day.

There could also be a limit as to how much the policy would pay out for any single items such as steps and awnings. Any personal items could also be limited with very expensive items being excluded and these could be such as expensive jewellery.

When looking for motorhome cover there are many points that you might want to consider. You will of course want to make sure you get the cheapest insurance possible. However at the same time it is essential that you ensure you have got the right cover for your needs. Take out a policy without comparing the features along with the cost and you could find yourself unable to make a claim on the policy.

The first choice you have for taking out motorhome cover is whether you need fully comprehensive insurance or third party fire and theft. This would depend of course on how much you have paid out for your motorhome or how much it is worth. If you have a brand new motorhome or it is over a certain amount then you would have no alternative but to pay out for fully comprehensive insurance. If your motorhome is old or you are buying a second hand vehicle then you might want to consider third party fire and theft as this is the cheapest way to cover your vehicle.

If you are taking fully comprehensive motorhome insurance then there are many features that you would need to check. The first of these would relate as to how you plan on using your motorhome. If you are going to be touring around Europe then you would need to ensure that European protection was added into your policy. This is essential as if you were to break down or be involved in an accident or suffer any kind of loss while in Europe and did not have protection, you would not be able to claim on the insurance. With cover you would be able to claim for recovery of your vehicles and for repairs. The insurance company would generally pay out for you to stay in alternative accommodation while your motorhome was being repaired, up to a certain amount.

A fully comprehensive policy would payout for loss of belongings in the motorhome. Some providers will payout new for old and others could take depreciation into account. If you are offered new for old protection then your belongings would be replaced brand new of course. You would have to go around your motorhome and make an inventory of your belongings so that you would be able to state the amount you want to insure.

This amount would be paid back in the event that you lost everything.

To keep down the cost of your motorhome cover you could offer to pay out more in excess than what the insurance providers asks for. The excess is what all insurance companies will ask that you pay towards any claim that you have to make. The amount you choose would have to come out of your own pocket in a lump sum so be aware of this when choosing the amount. You could also boost up the security of your campervan in order to keep down the cost of the premiums. By installing steering and wheel locks or a tracking device you can make savings on the premiums.

There are many features of a motorhome insurance policy that can differ between providers. Some will add in accidental damage for instance while others might ask that you pay more to have this added on. Some could include European cover and others might not, even if European cover is added in how long you would be protected could differ with the providers. Therefore it would be essential to check over any policy you were thinking of taking before actually going ahead and buying it.

If you do plan on travelling outside of the UK in your motorhome then European cover would be considered essential. This would protect you for all the things you would be protected against in the UK but of course while you were travelling around Europe. This could include being towed if you breakdown and recovery to your destination. It could also include paying out for you to stay in alternative accommodation while your vehicle was being repaired of giving you a replacement vehicle.

All motorhome insurance policies would allow you to insure your belongings. However there would usually be limits and exclusions to this. Items which are particularly expensive might not be covered and there could be limits on the amount that is paid out on a single item. Items which are usually covered in your protection would include soft furnishings, linen, clothing, a TV, steps, awnings and gas bottles. Of course the provider could include much more so you would have to check this in the small print. Also check to find out if accidental damage is included as some providers will ask you pay more for this.
When looking into the features offered by the policy take a look to see if the insurance would payout for damage to glass. This could include the windscreen of your motorhome and some providers might also extend this to side windows. Usually there would be a limit on the amount you could claim for windscreen damage so again this would have to be checked in the small print before taking out the cover.
You could also check to find out if the policy would payout for such as liability, personal accident, flood and storm damage. Flooding and storm damage could be considered essential if you are spending a great deal of time travelling out on the road in your motorhome. However again you should check for limitations and exclusions before taking on the protection.

Of course all the above features would be found only in a fully comprehensive motorhome insurance policy. If you have bought a brand new motorhome then you would have no option but to take this level of insurance out as it provides the most cover for your motorhome. However if you have chosen to buy a second hand model then you could choose to take out third party fire and theft cover. This would provide you with protection that would payout in the event your motorhome was damaged due to fire or if it were stolen. It would also provide cover for any third party that should be involved in an accident with you which is your fault.

Motorhomes can cost many thousands of pounds and as such it is imperative that you choose your motorhome insurance very carefully. Slip up and find yourself without the necessary cover and you could lose a great deal, in fact in the worst case scenario you could lose everything. With this in mind here is some useful advice to help you to choose your cover.

Motorhome insurance is similar in some parts to car insurance; however in some aspects it is also very different. To begin with you could choose insurance such as third party only or fully comprehensive. If you are buying a brand new motorhome then it only makes sense to cover it with fully comprehensive insurance.

This provides the most cover for your new motorhome although of course it is the most expensive form of cover. The difference between motorhome insurance and car insurance is that the motorhome is your “home away from home”. If you take the motorhome on holiday and travel around extensively in it then you will have all your belongings in it. Therefore you need to ensure that you enough insurance to cover your belongings.

As insurance companies offering insurance tailored to those who drive motorhomes recognise this, personal belongings will be included in your policy. However there will usually be a limit as to how much those belongings would be insured for and this could differ with providers. You would also have to check the small print as certain items and items over a particular amount might not be included. Along with personal belongings you should also check to find out if items such as steps, awnings and gas bottles were included in the insurance policy. Again there could be a limit imposed on these and they would need to be checked.

When looking for insurance find out what protection is given in the event that your motorhome should break down. The majority of policies offer insurance that would payout for you to stop in a hotel for so many nights if your vehicle was beyond repair at the roadside. Also check to find out if towing and getting you to your destination is included in the policy.

If you travel around outside of the UK and venture into Europe you would want European cover included in the motorhome insurance policy. This would ensure that if you break down while on the road you would have protection just as you would in the UK. However some policies will only offer so many days European cover in their protection so it would be essential to check the terms. It is also worth nothing that if you do not plan on travelling outside of the UK you could save money by choosing a policy that does include European protection.