A motor caravan or motor-home is more than just a vehicle. It is your mobile home and, like your bricks and mortar home it contains your personal possessions and is your extra portable secondary home.

Your motor home or motor caravan needs the same protection from loss, fire and theft, and accidents by a reputable motor home insurance company with a specialist motor home insurance policy. Loss from theft is the major concern for the motor caravan owner, apart from accident damage. Even when you do your best to secure your vehicle, its high value makes it still very attractive to thieves.

Most motor caravans will be driven on the weekends or on holiday, as a special journey to enjoy. Motor home drivers can take time and doesn’t need to be in a rush as motor home vehicles are not designed for speed but instead built for comfort and for pleasure trips with you and your family, so it will usually always be driven and used in a more relaxed and safe manner than other vehicles. The motor caravan owners or drivers, on average, are more senior and have more sense of security and more driving experience. This kind of leisure vehicle use means that the lower risk to insurance companies offering motor home insurance premiums normally allows lower motor caravan premium insurance despite the higher values of vehicle and property contents.

What Should You Consider?

Basically, just think about what you would need in case of an accident or an emergency situation that you need some help with. It’s important to choose a top quality insurer that offers a specialist motor home insurance policy and operates a 24 hour helpline with fast access to approved repairers and recovery services.

Consider the value and the cost of repairs to your motor caravan if it were lost or damaged. Take a look at the covered amount and how much excess, which may be different depending upon your type of vehicle and your driving record. Try to weigh up the excess that you can afford and the appropriate premium. Moreover, how about the conditions for new motor home / motor caravan replacement in case of loss from theft, when the caravan cannot be recovered? Usually, the policy for replacement after loss is dependent upon how long ago you bought it (brand new) and for inability to recover is up to the percentage of the cost of repairs to the vehicle value, so the lower percentage is better.

Most motor caravans are used for travel on holidays and not used for every day, so you can choose to have limited mileage per year to suit your intended annual mileage use and to suit your lifestyle. However, it’s better to choose unlimited mileage for motor caravan insurance as you don’t really want to cutting your trips short because of reaching your annual limit.

If you travel abroad then you will need cover for driving overseas, motor caravan insurance should cover for all journeys to the EU and associated countries. Normally, most motor caravan insurance policies will specify the maximum time for foreign usage in a policy year. So be careful about this.

In case of a road traffic accident which is not your fault involving your motor caravan, you will need legal expenses cover to pursue civil clams for death, injuries or uninsured losses. This is probably an extra to a standard motor caravan insurance policy, so you will have to pay an additional premium.

Most motor caravan insurance companies have restrictions over the age of the insured. Generally, the insured driver should be over 25 years of age. If less than that, there could either be a higher excess or some companies would not accept you at all. The motor caravan insurance cover is not applicable for a person who holds a provisional license, and cover will not be provided for driving motor home vehicles.

Compare The Cover Details

There are some differences in the cover details in each provider’s policy that should be compared one by one. If you compare only the price, you will miss the important benefits. Generally, they are similar in basic cover but there may be some different benefits as follows:

• Loss of Accessories - Think about the equipment like audio, video, computer or other electronic equipment in your motor caravan. All of these should be covered. You should check on the definition of accessories in policy booklet;
• Personal belongings - Check the maximum payment and the single article limit;
• Personal accident benefit - See whether your spouse is included or not;
• Awnings And Gas Bottles;
• Windscreen - Limited per claim and it may have an excess if it needs to be replaced or repaired;
• Courtesy Car provided when your motor caravan is being repaired.
• Alternative Accommodation - Check how much they pay per night and for how long;
• UK & EU Breakdown - Some providers can give you this free of charge, but they may specify the age of driver;
• Protected No-Claims Bonus

What About Discounts For Your Motor Home Insurance?

Some companies will offer discounts when applications made online so check to see.

The policy should cover only one person, if possible, so to save on the price of the motor caravan insurance.

If you secure your motor caravan in a garage with the adequate security devices fitted to lessen the chance of it being stolen, you should be able to obtain a cheaper quote.

The value of the motor caravan will depreciate each year so get a new quote each year to take this into account. This is because the insurance companies, when considering your motor caravan insurance premium, will look at factors such as model and year of manufacture. Remember that some motor caravans depreciate more than others.

Like other motor insurances, your no-claims bonus can qualify for a discount.

Being a member of the caravan club or motor home associations can sometimes reduce your premium, as a special deal has been struck between the insurance companies and your club.

While you are on holiday in your motor caravan, you don’t want to be worrying of course. Insuring your motor caravan can give you and your family the confidence to enjoy your holidays with peace of mind.