Whether you’re looking to clarify an element of your motorhome’s insurance policy, or you just want to know how to get the best deals, this quick guide will help you get a better understanding of how vehicle insurance works with motorhomes.
Just Kampers Insurance has been offering specialist vehicle cover since 1998, so our friendly team of experts have been asked a lot of different questions over the years. That’s why we’ve written this article, which provides answers to a lot of your most frequently asked questions about motorhomes and motorhome insurance.
Simply read on to pour through the whole article, or use the quick links below to jump straight to the question you need an answer to.
What is classed as a motorhome or campervan?
Is motorhome insurance a legal requirement?
What type of insurance is required for a motorhome?
Can I drive a motorhome on my car insurance?
Can I get temporary motorhome insurance?
Can I suspend my Motorhome Insurance over winter?
Do I need a special licence to drive a motorhome?
What’s the minimum age to insure a motorhome?
What does motorhome insurance cover?
What breakdown cover is required for a motorhome?
Can I insure my motorhome for travelling abroad?
What’s the average cost of motorhome insurance?
Can I get a discount if I don’t use my motorhome often?
Can I add an additional driver to my motorhome insurance policy?
If I make modifications to my motorhome, will it affect my motorhome policy?
What is classed as a motorhome or campervan?
The difference between a motorhome and a campervan may not be immediately obvious, but here are a few broad-strokes distinctions between the two:
- Motorhomes are generally larger than campers, often being built on the chassis of a truck or a bus
- A motorhome will usually have a separate sleeping compartment, while campervans generally don’t
- Similarly, motorhomes tend to include facilities for sleeping, cooking, washing, and relaxing, while a campervan will generally just contain a sleeping area and a cooking area
- Motorhomes often have a separation between the cab where the driver sits and the rest of the vehicle, while campers tend not to have this.
We’ve explored this topic in more detail in a separate blog article, called Campervan vs Motorhomes: What Are The Pros and Cons?
If your vehicle is a motorhome, then you can get more information about motorhome cover from Just Kampers Insurance here.
Is motorhome insurance a legal requirement?
Yes, having insurance for your motorhome is required by law. All motorised vehicles which drive on public roads will need insurance, so motorhomes are no exception.
Even if it wasn’t required, you’d probably still want to insure your motorhome since it’s such an investment of time and money.
Luckily, getting vehicle insurance for your motorhome doesn’t have to be expensive, and we can offer motorhome cover from just £245 a year.
You can click here to find out more about specialist motorhome insurance from Just Kampers Insurance.
What type of insurance is required for a motorhome?
As will all motor vehicles driven on public roads in the UK, you’ll need vehicle insurance as a legal requirement. And as with all motor vehicles, there are different levels of cover available: third party cover; third party, fire and theft; or comprehensive cover.
Third Party Cover is the minimum level of vehicle insurance available, and will allow you to drive your motorhome on public roads in the UK. It covers injuries to yourself and other people such as passengers, damage to other people’s property, and liability resulting from towing a caravan or trailer behind your motorhome.
Third Party, Fire, and Theft Cover is a step up from Third Party Cover, and includes damage to your vehicle in the event of a fire, and loss in the event of theft of, or from, your motorhome.
Comprehensive Cover is the maximum level of vehicle insurance that you can get for your motorhome, and covers everything mentioned above as well as personal accident benefit, medical expenses up to a stated limit, and loss of or damage to personal belongings in your motorhome, again up to a stated limit.
Which option you pick is entirely down to you, with Comprehensive Cover coming at a higher price to reflect the greater range of coverage, and Third Party providing a lower level of cover for a lower cost.
You can see more information about motorhome vehicle cover on our Specialist Motorhome Insurance page.
Can I drive a motorhome on my car insurance?
Generally speaking, the answer is no. Vehicle insurance policies are created for a specific person (or small group of people) driving a specific vehicle. Having a vehicle insurance policy on one vehicle won’t automatically allow you to drive a different vehicle.
You may be able to transfer your policy to your motorhome from a different vehicle, but you’ll need to check with your insurer to confirm this.
Most insurers will want you to have a specific motorhome insurance policy, as this takes into account all of the differences between regular cars and motorhomes.
If you need a great deal on motorhome insurance in a hurry, then click here to get a quote and buy online now.
Can I get temporary motorhome insurance?
You can get temporary motorhome insurance from Just Kampers Insurance, if you only need to be covered for a short amount of time.
You’ll need to give us a call on 01256 444 546 so that our friendly team of experts can build a quote for you and get everything arranged.
You won’t be able to take out a short-term motorhome insurance policy using our online quote form, but you can arrange a time for us to call you back, or contact us to get it sorted out quickly over the phone.
Can I suspend my Motorhome Insurance over winter?
You can pause the insurance policy on your motorhome during the winter, but you’ll need to make sure you’ve registered your motorhome as being off the road with the DVLA with a SORN (Statutory Off-Road Notification) declaration.
If you haven’t heard the term before, SORN is essentially a way of telling the DVLA that your vehicle will be off the road for a period of weeks or months, and will not be driven. This means that, because your motorhome won’t be using public roads, it won’t need to be road taxed and doesn’t technically need vehicle insurance.
It’s worth considering that if you cancel your motorhome’s insurance because it’s off the road with a SORN declaration over the winter, it won’t be covered against theft, accidental damage, fire, flooding, etc.
We’ve written a much more comprehensive article about SORN declarations, which will answer any of your questions. Click here to read Should I SORN my Campervan or Motorhome?
Do I need a special licence to drive a motorhome?
We’ve written a comprehensive article on this very subject, which you can read here, but essentially it comes down to how much your motorhome weighs, and how old you are.
You’ll need to determine your motorhome’s Maximum Authorised Mass (or MAM) by either looking in your vehicle owners’ manual or physically checking for it on the motorhome’s chassis.
You’ll be allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer combination with an MAM of up to 8,250kg without a special licence if you passed your test before 1st January 1997.
If you passed your test on or after 1 January 1997, then you’ll only be allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer combination with an MAM of up to 3,500kg.
To legally drive a motorhome in the UK with an MAM between 3,500kg and 7,500kg, you’ll need to obtain a Category C1 licence.
For motorhomes with an MAM over 7,500kg, you’ll need a Category C licence to be able to legally drive it in the UK.
More information is available from the Gov.UK website. Click here to read the laws around driving a motorhome.
You can also click here to read more about upgrading your driving licence from the DVLA website.
What’s the minimum age to insure a motorhome?
The minimum age to get vehicle insurance for driving a motorhome will vary depending on the insurance provider you’re speaking to. We’ve been offering specialist vehicle insurance since 1998, and so know exactly how to get great deals for young drivers looking to hit the road in a motorhome.
There are a range of tailored insurance policy options for young drivers under the age of 25 who want vehicle cover for a motorhome, so click here for more information or give us a call on 01256 444546.
What does motorhome insurance cover?
You can tailor your motorhome insurance policy with Just Kampers Insurance to get cover for the things that matter to you the most.
Our policies come with a range of benefits as standard, including:
• Limited Mileage Discounts, if you don’t use your motorhome as much as you’d like to
• Modification Cover, which includes changes to seats, wheels, cosmetics, appliances and more
• European Driving Cover, if you’re taking your motorhome over to the EU
• Salvage Retention, so you can hold onto your motorhome if the worst should happen
• Legal Protection of up to £100,000
• Personal Protection, which covers all passengers and not just the driver
You can also add a whole range of optional policy benefits, including contents cover, windscreen cover, and more!
For more information, you can click here to read more about motorhome cover from Just Kampers Insurance, or give us a call on 01256 444546 to speak to our friendly team of experts.
What breakdown cover is required for a motorhome?
Given the larger size and heavier weight of a motorhome compared to a car, you’ll need to be sure that the breakdown cover you’re taking out can actually help you if you get stuck in your motorhome.
Luckily, we’ve been providing specialist vehicle insurance since 1998, so we know who to turn to for great deals on motorhome breakdown cover.
Breakdown cover is an optional benefit which can be added to your insurance policy, and prices start from just £79 for campervans.
Can I insure my motorhome for travelling abroad?
With Just Kampers Insurance, you can absolutely insure your motorhome to travel abroad! We include EU Breakdown Cover as a standard benefit in our vehicle insurance policies, which means you can enjoy touring around Europe in your motorhome without worrying about mechanical mishaps ruining your adventure!
Click here for more information about EU Breakdown Cover from Just Kampers Insurance, or give us a call on 01256 444546 to speak with our friendly team of experts.
What’s the average cost of motorhome insurance?
Calculating the average cost of motorhome insurance is tricky, as it depends on a huge number of different variables, such as the level of cover, the value of the vehicle, the driver’s history, and how much it’s going to be used in a given year.
Here at Just Kampers Insurance, our prices start from just £245 a year, with an option to spread the cost too!
For more information on motorhome insurance from Just Kampers Insurance, click here.
Can I get a discount if I don’t use my motorhome often?
Absolutely! Just Kampers Insurance offers Limited Mileage Discounts on our insurance policies, to help you keep down the cost of motorhome cover.
If you find you don’t get to use your motorhome as much as you’d like to, you can save up to 50% by taking advantage of our Limited Mileage Discount.
Click here for more information about Limited Mileage Discounts at Just Kampers Insurance, and see how much you could save.
Can I add an additional driver to my motorhome insurance policy?
You can always add an additional driver to the insurance policy for your motorhome. Just give our friendly team a call on 01256 444546 or click here to let us know when to call you back.
Adding additional drivers may affect the cost of your motorhome’s insurance policy, but we’ll explain all the details when you contact us.
Can I hire out my motorhome?
You can absolutely hire out your motorhome, and you can get specialist motorhome hire insurance policies for doing exactly that!
We offer short-term policies which will cover you hiring out your campervan for three days, weekly, or annually. Prices start from just £95, and the policies include cover for personal belongings, camping gear, and your motorhome’s awning (if it has one).
You can click here for more information about motorhome hire insurance from Just Kampers Insurance, or contact us to speak with our friendly team of experts.
If I make modifications to my motorhome, will it affect my motorhome policy?
Making modifications to your motorhome can impact your insurance, so it’s best to check with your insurance provider beforehand.
Luckily, if you’re insured with Just Kampers Insurance you’ll get modification cover as a standard policy benefit.
Our modification cover includes changes to the cosmetics of your motorhome, as well as fitting new alloy wheels, installing new windows, changing the type or number of seats, and a whole range of other potential motorhome modifications.
Click here for more information about modified motorhome cover from Just Kampers Insurance.
So, give us a call on 01256 674522 and let one of our specialist team discuss your requirements. Or Get an online quote today or arrange a call back and let us call you at a convenient time.
