Campervan Insurance: Everything You Need to Know

Why Specialist Insurance Matters

Campervans are not straightforward vehicles to insure. They combine the characteristics of a private car (leisure use, personal ownership) with the characteristics of a van (commercial vehicle history, higher repair costs) and the complexities of a bespoke conversion (subjective valuation, fitted appliances, contents).

Standard mainstream car insurers often handle campervans poorly — using generic pricing models that don't reflect the actual risk profile, offering inadequate contents cover, and sometimes declining to insure conversions at all. Specialist campervan insurers understand the market and typically offer better cover at comparable or lower premiums.

**UK specialist campervan insurers include:**

**Adrian Flux** — one of the largest specialist leisure vehicle brokers in the UK

**Comfort Insurance** (underwritten by Zurich) — widely used and competitively priced

**Brentacre** — specialist leisure vehicle cover

**Devitt** — specialist motorcycle and leisure vehicle broker

**Saga** — specialist for drivers over 50, often competitive for older campervan owners

Always get quotes from at least three specialists rather than accepting the first or cheapest quote without reading the policy detail.

Types of Cover

**Third Party Only** — the legal minimum. Covers damage to other vehicles and property, but nothing for your own vehicle. Rarely appropriate for a valuable campervan conversion.

**Third Party, Fire and Theft** — adds cover for the vehicle being stolen or destroyed by fire. Better, but still leaves you unprotected against accidental damage.

**Comprehensive** — the recommended choice for virtually all campervan owners. Covers accidental damage to your own vehicle in addition to the above. Given the cost of a conversion, the premium difference over TPFT is usually justified.

What Affects Your Premium

**Vehicle age and value** — older, lower-value vehicles are cheaper to insure. A £50,000 conversion will cost significantly more to insure than a £20,000 one.

**Your age and driving history** — as with any vehicle insurance. Young drivers, or those with points or claims, will pay more.

**Where you keep it** — a vehicle kept in a locked garage overnight is the cheapest to insure. Street parking is more expensive. Some insurers ask about daytime parking as well.

**Annual mileage** — low mileage typically attracts lower premiums. Many campervan owners declare 5,000–10,000 miles per year.

**Security equipment** — Thatcham-approved alarms and immobilisers, tracking devices, and steering wheel locks all reduce premiums. Some insurers require certain security levels for agreed value cover on high-value vehicles.

**Use type** — leisure-only use is cheaper than policies that include commuting. If you use your campervan to drive to work, declare it — failure to do so can invalidate a claim.

**V5C registration** — specialist campervan policies almost always require the vehicle to be registered as a Motor Caravan on the V5C. If your V5C still shows "Panel Van," sort the DVLA reclassification first (see our separate guide).

**European cover** — how many days of consecutive European travel are included? Standard policies typically offer 30–90 days. If you plan extended European travel, check this carefully and upgrade if needed.

Key Policy Details to Check

Not all policies are equal. Before buying, check these specific points:

**Contents cover** — policies vary enormously here. Most distinguish between:

*Fitted fixtures and appliances* (kitchen, solar system, bed) — usually covered as part of the vehicle

*Loose personal possessions* (camping gear, clothing, electronics) — often excluded or limited to a low single item limit

If you carry expensive equipment (cameras, laptops, cycling kit), check the single item limit. Some policies cap loose belongings cover at £500 per item, which may not cover a laptop or camera.

**Agreed value vs. market value** — this is critically important for converted campervans. A conversion's value is subjective — the base vehicle's second-hand value plus the conversion cost does not equal a straightforward market value.

*Market value* policies pay what the insurer assesses the vehicle to be worth at the time of a total loss. They may undervalue a conversion significantly.

*Agreed value* policies pay the agreed sum (set at the start of the policy) if the vehicle is written off. This is nearly always preferable for a conversion and worth paying the small premium uplift.

Specialist insurers are more likely to offer agreed value cover than mainstream insurers.

**Breakdown cover** — most specialist policies offer this as an add-on, sometimes at competitive rates compared to standalone breakdown cover. Check whether European cover is included.

**Gas and electrical installations** — some policies require evidence that gas work was carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. If you make a claim related to a gas incident and cannot produce a commissioning certificate, the insurer may decline the claim.

Typical Costs

Campervan insurance premiums vary enormously based on the factors above, but as a rough guide:

**£500–£800/year:** Lower-value conversion (under £25,000), experienced driver with clean record, kept in garage, limited mileage

**£800–£1,200/year:** Mid-range conversion (£25,000–£45,000), typical driver profile, street parking

**£1,200–£1,800/year+:** High-value conversion (£45,000+), younger driver, high mileage, or limited security

These figures are for comprehensive cover. Shopping around between specialists can make a £200–£400 difference on identical cover.

Reducing Your Premium

**Increase your voluntary excess** — a higher excess reduces the premium, but make sure it's an amount you can genuinely afford if you claim

**Add security** — a Thatcham-approved tracker can reduce premiums significantly; check which trackers your insurer recognises

**Declare accurate mileage** — if you genuinely drive under 5,000 miles per year, declare it. Overstating mileage costs money.

**Pay annually** — monthly payment plans typically add 10–20% in interest charges

**Build a no-claims record** — campervans usually accumulate their own no-claims discount separately from your car

A Note on Modified Vehicles

If you've modified a vehicle that wasn't a purpose-built campervan (i.e., you bought a panel van and had it converted), tell your insurer about the conversion in full. Failing to disclose modifications is grounds to void a policy. Most specialist insurers specifically handle conversions and will ask for details of what was done and who did the work.