First class insurance for your motorhome

As with car insurance, motorhome insurance is now a legal requirement under the Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) rules. This is still the case if you only use your vehicle a few times each year, and the only way to avoid insuring your vehicle is to declare it off the road with a DVLA Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).

Quality insurance is also an essential purchase for any motorhome owner to give you complete peace of mind that your vehicle, contents and passengers are fully protected should the worst happen. As your home away from home, motorhomes are especially vulnerable to theft, often containing expensive equipment and fittings, so comprehensive cover is vital to protect your investment.

When looking for cheap motorhome insurance online, it’s all too easy to be lured in by a low price tag, but if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. Only specialist insurers fully understand how motorhome owners use their product, and tailor their policies to suit such use. When buying insurance for your motorhome, be sure to check the following:

• Does the provider operates electronic data transferral, provide instant cover online and offer a variety of payment methods?
• If you are new to motor caravanning, will you be allowed a reduction of premium based on your no claims bonus from your private car, or do you start from scratch?
• Does your policy recognise all the fixtures and fittings so that if they are damaged, you are fully reimbursed?
• Does the policy provide sufficient contents cover for your motorhome awning and equipment, protecting you from a large replacement bill?
• Does windscreen cover include broken glass in the side windows and any scratched bodywork caused by the broken glass, and have the option of repair being carried out at home?
• How much European cover is extended in one trip? Some insurers say that you are covered annually and yet you cannot travel for any trip exceeding 60 days in one go. Are you charged extra each and every time that you travel?
• In the event of a breakdown, does your motorhome breakdown insurance extend to the EU, with no hidden restrictions for travelling?
• Having your motor caravan stolen or damaged is an extremely stressful event. Does your insurer operate a claims department that understands the needs of a motorhome owner?

As leisure vehicle specialists, we also provide quality insurance for the following vehicles:

Self-build motorhomes: It’s important to find a specialist insurance company that has the experience, knowledge and understanding of the detailed steps and time involved to successfully complete such a DIY self-build motorhome project. We offer great insurance deals on camper vans, coach built motorhomes and professionally converted panel vans. We’ll insure your panel van as a motorhome from the start of the policy, so you won’t get a nasty shock for expensive engineer reports when the conversion is completed.

American RVs: American Recreational Vehicles, or ‘RVs’, represent the absolute height of what’s possible in terms of luxury and space for motorhomes As more people are attracted to the RV lifestyle, upgrading their European motorhome to an American RV to meet their camping needs, we have seen a significant increase in the number of enquiries for American RV insurance quotes.

Campervans: For those looking for a base to enjoy the “cool camper” outdoor lifestyle, there’s a surprising choice of specialist campervan converters and reasonably priced compact campervans. Whether you’re buying a fully completed conversion or are just beginning the process of converting your panel van into a camper, our campervan insurance policies provide comprehensive cover and excellent value for money.

We believe in offering high quality cover, to make sure that your motorhome is properly protected should the worst happen. We therefore offer two types of cover, fully comprehensive and third party fire and theft:

Comprehensive: Our fully comprehensive motorhome insurance covers you for claims made by other people (including passengers) for injury to them or damage to their property. This policy also protects your motorhome against loss or damage caused by accidental or malicious acts, vandalism, fire, lightning, theft, self-ignition and explosion.

Third party fire and theft: This protects you against any third party injury or property damage claims made against you as a result of having an accident, and covers you against loss or damage to your motorhome if it is stolen or set on fire.

An excess is the amount that you agree to pay towards any claim made on your policy. The first element of this is the compulsory excess: the set amount as determined by your insurer. The second part consists of the voluntary excess: an additional amount that you agree to contribute in the event of a claim. Generally, the higher the level of voluntary excess you choose, the lower the cost of the premium.

Setting your excess is often referred to as a balancing act; you want to keep your premium low, but you still want to be able to put your policy to good use if a claim arises. For tips and advice about choosing the right policy excess for you, refer to our handy guide to caravan and motorhome insurance excess costs.

We will give you free cover up to 240 days in any one 12 month period of insurance if you are travelling to a country within the European Community and Croatia, Iceland, Norway, Andorra and Switzerland (including Liechtenstein).

There is no limit to the number of trips you make in any period of insurance, provided your permanent residence is in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man and your visit to such countries is temporary.

For travel to Morocco, Equity Red Star motorhome insurance customers will need to take out temporary insurance cover on arrival. Ageas will allow Morocco to be covered by a Green Card for 30 days cover on payment of an additional premium. Please contact us for further details.

The motorhome insurance only covers your motorhome if it is being used in the way specified in your certificate of insurance; namely social domestic and pleasure purposes only or including commuting to a single permanent place of work.

The following uses are not covered:

• racing, pace making or being in any contest or speed trial or any rigorous reliability testing on your motorhome
• using your motorhome on any race track or circuit
• any purpose connected with the motor trade
• hiring – letting out your motorhome in return for a sum of money
• carrying and transporting passengers or goods for a sum of money

Your insurers promise to cover you for certain losses you suffer and this promise is made on the basis of information you provide. A change in your information may not affect the amount you pay or the conditions that apply, but the result could be an increase or even a reduction in your premium.

We rely on the information you supply.  If that information is not accurate or complete, you may not be covered by this motorhome insurance. Some examples of changes you should tell us about:

• a change of motorhome
• all changes made to the motorhome if these make the motorhome different form the manufacturers standard specification
• a change of address
• a change of job including part time work by you or other drivers
• a change in the use of the motorhome
• a new main user of the motorhome
• details of any motoring convictions, disqualification or fixed penalty motoring offence of any person allowed to drive or of any future prosecution for any motoring offence
• details of any accident or loss (whether or not you make a claim)
• details if you or any other person allowed to drive your motorhome suffers from a notifiable condition you have not told the DVLA, or any condition for which the DVLA have restricted your licence

Yes, our motor legal expenses optional extra provides £100,000 of legal expenses cover.

If you are the innocent party in an accident involving your motorhome, you have a legal right to claim your uninsured losses from the person who caused the accident. (Legal expenses cover protects your legal rights and helps you recover losses that may not be covered by your motorhome insurance policy such as the policy excess(s), hire of a motorhome etc.) Please refer to the policy wording for further information.

Provided you are the policyholder and it is specifically stated in your certificate of motor insurance, you are covered third party only to drive any motorhome / private car that you do not own and have not hired under a hire purchase or leasing agreement, as long as you have the owner’s permission to drive the vehicle. You are however not insured against loss or damage to the motorhome/car you are driving, or if the incident occurs outside the United Kingdom. Please refer to the policy wording for further information.

Under the Third Party section you are cover to tow a trailer (as allowed by law). The trailer must be properly secured to your vehicle by towing equipment manufactured for the purpose, and the method of towing must stay within the manufacturer’s recommended towing limits and any other relevant law. You are only covered for claims made against you, and there is no cover for loss or damage to the trailer.  Please refer to the policy wording for further information.

A bonus given by an insurer to policyholders who do not claim on their policy in a period of motorhome insurance. This “no claims bonus” is not a “no blame bonus”. If a claim is made for an event which is not your fault and the insurer have to make a payment, this will affect any no claims bonus entitlement unless the insurer can recover their expenses from the person responsible for the event.

At Shield Total Insurance, we offer an introductory no claims (mirrored) bonus, and no claims bonus protection is available allowing an agreed number of fault claims within a stated time span without affecting the amount of no claims bonus the client is entitled to.

As proof of your no claims bonus, please submit the renewal notice or letter confirming your no claims bonus from your last / current insurer.

We use specialist motorhome insurers who provide a motorhome insurance claims service that is fast, efficient and friendly. It is important that you initially establish which insurer is providing insurance cover for your vehicle. The name of the insurer and the applicable policy reference number will be shown on your current certificate of motorhome insurance. Please have your current motorhome insurance certificate available when you call.

As the insurer may take control of handling and negotiating any claim, it is important that you do not admit that you are responsible, or make any offer, promise or payment without written permission of the insurer.

If your motorhome is damaged as a result of an accident, fire, theft or vandalism: For EQUITY RED STAR insurance customers, Call the Equity Red Star 24 hour “Accident and Theft Damage Claims Helpline” on 0344 561 1141. For AGEAS insurance customers, Call the Ageas Claimline on 0370 240 1895 (or 0044 23 9220 5450 if you are phoning from outside the United Kingdom) as soon as possible.

If your motorhome’s windscreen is damaged: For EQUITY RED STAR insurance customers, Call the Equity Red Star “Windscreen Damage Claims Helpline” on 0344 561 1934. For AGEAS insurance customers, Call the Glassline if you need to claim for a broken windscreen or broken glass on 0800 854 454 (0044 23 9220 5450 if you are phoning from outside the United Kingdom).