Do You Have to Insure a Caravan?

Do you have to insure a caravan, or is it something you can do without? Before you hit the open road in your touring caravan or relax in your static seaside caravan, it’s crucial to protect yourself against theft, damage, and other risks. So, let’s discuss caravan insurance, what it covers, why you need it, and how to choose the best policy for you.

In This Guide:

Do you need to insure a caravan?
Will my car insurance cover my caravan?
What are the different types of caravan insurance?
What does caravan insurance cover?
What isn't included in caravan insurance?
Do you need caravan insurance if your caravan is parked at home?
Factors to consider when deciding on a caravan insurance policy
Conclusion
FAQs

Do you need to insure a caravan?

Legally, no. But from a safety standpoint, absolutely yes.

While it isn’t a legal requirement, not having a dedicated caravan insurance policy puts you at risk. It means that your caravan and its contents won’t be covered in the event of theft, accidental damage, fire, or any other unfortunate mishap.

To avoid financial loss from unforeseen events, it’s a good idea to get specialist caravan insurance that covers your caravan and its contents should they be stolen or damaged.

Will my car insurance cover my caravan?

Unfortunately, no.

A valid car insurance policy is legally required if you want to tow a caravan. But at best, it will only offer third-party cover. This means that in the event of an accident, your insurer will only cover damages caused by the caravan to others.

However, damage to the caravan itself and its contents is not covered unless you have specialist caravan insurance in place. So, it’s worth getting dedicated caravan insurance to cover this.

What are the different types of caravan insurance?

There are three main types of specialist caravan insurance that you can get:

Touring caravan insurance: Caravans that can only be transported when they are towed by another vehicle need touring caravan insurance to be fully covered, both when in transit and parked.
Static caravan insurance: If your caravan is in a fixed location (such as a holiday park), you’ll need static caravan insurance to cover site-specific risks, along with other accidental damages and incidents.
Trailer tent and folding caravan insurance: For your trailer tent or folding caravan, specialist insurance can protect your asset and its contents if they get damaged or stolen.

What does caravan insurance cover?

While levels of coverage vary across insurance providers, a good caravan insurance policy should offer the following protection:

Accidental damage cover: If your caravan is involved in a collision with another vehicle, property, or object — whether on the road or parked — accidental damage cover can compensate the costs. It also covers you for accidental incidents that cause internal damage to your caravan.
Theft and vandalism cover: With caravan theft on the rise, covering the financial loss of your caravan if it’s stolen is essential. Most providers offer compensation if your caravan or its contents are stolen or damaged due to actual theft, attempted theft, or vandalism.
Fires, floods, and weather damage cover: Caravans are highly susceptible to damage from the elements. Good caravan insurance policies will cover you in the event of fires, floods, storms, lightning, and other major weather-related events.
Public liability cover: This covers legal fees and compensation costs if your caravan causes accidental damage or injury to another person or their property. Due to the public nature of caravan and holiday parks, many request that you have public liability cover of at least £5 million. This is not a legal requirement, but a common site rule.
Contents cover: Standard home insurance often doesn’t cover the contents inside your caravan, even when parked at your address. With dedicated caravan insurance, your camping equipment, fixed appliances, awnings, and personal belongings can all be protected against damage and theft. Always double-check your insurance policy to understand exactly what it does and doesn’t cover.

What isn't included in caravan insurance?

There are a few things that caravan insurance won’t cover, including:

General wear and tear.
Damage caused by vermin or pets.
Lack of forced entry.
Damage caused by others who were using your caravan without the right cover.
Damage caused when the caravan is parked away from the registered storage location.

Do you need caravan insurance if your caravan is parked at home?

While it’s not a legal requirement, it’s a good idea to get caravan insurance for a caravan parked at your home address. This is because caravans are a target for theft and burglaries, especially if they’re expensive or contain high-value goods.

Caravan insurance can protect your parked caravan if it’s stolen or damaged in an attempted theft. It can also offer coverage for vandalism.

Factors to consider when deciding on a caravan insurance policy

Choosing a caravan insurance policy isn’t something you should rush into. There are several factors that influence the type of policy you might need and how much it will cost.

The value of your caravan

The value of your caravan will determine whether you opt for “new for old” cover or “market value” cover.
With the new-for-old cover, your caravan will be replaced with a brand-new one if it is stolen or damaged beyond repair. The replacement must be a caravan of the same or equivalent model, make, and specs. It only applies to caravans within a specific age limit, which varies between insurers. It’s usually 10 years, but can be as low as five years for touring caravans.

With market value cover, your stolen or damaged caravan is covered for its current, depreciated market value, considering its age and condition.

Knowing how much your caravan is worth will help you choose the right option and ensure that you’re sufficiently covered for repairs and replacements.

The value of your caravan’s contents

Most standard caravan insurance policies will offer basic contents coverage. This typically starts around £1,000 and covers permanent caravan items, such as appliances and furniture. But you can get coverage exceeding £5,000 with the right provider. You can even cover personal possessions and/or high-value items (laptops, jewellery, cameras, etc), though you may have to declare them separately and purchase additional cover.

So, it’s important to value your items correctly to avoid being underinsured.

Your caravan’s weight

The heavier your caravan, the higher your insurance premium.

Caravan weight bands vary between insurance providers. So, it’s worth checking which weight band your caravan falls into across different providers to get the cheapest premium. You should also check the weight requirements and laws for towing to ensure that you’re within legal limits.

How you intend to use your caravan

If you plan to travel domestically or internationally with your touring caravan, you’ll need suitable insurance.
While most caravan insurance policies cover UK travel, you’ll likely need to purchase European travel cover as an add-on. European cover protects you from theft and damage while you’re adventuring around the EU.

How you intend to use your static caravan also matters. You’ll be asked by your insurer whether your caravan is going to be used personally, by family/friends, or rented out. This will determine whether you need hiring out cover, for example.

How frequently you use your caravan

Your insurance premium will be affected by how frequently you use your caravan.

If you only use your touring caravan for short, infrequent trips, you’ll pay less than if you want to road trip around the UK. Similarly, if you only stay in your static caravan for a week or so in the summer holidays, you’ll pay less than if you occupy it for months at a time.

Storage and security

If your caravan is stored in a safe location and fitted with security measures, you’ll be deemed less of a theft and damage risk. This can significantly lower your premium.

Wheel clamps, hitch locks, alarms, and tracking devices are all measures you can take to increase security. You can also deter thieves by removing valuables or keeping them out of sight.

Where you store your touring caravan is important, too. If possible, it should be stored in a closed garage or attached to a security post, preferably nose-first.

Insurance providers may mandate minimum security requirements to make you eligible for specific types of insurance. So, check with your provider.

Conclusion

Caravans are a considerable investment, so it’s wise to protect them in every way possible. With dedicated caravan insurance, you're fully covered if your caravan is stolen, damaged, or causes harm to someone else or their property.

Whether you have a touring caravan, static caravan or trailer tent, it’s vital that you choose an insurance policy that suits your lifestyle and budget. Compare caravan insurance quotes with MoneyExpert to find the right cover for you.

FAQs

How much does caravan insurance cost?

The cost of caravan insurance is influenced by several factors, such as the caravan’s market value, age, contents, usage frequency, security, storage location, and the level of cover needed. Your age, driving experience, and policy excess will also affect the cost. But to give you a ballpark figure, the average cost of caravan insurance is around £150-£300.

Do I need to tell my car insurance if I tow a caravan?

Yes. Towing a caravan may affect your car insurance premium as it introduces additional risks. Plus, if your current policy doesn’t include insurance to tow caravans, you may be unable to make a claim if you’re involved in an incident. So, it’s always best to notify your car insurance provider.

Is insurance different for static and touring caravans?

Yes. Touring caravans are used on public roads, which means they require cover for road-related risks. Static caravan insurance focuses more on on-site and weather-related risks, such as public liability, fires, and storms. However, many of the things covered do overlap.

Can you tow a caravan without insurance?

You can tow a caravan without a separate caravan insurance policy. However, the vehicle you use to tow the caravan must be insured, and the caravan must meet legal towing regulations.