Safe is safe? - Insure your motorhome: What you need to consider

What is prescribed?

Nobody can avoid motor vehicle liability insurance. Without it, no car - and consequently no motorhome or camper - is allowed on the road in Germany. Liability insurance covers the damage caused by accidents - but only to third-party vehicles (including their drivers and passengers)! So if you cause an accident, you have to pay for the damage to your own car. This can be expensive - especially for a motorhome, which can easily be worth 50,000 euros or more when new. You should therefore consider taking out additional partial or fully comprehensive insurance.

Which insurance makes sense?

If you take out partially comprehensive insurance, you are covered against damage that occurs through no fault of your own: This can be accidents with wild animals or damage caused by animals (e.g. marten bites), it can be damage caused by fires or storms (e.g. dents caused by hail) or damage caused by theft. However, the benefits of the individual insurance policies differ in detail, so you should always check which risks are covered in each individual case before taking out insurance. Particularly when it comes to protection against theft, however, partially comprehensive insurance is definitely worthwhile: statistically speaking, the probability of a camper being stolen is more than three times higher than with normal cars.

Fully comprehensive insurance generally covers the same risks as partially comprehensive insurance - but goes beyond this and also includes self-inflicted damage and damage caused by vandalism (including burglary damage). Fully comprehensive insurance is also particularly worthwhile if, in the event of a non-fault accident, the person who caused the accident cannot be traced or their insurance company does not pay out. Here, too, your own comprehensive insurance pays out.

Many insurance policies (both partially and fully comprehensive) also offer replacement value in the event of a total loss or theft of the vehicle. If you want to insure your newly purchased motorhome, you should therefore make sure that the duration of this cover is as long as possible: 12 months is usual, but some insurance companies also offer a longer period.

What are the differences to normal car insurance?

Due to the weight of the motorhome, the impact force of the vehicle is higher in the event of an accident - and consequently the damage is often higher. This is why it is sometimes more expensive to insure a motorhome.

However, because motorhomes tend to travel at lower speeds than other cars (speeding is not even possible due to the small engine and high weight), the probability of rear-end collisions is statistically lower. This in turn has a positive effect on the price of insurance.

The motorhome is often only used for traveling and is therefore an additional vehicle in the household that must be insured as a second car. With some insurance providers, this is more expensive than insuring the first car because the discount applied to the no-claims bonus is no longer applicable. It is therefore essential to pay attention to the relevant conditions of the respective provider when choosing insurance.

Overall, the price is likely to be higher than for a normal car - but this should not be a deterrent, as there are many ways to reduce the costs.

When does the insurance become cheaper?

The price of the insurance is influenced, for example, by the number and age of the drivers. If only one driver is specified, the insurance is cheaper, while several drivers cost more. In addition, younger and older drivers pay more because, statistically speaking, more accidents occur at this age.

If you only use your motorhome for summer vacations but not in winter, you should also opt for a seasonal registration plate to save on insurance. If the motorhome is used infrequently, the annual mileage should be lowered accordingly. This also reduces the costs - but only if the specified number of kilometers is not exceeded. If this is the case, it must be reported to the insurance company.

When taking out insurance, it is also an advantage to have a permanent parking space for the motorhome in a garage or carport, as it is then assumed that the likelihood of theft, as well as storm damage, is significantly lower. A roof made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic is also more robust against hail compared to aluminum. Many insurance companies therefore also take the material into account and grant corresponding discounts for vehicles that are built over a large area with elements made of glass fiber-reinforced plastic. This means that anyone who owns a camper with a pop-up roof or high roof or has one retrofitted can save money, as SCA roofs are made of this durable material.

The frequency with which the premiums are debited can also result in a small surcharge: It is slightly cheaper to pay the premiums annually than every six months or monthly.

You should also check what discounts are available. Some providers grant discounts for certain professional groups (e.g. civil servants). With others, the insurance is cheaper if you have already taken out motor vehicle liability insurance with the same provider.

In the case of fully comprehensive insurance, the no-claims bonus can usually also be used. If you have been on the road accident-free for a long time, this can also be taken into account for motorhome insurance.

Finally, it is often possible to agree a higher deductible in the event of a claim and thus reduce insurance costs. However, this naturally comes with a higher risk that an accident will end up being expensive despite the insurance.

What additional options are available?

Partial and fully comprehensive insurance policies cover the theft of the vehicle or permanently installed devices such as the on-board computer, but they do not replace the value of stolen items such as iPads, cameras or e-bikes. Household contents insurance, on the other hand, usually does not cover theft from motorhomes. It is therefore possible to insure the inventory of the motorhome separately. This is the only way to receive compensation in the event of flooding, fire or theft.

Camping insurance is worthwhile for permanent campers. Not only is the inventory insured against theft and damage, the insurance cover also applies when the motorhome is deregistered. However, although this camping insurance is often cheaper than comprehensive insurance, it is not an alternative because it does not cover damage caused by road accidents.

In the event of a breakdown, a cover note can help to ensure that the costs are covered if the motorhome has to be towed to a garage, if overnight stays in hotels have to be arranged spontaneously or if rental vehicles have to be organized. Many insurance policies include a cover letter. If not, automobile clubs often also offer letters of protection. However, you should make sure that this is also valid abroad.

Checklist

• Compare different insurance policies before you take out one.
• Find out about discounts (e.g. for your professional group).
• Transfer your no-claims bonus.
• If you own a new motorhome, pay attention to the duration of the replacement value. 
• Think about how many riders you are specifying.
• Take into account the material of your motorhome, your pitch and your annual mileage. Use a seasonal license plate.
• If you want to use a ferry, find out whether your insurance covers this risk.
• Find out where your insurance applies abroad. Insure your inventory separately.
• Pay your premiums annually (instead of semi-annually or monthly).