Motorhome advice: How your insurance premium is calculated

Insurance is all about risk, so when you take out a policy on anything, the company that’s underwriting it has to work out the chances of you making a claim. In the absence of a crystal ball, it can only go on statistical probabilities, which means taking a huge array of factors into account.

Two fundamental areas are factored in when working out your motorhome insurance premium: your motorhome and you. All insurance companies sit on lots of data that gives them an insight into the risk you pose – they know what loading to add if you’re a vet or a teacher, rather than a chicken sexer or a professional dog walker. 

They’ll also be able to calculate how much more likely you are to make a claim if you live in Hartlepool instead of Haringey, or if the campervan’s steering wheel is on the left instead of the right.

These are the things that make a difference:

• Where you live: Some areas have higher theft rates than others
• Age: There’s no substitute for experience to reduce the likelihood of an accident. However, your reactions slow and your vision deteriorates beyond retirement age and you can start to become more of a risk
• Driving history: If you’ve spent the last decade crashing into things you’ll probably continue to do so, reducing your appeal to insurers.
• Occupation: Lawyers and doctors are a safe bet; journalists and film stars aren’t. How you earn a living radically affects the risk you pose, so if in doubt just become an accountant
• Licence cleanliness: Got 11 points on your licence? If so, you clearly have problems obeying laws and insurance companies don’t like law-breakers
• Annual mileage: The more you drive, the greater the risk of you having an accident. Keep your annual mileage down and you can reduce your premium accordingly
• Security: If no alarm or immobiliser is fitted there’s a good chance your motorhome or campervan will be spirited away in the dead of night. Fit some sort of security system, so your motorhome will stay where you leave it and there’ll be no claim made. Everyone’s a winner!
• Where the ’van is kept: Insurance companies like garages (rarely big enough for motorhomes) or at least off-street parking. Leave your motorhome parked on the road and you will pay more
• Who drives: Allow the world and his wife to drive your motorhome or campervan and you’ll get charged accordingly. Restrict cover only to those who really need it
• Value: The higher the value of the motorhome, the more it’ll cost to insure. It’s that simple
• Type of cover: Comprehensive cover costs more than third party, fire and theft. If your motorhome is almost worthless, don’t insure it comprehensively – but shop around and you might be able to insure it comprehensively for the same money that someone else is charging for just basic cover
• Usage: Insurance companies don’t like leisure vehicles being used for business. Restrict its use to social, domestic and pleasure for a lower premium
• Left or right-hand drive: Insurance companies sometimes don’t like British drivers running left-hand drive motorhomes; they prefer the steering wheel on the right.

Ben Cue is the Director of Operations for Comfort Insurance. He comments: “Your personal circumstances and the motorhome you’re insuring are of equal importance when it comes to working out the premium. How much you use your ’van and whether it’s left or right-hand drive won’t make a lot of difference to us, but your driving history and where the ’van is stored can affect the premium significantly. If the risk is too high, you could be declined, rather than simply having a hefty premium imposed.

"One thing that sometimes surprises motorhome owners is a rise in insurance premiums once they’ve moved somewhere more upmarket or remote. These areas are often targeted by thieves, which is why they sometimes pose a higher risk than somewhere seemingly less palatable for an insurer.”