Motorhome advice: Understanding your warranty and insurance policy

Two of the most important things to consider when buying a motorhome are far less tangible than the motorhome itself. The warranty and the insurance policy are as vital as ensuring that the nuts and bolts of your pride and joy are in fine fettle. Both need plenty of research and checking to make sure they suit your needs – covering disasters and keeping you legal.

Understanding motorhome and campervan warranties 

Where a motorhome warranty is concerned there’s a very different way of operating than with your car, and it’s all because of the complexity of both the motorhome and what’s fitted on and inside it. The vast majority of ’vans are a marriage between the vehicle and the living area, also known as the habitation area. The two halves are the base vehicle itself and habitation area – whether it’s the interior of a steel-bodied campervan or the added body of a coachbuilt.

Because of this, two warranties are supplied, the former is provided by the vehicle manufacturer: Fiat, Ford, Mercedes, et al; the latter by the company that turns it into a motorhome – known as the converter. And, even that can get more complicated as base vehicle warranties can vary according to where the vehicle originates from. For instance, the most popular base, the Fiat Ducato, will have a shorter period of cover (often, two years) than one sourced in the UK – usually three years. And, as plenty are made in Europe, quite a few motorhomes come with the shorter warranty.

Conversion warranties, too, have added complexity as the motorhome part and its fitted equipment are often covered separately to the one that deals with any leaks – described as water ingress or body integrity warranty. All of these vary from converter to converter, and are not dependent on whether the motorhome is British-made or produced in mainland Europe.

Warranties on secondhand motorhomes and campervans

In the used motorhome and campervan market, things are different again as warranties tend to cover the entire vehicle. This is because they are dealer-provided warranties bought from a specialist firm. However, if you’re buying a nearly new motorhome or campervan, the original waranties may be transferable – something that’s important to check. In addition, some converters offer the chance to extend the warranty on a new motorhome and this is most likely by an insurance-based policy from a specialist provider.

Checking the conditions of a warranty is vital as the cost varies according to the period and amount of cover and the age of the vehicle. A dealer may buy cheaper, providing a shorter period and less comprehensive cover, so it is important to check carefully. 

One area that’s often not included is what’s termed ‘consumables.’ This is anything that may have failed or caused a failure due to wear and tear. Examples might be a clutch, brakes or tyres. One or all may fail, leading to high repair costs, but you will not be covered as there’s a ‘consumable’ involved: tyres should be changed according to age, not always wear, and clutches and brakes wear out. Both can cause additional damage.

Buying your own warranty for a motorhome or campervan

You spot a motorhome that’s perfect for you and at a bargain price. But it’s a private sale so, ordinarily, it won’t come with a warranty – the receipt probably merely stating something like: ‘as seen and approved’. However, all is not lost as you can buy your own warranty, in much the same way as a dealer does when selling a used motorhome or campervan.

It’s also possible to buy a warranty when you’ve owned a ’van from new and the original manufacturer’s cover is coming to an end. This type of product has been available for cars for a while, but it’s relatively new in our world. Shield Total Insurance is already an established motorhome insurance provider that knows the subject well and now you can buy a warranty for your ’van from the company, too.

Shield’s approval for cover is dependent on your ’van receiving a clean bill of health and an inspection has to be carried out at an NCC-approved workshop to confirm its fitness. Cover for repairs extends across Europe and for a maximum of 240 days, with access to a UK-based assistance hotline.

Choosing the right insurance for your motorhome or campervan

People buying a motorhome for the first time can be very surprised when they look to insure it and, unlike the seemingly ever high cost of their car policy, the surprise is often a nice one. And that’s because premiums can be much lower than they thought – especially given that motorhomes can carry a very high price tag. And cover tends to be more comprehensive, too, including the far higher value of kit and domestic equipment carried in motorhomes and often including full European breakdown assistance. Of course, all the other usual factors apply, such as where the motorhome is kept, driving history, age of the driver/s, etc.

Discounts that can apply include for the more usual fitted alarm and immobiliser, but also fitting of security locks and being a member of certain clubs. Membership of the Caravan and Motorhome Club or the Camping and Caravanning Club and the like can get you money off. Then there’s dash-cams, parking sensors and reversing cameras. Three firms even offer a discount for MMM subscribers! Having a tracker fitted can do the same and, indeed, some insurance companies will not provide cover unless one is fitted – especially if your ’van has a very high value.

There’s a good choice of providers out there so a bit of research will bring lots of choice. We’ve already mentioned Shield, while another to check out is Caravanwise. Comfort Insurance celebrated 25 years as a supplier of leisure vehicle insurance in 2017 and has consistently topped What Motorhome magazine’s insurance provider of the year awards. These firms’ websites can do more than just sell insurance – Comfort, for instance, provides lots of useful information on motorhoming and campervanning, too.

There’s at least a couple of simple reasons for these great-value policies. The first is the most important: risk. Motorhomes are used less frequently than cars, and travel less miles per year. Also, motorhomes are cherished possessions and a source of pleasure, so owners tend to drive more carefully and look after them better. 

What else should I consider when insuring my motorhome?

Aside from the already mentioned extended warranties, there’s another new product that has just been launched. Provided by Caravanwise and called Day Van cover, this policy is aimed at ‘not quite a campervan, but not quite a car’ vehicles. A good example is Volkswagen’s California Beach. This is basically a VW T6 people carrier, but with swivelling cab seats, table and two double beds. This type of vehicle can be very versatile and act as family car, load lugger, people mover and weekend camper, all in one vehicle.

Other specialist areas have been around for a long time and these include cover for personal belongings and valuables, pets, towing trailers and cars attached to the motorhome by A-frames. You might expect to get some contents cover with your ’van’s policy and you’d be correct – Shield, for instance, provides up to £5,000. The Caravan and Motorhome Club’s pet policy covers vets’ fees, treatment abroad and quarantine costs among others. That’s cover for Rover sorted, but don’t forget yourself!

A good travel insurance policy is vital, especially where medical treatment is concerned. Being repatriated by air ambulance, for instance, is very costly. Some motorhomers tow trailers and cars on A-frames and, again, careful research and checking is vital. Some polices cover towing a trailer, but with a limited value, while with A-frames, the onus can fall on the towed car’s insurance.

And finally, there’s the dreaded small print – tedious but essential reading, so get out your magnifying glass and check it all. If there’s anything you don’t like, understand or are not sure about, consult the broker or insurance company and make sure that any, ‘don’t worry it’s all covered’ verbal answers you are given are subsequently confirmed in writing before you sign anything.

This feature was originally published in the April 2018 issue of MMM magazine. Want to read more like it? Subscribe to MMM magazine today for your monthly dose of essential motorhome advice.