Best caravan insurance

Caravan insurance can help you cover the cost of damage if you’re involved in an accident. But what should your policy include and how can you be confident about finding the best value for money? Here, we take a look at what features to consider and how to find great deals.

• Best caravan insurance companies
• Why do I need caravan insurance?
• How do I find the best caravan insurance?
• How do I get cheap caravan insurance?

Best, cheap caravan insurance companies

To help you find the best caravan insurance, we’ve compared a handful of caravan insurers (Caravan Guard, Happy Place, The Insurance Emporium and Saga) that all have five-star Defaqto ratings (Defaqto is an independent organisation that monitors and compares financial products). Five stars are the maximum available and indicate policies cover important features and benefits for specific products (in this instance, for caravan insurance).

We’ve also narrowed our selection down to insurers and brokers rated at least four stars (out of five) on Trustpilot^. Choosing a policy from a specialist caravan insurer could also shave a little off your premium. Specialist insurers can also be more flexible when it comes to adding on extra features so that you can tailor a package and get the specific cover you need.

The table below summarises touring caravan insurance based on information and policy documents available online. Don’t forget that caravan policies can be tailored to suit you so it’s always worth carrying out your own research before making a decision.

‘Optional’ also includes features that are described in some policies as ‘endorsements’. These are usually specific to the schedule you agree with the insurer. ‘Limited’ applies if insurers have put in place certain conditions.

Caravan Guard

Flexibility is the main benefit from Caravan Guard, and you’ll be able to add as much (or as little) as you want to your overall package. Their extensive range of additional features includes cover for:

You can also benefit from 24-hour emergency help and recovery (including for when you’re abroad). Policy coverage can be extended to friends and family if you lend them your caravan.

You can choose to protect your no claims bonus and adjust your excess to help lower your premium.

Caravan Guard will also discount your premium if you use certain safety devices (for example, up to 15% off if you use an approved tracking system). If you don’t make a claim, you can also enjoy up to 25% no claims discount.

Happy Place

Happy Place is a trading name of Caravan Guard, but reviewers suggest prices from this subsidiary are very competitive. As it’s part of the same group, you can choose from a wide range of features including awning cover, European cover, emergency accommodation and new for old.

Discounts on premiums are also available but some aren’t quite as generous as those offered by Caravan Guard.

The Insurance Emporium

You can choose from three levels of cover starting from just £6.93 per month **. All levels will provide standard cover against loss, theft and accidental damage as well as new for old cover (depending on the age of your caravan).

You’ll also receive (in varying degrees according to your package) public liability, personal accident cover and cover for friends and family.

Their entry-level package (Trip) won’t give you emergency alternative accommodation or driver cover. You also won’t be able to claim for lost keys or damaged locks.

Higher level packages do provide ‘nice to have’ features such as alternative accommodation, but it’s not as generous as packages available elsewhere. For example, with The Insurance Emporium, a successful claim for emergency accommodation can compensate you up to £100 per day for 15 days. At Caravan Guard, you’ll get £100 per day for up to 30 days. Of course, if you opt for The Insurance Emporium’s premium package (Quest) you can expect more for your money.

Saga

Saga specialises in products and services for the over 50s. While there’s not a lot that’s fundamentally different from any other provider, their experience within this market could help put your mind at rest if you’ve never towed a caravan before.

As well as covering essentials including cover for damage, theft and vandalism, you’ll be able to claim up to £3,500 in recovery and delivery costs if you need to have your caravan repaired and returned to an address of your choice.

Their new for old option also covers caravans up to 15 years old, so if you’ve got an old faithful you just can’t part with, this policy may be worth considering. That said, if your caravan is more than five years old, you must have owned it for at least two years, and it will need to be serviced every year.

Saga’s policy also offers £175^^ per day if you need emergency accommodation because of an accident while you’re away. It’s worth pointing out that while this offer is generous, it’s limited to 15 days or a maximum of £2,625^^.

Another benefit is that your no claims bonus won’t be affected if your caravan is damaged because of vandalism.

Why do I need caravan insurance?

Caravan insurance isn’t something you need by law. That said, if you don’t have cover, it’s your responsibility to pay for your own repairs if your caravan is damaged in an accident or stolen.

But that’s not all caravan insurance can help you with. Depending on the policy features you choose, you could be compensated if your belongings are stolen or damaged too. With this in mind, caravan cover can represent good value for money and reduce your financial losses should something go wrong.

Doesn’t my car insurance cover my caravan?

If you have comprehensive car insurance, your policy may provide some cover. If it does, then it will usually only compensate other people for injuries or damage to their property (third party liability). In other words, your car insurance is unlikely to cover the cost of repairing or replacing your caravan if you were involved in an accident.

How do I find the best caravan insurance?

What’s best for you will depend on what features are important to you; here’s what you might want to consider:

Policy features

Caravan insurance policies tend to be flexible and can be tailored to suit your needs. Generally speaking, insurance packages will cover:

You’ll often be able to add extras to your policy for a small increase in your premium. Options typically include legal expenses which can cover costs if you want to take someone to court or need to defend yourself. European cover is often another popular add on, as well as emergency accommodation if your caravan is damaged and uninhabitable while you’re on holiday.

You should also be aware of what the policy excludes, for example, you won’t usually be covered for:

New for old cover

Policies will usually give you the option of choosing ‘new for old’ or ‘market value’ cover. New for old simply means that if your caravan is written off, you’ll be compensated with a brand-new model of the same make and specification (or as close as possible). Market value policies means compensation will be limited according to the age, make and specification of your existing caravan.

As you’d expect, new for old policies typically cost more. Of course, if your caravan is stolen or damaged beyond repair, it does mean you shouldn’t lose out financially.

Budget

Caravan insurance doesn’t have to be expensive, but it is a good idea to make sure that your policy covers the features that are most important to you – even if that means paying a little more. For instance, if your caravan is relatively new and has lots of mod-cons, new for old cover could be a sensible investment to protect a vehicle that would be expensive to repair or replace.

In contrast, if your caravan is older with a lower value, a new for old policy might not represent such good value for money in the long-term.

Customer service

Customer service isn’t always top of the list when it comes to insurance but if you need to make a claim, it can be a vital element. To help you get the service you expect, it’s worth taking the time to read reviews to see what actual customers are saying.

If you can, try to read comments directly on review platforms. Reviews on insurer websites may be curated to only show the most positive feedback.

How do I get cheap caravan insurance?

Remember, cheap doesn’t always mean good value so try to work out what’s most important to you. That’s not to say you can’t find deals that offer both protection and value for money but it’s important to compare what’s out there to ensure you find a policy that fits your needs.

You can also help keep costs as low as possible by:

^Scores correct as of 17 May 2023 ^^ Price correct as of 17 May 2023