Touring Caravan Insurance

Touring caravan demand hasn’t followed a straight line in recent years. The pandemic sparked a genuine boom, with the Caravan and Motorhome Club reporting membership up 14% in 2020 alone, but that surge cooled hard from 2022 onwards as rising interest rates and the cost of living squeezed big-ticket spending. Several dealers closed or pivoted to storage-only operations through 2024 and 2025.

2026 is looking more encouraging. Dealers are reporting sales up double digits year-on-year, and early-season shows have seen higher attendance and more serious buyers, not just browsers. Whether you’re buying new, upgrading, or simply comparing your renewal, it’s a good time to check the average cost of caravan insurance against what your own caravan and its contents are actually worth.

When comparing caravan insurance policies, check first whether contents cover is included, and second what upper limit applies. Like household contents insurance, an upper limit will be imposed, and it may not be enough. Before accepting the figure, work out what your contents are actually worth, it can add up faster than you’d expect. A kitchen full of low-wattage appliances, a portable washing machine, a three-way fridge, a smart TV, a silent generator, a pure sine wave inverter and flexible solar panels all add to the total quickly.

If the value of your contents exceeds the upper limit, speak to your broker about increasing it. It’ll cost a little extra, but it means the difference between a claim that’s actually paid out in full and one that isn’t.

Eamonn’s Take

Eamonn Turley · Commercial Insurance Editor, MotorhomeCompare

Most people set their contents limit once, when they take out the policy, then never touch it again. That’s the gap that catches owners out. Every awning, every gadget, every upgrade you add over the years pushes the real value higher, but the limit on your policy doesn’t move on its own. Get into the habit of checking it against what’s actually in the caravan once a year, not just when you first insure it.

Towing licence rules changed on 16 December 2021, and it’s worth checking you’re working from the current rules rather than what you might remember from before then.

One exception worth knowing: if your licence was issued in Northern Ireland and you passed your test on or after 1 January 1997, the separate B+E test is still required, the December 2021 change didn’t extend to NI-issued licences. Since towing weight limits and licence categories can be easy to get wrong, it’s worth checking your specific entitlement on the GOV.UK licence categories page before you tow for the first time.

If your touring caravan spends most of its time sitting on the drive, it’s worth checking your policy before lending it out to anyone. Some caravan insurance policies cover family members as standard, but the definition of “family” varies by provider, some include siblings, aunts and uncles, but not cousins. If you do let family members use your caravan, make sure they’re experienced if they’ll be towing it themselves.

Eamonn’s Take

Eamonn Turley · Commercial Insurance Editor, MotorhomeCompare

Roughly six in ten caravan insurance policies won’t cover damage while the caravan is lent out, so check this before you hand over the keys, not after something’s gone wrong. And if cover does extend to friends and family, don’t let any money change hands. A bottle of wine as a thank you is fine, but accepting payment for the loan can void the cover entirely, even on a casual, one-off basis. It’s almost always buried in the fine print rather than stated upfront.

• Per-item contents limits. Most policies cap the payout per item, usually lower than your home contents cover. Leave expensive watches or jewellery at home, as these are often excluded entirely; your home insurance may extend “away from home” cover for individual items instead.
• Getting back home. If you need to cut a trip short because of damage to your caravan, check whether your policy covers travel expenses or an overnight stay to get you and your vehicle home.

Touring caravan insurance typically costs more than static caravan insurance, since a caravan that’s actively being towed and used carries more risk for the underwriter. Getting a good deal means comparing the options available rather than accepting the first quote. As a minimum you’ll need third party cover, but given the cost of replacing a well-equipped caravan, it’s worth considering a more comprehensive policy that includes contents cover too, especially if you’ve fitted it out with a smart TV, portable satellite dish and other extras.