If you have just converted your campervan, you will need to find the best campervan conversion insurance. It is the absolute most important accessory for your van. This can be tricky though, as not all insurers offer cover for converted vans.
The reason for this is that campervans are classed as ‘modified vehicles’ and, for this, they can be more expensive to insure. Also, many insurance companies won’t offer insurance to self-build campervans as it is very difficult to determine the value of your motorhome. Not only is it difficult to find coverage for the build itself, but your valuables might not be covered in case of theft.
It sucks, I know!
However, there are a few specialist insurers who provide cover for self-build campervans.
I have put a lot of effort into this post since I know exactly how difficult it can be to find good coverage, and I truly hope this helps you have a great and safe trip!
In this blog post, I discuss the best campervan conversion insurance policies available to you anywhere in the world!
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What Is the Best Campervan Conversion Insurance?
Campervan Conversion Insurance in the US
Campervan insurance in the US is expensive. This is because most campervans are classed as motorhomes, and so they fall under the same insurance category.
There are a few insurers who will offer you a policy specifically for your campervan conversion, but these are few and far between. The best way to find an insurer who will cover your van is to search online.
I would recommend that you get quotes from a few different insurers to compare prices. You should also make sure that you read the policy documents carefully to check what is and isn’t covered. Checking with your local State Farm Agent might also give you some good guidance, and depending on what it says, be a great help.
Some things you might want to consider when choosing an insurer are:
– How much excess they charge
– What types of camper vans do they cover
– What they include in the policy (e.g. breakdown cover, personal belongings cover)
Though it’s a little tricky to find companies I did find a few that offer coverage for campervans and the best companies that provide self-build campervan insurance in the US are:
I would recommend getting quotes from all three of these companies to see which one offers the best deal for you.
Campervan Conversion Insurance in Canada
Canada is sort of the same story as the US. Expect insurance with proper coverage to be difficult to find and for it to be expensive!
Some insurers who offer campervan insurance in Canada are:
BCAA – They have a range of different insurance options for campervans, including self-builds and they cover Canada as well as The United States.
The Co-operators – This insurer offers campervan insurance that you can customize to your needs.
Allstate Canada – Allstate offers campervan insurance that includes coverage for personal belongings.
Intact Insurance – Intact Insurance offers campervan insurance that includes a free green card for European travel and covers your belongings in case of theft.
Campervan Conversion Insurance in Central America
For campervan insurance in Central America, the best option is BAC Credomatic. They have a product called “Auto Full Coverage” which covers your campervan for any damages, including theft. The payment is done by bank transfer so you can do it from anywhere in the world! The countries covered by BAC Credomatic are Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
If you are campervanning in Mexico and you are renting a vehicle, the best option is to check with your local campervan rental company as they may have a preferred insurer.
For campervans in Costa Rica, check out the insurance company Mapfre. They offer a product called “Todo Riesgo Automotor” which covers your campervan for any damages, including theft.
Campervan Conversion Insurance South America
In South America, many companies offer insurance and coverage in the countries that belong to the MERCOSUR agreement (Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil). The most common and recommended company is Seguros SURA, which offers very good coverage at a fair price. Another option is to check with your local campervan rental company as they may have a preferred insurer.
For living van life in Chile, check out the insurance company HDI Seguros. They offer a product called “Todo Riesgo Vehículos” which covers your campervan for any damages, including theft – this is very cool as it’s quite difficult to find! On top, you can contact Estoy Seguros who also offers coverage.
For Peru, La Positiva is a good option in terms of campervan conversion insurance policies. You can choose to pay the insurance in Peruvian soles or in USD and you can renew it basically anywhere in the country, whether planning to visit the coast around Lima or the highlands around Cusco.
Sura Seguros Soat is an insurance option you can check out in Colombia. This is a good choice if you want to be able to renew your policy from anywhere in the country, as you can do it online.
For campervan insurance in Argentina, I recommend checking ACA insurance. However, they will not cover you for theft and the service is limited. However, they are cheap and their coverage is better than nothing. We were covered by ACA when we did our road trip in Argentina. But when we got robbed we discovered that there were limitations to the policy.
That’s the hard way to learn to read the fine print.
In Brazil, the best campervan insurance company is Porto Seguro. They offer a product called “Auto” which covers your campervan for any damages, including theft. The payment is done by bank transfer so you can do it from anywhere you want!
For campervans in Ecuador, check out the insurance company Interseguro. They offer a product called “Todo Riesgo Automotor” which covers your campervan for any damages.
Campervan Conversion Insurance in Europe
Europe is a little tricky and some insurers will cover campervans that you build, but not all of them do. It’s important to check with your insurer to see if they cover these types of campervans.
Just Kampers is a campervan insurance company in the UK that offers comprehensive cover for self-built campervans in Europe. I would say that these guys are your best option and offer good prices as well.
Furthermore, you have a company like Tour Insure that offers quite flexible coverage in all the European countries – which is pretty cool.
If you are struggling to find something that suits your needs, then Campervan Life has a service where they gather quotes and options for you – a great help that saves a lot of time but might not be the absolute cheapest option.
Campervan Conversion Insurance in the UK
There are a few insurers in the UK who will offer you campervan insurance for your self-build campervan. However, these policies can be expensive, so it’s important to shop around.
When you’re looking for campervan insurance, it’s important to check that the policy covers you for driving in Europe as well as the UK. Some insurers will only cover you for driving in the UK, so it’s important to check this before you buy.
If you’re planning to convert your campervan yourself, you should let your insurer know as they may not cover self-build campervans.
Just Kampers is a campervan insurance company in the UK that offers comprehensive coverage for self-build campervans. I would say that these guys are your best option and offer good prices as well.
In Ireland, the best company to get campervan insurance from is either Campervan Insurance (which also offers coverage for Europe for 30 days) or Campervans Ireland.
Campervan Conversion Insurance in Australia
Many companies offer campervan conversion insurance in Australia so you can look around and compare prices online. Another option is to check with your local campervan rental company as they may have a preferred insurer.
One of the best and most popular options is CIL Insurance. They offer a product called “Comprehensive Motorhome Insurance” which covers your campervan against any damages, including theft. As long as you are legally allowed to drive in Australia (and allowed to tow the caravan/trailer) then you can apply for cover with CIL.
I found another company that offers insurance, which is called QBE. They offer extensive coverage for damages and also cover in case of theft. I would definitely get a quote for these guys too.
Another option for cheap campervan insurance in Australia is to get a policy through a caravan club. The Australian Caravan Club is a good option here.
I would also recommend getting a campervan breakdown cover from the RACV, as they offer a very good service and will come to you anywhere in Australia in case you need it. Especially handy if you are planning to cross the Australian outback!
Campervan Conversion Insurance in New Zealand
There are a few different companies that offer campervan insurance in New Zealand. The most popular and recommended company is NZMCA Insurance. This company offers comprehensive cover for campervans, including self-builds, and they seem to be the best choice I could find.
Finally, I want to add that my first experience with proper camping was when I got to enjoy van life in New Zealand. This was why I fell in love with the lifestyle – enjoy!
Campervan Conversion Insurance in Asia
Asia is a treasure box of culture, customs, and cuisine. There are many excellent campervan possibilities in Asia, but you must plan ahead of time as some things might not be so straightforward.
In Asia, buying a professionally converted campervan is nearly impossible. They do not exist. You may be able to locate one from the west that has been brought in. If you have the time and money, you can hire skilled locals to create something for you. In most countries, you may import your own car, but expect paperwork and unexpected last-minute “taxes”.
Finding insurance in Asia is tricky and I haven’t currently confirmed any companies that will insure private vehicles yet. I will update this post accordingly if I discover any.
An option would be contacting some rental companies in the respective countries you are traveling to, and see if they have a preferred insurer that can help you out.
Campervan Conversion Insurance in Africa
There are not a ton of companies that will cover you in Africa, but it is possible.
The best option I found is to go via Motorhome Club of South Africa which should be able to help you out.
For coverage in the different African countries, I would recommend checking with your local campervan rental company or the company you bought your camper van from, as they might be able to help you out more than I.
Challenges of Finding Campervan Conversion Insurance
One of the reasons why DIY campervan conversions are tough to find insurance for is that it’s hard to put a price on the whole project, as well as the time you invested in it. There’s also no guarantee that the work is correct, so insurance companies might be more hesitant.
Overall, some firms will ensure DIY van conversions while others, unfortunately, won’t. Though not impossible, it might require some additional paperwork, such as a certified weight slip, to get insurance for your van build.
Be patient and you will get it done!
Classified Vs. Modification For a Self-Build Campervan
Anything that alters the appearance or operation of your van is considered a modification – including inside the vehicle.
If you’ve converted your campervan to go on holiday, you might have installed a pop-top, seats, windows, kitchen appliances, insulation, power supplies, solar panels, gas systems, and so on. All these things, and more, are on the list of what a modification to your campervan is.
All of these things are classified as changes, and they must be declared to your insurance. You should double-check that your policy includes coverage for everything in your campervan conversion. Because if anything goes wrong while you’re on the road, you may be left high and dry.
When Is a Van a Campervan?
A van is per definition a campervan when you use it for sleeping overnight or to transport any camping equipment.
If you only use your campervan for business purposes, then you might be able to get a cheaper commercial auto insurance policy.
You do not need to change the registration of your van into a campervan unless you want to, but it might be a good idea to let your insurance agent know that you’re using it as a campervan.
Age Limits For Campervans
Most insurers will only cover campervans that are less than 15 years old. Some companies will only offer insurance to campervans that are less than 10 years old.
The reason for this is that campervans, like all vehicles, decrease in value over time. They also become more likely to break down as they get older. This makes them a higher risk for insurers, and therefore they charge more to cover.
If you’re looking to get insurance for a campervan that’s over 15 years old, you might be able to find a specialist insurer who will cover it. However, you should expect to pay more for your policy.
Campervan Insurance For a Van
There are many different types of vehicles that can be classified as campervans, and each has its own set of rules and criteria. Some insurance carriers consider a van to be a campervan if it includes sleeping and cooking facilities – this might be as simple as an air mattress and a camp stove – even though you use the vehicle itself for other purposes during the day.
Other insurers are more strict. They only consider a campervan to be a campervan if you use it exclusively for camping trips. This means that the van must have sleeping, cooking, and bathroom facilities.
The best way to find out if your campervan qualifies as a campervan is to speak to your insurance company. Some places might need to organize insurance for your van as a modified cargo van and not a camper/motorhome.
The benefit of getting campervan insurance for your van is that you can find coverage for any damage or theft that happens to you while you’re on a camping trip. Basically, your camper might function more like your house than your car and you, therefore, probably need additional coverage.
The Price of Self-build Campervan Insurance
There are several elements to consider when comparing van insurance rates, just as there are with any insurance policy. These include the age and type of your van, where it is kept, the number of drivers it can accommodate, your claims history, and any no-claims discounts.
In general, you shouldn’t pay a lot for campervan conversion insurance. However, it’s worth spending some time to find the right policy for your van and needs so you are sure you have the right coverage. With these things, it’s better not to gamble. Because after the accident has happened there isn’t much you can do.
Though campervan insurance can be expensive, there are ways to get affordable coverage.
One way is to use a comparison site like GoCompare or CompareTheMarket. Another way is to check with your local campervan rental company as they may have a preferred insurer.
Things To Know Before Purchase
– Make sure that you are aware of the coverage that you are getting with your policy.
– Do not forget to get campervan insurance. This is whether you are only planning on using your van full-time or only for occasional trips!
– Check the reviews of the campervan insurance company that you are considering before purchasing a policy.
– If you are going to be traveling to multiple countries, make sure that your campervan insurance policy will cover you in all of the places that you are planning to visit.
– Keep in mind that campervan insurance policies often have a deductible. This means that you have to pay for any damages that are done to your van up to that amount.
– Make sure to read the fine print of your campervan insurance policy before purchasing it so that you are aware of any exclusions or limitations.
- Always have travel insurance to cover yourself on the side of any insurance for your van.
Conclusion
Finding insurance for your self-build campervan can be tough and a bit of a jungle to navigate around.
Above I tried my best to give you some good options in all parts of the world. I really hope that this blog post has helped you to find the best campervan conversion insurance policy for your needs! Remember to budget for van insurance when you make an overview of how much it will cost you to convert your van.
If you have any questions or would like to share your own experiences with campervan insurance, then please leave a comment below. Would love to hear from you whether you travel in a WV, sprinter van, or anything else!
//Josephine
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Really appreciate all the information! We are planning to travel in our van next year and this was really helpful!
Really happy to hear it! Hope you have a great time and feel free to write if you have any questions 🙂