It’s a type of vehicle insurance specifically designed for motorhomes and campers. They can cover a range of events more specific to claims for these types of vehicles including:

• Extended European Travel;
• Theft;
• Windscreen repair;
• Cover for personal belongings; and
• Damage to anything above head height

The specifics of your policy will depend on the level of cover you choose. There are three levels to choose from:

• Third party only – this is the minimum level of cover you can have by law. It compensates other people for injury or damage you cause. This level of cover won’t cover damage to your own campervan or motorhome.
• Third party, fire and theft – includes the same cover as third party only and will also compensate you if your camper or motorhome is stolen or damaged by fire.
• Comprehensive – includes third party, fire and theft and will also cover costs if your vehicle is damaged in an accident regardless of who is at fault. If you are going to be leasing your vehicle out you will need self-drive hire insurance, which will always be fully comprehensive to ensure both your asset, and the user, are protected

Some motorhome insurance policies come with age restrictions, but these will vary according to the insurer’s own terms and conditions. In many instances, policies are limited to those over 21 and under 79.

If a policy doesn’t come with age restrictions, you may find they come with an additional young driver excess so don’t forget to factor this in when you compare policies.

Yes, you can still drive a motorhome if you’re over 70 but it will depend on the type of motorhome you want to drive and the type of licence you have. When you reach age 70 you’ll need to renew your driving licence, but it won’t automatically include an entitlement to drive larger vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes (the C1 category on your licence).

If you don’t intend to drive a large motorhome then your renewed licence will still allow you to drive one up to 3.5 tonnes (which will include most recently built motorhomes in the UK).

To be able to drive a C1 category motorhome you will need to include a medical form from your GP when renewing your license with the DVLA.

To insure your vehicle, you require the correct licence so you can drive it. If you only want to drive vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes then you don’t need any additional licence requirements, a regular driving licence that covers categories B and B1 will cover you for these vehicles. In accordance with the DVLA webpage: Driving a motorhome – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  if the motorhome you are driving has a maximum authorized mass (MAM) of 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes you must have either a category C1 license or have obtained your UK driving licence prior to 1997.

If the motorhome has a MAM higher than 7.5 tonnes you must have a C license.

You can upgrade your existing licence by taking and passing an additional test.

If you can gather the following information, then you can use the GOV.UK web site to see what licence categories you have and the vehicles you are eligible to drive:

You’ll need 3 things:

1. Your Driving Licence Number
2. Your National Insurance Number. If you don’t know it then click the following link to find a lost NI No. Find a lost NI number
3. The postcode on your driving licence

Yes, you must have appropriate insurance by law. If you don’t have a policy in place, you can be fined and given up to six penalty points. If you’re taken to court, you could even be disqualified from driving. The only time you are not required to insure your motorhome is by officially declaring the motorhome to be off the road. To do this you must contact the DVLA and apply for a Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN). When you need to make a SORN – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

No, you must have appropriate insurance for the vehicle you’re driving. This is because the policy you have must reflect the risks faced by the vehicle. For example, because motorhomes are bigger than the average car, they can potentially cause considerable damage which will cost more to cover.

In theory, as long as you have a full UK driving licence which carries the relevant classification for the vehicle you wish to drive, you’ll be able to drive a motorhome. As mentioned above, the type of motorhome you can drive will depend on its weight and the type of licence you have.

Generally speaking, only named drivers who appear on your policy documentation can drive your motorhome. If you want someone else to drive your motorhome, they can be added to the policy.

Third party only is the minimum level of cover you can have by law, but this won’t cover claims for damage to your own motorhome in the event of an accident.

You’ll also need to check that the sum insured listed on your policy is enough to cover the cost of replacing your motorhome if it’s written off.

You can increase you’re cover by adding on optional extras for a small fee.

The range of options available will depend on the insurer but could include features such as:

• Legal expenses cover
• RAC Breakdown and recovery services
• Excess Protect
• Key Care

If you use your motorhome regularly, you can gauge your mileage based on previous years. If you can, it’s best to be as accurate as possible as overestimating can raise your risk profile and increase your premium.

If you’ve just bought your motorhome, consider how you’ll be using it. Take into account any day-to-day activities along with trips and holidays you have planned. You can then estimate the number of miles you might cover. If you realise you’ve undercalculated by a considerable amount, just let your insurer know and they should be able to adjust your policy.

Yes. This policy will provide cover if you want to take your vehicle to countries within the European Union, but you must let the insurer know before you travel.