Temporary motorhome insurance: An owner’s guide
At Comfort Insurance, we understand that your motorhome is your pride and joy. It’s racked up the miles on so many adventures down the years – both here in the UK and further afield – and the memories of those trips will last a lifetime.
With so many fond recollections, perhaps you want friends and family to experience the same enjoyment you have? Or maybe you’d like to make some extra income by renting it out to holidaymakers?
There are plenty of benefits to letting someone else take your campervan out on the open road. But at the same time, you need to know your vehicle is going to be properly protected. That’s where our Discover temporary motorhome insurance can provide the perfect answer. Read on to find out more about this special policy, how it works, how much it costs and how easy it is to secure that all-important peace of mind when you rent out your campervan.
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What is temporary motorhome insurance?
Our short-term campervan hire insurance is underwritten by Aviva. It offers a fully comprehensive policy for 3-30 days for anyone hiring or borrowing your motorhome. As the owner, you must have an existing annual policy in order for any renter to take out this short-term cover.
During the period of cover, your standard annual policy will not be affected – even if something were to happen to your motorhome while under the renter’s control. So, there’s no need for you to worry about losing your no-claims bonus.
What is covered by motorhome hire insurance?
Our temporary campervan insurance is a fully comprehensive policy which covers the hirer in the UK and in Europe for:
- Accidental damage, fire and theft
- Breakdown
- Entering the wrong fuel (£1,500 excess will apply)
- Damage to other people’s property, third-party injury and death whilst hirer or additional drivers are using your motorhome.
- Vehicle recovery if the renter is taken seriously ill and is unable to drive the campervan.
The above are just some of the circumstances covered by our temporary motorhome insurance. For a full list, please see the Discover temporary motorhome insurance policy.
What’s not covered by campervan hire insurance?
Of course, not all circumstances are covered by our temporary campervan insurance. If you rent your vehicle out, the hirer will not be covered for:
- Any accident, injury, loss or damage that occurs when the motorhome is being driven by someone not permitted to do so, or by someone without a valid licence.
- Loss or damage if the campervan is left unattended with the ignition keys or while the engine is running.
- Any damage caused by wear and tear or electrical and mechanical breakdown.
- Personal effects belonging to the hirer and additional drivers.
For a full list of the exclusions on our short-term motorhome hire insurance, please see the policy wording.
What are the benefits of temporary motorhome insurance?
There are plenty of benefits to you when someone rents or borrows your vehicle with a campervan hire insurance policy:
- Any claims made by the hirer under the temporary motorhome insurance policy will not affect your annual cover with us or your no-claims bonus.
- You’ll have that all-important peace of mind that your vehicle is fully protected even when being driven by somebody else.
- There’s no need for you to get in touch with us when you want to hire out your vehicle out.
- If your campervan would otherwise be sat unused, hiring it out is a great way to keep it ticking over and avoid any problems that can arise through long periods of inactivity.
- You can also make a little extra cash by renting out your vehicle. Any fees you charge are entirely between you and the hirer and make no difference to the motorhome hire insurance or your existing annual policy.
How much does temporary campervan insurance cost?
As the owner of the vehicle, a short-term campervan hire insurance policy will not cost you a penny. Instead, it is up to the renter to pay the premium. Our Discover insurance starts from £20 per day, subject to a minimum three days’ cover.
How to organise motorhome hire insurance
Your part in organising temporary campervan insurance is simple. All you have to do is provide the renter with the policy number of your existing annual cover and the vehicle details. They’ll then get in touch with us to sort out the finer details of the policy. This needs to be arranged 48 hours before the intended hire takes place. Once that has been arranged, you and the renter will fill out and sign a document which records the condition of your motorhome. This will be updated and signed again when the renter returns your vehicle.
What do I need to do on the day of hiring out my motorhome?
On the day of hiring out your motorhome you'll need to complete a handover document jointly with the person you're lending it to. The person hiring your motorhome will need to have arranged their Discover insurance policy at least 48 hours before commencement of the hire. To help for a smooth handover and to ensure that the person hiring gets the most from your motorhome, it's good practice to show them how everything works. This includes for example how and where to put water and fuel into your motorhome, how to empty the waste cassette, how to hook up to on-site electrics etc. To prevent misfuelling, clearly mark all fuel and fluid inlets so that the person borrowing your motorhome knows where to put water and diesel into your vehicle. Some motorhome owners even produce their own instruction guides which detail how everything works.
Watch our handy video to find out more about the handover process:
What limits apply to renting out your motorhome?
You can rent out your vehicle as often as you like, although each individual campervan hire insurance policy is only valid for 3-30 days.
Do I need a gas safety certificate to hire out my motorhome?
The Gas Safety Regulations do not generally apply to privately owned motorhomes or campervans used for person use. However, The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 apply if you are intending to hire out your motorhome. The regulations require that each and every gas appliance and flue is checked at intervals of not more than 12 months by a Gas Safe Registered engineer. The safety of the appliances will be evidenced by a Gas Safety Certificate.
Why choose us for temporary motorhome insurance
If you’re thinking about hiring out your vehicle, you want the renter to be covered by a reliable provider of short-term campervan hire insurance. Here are just a few reasons why you can depend on us:
- We were named What Motorhome Insurance Provider of the Year for 10 out of 11 years – well-deserved recognition for all our hard work
- With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, you can feel confident that we know what we’re talking about
- Our customers are always our number one priority, and we have a rating of ‘Excellent’ from more than 4,500 reviews on Trustpilot as evidence of that
- Our temporary motorhome insurance policies are underwritten by Aviva, one of the country’s leading insurers, so you can relax in the knowledge that you’re in safe hands
- Aviva has stated that 98.97% of claims were paid out*, so if anything were to happen to your vehicle while under the care of someone else, it’s highly likely that any issues will be covered and taken care of.
*As of 17th July 2018.
Contact us about temporary campervan insurance today
Hopefully, this owner’s guide to temporary motorhome insurance has answered most of your questions about the policy, how it works and its benefits to you. But of course, if you still have queries about this form of cover, please do not hesitate to get in touch by giving us a call on 0208 9840 666 or emailing info@comfort-insurance.co.uk. Someone from our friendly expert team will be on hand to discuss everything and help you secure that priceless peace of mind.
