How much is motorhome insurance, and how does the excess work?

Reviewed by: Lee Evans
Business & Leisure Insurance Expert

Written by: Katie Gawley
Insurance Content Writer

Fact-checked by: Quotezone Editorial Team

This content follows our Editorial Guidelines

Last Updated: 13 October 2026
Read time: 12 min

Motorhome cover costs you in two ways: the premium for the year, and the excess you pay each time you claim. This guide starts with what Quotezone’s own quote data shows about price.

It then covers what can move a quote, how compulsory and voluntary excess work together, and what happens after a write-off or at renewal.

Jump to information on:

• What it costs
• The legal minimum
• What can change your price
• How the excess works
• Write-offs
• Renewals
• FAQs

What motorhome cover costs, according to the Quotezone Index

Quotezone publishes its own figures on the motorhome insurance page. The Quotezone Index puts the average annual motorhome premium in the UK at £598, with most policies falling between £233 and £977. The basis is motorhome data from August 2025 to present, n=46,963.

The same page splits the figures by type of motor caravan:

Source: Quotezone Index, motorhome data August 2025 to present (n=46,963). The Index notes that its figures reflect position-1 quotes from the Quotezone panel. They are quotes rather than what owners finally paid, so your own price may sit above or below them.

To see prices for your own vehicle, you can compare quotes from 5+ motorhome insurance providers on Quotezone.

The Index figures above come from 46,963 motorhome quotes run on Quotezone since August 2025.

The legal minimum and the penalty for going without

This section covers Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own law, noted at the end.

Section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 says a person must not use a motor vehicle on a road or other public place without insurance that meets its requirements. GOV.UK confirms that third party cover is the legal minimum.

Going without is expensive. GOV.UK’s page on driving without insurance lists a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points. If the case goes to court, you could get an unlimited fine and be disqualified, and police can seize the vehicle.

In Northern Ireland, the same duty sits in Article 90 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981. GOV.UK notes that different rules apply there for vehicle insurance.

What can change your price

Each insurer weighs these factors in its own way. Where the Quotezone Index measures a factor, the figure is a like-for-like reduction across the same 46,963 quotes, holding other rating factors constant.

Vehicle type and value

In the table above, the Class A median sits higher than the van conversion and coachbuilt medians. If you’re unsure which you have, Quotezone explains the difference between a motorhome and a campervan.

An imported or left-hand-drive motorhome can be worth less at claim time. The Financial Ombudsman Service would normally consider it fair for an insurer to make a deduction from the market value for this. It also expects supporting evidence that the deduction is fair.

Where you keep it

In the Index, moving from on-street parking to a locked driveway at your home address brings a typical premium reduction of 2%.

Wherever it lives between trips, give your insurer the address where the motorhome is actually kept. The Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 puts a duty on you to take reasonable care not to misrepresent facts to an insurer. It applies across the UK.

Check your wording for any storage or security condition before a long lay-up.

Mileage

Capping annual mileage at 6,000, rather than 10,000 or more, is worth a typical 8% in Quotezone’s data. A 3,000-mile cap is worth 9%.

Pick a cap close to your real use. If a careless misrepresentation comes to light, Schedule 1 of the 2012 Act can let the insurer reduce what it pays on a claim in proportion. In some cases it can refuse the claim.

Who drives it

Restricting cover to one or two named drivers carries a typical 2% reduction.

Weight decides which licence each driver needs. GOV.UK’s driving licence categories set this out for Great Britain licences:

• If you passed your car test on or after 1 January 1997, category B covers vehicles up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass, or 4,250kg for electric or hydrogen vehicles.
• Between 3,500kg and 7,500kg, a driver needs category C1.
• Passing before 1 January 1997 brings different entitlements, so view your driving licence information to check.

Towing adds its own licence rules, which Quotezone’s guide on whether you need caravan insurance covers. If you hold a Northern Ireland licence, check your entitlement with the DVA.

Security and club membership

Quotezone’s motorhome insurance page notes that security devices also affect your premium, depending on the vehicle’s value and which insurers quote. Check whether your policy wording makes a particular device a condition of cover.

The Index puts the typical reduction for membership of the Caravan and Motorhome Club, or an NCC-affiliated owners’ club, at 4%.

Claims history and how you pay

A claim can cost you more than the excess. MoneyHelper’s car insurance guide says that if you have an accident and claim for it, you generally lose two years of no-claims bonus. It also notes that paying by monthly instalments can mean paying interest. That guidance is written for cars, so check how your motorhome policy treats both.

How the excess works

The excess is the fixed amount you pay towards each claim, and your insurer pays the rest up to the policy limit. MoneyHelper’s car insurance guide notes that the amount can vary with the type of claim. A windscreen or lost-keys claim may carry a different excess from accident damage.

Quotezone’s car insurance guide to what excess means covers the basics in more detail.

Compulsory and voluntary excess

Your insurer sets the compulsory excess and shows it on your quote. The voluntary excess is an extra amount you choose to add, and it lowers your premium. When you claim, the same MoneyHelper guide says both are deducted, and insurers often ask for the excess up front on a fault claim.

Is a higher voluntary excess worth it?

It can be, if you could pay the full excess on the day you claim. The trade is a lower premium now against a smaller payout later. Compare quotes at the same voluntary excess so the prices line up.

What happens after a write-off

The Financial Ombudsman Service says your insurer will usually pay out the vehicle’s market value. Check your schedule for the excess that applies to that claim. Its guidance for businesses defines market value as the price the vehicle would have sold for at a reputable dealership just before the loss. It says most write-off complaints involve disagreements over that figure.

Some policies replace a new vehicle rather than paying its value. The ombudsman describes this for vehicles that are new or under 12 months old. The write-off has to happen within a set time, with repairs costing more than 60 to 70% of the current list price. Check whether your motorhome policy includes it.

Agreed value is the other basis. The ombudsman says these policies require the insurer to pay a previously agreed amount and are normally used for valuable or classic vehicles. Your schedule shows which basis applies.

Why a renewal price can go up

Changes on your side, such as a claim, a new address, an added driver or a different storage place, can raise your renewal price.

The FCA’s renewal pricing rule sets a ceiling. An insurer must not set your renewal price above the equivalent new business price, calculated for the same sales channel. The rule applies across the UK.

For this rule, the FCA’s glossary defines motor insurance as a contract in the motor vehicle liability or land vehicle class bought by a consumer. The ceiling limits the renewal price against that benchmark. Your premium can still rise from one year to the next.

You might also need

• Breakdown cover: for roadside help and recovery if your motorhome breaks down on a trip.
• Travel insurance: your motorhome policy covers the vehicle, while travel cover can include medical costs and trip cancellation.
• Temporary insurance: short-term cover, for example while you collect a motorhome you have just bought.

Motorhome insurance FAQs

Is third party only cover enough for a motorhome?

It meets the legal minimum and nothing more. GOV.UK says third party insurance covers damage or injury you cause to any other person, vehicle, animal or property. It does not cover repairs to your own vehicle. In the Quotezone Index, 97% of motorhome customers picked comprehensive cover (motorhome data, August 2025 to present, n=46,963).

How much is motorhome insurance for a van conversion?

In the Quotezone Index, Class B van conversions had a median quote of £395, across a sample of 1,100 (motorhome data, August 2025 to present). Their quotes ranged from £233 to £936. A van conversion at or under 3,500kg maximum authorised mass is within category B for drivers who passed on or after 1 January 1997, under GOV.UK’s licence categories.

Do I pay the excess if another driver hits me?

You may not, if the other driver is shown to be at fault. The ABI says that if dash cam footage proves the other party was at fault, you may not have to pay your excess. The footage could also help protect your no-claims discount, so keep it after any incident.

Sources

1. Quotezone, “Motorhome insurance” (Quotezone Index, motorhome data Aug 2025 to present, n=46,963), https://www.quotezone.co.uk/motorhome-insurance. Updated June 2026. Accessed 13 October 2026.
2. legislation.gov.uk, “Road Traffic Act 1988, section 143: Users of motor vehicles to be insured”, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52/section/143. Latest available (revised) version. Accessed 13 October 2026.
3. legislation.gov.uk, “Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, Article 90”, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1981/154/article/90. Latest available (revised) version. Accessed 13 October 2026.
4. GOV.UK, “Vehicle insurance”, https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance. Accessed 13 October 2026.
5. GOV.UK, “Vehicle insurance: Driving without insurance”, https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance/driving-without-insurance. Accessed 13 October 2026.
6. GOV.UK, “Vehicle insurance: Uninsured vehicles”, https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance/uninsured-vehicles. Accessed 13 October 2026.
7. legislation.gov.uk, “Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, section 2”, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/6/section/2. Latest available (revised) version. Accessed 13 October 2026.
8. legislation.gov.uk, “Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012, Schedule 1”, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/6/schedule/1. Latest available (revised) version. Accessed 13 October 2026.
9. GOV.UK, “Driving licence categories”, https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories. Accessed 13 October 2026.
10. GOV.UK, “View or share your driving licence information”, https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence. Accessed 13 October 2026.
11. Financial Ombudsman Service, “Vehicle valuations and write-offs” (businesses), https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/businesses/resolving-complaint/complaints-deal/insurance/motor-insurance/vehicle-valuations-write-offs. Accessed 13 October 2026.
12. Financial Ombudsman Service, “Motor valuations and write-offs” (consumers), https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumers/complaints-can-help/insurance/motor-insurance/vehicle-valuations-write-offs. Accessed 13 October 2026.
13. Financial Ombudsman Service, “How to complain”, https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumers/log-ombudsman-connect/how-to-complain. Accessed 13 October 2026.
14. MoneyHelper, “Car insurance: what you need to know”, https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/insurance/car-insurance-what-you-need-to-know. Accessed 13 October 2026.
15. FCA Handbook, “ICOBS 6B.2 Setting renewal prices”, https://handbook.fca.org.uk/handbook/icobs6b/icobs6bs2. In force from 1 January 2022, last updated 26 June 2026. Accessed 13 October 2026.
16. FCA Handbook, “Glossary: motor insurance”, https://handbook.fca.org.uk/glossary/G3610m. Accessed 13 October 2026.
17. Association of British Insurers, “Motor insurance”, https://www.abi.org.uk/policy-and-guidance/general-insurance/personal-insurance/motor-insurance. Accessed 13 October 2026.
18. GOV.UK, “Make a SORN”, https://www.gov.uk/make-a-sorn. Accessed 13 October 2026.
19. GOV.UK, “Vehicle insurance: Driving abroad”, https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance/driving-abroad. Accessed 13 October 2026.
20. HMRC, “Notice IPT1: Insurance Premium Tax”, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-ipt-1-insurance-premium-tax/notice-ipt1-insurance-premium-tax. Updated 31 July 2026. Accessed 13 October 2026.
21. Motor Insurers’ Bureau, “Check your vehicle”, https://www.mib.org.uk/check-and-stay-insured/check-your-vehicle/. Accessed 13 October 2026.

This article is intended as generic information only and is not intended to apply to anybody’s specific circumstances, demands or needs. The views expressed are not intended to provide any financial service or to give any recommendation or advice. Products and services are only mentioned for illustrative rather than promotional purposes.