Before using their folding camper for the first time, everyone wonders whether they need to invest in insurance. I know that I did when I first got my folding camper.
Do you need folding camper insurance? You are not required by law to have folding camper insurance. Despite law not necessitating you to have insurance, you should insure your folding camper to ensure you don’t lose money if it gets damaged.
So, while you aren’t required by law to have folding camper insurance, you should insure your camper if you are using it regularly. I insured my folding camper even though I didn’t legally have to. Here are the reasons that I did.
Specialist cover for folding campers and trailer tents. Ripe Insurance gives you cover for storm, theft, accidental damage or vandalism under their touring caravan insurance policy. Get a quote today.
Reasons That You Need Folding Camper Insurance
A folding camper can be damaged in numerous ways. Although no owner would intentionally damage their folding camper, a camper can be damaged in numerous, often unavoidable, ways. For example, your folding camper could be damaged due to:
- Severe weather
- On-road collision
- Pitching errors
- Intentional harm
Severe Weather: If the weather takes a turn for the worst when you are holidaying in your folding camper, it could become damaged. Storms, snow, rain, and wind can all cause damage to your camper. Severe weather is the number one reason that I invested in insurance for my folding camper.
Even if you avidly follow the weather forecasts, you never know when the weather will take a turn for the worst. Snow and wind in particular are known to cause significant damage in some circumstances. Many folding camper owners have seen their canvas torn because of severe wind. There have also been reports of snow causing damage, simply due to the weight of it.
Although these are severe examples, you never know when the worst will occur. If you have folding camper insurance, you have peace of mind. Should the worst occur, you can use your folding camper insurance to avoid large expense.
On-Road Collision: You may suffer a collision when towing your folding camper. No matter how small the chance of a collision is, it’s good to make sure your camper is insured just in case.
Unfortunately, there are more drivers on the road than ever and the chances of colliding with another vehicle are higher than before. By getting insurance for your folding camper, you protect yourself in the case of accidents, whether the accident is your fault or another driver’s.
Pitching Errors: If you’re a beginner, you could easily make an error when pitching for the first time. In fact, you could make a pitching error at any time, regardless of the frequency with which you’ve pitched a camper.
People make errors such as not setting up their awning correctly or putting their camper up under a tree. I found out how important it is to choose the correct place to pitch your folding camper after a few unpleasant trips in the early days.
Nobody can completely avoid pitching errors. Some things are out of your control. With insurance, you’ll have peace of mind.
A folding camper can be stolen and vandalised. Where do you store your folding camper when you aren’t using it? Depending where you store it, there is a chance that it could be stolen or vandalised.
If your folding camper is stolen and you don’t have any insurance, you must rely on the authorities to return it to you. If you have insurance, you can replace your camper.
If your camper is vandalised, camper insurance means you can restore it to its previous condition at no cost.
Specialist cover for folding campers and trailer tents. Ripe Insurance gives you cover for storm, theft, accidental damage or vandalism under their touring caravan insurance policy. Get a quote today.
Does My Car Insurance Policy Cover My Folding Camper?
Some car insurance policies will cover your folding camper if your car is towing it. However, don’t assume it does. You need to check your car insurance policy to ensure that your camper is covered.
The majority of the time, your folding camper will be covered in some respect by your insurance policy. Even though a folding camper isn’t fully attached to your vehicle, some car insurance policies still consider it to be a part of your vehicle.
You will have your policy documents. Go through them carefully to find out what’s actually covered. If you need any help deciphering your policy, there is plenty of information available online. Ideally, you should contact your insurance provider for total clarification on whether your camper is covered or not.
Even if your car insurance covers your folding camper somewhat, dedicated folding camper insurance is often inexpensive. It’s definitely worth investing in dedicated insurance. That way, you can ensure the cost of your trailer is fully covered.
How Much Will Folding Camper Insurance Be?
I did some research on folding camper insurance prior to writing this article. This quote below is for the following:
Pennine Pathfinder 2020
- Current value: £16,000
- Type of cover: Market value
- Any equipment insured?: No
- Awning insured?: No
- Standard contents insured: £1,000
- Extended accidental damage cover?: Yes
- Serviced every two years?: Yes
- Security: Wheel Clamp only
- Storage: Home address, drive but no garage
- Storage location security: None
- Any other storage location?: No
- Usage: Seasonal
- Tow in Europe?: Yes
- Excess: £100
The insurance premium for this quote came to £374 annually, or £34.29 a month. Depending on the folding camper that you own, you can expect to pay much less. For example, if you have a 2004 Pennine Pathfinder stored in a secure location, your insurance would be much cheaper. My folding camper insurance is only £40 per year, which gives you a rough idea of how cheap it can be.
The price of folding camper insurance will vary based on a variety of factors. The price of your insurance will differ based on:
- Your location
- Where you are storing it
- The age of your folding camper
- The dimensions of your camper
- The driver towing the camper
As with any type of insurance, a great range of factors can impact the price. Here’s how some of the above factors will impact the price of your folding camper insurance.
Your location. Where you live can have an impact on the price you’ll be paying for folding camper insurance. Some areas have higher crime rates than others, which can push up the price. Other areas have worse weather, which can also impact your premium.
Where you are storing it. Where you store your folding camper can impact the price of your insurance. If you’re storing it on a drive unprotected by CCTV, your insurance will be more expensive than if you had it in your garage.
The age of your camper. If your folding camper is 10 years old, your insurance will be cheaper than insuring a brand new one. Repairing or replacing an old folding camper is much cheaper than repairing or replacing a brand new one.
The dimensions of your folding camper. As with cars, the size of your folding camper will impact the price of your insurance. Folding camper dimensions usually don’t differ greatly, so this shouldn’t impact the price of your insurance too much.
The driver towing the camper. The main driver included on the policy will impact the premium. Several details about the main driver will have an impact, such as their age and whether they have any previous driving convictions.
Where Can I Get Folding Camper Insurance?
If you are looking for the best place to buy folding camper insurance in your country, the best thing to do is Google folding camper insurance and pick the most reputable insurer from the options.
If you are based in the UK, here are some of the best places to find folding camper insurance:
- Ripe Insurance
- Caravan Guard
- Towergate Insurance
- Insurance for Holiday Homes
Specialist cover for folding campers and trailer tents. Ripe Insurance gives you cover for storm, theft, accidental damage or vandalism under their touring caravan insurance policy. Get a quote today.
