Caravan insurance for Australian travellers
Caravan insurance should reflect how you use your van, where you take it and what travels with it. RMA Insurance Brokers reviews the caravan, its contents, accessories and travel arrangements so the insurance suits the way you tour, store or keep it on site.
Cover shaped around your caravan, contents and the way you travel.
Overview
Caravan insurance at a glance
Caravan insurance can protect your caravan or camper trailer against events such as accidental damage, fire, storm and theft, while also providing cover for selected contents, accessories and liability risks.
The right cover depends on how you use the caravan, where it is kept and what you take with you. Touring, keeping the caravan at a nominated site, contents, accessories and the way the insurer values the caravan are all worth reviewing as your travel plans change.
Motorhomes and campervans are self-propelled vehicles and generally need a different insurance arrangement from towable caravans and camper trailers. RMA Insurance Brokers reviews the type of vehicle and its use to identify the appropriate cover.
Who it is for
Who is this cover for?
Caravan insurance is relevant for owners of towable recreational vehicles used for holidays, touring or kept at a nominated site, including:
- touring caravans
- pop-top caravans
- camper trailers
- folding trailer units
- slide-on or detachable camping bodies where eligible
- caravans kept at a nominated site
- caravans used for extended touring around Australia
Where and how the caravan is used can affect the insurance, particularly if it moves between touring, storage and a permanent or semi-permanent site.
Commercial hire, peer-to-peer rental or business use may require a different insurance arrangement and should be disclosed rather than assumed to fit a private caravan policy.
Cover
What can it cover?
Caravan insurance can bring together protection for the caravan itself, the items that travel with it and some liability risks involving other people or property.
The areas below are a guide. Cover, optional benefits and eligibility differ between insurers, so it is worth comparing the options against the caravan and the way you use it.
Accidental damage & impact
Cover can protect the caravan against accidental damage arising from events such as collision, impact or overturning while towing, manoeuvring or parked.
Wear, deterioration, tyre damage and mechanical failure can be treated differently from accidental damage, so the cause of the loss remains important.
Fire, storm & flood
Cover may protect the caravan against fire, storm, hail and other insured weather-related events.
Flood is not treated the same way by every insurer and may be optional or subject to particular terms, so it should be checked rather than assumed to be included.
Theft & security
Cover may be available for theft or attempted theft of the caravan and insured property.
Security requirements can differ depending on the caravan, where it is kept and what is being insured. Annexe and contents theft cover can also have separate conditions, so these areas are worth checking specifically.
Contents, annexe & accessories
Contents such as bedding, kitchenware, camping equipment and other personal items may be insured with the caravan, subject to the policy definitions and limits.
Annexe, accessories, fixed equipment and portable equipment can be treated differently. Higher-value items may need to be specified separately rather than relying on a general contents limit.
Some portable items may also need to be considered under Home & Contents Insurance.
Towing, touring & site-kept use
Cover may be available while the caravan is being towed, used for touring or kept at a nominated site, depending on the policy arranged.
Storage location, touring arrangements and changes between travelling and site-kept use should be reviewed as they can affect how the insurance is arranged.
Permanent residential use or long-term site arrangements can be treated differently between insurers and should be checked rather than assumed to be included or excluded.
Legal liability to others
Caravan policies may include legal liability cover for certain property damage arising from ownership or use of the caravan, including in some circumstances while it is being towed.
Injury arising from a road accident is generally dealt with through the relevant compulsory statutory injury arrangements. The caravan policy and towing vehicle insurance should be reviewed together.
Read more about Private Motor Insurance.
Worth checking
What should you review?
Caravan insurance should reflect more than the make and model of the caravan. Areas worth reviewing include:
the insured value and the settlement basis offered by the insurer
whether the caravan is used for touring, kept at a nominated site, or both
the towing vehicle and who regularly tows the caravan
where the caravan is normally stored
annexe, awning, accessories, solar, batteries and other additions
contents and higher-value items that may need to be specified
security arrangements for the caravan, annexe and contents
any lending, hire, commercial use or change in residential use
Limits
What may not be covered?
Some circumstances may fall outside the cover arranged or affect how the policy responds. Areas worth checking include:
- wear, tear and gradual deterioration
- mechanical, electrical or structural breakdown of the failed part
- flood where the particular policy does not provide that cover
- theft where relevant security conditions have not been met
- contents or accessories that have not been disclosed or specified where required
- towing by an unlicensed, impaired or otherwise excluded driver
- commercial hire, rental or business use where not accepted
- unlawful, deliberate or unsafe use where relevant to the loss
This is not a complete list. RMA Insurance Brokers helps explain the areas that need closer review when comparing or arranging cover.
When is it worth reviewing your cover?
Caravans, accessories and travel habits change over time. It is worth reviewing the insurance when:
- you buy, replace or upgrade a caravan or camper trailer
- you add or upgrade an annexe, awning, solar, batteries or other accessories
- you begin keeping the caravan at a permanent or nominated site
- your travel patterns change, including longer trips or a different towing vehicle
- you change where the caravan is normally stored
- a different person begins regularly towing the caravan
- you begin lending, hiring or using the caravan in a different way
- the insured value or settlement basis no longer reflects the caravan and the cover you want
Renewal is also a useful time to pick up smaller changes that may have accumulated since the insurance was last reviewed.
Broker support
Why RMA Insurance Brokers?
Caravan policies can look similar at first glance, but the details that matter can differ considerably. RMA Insurance Brokers explains the available options and helps make those differences easier to understand.
We review the caravan's insured value, how and where it is used, and changes such as an annexe, accessories or higher-value contents. We compare the options available and help keep the insurance up to date as travel plans and circumstances change.
If a claim occurs, we assist with notification, supporting information and communication with the insurer. Regional travel can also involve considerations such as access to specialist caravan repairers, recovery and transport, which we consider when reviewing cover with clients across Australia, including clients connected with rma network Livestock & Property Agents and clients outside the rma network.
What happens after you enquire?
We contact you
A broker from RMA Insurance Brokers will contact you to understand the caravan, how it is used, where it is normally kept and what insurance you would like reviewed.
We confirm what is needed
We will explain what information is needed, answer your questions and confirm the next step before approaching insurers.
Useful information to have available
- caravan make, model and year
- current or estimated value
- whether you tour, keep it at a site, or both
- where the caravan is normally stored
- towing vehicle details
- annexe, accessories and higher-value contents
FAQs
What does caravan insurance cover?
Depending on the policy, caravan insurance can cover accidental damage, fire, storm, theft, contents, annexe, accessories and legal liability to others.
How the caravan is used, where it is kept and whether it travels or stays at a nominated site can all affect the cover available.
Is my caravan covered while being towed?
Caravan insurance may cover eligible loss or damage to the caravan while it is being towed.
Caravan policies may also include certain property-damage liability arising while towing, while injury in a road accident is generally dealt with through the relevant compulsory statutory injury arrangements. The caravan policy and towing vehicle insurance should be reviewed together.
Read more about Private Motor Insurance
What is the difference between agreed and market value for a caravan?
Not every insurer offers both options.
Agreed value is an amount set with the insurer for the relevant period where that option is available. Market value generally reflects what the caravan was worth immediately before an insured loss, taking factors such as age and condition into account.
The settlement basis offered by the insurer should be checked before cover is arranged.
Does caravan insurance cover a permanent on-site caravan?
Some insurers cover caravans kept at a nominated site, while others treat long-term site arrangements or permanent residential use differently.
If the caravan is kept permanently or semi-permanently at one location, the site arrangement, annexe and way the caravan is used should be checked when the insurance is arranged.
Are my caravan contents and accessories covered?
Contents and accessories may be covered, subject to the policy definitions and limits.
Higher-value items may need to be specified separately, and fixed accessories can be treated differently from portable equipment. These items should be reviewed rather than assumed to be automatically covered.
Explore
Related insurance
Private Motor Insurance
For cars, utes and 4WDs, including the vehicle used to tow your caravan.
Home & Contents Insurance
For household contents and portable items that may sit outside your caravan insurance.
Travel Insurance
For domestic or overseas travel risks that sit beyond the caravan itself.
Watercraft Insurance
For boats and other eligible pleasure craft, including hull, motor, trailer, equipment and liability.
Business Insurance
For businesses where a caravan or recreational asset is used for hire, rental or other commercial activity.
Review your caravan insurance
RMA Insurance Brokers reviews your current caravan insurance and any changes to the caravan, contents or the way you use it, so you can see whether the cover still suits your travel plans.
The information on this page is general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Cover is subject to the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions of the relevant policy. Insurance products and available cover vary between insurers. Please review the relevant policy documentation and obtain advice appropriate to your circumstances before making a decision.