Motorhome insurance: Your comprehensive guide for optimal protection and cost savings
8 Jun 2025
6
Minutes
Katrin Straub
CEO at nextsure
The right motorhome insurance is invaluable when it comes to worry-free travel. It not only protects against financial consequences in case of accidents but also safeguards your valuable mobile home. Discover how to find the right coverage while saving money cleverly.
The topic in brief and concise terms
A motor vehicle liability insurance is legally required for every motorhome and covers third-party damages up to 100 million euros.
Comprehensive and partial motorhome insurance policies protect your own motorhome against damages such as theft, fire, accident, or vandalism, with the comprehensive insurance offering the most extensive protection.
Cost factors such as vehicle type, no-claims class, and seasonal registration significantly influence the premium; savings of up to 40 percent are possible.
Understanding the Basics of Motorhome Insurance
Every camper van owner in Germany must take out motor vehicle liability insurance. This legal requirement covers damages you may cause to third parties with your vehicle, with coverage amounts of up to 100 million euros for property damage and up to 15 million euros per injured person. Without proof of this insurance, usually through the electronic insurance confirmation (eVB number), it is not possible to register your camper. Many insurers offer coverage amounts that far exceed the legal minimum requirements. This basic insurance is the first step to worry-free travel. Next, we look at the optional, but often indispensable, comprehensive insurances.
Choose optimal coverage with third-party, fire and theft insurance, and comprehensive insurance
In addition to the mandatory liability insurance, partially comprehensive and fully comprehensive insurance offer extended protection for your own motorhome. The partial comprehensive covers damage caused by external factors such as theft, fire, glass breakage, or natural events like hail and storms. A good partial comprehensive should also cover the replacement of locks after a break-in, which can quickly cost several hundred euros. Fully comprehensive includes all the benefits of partial comprehensive and additionally covers damages from self-inflicted accidents and vandalism. For new or high-value motorhomes, often exceeding 50,000 euros in value, a fully comprehensive insurance is usually the best choice. The decision depends on your individual security needs and the value of your vehicle, with fully comprehensive offering the most extensive protection. But what factors actually influence the cost of your policy?
Analyse and reduction of motorhome insurance cost factors
The premiums for motorhome insurance can vary greatly and depend on several factors. These include the vehicle type, the age of the youngest driver, where it is parked (garage or street), and your achieved no-claims bonus class (SF-Class). A basic liability insurance can be available from around 109 euros per year, whereas comprehensive insurance, depending on the provider and coverage, can cost up to 1,000 euros or more. An important way to reduce costs is to choose an excess in the comprehensive insurance; amounts between 300 and 500 euros are common here. By opting for a higher excess, you can often reduce your annual premium by 10 to 20 percent. Consider whether a seasonal licence plate might be an option for you to achieve further savings.
Seasonal Licence Plate: Smart Savings for Seasonal Use
Do you use your motorhome only a few months a year, for example from April to October? Then a seasonal licence plate can offer significant savings, often up to 40 percent of the annual premium. During this period, you pay car tax and insurance premiums only proportionally. Outside the season, your vehicle is protected by a premium-free, resting insurance that covers theft or fire damage on a private, enclosed parking area. To benefit from an annual improvement of your no-claims bonus class, the registration period should be at least six months. Note that the vehicle may not be moved or parked in public areas outside the season. This regulation is ideal for anyone who does not use their mobile home all year round. Another important aspect is the protection of your interior and against theft.
Inventory and Theft Protection: Review Important Additional Components
The standard comprehensive insurance often only covers permanently installed parts. For your travel luggage, mobile electronics or expensive sports equipment valued often over 5,000 euros, a special contents insurance is recommended. This provides cover, for example, in the event of theft from a locked vehicle or damage caused by an accident. The costs for this often start at under 50 euros annually. Considering the increasing theft numbers for motorhomes – a rise of over 30 percent in 2022 was recorded – preventive measures such as alarm systems or GPS trackers are also sensible. A good motorhome insurance should reimburse the new or purchase price for at least 12 to 24 months in the event of theft. Remember that a contents insurance often covers damage to or within the motorhome only very limitedly. Comprehensive cover goes beyond mere vehicle insurance.
Expert Tips for Your Motorhome Insurance
To tailor the optimal insurance cover for your motorhome, you should consider some expert tips. Our expert tip: Do not only compare prices, but pay detailed attention to the insurance conditions. A cheap motorhome insurance can become expensive in the event of a claim if important benefits are missing. Pay attention to the following points:
High coverage amounts: At least 100 million euros for property and financial damages.
Mallorca policy: Important when renting vehicles abroad.
Waiver of gross negligence objection: Protects in the event of minor lapses.
Replacement or purchase price compensation: For at least 24 months in case of total loss.
Protection against animal bites and consequential damage: Marten damage can become expensive, often over 1,000 euros.
International protection: Check the scope of application and consider international claims protection.
Regularly reviewing your contract, at least every two years, ensures that your protection still meets your needs. Especially when changes such as the installation of expensive extras or altered travel plans occur, an adjustment is often sensible. Now we summarise the most important insights for you.
Additional services and protection letters: Well covered on the go
For a worry-free trip, many insurers offer sensible additional components. A vehicle recovery policy, often available for under 30 euros annually, provides quick assistance in case of breakdowns or accidents, such as towing, recovery, or organising onward travel. Particularly when travelling abroad, such a policy is invaluable, as it can also cover costs for vehicle repatriation or necessary overnight stays. A driver protection insurance covers the driver themselves in the event of self-inflicted accidents and covers costs for loss of earnings or compensation for pain and suffering. Consider whether travel health insurance and legal protection insurance are sensible for your travels to cover potential shortfalls of often several thousand euros. These extensions can optimally complement your vehicle liability insurance and comprehensive insurance. With this information, you are well-equipped to find the right insurance solution.
Make optimal use of no-claims bonus classes (SF classes)
Your no-claims discount (NCD) class has a significant impact on the premium of your motorhome insurance, often leading to savings of up to 60 percent with a high NCD class. For each accident-free year, you move up to a better NCD class, resulting in a lower premium rate. For motorhomes, the NCD scale is often limited to NCD 20, unlike cars, which can reach up to NCD 50. Some insurers offer special classifications when a car is already insured with a good NCD class. It is possible to transfer an NCD class from a second vehicle or even from another person (e.g., parents) under certain conditions. Be sure to check the contribution rate regulations with your insurer. A claim leads to a downgrade, so for smaller damages under 500 euros, it might sometimes be cheaper to cover them yourself.
Choosing the Right Plan: What to Look Out For
When choosing your motorhome vehicle insurance, you should not only focus on the price but above all on the included services and conditions. A comparison of different offers is essential. Pay attention to the amount of coverage, which should be at least 15 million euros for personal injury. Check the conditions for new-for-old replacement; ideally, it should be 24 months or longer. The handling of gross negligence is also important – a waiver of this defence by the insurer can protect you from coverage reductions of up to 100 percent. Read the fine print regarding exclusions, for instance, in the case of rental or certain countries of travel. A good comprehensive insurance offers extensive protection. nextsure is happy to assist you in selecting the right tariff.
Your next step towards optimal protection
More useful links
Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) provides current statistics on the stock of motorhomes in Germany.
Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis) publishes press releases with key figures that can also be relevant for vehicle statistics.
ADAC offers comprehensive information on the insurance of caravans and motorhomes.
Verbraucherzentrale provides valuable tips on how you can save on your car insurance.
Gesetze im Internet provides the Insurance Contract Act (VVG) of 2008, which regulates the legal framework for insurance.
Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft (GDV) offers an overview of statistics on the German insurance industry.
FAQ
What does partial coverage include for a motorhome?
The partial coverage insurance covers damage caused by theft, fire, explosion, storm, hail, lightning strike, flooding, collision with animals, and glass breakage.
Is my inventory automatically insured in the motorhome?
No, generally only permanently installed fixtures are covered by comprehensive insurance. For loose items such as luggage or electronics, you usually need a separate contents insurance.
What is a Mallorca policy and do I need it?
The Mallorca policy is an extension of vehicle liability insurance, which, when using a rental car abroad (mostly in European countries), raises the often lower coverage amounts of the rental contract to the level of your domestic policy. It is often included in good rates.
How does the no-claims bonus work for motorhomes?
Similar to cars, the no-claims category rewards accident-free driving with discounts on insurance premiums. For motorhomes, this classification often goes up to no-claims category 20.
What happens to my insurance outside of the season with a seasonal license plate?
Outside the season, there is a contribution-free inactive insurance (liability and, if applicable, partial coverage) if the vehicle is parked on private, enclosed premises.
Which additional insurances are beneficial for motorhome trips?
A motor vehicle protection letter, travel health insurance, driver protection insurance, contents insurance, and possibly traffic legal protection insurance can all be sensible, depending on your travel plans and your need for security.
