Guide for first time motorhomers
If you’re new to motorhoming or campervanning, here you’ll find our handy guides, videos and expert tips to help you stay safe and secure and have lots of fun on your motorhome travels.
Buying Essentials Driving Pitching Up Maintenance Gear guides Useful guidesBuying a motorhome or campervan
Here we look at the key things to consider when buying your first motorhome or campervan. From buying a new or used motorhome, to where you’re going to store it.
Buying new
Our guide to buying a brand new motorhome
Buying used
Our checklist when buying a second-hand motorhome
Motorhome glossary
Get to know the lingo with our glossary of common motorhome terms
Motorhome types
Here are the different motorhome body types
Motorhome layouts
Choosing the best motorhome layout for you
Motorhome handover
Our top motorhome handover tips to make sure you get the most from your buying experience
Secure storage sites
What to look for in a motorhome storage site
Storing at home
Ways to upgrade your motorhome storage security at home
Want to protect your new motorhome against accidental damage, theft, storm and flooding with extensive insurance cover? It needn’t cost the earth as a new owner with our many discounts which include a potential introductory no claim discount. See our insurance page for more details or get a quote now.
Buying the motorhome essentials
Don’t leave it too late to buy the accessories you’ll need when starting to use your motorhome or campervan. The last thing you want is to get off to a bad start on your first trip.
Motorhome essentials
Check out our list of essential motorhoming kit
Motorhome security
A look at locks and devices to prevent motorhome theft
Motorhome tracking devices
Be reassured that your motorhome can be recovered if it falls into the wrong hands with a tracking system
Motorhome alarms
Our top tips on what to look for when selecting a motorhome alarm
Solar panels
Get power from the sun with our guide to solar panels
Motorhome levelling ramps
Live motorhome and campervan life on the level with our guide to levelling ramps
Sat-navs, Apps and maps
We look at the various accessories to help you get to your holiday destination
Motorhome reversing gadgets
Products that will help you when reversing your motorhome
Drive-away awnings
Some top tips on choosing a drive-away awning for your motorhome or campervan
Motorhome and campervan bedding
Duvets or sleeping bags? We take a look at the pros and cons of each
Getting ready for your first motorhome trip
Go motorhoming with confidence! As you embark on your first motorhome or campervan trip see our handy guides for a safe and enjoyable journey. From checking your motorhome or campervan is ready for travel, to loading and expert reversing tips.
Tips to avoid a motorhome bump at home
Here are our 10 handy hacks and tips for avoiding a motorhome bump or scrape when parking up or reversing
Loading your motorhome
How to correctly load your motorhome
Know your weights
How to calculate the effect of adding weight to your motorhome on the front and rear axle
Tyre checks
Our essential guide to checking your motorhome tyres
Pre-departure checks
Our step-by-step guide to check you’re ready for your motorhome travels
First motorhome trip
Our top tips for your first trip away in your pride and joy
Pre-departure checklist
Download our checklist before you hit the road
Pitching up on site
Want to be the envy of your campsite neighbours? Here are our guides to getting the perfect setup and to make you look like a pro from the start and throughout your stay.
Reversing your motorhome
Learn how to reverse your motorhome like a pro
Chemical toilets
How to use and look after your motorhome toilet
Gas
Everything you need to know about gas in your motorhome
Off grid camping
Here are some top tips for taking your motorhome or campervan off grid or “wild camping”
Tackling muddy ground
Our top tips to avoid getting your motorhome or campervan stuck in the mud!
Motorhome maintenance
Want to make sure your motorhome is in tip top shape for every trip? Check out these top tips.
Cleaning your motorhome
Here’s our 10-step motorhome cleaning video to keep your leisure vehicle in tip-top shape
Cleaning your motorhome roof
Our guide to cleaning your motorhome roof and the equipment you’ll need
Water system
How to sterilise the water system
Motorhome servicing
The importance of a yearly motorhome service and habitation check
Winterising
Our step-by-step guide to getting your motorhome ready for winter, including draining it down
Leisure battery care
Here’s our guide to looking after your motorhome’s leisure battery
Winterproofing your motorhome
Twenty things to consider before you lay up your motorhome in the colder months
Controlling damp
Some pointers for controlling damp and water ingress in your motorhome
Gear guides: More great motorhome kit
There’s lots of kit to make your motorhoming life easier and more secure. Here we take a look at devices which are popular with the modern motorhomer and campervanner.
Electric bikes
Here we guide you through the basics of buying an electric bike to give you some more pedal power on your motorhome holidays
Motorhome awnings
Our top tips for buying an awning for your motorhome
Awning alternatives
Here we look at alternatives to extend your living space
Steering wheel locks
Optimise your motorhome or campervan security with a steering wheel lock
Gas barbecues for motorhomes and campervans
Looking for the best gas barbecues for motorhoming? Read our guide with a look at nine star players first!
Vacuum cleaners
Keep your motorhome clean as we take a look at four compact cleaners
Space savers
Here are some gear and tips to help enhance your campervan or motorhome’s storage capabilities
Collapsible kit
Save space and weight with our guide to collapsible camping gear
Wi-Fi
Here’s our guide to Wi-Fi on the go
Motorhome kettles
There’s lots of choice when it comes to brewing up in your motorhome or campervan. Here’s our guide to camping kettles
Other useful guides
We realise not everyone uses their motorhome or campervan in the same way. Here are a few other guides you might find useful.
European travel
If you’re planning a motorhome or campervan holiday to Europe, check what you need to know before you travel
Guide to towing
Add a tow bar to your motorhome and you might give your life other dimensions. Here’s our towing guide
Modernise your motorhome
Our 10 top tips on modernising your motorhome
Motorhome storage ideas
Make the most of the storage in your motorhome with these ideas and tips
Reduce rattles
Here we offer some tips and products to help cut down on some of the almost inevitable equipment and fixtures rattles in your motorhome or campervan
Ways to increase your berths
Some top tips for adding some extra beds into your motorhome or campervan
Tips for motorhoming with pets
We bring you some tips for taking your pets on holiday
Winter motorhoming
Our guide to taking your motorhome or campervan on tour in the winter months
Removing window scratches
Here we go through how to get rid of scratches on your motorhome’s acrylic windows
Motorhome accidents
What to do if you find yourself in a motorhome accident
We reward mature caravan owners with up to 10% discount.
No claim discount for insured and claim free years:
- 1 year = 10%
- 2 years = 15%
- 3 years = 20%
- 4 years = 22%
- 5 years = 24%
- 6+ years = 25%
It is possible to protect a 3 year no claim discount.
Don't miss out! An introductory discount may be available if you have previous experience of towing or driving a larger vehicle (even if it wasn't insured in your name).
Such devices can help locate your stolen caravan by guiding police to its position using GPS, GSM or VHF technology. Not all tracking devices qualify for our discount. Please see our list of approved touring caravan tracking devices.
Learn more about caravan tracking devicesAn axle wheel lock attaches to the caravan chassis. Once the wheel is jacked up and lined up with the chassis receiver, a locking plate is fitted through the wheel to lock it in place. Examples of axle wheel locks include the AL-KO Secure or BPW/SAS/Winterhoff Diamond Wheel Lock. We accept these devices in place of a traditional wheel clamp and you will also qualify for an additional discount.
If you are unsure whether your device qualifies please click here
If your caravan already has an alarm or you plan to fit an alarm you can claim another insurance discount. There are many alarm systems available for caravans. The best types of alarm monitor movement inside the caravan using Passive Infra-Red (PIR) sensors and/or will trigger via tilt sensors if a thief attempts to tow your caravan away.
Learn more about caravan alarm systemsWhen you store your caravan at a CaSSOA Platinum, Gold or Silver approved storage site your premium will be lower than it would be on a storage site in the same postcode area. Platinum and Gold approved CaSSOA sites get the largest savings. Silver approved CaSSOA sites get a smaller insurance discount. To check if your storage site has CaSSOA approval visit www.cassoa.co.uk. Note discounts are subject to minimum premiums.
Learn more about caravan storageWe reward owners that keep their caravans in a CaSSOA Platinum, Gold or Silver approved secure storage site.
CaSSOA awards storage sites a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze security rating dependent on the number of security features they have in place. These could include perimeter fencing, access control, alarm systems or CCTV. To check if your storage site has a Gold or Silver Award, you can visit their website at www.cassoa.co.uk
Electronic trailer control systems such as 'Al-Ko ATC' or 'BPW iDC' work in a similar way to ESP in cars by braking the caravan's wheels if it senses loss of control. This helps to prevent snaking and keep the caravan under control during extreme driving conditions, such as hard braking or swerving to avoid an accident.
Some new caravans have a system fitted as standard. It can also be retro fitted to some caravan chassis.
We offer a discount for VIN Chip Plus where it is fitted in addition to the basic Vin Chip kit found as standard on all UK caravans from 2016 onwards.
VIN Chip Plus provides an additional electronic RFID chip, microdot solution, UV marker and additional tamper resistant labels all coded with a caravan's unique VIN number. The kit makes it even harder for thieves to hide a caravan's true identity or helps police make contact with its legal owner following theft.
Please Note: This discount is not available in combination with the discount for other security marking products.
Other security markingMost UK caravans have a CRiS or VIN number displayed in their windows. However, additional marking kits can be bought for extra protection. Marking is often applied using a liquid containing microdots or 'chemical DNA' invisible to the naked eye but revealed using a UV torch. These carry a unique code linking a caravan back to its legal owner therefore improving its chances of being recovered if stolen. We give a discount for the following security marking products:
- CRiS Extra/Plus*
- Data Tag
- DNA+
- Micro-Tag
- SelectaDNA
- Smart Water
- Stop Theft
- Thiefbeaters
*CRiS Extra/Plus must be in addition to any standard 17 digit CRiS window and chassis markings found on UK caravans since 1992 and standard CRiS tag / chip found on UK caravans since 1998.
Window stickers are usually provided by the product manufacturers to warn thieves that the caravan is fitted with additional security marking. Please note this discount is not available in combination with the discount for VIN Chip Plus.
Please Note: This discount is not available in combination with the discount for VIN Chip Plus.
Tyron wheel safety bands greatly reduce the risk of accident through loss of control after tyre deflation by helping to keep the tyre in place following punctures, blow-outs and under inflation.
Discount for Tyre pressure monitoringIncorrectly inflated tyres can affect the way a caravan tows and may lead to a serious accident. That's why we offer a discount for tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) fitted to caravan tyres. TPMS systems work by placing sensors either on the tyre valves or inside the wheels. These sensors continuously measure the pressure and temperature of the tyres and transmit information wirelessly to a monitor inside the tow car and sound an alarm if there's any abnormality. Popular makes include TyrePal or Snooper's Tyre Pilot. We don't give discounts for TPMS systems fitted to the tyres of tow vehicles.
Discount for tyre sealantWe offer a discount for pre-puncture tyre sealant or slime, which is a proactive defence against tyre punctures and can help prevent an accident. It's injected through the tyre valves and coats the inside of the tyres. In the event of a puncture, and when the penetrating object is removed, a small amount of tyre sealant is squeezed through the puncture hole to seal the tyre. We offer this discount for the likes of Phantom Tyre Protector and Ultra Seal. Please note the discount does not apply for post-puncture tyre sealant kits which are only used to temporarily repair tyres following a puncture.
We offer discounts for caravans fitted with rear view cameras or reversing sensors, as they can help to prevent manoeuvring accidents.
Mounted on the back of the caravan, reversing cameras are designed to give drivers a complete view of what is behind their caravan. The camera transmits images to a monitor secured to the towcar's dashboard or windscreen
Please Note: We do not offer discounts for reversing aid(s) fitted only to the pulling vehicle.
Discount for reversing sensorsWe offer discounts for caravans fitted with rear view cameras or reversing sensors, as they can help to prevent manoeuvring accidents.
Reversing sensors (often slightly cheaper than cameras) are usually inserted or stuck onto a caravan's rear panel. They use ultrasonic technology to emit a series of audible beeps inside the towcar, which sound closer together as the caravan moves towards to an object.
Please Note: We do not offer discounts for reversing aid(s) fitted only to the towing vehicle.
We offer a discount for VIN Chip Plus where it is fitted in addition to the basic Vin Chip kit found as standard on all UK caravans from 2016 onwards.
VIN Chip Plus provides an additional electronic RFID chip, microdot solution, UV marker and additional tamper resistant labels all coded with a caravan's unique VIN number. The kit makes it even harder for thieves to hide a caravan's true identity or helps police make contact with its legal owner following theft.
Please Note: This discount is not available in combination with the discount for other security marking products.
Most UK caravans have a CRiS or VIN number displayed in their windows. However, additional marking kits can be bought for extra protection. Marking is often applied using a liquid containing microdots or 'chemical DNA' invisible to the naked eye but revealed using a UV torch. These carry a unique code linking a caravan back to its legal owner therefore improving its chances of being recovered if stolen. We give a discount for the following security marking products:
- CRiS Extra/Plus*
- Data Tag
- DNA+
- Micro-Tag
- SelectaDNA
- Smart Water
- Stop Theft
- Thiefbeaters
*CRiS Extra/Plus must be in addition to any standard 17 digit CRiS window and chassis markings found on UK caravans since 1992 and standard CRiS tag / chip found on UK caravans since 1998.
Window stickers are usually provided by the product manufacturers to warn thieves that the caravan is fitted with additional security marking. Please note this discount is not available in combination with the discount for VIN Chip Plus.
Please Note: This discount is not available in combination with the discount for VIN Chip Plus.
Tyron wheel safety bands greatly reduce the risk of accident through loss of control after tyre deflation by helping to keep the tyre in place following punctures, blow-outs and under inflation.
We offer a discount for pre-puncture tyre sealant or slime, which is a proactive defence against tyre punctures and can help prevent an accident when towing. It's injected through the caravan tyre valves and coats the inside of the tyres. In the event of a puncture, and when the penetrating object is removed, a small amount of tyre sealant is squeezed through the puncture hole to seal the tyre. We offer this discount for the likes of Phantom Tyre Protector and Ultra Seal. Please note the discount does not apply for post-puncture tyre sealant kits which are only used to temporarily repair tyres following a puncture.
Incorrectly inflated tyres can affect the way a caravan tows and may lead to a serious accident. That's why we offer a discount for tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) fitted to tyres. TPMS systems work by placing sensors either on the tyre valves or inside the wheels. These sensors continuously measure the pressure and temperature of the tyres and transmit information wirelessly to a monitor inside the tow car and sound an alarm if there's any abnormality. Popular makes include TyrePal or Snooper's Tyre Pilot. We don't give discounts for TPMS systems fitted to the tyres of tow vehicles.
We offer a discount for caravans fitted with rear view cameras or reversing sensors, as they can help to prevent manoeuvring accidents.
Mounted on the back of the caravan, reversing cameras are designed to give drivers a complete view of what is behind their caravan. The camera transmits images to a monitor secured to the towcar's dashboard or windscreen
Please Note: We do not offer discounts for reversing aid(s) fitted only to the towing vehicle.
We offer a discount for caravans fitted with rear view cameras or reversing sensors, as they can help to prevent manoeuvring accidents.
Reversing sensors (often slightly cheaper than cameras) are usually inserted or stuck onto a caravan's rear panel. They use ultrasonic technology to emit a series of audible beeps inside the towcar, which sound closer together as the caravan moves towards to an object.
Please Note: We do not offer discounts for reversing aid(s) fitted only to the towing vehicle.
More reasons to choose us
Number one for service and value
Reassuringly good cover from a leading insurer
Award winning company
Safe and secure online quotes
Confidence in a trusted family business
Highly rated claims service
Money back guarantee
Member of the National Caravan Council
Heart Research donation for every paperless policy
Plain English policy and documents
Great value for money
Speak to our Halifax based expert advisers about your insurance needs.
0800 14 88 40001422 396 769
We're open 8am–8pm weekdays, 9am–4pm weekends.
Get breakdown assistance
Breakdown assistance or accident recovery (24 hour)
01737 815 123 (within the UK)
00 44 1737 815 123 (within Europe)
Please call this number for emergency recovery in the event of an accident or breakdown.
For more information about our motorhome breakdown cover click here
Click the links below to find out how to start your claim.