Common motorhome insurance claims revealed

Not every motorhome trip will go smoothly. From damaged windscreens to some costly bumps and scrapes, plus a few more unusual damage claims, Caravan Guard helped thousands of customers settle their motorhome insurance claims last season.

We’ve examined our settled claims from January 1^st to October 31^st, 2023 to bring you our top four motorhome claims, as well as revealing the costliest claims.

The average cost of these motorhome insurance claims, ranging from bumps and prangs, accidents on the road, theft, and storm damage was £1,760 and the highest value claim was after a motorhome worth almost £60,000 was stolen from the owner’s home – highlighting the importance of a motorhome insurance policy.

#1 Window woes

Broken windscreens and other glass-related claims are really common for motorhome owners, making up a huge 67% of all settled claims, with the highest motorhome window claim costing more than £6,000!

Stones, and even pheasants, are the common culprits of damage to windscreens, as well as incidences of skylights blowing off and pigeons flying into side windows!

#2 Accidental damage

Accidental damage was the second most common motorhome insurance claim – a quarter of all our settled claims, with the average damage claim costing £3,326!

The costliest was when a motorhomer drove under a bridge that was too low, ripping off the roof of their vehicle. The payout for this claim was almost £59,000!

As well as low bridges, trees, and branches seem to pose a common threat to motorhomes. A detour led to a collision with a tree stump and the motorhome was so badly damaged it was written off and £36,000 paid out. Hidden tree stumps on narrow lanes, campsites, and car parks were the cause of other accidental damage motorhome insurance claims.

One unfortunate motorhomer also contaminated their water tank after putting diesel into it!

But it was those manoeuvring and reversing mishaps that were the most common causes of motorhome damage, with many prangs and bangs involving gates, posts, bollards, walls, and even lampposts.

Certain locations also seem to be problematic for some of our motorhomers  – with lots of damage claims in car parks after collisions with other vehicles or barriers, as well as scrapes on narrow roads or bumping into parked cars. Accidents on roundabouts, often involving other vehicles, were also a common accidental damage claim.

At home, lots of posts, gates, walls, and even wheelie bins, garages, or houses bore the brunt of some accidental damage motorhome claims.

We also dealt with claims for damage after motorhomes hit roadsigns, toll booths, grass verges, wing mirrors, and even a couple of deer and a bus!

These common motorhome insurance claims highlight the importance of drivers checking their surroundings, particularly when reversing into a tight spot, pulling in and out of parking spaces, pitching up, and driving down narrow roads or streets, or having a helper to guide you.

It’s worth having your motorhome’s height and width dimensions handy so you can quickly check if your motorhome will fit underneath low barriers and bridges.

“A motorhome reversing camera or a helpful passenger to guide you into those tight spaces could also help spot those hidden hazards,” said Caravan Guard’s Claims Liaison Manager Steph Bentley.

#3 Motorhome theft

Motorhome theft is always a concern and during 2023 (Jan 1^st to Oct 31^st) our third most common motorhome insurance claim was theft-related.

The majority of motorhome thefts were from home and without the motorhome keys, with thieves bypassing the vehicle’s immobiliser – highlighting the importance of extra security, such as security posts, alarms, and tracking devices. Some stolen motorhomes fitted with a tracking device were recovered by police.

The average motorhome theft claim cost was £27,313.

There were also a handful of motorhome key thefts after break-ins to homes or cars. Thieves also helped themselves to motorhome parts with wheels, headlights, a wing mirror, and windows stolen from some motorhomes!

#4 Stormy weather

Our fourth most common motorhome insurance claim was weather-related.

Although only three percent of settled claims were for storm damage, the average cost of these claims was £3,073.

In 2023, the majority of storm-related claims were in June, July, and August, proving that extreme weather can strike at any time.

Hailstones caused the most damage – the most costly claim was £22,086 after a hailstorm in Italy in July damaged skylights, a motorhome bonnet and dented other body panels. A hailstorm in France in August also caused £19,000 of damage to another motorhome.

But the biggest casualty of windy weather was motorhome awnings, accounting for 69 percent of storm damage claims – highlighting the importance of making sure your motorhome insurance policy includes storm cover for awnings.

Motorhome insurance

So that’s the rundown of our common motorhome insurance claims in 2023 (Jan 1^st to October 31^st). As a motorhome owner, you’ll likely have to contend with the odd problem when it comes to driving and using your pride and joy, no matter how careful you are.

These settled claims prove why it’s important to have comprehensive motorhome insurance cover to pay for those costly repairs, as you can never predict what dangers lie in store for your motorhome! We’re extremely proud of our claims service. When surveying our customers who make claims, respondents give an average score of 9 out of 10.

Our motorhome insurance policy will not only protect against theft and damage, but it also includes roadside breakdown assistance as standard, European cover, £5,000 equipment and personal possessions cover and £1,000 for keys and locks*. We also provide several discounts for security devices to prevent motorhome theft and reversing aids to help prevent damage.

Find out more about our award-winning motorhome insurance policy here or click the button at the top of the page to get a quote.

Over to you…

Have you ever made a common, or not-so-typical motorhome insurance claim? Share your story in the comment box below.

*Benefits are correct at time of publication but maybe subject to change and are subject to terms and conditions, cover level and underwriting criteria.