Campervan in Conversion Insurance vs Campervan Insurance – What is the Difference?

Different types of van/campervan insurance

There are 3 main types of campervan insurance you can get for your van, campervan or motorhome.

If you have just bought your van ready for a campervan conversion, you are probably wondering which insurance you will need.

Here are the 3 types of campervan insurance and what is best at each stage of your campervan conversion.

Van Insurance

Van insurance is good old regular insurance, for vans.

This is not commercial van insurance (so if you carry work tools/equipment around in the back).

Van insurance is identical to car insurance, but you have to have van insurance to drive a van.

Even for some micro vans like the micro camper we built, this was classified as a van, not a car, so it needed van insurance.

Van insurance is best if you have just bought a used van, and need to drive it home. It’s also best if you aren’t planning to convert your van into a campervan yet, so you don’t need any campervan insurance.

Campervan in Conversion Insurance

Campervan in conversion insurance is best for a vehicle that is being converted into a campervan but isn’t yet finished.

When you begin your van conversion, you can no longer insure the van as a regular van.

This is due to the fact you’ll be making some ‘modifications’.

Modifications such as cutting giant holes to fit windows, installing a vent fan on the roof, drilling holes in the floor to fit your heater, and putting in batteries or water tanks.

Normal insurance companies don’t like you doing these modifications, so you need specialist insurance.

This is where campervan in conversion insurance comes in.

Companies which offer this insurance allow you to make these modifications, and it means you are insured on the road, even when your campervan is half complete.

Companies that offer campervan in conversion insurance

• Adrian Flux
• Brentacre Insurance
• Just Kampers Insurance
• A Plan Insurance
• Greenlight Insurance

With these companies, your age, driving history etc… are all taken into account, and there’ll be quite a lot of questions about your vehicle.

There are some key things to ask these insurance companies when applying for campervan in conversion insurance:

• What is allowed? Some companies allow you to cut holes, install batteries, and even install gas yourself. Other companies have limitations (LPG installations are the most restrictive).
• Updating the company. Some insurance companies need to be updated with progress and informed when major changes have taken place. Others need picture proof. Some don’t require anything.
• Travel. Do you get European travel insurance? If so, how many days? How about breakdown cover?
• Theft cover. Are your appliances (batteries, fridge, heater, tools) covered from theft? What other things are/aren’t covered?
• Build Time Limit. Do you have to complete the build in a certain timeframe? Some companies give a time limit (3 months, 6 months), others will insure you for the whole year, and you can renew next year if the build still isn’t complete, which is what we did.

Campervan in conversion insurance is best for those in the middle of their van build and need insurance to cover all the modifications that are required to turn a van into a campervan.

Note: You only need campervan in conversion insurance if you’re using the vehicle on the roads to get around whilst you are converting it into a camper. If it just sitting on your driveway, not being driven, you don;t need any insurance.

Campervan Insurance/Motorhome Insurance

Campervan insurance or motorhome insurance is best for people with converted campervans.

If you are no longer converting your campervan, and aren’t making any more major modifications, then you need campervan insurance.

There is an ongoing debate on does your vehicle need to be classed as a motorhome or campervan with the DVLA to qualify for campervan insurance.

This is all down to the insurance company. We’re not classified as a motorhome, yet we are insured as a campervan, but half the companies did refuse to insure us, so it does limit your choice.

Companies that offer campervan insurance

• Adrian Flux
• Brentacre Insurance
• Just Kampers Insurance
• A Plan Insurance
• Greenlight Insurance
• Caravan Wise
• Admiral Insurance
• Mustard Insurance
• AIB Insurance

Just like with campervan in conversion insurance, there are some questions to bare in mind and ask when applying for campervan insurance:

• What is allowed? Many companies require photos of your completed campervan build to keep on file.
• Can you modify? Minor modifications are usually okay, but if you decide to install a 2nd window, or refit your plumbing or electrics, do you need to notify them, or is this even allowed?
• Travel. Can you travel outside the UK? How many days in Europe do you get? Is breakdown cover included?
• Theft cover. If you keep valuables in your campervan, what is covered? There will usually be a personal affects clause saying up to what value is protected. Are the cost of your batteries and heater covered if they are stolen? Sometimes extra insurance is needed for personal items like laptops, cameras etc…
• Agreed value. If you bought the vehicle for £5,000 and spent £5,000 on the conversion, the van will be worth more than the £10,000 it has cost you since campervans are expensive. Having an agreed value means if the worst were to happen and your vehicle is written off, you are paid out for what the campervan is worth, not the value of the vehicle only. This is important, especially in older vehicles.

Important Note: All of the above insurance companies are insurance brokers which connect you to insurance companies. This is why reviews of companies vary so much, because you are actually being insured by different companies, and the broker is just the middleman.