Touring Caravan Insurance Comparison
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Cover for a touring caravan protects the caravan itself, its contents and its equipment against theft, damage and other insured events. Your car policy handles the legal side of towing, but it will not usually pay to repair or replace the caravan.
Storage, security and how far you tow all change the price and the small print, so the right policy depends on how you use your tourer.
Is a touring caravan policy right for your set-up?
Match your situation to the row below, then check those points on every quote you get.
| How you use your tourer | What to check on the quote |
|---|---|
| Weekends away, kept at a storage site between trips | The storage site is named on the policy and its security level is accepted |
| Kept on your drive at home | Home storage rules, such as a hitch lock and wheel clamp in use |
| Left on one site for the whole season | Seasonal pitch cover, with the site address declared |
| Long trips in Europe | Days of European cover per trip and per year, and recovery home |
| A new or nearly new caravan | How long new for old replacement lasts |
| An older second-hand caravan | Age limits, and how the insurer works out market value |
Tiger.co.uk compares quotes from 8 or more providers through one short caravan form, so you can weigh these points in one sitting. Still deciding between a tourer and a static? Our caravan insurance hub sets the options out.
Towing rules that sit behind your touring caravan cover
Insurers expect the outfit to be legal on the road. Policy wordings can exclude losses that happen while the caravan is overweight or unroadworthy, so know the main rules.
| Rule | What GOV.UK says |
|---|---|
| Licence, test passed on or after 1 January 1997 | You can tow a trailer of up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass (MAM). The car and caravan together must not go over 7,000kg MAM (driving licence categories). |
| Licence, test passed before 1 January 1997 | You can usually drive a vehicle and trailer combination of up to 8,250kg MAM. |
| Towing weight | Do not exceed the gross train weight on the car’s VIN plate. If the plate lists no train weight, the car should not be used for towing. |
| Mirrors | Fit towing mirrors if the caravan is wider than the back of the car. Towing without proper mirrors can bring a fine of up to £1,000 and 3 penalty points. |
| Brakes and coupling | A trailer over 750kg when loaded needs a working brake system. You must use a breakaway cable or secondary coupling. |
| Size | The maximum width is 2.55 metres. If the car’s MAM is 3,500kg or less, the caravan cannot be longer than 7 metres. |
| Speed | Towing a caravan, the limit is 50mph on single carriageways and 60mph on dual carriageways and motorways (speed limits). |
Using a vehicle or trailer in a dangerous condition can mean a fine of up to £2,500, a driving ban and 3 penalty points. The full rules sit in the GOV.UK towing with a car guide.
Seasonal pitch and sited touring caravans
A seasonal pitch means your tourer stays on one site for months at a time. It spends little time on the road, but it is left alone between visits.
Tell the insurer the site address and roughly how long the caravan stays there. Providers treat sited tourers in different ways, so ask these questions before you buy:
- Does cover carry on while the caravan is left on site between visits?
- Are there extra security conditions while it is sited?
- Is the awning covered if it stays up all season?
- Does cover apply when you tow it home at the end of the season?
Where your tourer is stored between trips
Where the caravan is kept affects the quote. Insurers usually ask whether it sits at home, at a storage site or on a farm, and what security protects it.
If you move it, even for a week before a holiday, tell your insurer first. A caravan kept somewhere the policy does not name could leave a theft claim in doubt.
Taking your touring caravan to Europe
UK vehicle insurance gives the minimum third party cover to drive in the EU, Ireland and several nearby countries (GOV.UK). Cover for the caravan itself abroad depends on your caravan policy.
For countries that still need a green card, such as Turkey, you carry one card for the car and a second for the caravan. Ask your insurer for both well before you travel.
Check how many days of European cover the policy allows, and whether it pays to bring the caravan home if it cannot be towed. Recovery for the car and caravan together may need breakdown cover arranged separately.
What a touring policy may and may not cover
| Often included or available | Often excluded |
|---|---|
| Theft and attempted theft | Theft when a required security device was not used |
| Accidental damage, including while towing | Wear and tear, damp and mildew |
| Fire, storm and flood | Damage caused by poor maintenance |
| Contents and personal belongings | Items left outside or in an unsecured awning |
| Awning and equipment, if declared | Tyre damage not caused by an insured event |
| Liability to others while the caravan is in use | Losses while towing over the legal weight limits |
| European use, if included or added | Trips beyond the policy’s territory or day limits |
Every insurer words this differently, so use the table as a guide and read the policy wording.
Your checklist before you get a touring caravan quote
- Make, model, year, length and whether it is single or twin axle
- Chassis or VIN number, and the purchase price and date
- Where it is stored, with the postcode or the storage site name
- Security devices fitted: hitch lock, wheel clamp, alarm, tracker
- Values for contents, the awning and any motor mover or solar panel
- Your towing car and how often you tow
- Any seasonal pitch, with the site address
- Planned trips abroad and how long they last
- Recent claims on caravan cover
Pros and cons of a separate touring caravan policy
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Pays to repair or replace the caravan, which car cover usually does not | Another policy to renew each year |
| Can include contents, the awning and equipment | Security and storage conditions to keep to |
| Can add European cover for touring holidays | Some policies cap the days you can spend abroad |
Do I need extra insurance to tow a caravan?
By law the car must have at least third party motor insurance (GOV.UK). Ask your car insurer whether that policy also covers your liability while towing. Damage to or theft of the caravan itself needs a separate caravan policy.
Does car insurance cover towing a caravan?
A car policy deals with injury or damage you cause to other people, and it may extend that to a caravan you are towing. It does not usually pay to repair or replace your own caravan. Check the car policy wording before your first trip.
Is touring caravan insurance compulsory?
No. The legal requirement sits with the vehicle doing the towing. Without caravan cover, you would pay for repairs or a replacement yourself after a theft, fire or accident.
Can I insure a touring caravan on a seasonal pitch?
Yes, some providers cover a tourer that stays on one site for the season. Give them the site address and check what security and visiting conditions apply while you are away.
Is my caravan covered while it is parked on my drive?
It can be, if home storage is declared and you meet the security conditions. Some insurers ask for a hitch lock and wheel clamp to be in use whenever the caravan is left at home.
Can my partner tow our caravan?
A caravan policy insures the caravan, so who may tow it is mainly a question for the car policy. Check that anyone towing is insured on the car and holds the licence entitlement for the outfit’s weight.
When you are ready, compare touring caravan insurance with Tiger.co.uk and pick the cover that suits how you tour. If you keep a static too, our static caravan page covers holiday park cover, and travel insurance protects the trip itself.
Fact-checked by Ian Wilson, Managing Director at Tiger.co.uk. 20+ years in price comparison; MEng, Queen’s University Belfast.