Just as RVs and campervans vary from one extreme of size and budget to another, so do their insurance risks and requirements.
Their lengths range from 4 metres (13ft) to over 13 metres (45ft). Their widths range from 1.5 metres (5 ft) to 2.5 metres (8 ft), and heights range from 1.8 metres (6ft) to over 3 metres (10 ft) high. In price, they range from a few thousand to several hundred thousand US dollars or UK pounds (or equivalent).
However, everyone has their own idea of what an RV, campervan, motorcaravan or motorhome is like, and most people use the generic terms ‘camper’, ‘campervan’, ‘camping car’, ‘campmobile’, ‘RV’ or ‘motorhome’ interchangeably, so a classification system was developed to clarify which range of vehicles a particular campervan falls into.
For the purposes of sales, insurance, rental etc, these are the different types of recreational vehicle, separated into motorhomes and travel trailers, and then subdivided into even more classes:
Motorhomes
A Class: Coachbuilt, Integrated or Integral
These are the RVs and motorhomes that look like coaches and buses. They consist of a commercial chassis-cowl base vehicle with a coachbuilt caravan body and integrated cab fixed to the base vehicle. Becuase the driver’s cab is coachbuilt, each one is unique to the coachbuilder.
For insurance purposes, Class A motorhomes may be subdivided into three types of vehicle:
A – 1) Class A RV or ‘conventional motor home’
This is the most luxurious and expensive type of motorcaravan, a ‘home away from home’ ranging from 21 to 45 feet in length and 15,000 to 45,000 pounds in weight. This size allows for permanently accessible furniture such as a double bed, kitchen, bathroom, living room and driver’s cab, and it can sleep up to 10 people. In addition, motorhomes may include valuable fittings and accessories, such as a washer/dryer, satellite dish, VCR, CCTV and security systems.
A – 2) Professional Bus Conversion
A professional bus conversion has motorhome facilities built into a bus or coach shell by a professional bus converter (such as Marathon, Prevost or Country Coach).
A – 3) Non-professional Bus Conversion
A non-professional bus conversion also uses a bus or coach shell, but the conversion is done by someone else, often the owner of the vehicle, rather than a professional bus converter. If this is the type of vehicle you have (or are considering buying), you may need to check the details carefully with the insurance company, for example some US RV insurance companies will not accept converted school buses.
Class B Motorhomes / Campervans
Class B Motorhomes, which some insurers call Campervans, are factory built for camping purposes and may include sleeping, kitchen, toilet facilities, 110 volt electrical hookup, water storage and an extension roof, all installed by the manufacturer.
Campervan roof types include:
- Fixed (such as a VW campervan without a pop-top),
- Fixed High Roof (commercial vehicle manufacturer’s high roof option),
- Rising Roof (pop-top) and
- High Top (a permanent high roof, usually insulated with glass fibre).
Compared with the larger motorhomes, campervans are more versatile and economical, narrower, shorter (16 to 21 feet) and easier to steer. They typically sleep 2 to 6 people and weigh 6,000 to 10,000 pounds. However, insurance companies may require this type of vehicle to be coachbuilt, meaning that the many converted campervans may not be included in this category for insurance purposes.
Class C: ‘Mini Motor Homes’
A Class C Mini Motor Home is classified by Americans as a smaller RV, though often still quite big by European standards. It is built on a small truck or van with the original cab section still visible, usually with a sleeping or storage section above the cab, as well as another sleeping area in the back. It sleeps up to 6 people, and typically ranges from 20 to 28 feet long. Some mini motorhomes have slideouts in the sides, which extend to provide sleeping room for up to 10 people.
Travel Trailers (Caravans) and Campers
In addition to integrated motorcaravans, RV insurance policies may cover the following types of travel trailers and campers. Travel trailers and campers are nonmotorized, portable, and are attached to your motor vehicle but not an integral part of it. They are mounted on a truck or towed behind a vehicle to provide temporary living quarters for recreational use and camping, and there is no special permit required for towing them.
1) Dismountable Mounted Truck Campers
These campervans consist of a coachbuilt caravan body or box that is loaded onto a commercial flatbed or pick-up truck base vehicle. The caravan section can be removed, with legs supporting it on the ground, allowing the truck to be driven away. This type of campervan typically ranges from 18 to 21 feet in length, and sleeps up to six people. As it is comparatively economical, versatile and convenient for local driving, camping and travelling to and from the campsite, it is often a popular choice with newcomers to RV camping.
2) Conventional Travel Trailer / Caravan
Conventional trailers (caravans) are designed for camping use, and are towed by a car or truck with a bumper hitch. They range in length from 12 to 40 feet, and contain sleeping, cooking and bathing facilities. Some may have extra fittings such as air conditioning and awnings.
3) Fifth Wheel Trailer
A fifth wheel trailer is similar to a large caravan (21 to 38 feet long) that also has a raised forward section above a fifth wheel coupling device that attaches to a device mounted on a pickup truck bed. It is built on a welded steel chassis, and contains bedrooms, a living area, appliances, cooking and washing facilities.
4) Toy Haulers and Fifth Wheel Toy Haulers, Horse Trailers: Trailers with Recreational Cargo Quarters
These are specific types of travel trailers or fifth wheel trailers for recreational use that have a special compartment for transporting ATVs, horses, etc.
5) Pop up Tent Trailer
Trailer tents have collapsible walls that fold or slide down into a small trailer (usually less than 12 feet long) that can be towed by a car. They are compact and basic, though larger trailer tents may sleep up to 8 people and include a cooker and fridge.
6) Teardrop Camper Trailers
These tiny caravans are designed for towing by cars, and can be as small as 4 ft x 8 ft while still having room inside for a single bed.
As you can see, the huge variation in types of recreational vehicles covered means that different vehicles’ campervan insurance risks and requirements will vary enormously. So be prepared with as much specific information as you can to get a reasonable quote.
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