The decision to full time in your motorhome is a big one to undertake, and there are a lot of things to consider before you take the plunge. This guide will outline things you should take into account, and some of the possible pitfalls you should avoid.
How to insure your motorhome when full timing
Whilst looking to insure your motorhome for full timing you’ll find that only a few specialist motorhome policies can cover your intended usage. Many motorhome insurance policies have restrictions on the total amount of time in a year you can use your motorhome, typically 180 or 240 days. If you’re just planning a long 6 to 8 month road trip in your motorhome and are keeping your home, you’ll most likely be able to take out a standard motorhome insurance policy rather than a ‘full timing’ policy.
If you intend to travel abroad extensively, many motorhome insurance policies have a limit on European trips, this might be from 30 days to 8 months. If you are going full time then you’ll find that most insurers which do offer full timing also cater for 12 months of travel abroad. Have a look in the policy wording to ensure the countries your plan to visit are covered. A small number of UK motorhome owners travel to Morocco but it’s quite hard to find an insurance policy that allows travel to it.
Also, you’ll need to keep an eye on mileage restrictions given that you will be spending a lot of time in your motorhome . Most motorhome insurance policies will allow you to set your mileage based on your estimated use, some however, will have an upper limit so be sure that this will be enough for your planned travels. If you set mileage at a certain limit but then realise mid way through the policy that it isn’t enough, contact your insurer to extend the limit to avoid any hassle if you were to later make a motorhome insurance claim.
Think about breakdown cover for your motorhome – Your motorhome insurer may be able to offer you a policy that covers you both in the UK and abroad. If you have a large heavy motorhome as many full timers do, just ask the question about their breakdown service being able to cope with its size.
Remember if you’re full timing that you’ll be taking a lot more gear than you would if you were just travelling for a few weeks. The personal items that non full timing motorhome owners take on their trips such as clothing tend to be covered under their household contents insurance. If you’re full timing and have sold your home, you’ll no longer that protection of you your household contents insurance so check that you have a sufficient level of cover for personal effects on your chosen motorhome policy. Also it’s worth considering how high risk items such as jewellery, digital cameras, mobile phones and laptops will be covered – they will have previously been covered on your home contents insurance cover. Then you need to consider motorhoming equipment, as a full timer you’re likely to have almost every accessory under the sun from a generator, to an awning to a raft of cooking utensils. The value of this equipment can add up so please check the motorhome insurance policy’s equipment cover limit.
Other things to consider:
Is full timing definitely for you?
Before packing up your belongings and heading out on the road you should be absolutely sure that full timing is for you. Why not give yourself a taster with a few long tours before making a commitment. If you find that a 2 or 3 month tour is a bit too much, then full timing in a motorhome may not be for you. But if you come home eager to get back out on the road then perhaps you’ve found your dream lifestyle after all.
Choose the right motorhome
A long tour will not only help you figure out whether full timing is right for you, but will also help you to decide on what you need from your motorhome. It’s for this reason we would always recommend that you go on a long tour with your existing motorhome (or a cheap second hand motorhome) rather than buying a new one straight away. This way you can figure out what you really need from your van.
Also consider where you’ll be doing the vast majority of your motorhoming, as if you intend on travelling in Europe more than the UK you may want to consider a left hand drive model. Many UK dealerships will have left hand drives on their forecourts, but if not they may be able to order one direct from the manufacturer for you. Just be sure to look around plenty of different motorhomes before making a decision. Bear in mind however that some motorhome insurers will charge extra for left hand drive (LHD) vehicles.
Have a base of operations
Many people sell their home when going full-time in a motorhome, but our advice would be to downsize rather than do away with owning a property altogether. By selling your home and buying a smaller property you can unlock the cash from your house, and also create a second income by renting out the smaller property, earning you cash whilst you’re away or paying off the mortgage.
Having a UK address will also make things easier when you are looking for motorhome insurance, just be sure to make it clear that you intend on living in your motorhome full time. However, certain motorhome insurance policies will accept a correspondence address such as a relative’s home. If you are retaining your home and no–one will be living in it whilst you’re touring, be sure to call your household insurer to discuss the length of time you will be leaving your home unoccupied for.
Get a quote for full time motorhome insurance today.
