Category: Other personal lines · Reviewed by Jake Leat, Associate Director · Last reviewed 2026-06-05
Caravan insurance is a UK general insurance product that covers a caravan — either a touring trailer caravan, a static caravan sited on a holiday park, or a residential park home — against accidental damage, fire, theft, storm, flood and third-party liability arising from its ownership or occupation.
Category: Other retail Also known as: caravan cover, trailer caravan insurance First codified: Regulated as general insurance under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 Related legislation: FSMA 2000; FCA Handbook ICOBS; Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960; Mobile Homes Act 1983; Mobile Homes Act 2013 Apex Wiki link: /wiki/caravan-insurance/
Caravan insurance is the umbrella term for a family of personal lines insurance products covering caravans owned by UK consumers. The principal sub-types are: touring caravan insurance for a wheeled trailer caravan towed behind a motor vehicle; static caravan insurance for a caravan sited on a holiday park for recreational use; residential park home insurance for a caravan that constitutes the owner’s main residence on a protected site under the Mobile Homes Act 1983; and motorhome insurance for a self-propelled motor caravan that combines a motor vehicle and a habitation unit.
A caravan is defined in section 29 of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 as ‘any structure designed or adapted for human habitation which is capable of being moved from one place to another (whether by being towed, or by being transported on a motor vehicle or trailer) and any motor vehicle so designed or adapted’ — but excluding railway rolling stock and tents [1]. A ‘twin-unit’ caravan composed of two parts may also fall within the definition, subject to dimensional limits introduced by the Caravan Sites Act 1968.
The cover specification differs by sub-type. Touring caravan insurance covers the caravan while in transit and while parked at home or at a site, with the towing vehicle’s motor insurance providing road-risk third-party liability while in transit. Static caravan insurance covers the caravan, its contents, and (in some products) the decking and exterior structures at the park location. Residential park home insurance is a buildings-and-contents product closely analogous to home insurance.
The product is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under ICOBS [2].
Caravan insurance is general insurance within the meaning of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001, falling principally within classes 8 (fire), 9 (damage to property), 13 (general liability) and (for the motorhome variant) 3 and 10 (motor) of Part I of Schedule 1 [3]. Insurers must be FCA-authorised; intermediaries must be authorised or appointed representatives.
Conduct of sale is governed by the Insurance Conduct of Business sourcebook (ICOBS) [2]. Consumer disclosure obligations sit under the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 [4]. The Insurance Act 2015 applies to the contract once formed.
The underlying property-law treatment of caravans is found in the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, which provides the statutory definition of a caravan and the licensing regime for caravan sites [1]. The Caravan Sites Act 1968 introduced size limits for twin-unit caravans and added protections for residential occupiers. The Mobile Homes Act 1983 introduced statutory rights for residents of protected caravan sites, including security of tenure, and was substantially amended by the Mobile Homes Act 2013 [5].
For touring caravans being towed on UK roads, the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 set the technical requirements. The towing motor vehicle’s motor insurance responds to third-party road risk arising from the use of the caravan as a trailer; the caravan’s own physical damage is the subject of separate touring caravan insurance.
Static caravans located on holiday parks are typically subject to the site licence under the 1960 Act and to the terms of the park operator’s site licence. Many park operators contractually require the caravan owner to hold insurance with a defined minimum standard.
Residential park home owners on protected sites benefit from the Mobile Homes Acts 1983 and 2013 [5], and their insurance product reflects the buildings-style exposure: the caravan is the owner’s principal residence and the cover includes alternative accommodation, public liability as occupier, and other elements typical of buildings insurance.
The most common purchase route for caravan insurance is through specialist insurers and intermediaries — the Caravan and Motorhome Club, the Camping and Caravanning Club, and dedicated caravan insurance brokers — that combine cover with risk management services and dealer relationships.
Premium drivers vary by sub-type. For touring caravans, the principal drivers are the make, model, year and value of the caravan; the security arrangements (hitch lock, wheel clamp, axle lock, tracking device); the home storage location (locked storage compound is favourable); and the policyholder’s claims history. For static caravans, the principal drivers are the value, the park location (storm and flood exposure), the construction (older steel-frame units versus modern timber-frame), and the park’s security arrangements.
Underwriters typically require security warranties: hitch locks, wheel clamps and tracking devices for touring caravans, and (for static caravans) compliance with the park’s security and gas-safety inspection requirements. Under section 11 of the Insurance Act 2015, a breach of a risk-mitigating warranty does not affect cover if the breach could not have increased the risk of the loss that actually occurred [6].
At the point of claim, the consumer notifies the insurer and provides: proof of ownership and value; for theft, a police crime reference number and evidence of security compliance; for storm or flood damage, photographs and a description of the weather event; and for liability claims, the third-party’s particulars and any correspondence received.
Contents are typically insured under the caravan policy on a new-for-old basis for caravan-specific contents (cushions, furnishings, white goods built into the unit). Personal possessions taken to the caravan from the home are normally either covered under the home contents policy’s away-from-home extension, or under a dedicated contents-while-in-caravan extension of the caravan policy.
For residential park homes, the cover is closer in scope to home buildings and contents insurance, including alternative accommodation if the unit is uninhabitable following an insured event.
The principal sub-types are addressed in their own wiki entries: touring caravan insurance, static caravan insurance and motorhome insurance. The following are variations within the broader category:
Residential park home insurance covers a caravan that is the owner’s main residence on a protected site under the Mobile Homes Acts 1983 and 2013 [5]. It is closer in scope to buildings insurance than to recreational caravan cover.
European touring extension extends touring caravan cover to use in EEA countries, typically with a 90-day per-trip limit and a 180-day per-year aggregate.
Continuous use insurance for owners who use their touring caravan for extended periods (more than 60 days at a single location), typically requiring a higher premium and explicit underwriter approval.
Self-build and import caravan insurance is a niche product for caravans imported from outside the UK or self-built by the owner; underwriters typically require a pre-cover inspection.
Twin-axle caravan insurance is a sub-category for twin-axle caravans, which have different theft exposures and storage requirements than single-axle units.
Vintage and classic caravan insurance is a specialist sub-category for pre-1970 caravans, typically on an agreed-value basis rather than market-value basis.
An illustrative example. A consumer purchases a £18,000 touring caravan in March 2026 and takes out touring caravan insurance for £350 per year. Cover includes accidental damage, fire, theft, storm and flood, and £2m public liability while sited (with third-party liability while in transit being provided by the towing vehicle’s motor insurance). The caravan is stored in a CaSSOA-approved storage compound when not in use, and the policy requires a hitch lock and wheel clamp while away from the storage compound.
In June 2026 the caravan is sited at a holiday park and is damaged by a windstorm — the roof skylight is broken and water enters the unit, damaging the upholstery and ceiling lining. The consumer notifies the insurer and provides photographs and a repair estimate of £4,200. The insurer accepts the claim and pays £4,100 after deducting the £100 policy excess.
In July 2026, a child visiting the caravan is injured when a door swings open in a gust of wind. The third-party liability section responds to a £6,000 claim by the child’s parent, paying the award plus legal costs.
This entry is part of the Apex Insurance Wiki. Last reviewed by Matt Bartlett on 2026-06-05. Next review: 2026-12-05.
Apex Insurance Brokers Limited. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN 724952. Registered in England and Wales, Companies House 07014570. This entry provides general information about UK insurance concepts and is not regulated advice. Consult your insurance broker on your specific position.
Apex Insurance Brokers serves UK professional services firms and commercial businesses. Call 0117 325 0027, email hello@apexinsurancebrokers.co.uk, or request a quotation.
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