Leisure vehicle insurance
Temporary Motorhome Insurance
motorhome cover by the day or the week, for a borrowed van or a single trip
A standalone motorhome policy bought for a short period, from about a day up to a month or so. It covers your own use of the vehicle rather than letting it out, and a claim normally falls on it rather than the owner’s annual policy.
- A policy in its own right
- Weight and value limits apply
- Own use, not letting
- FCA authorised and regulated
Quick answerTemporary motorhome insurance is a standalone policy that runs for days or weeks rather than a year. Most of it is bought for one trip: borrowing a family motorhome, sharing the driving on a long holiday, or driving a newly bought one home. Two things narrow the market more than on a car: the value of these vehicles and their weight. Tell us the dates and UK providers can come back with quotes.
Own one and need cover all year? See our motorhome insurance page.
At a glance
Temporary Motorhome Cover, in Brief
Six things that decide how temporary motorhome insurance behaves, before any of the detail.
- Bought by the day or week
- Rather than for a year
- It is a policy in its own right
- The owner’s annual cover is untouched
- Weight and length narrow the field
- Larger vehicles have fewer providers
- Value limits bite here
- Motorhomes are worth more than most vehicles
- Belongings are a separate question
- The motor policy insures the vehicle
- Say if you are going abroad
- European use has to be declared
The basics
What Is Temporary Motorhome Insurance?
A full motorhome policy with a short life. While it runs it behaves like an annual one. What differs is the length, the eligibility terms, and the fact that it is written for your own use of the vehicle rather than for letting it to anybody else.
Third-party cover
Injury to others and damage to their property.
Fire and theft
Included on a comprehensive policy.
Comprehensive cover
Damage to the motorhome you are driving.
A fixed start and end
Chosen when you buy it.
Standalone status
Independent of the owner’s annual policy.
Use abroad
Declared before you travel, not after.
How it works
How Does Temporary Motorhome Insurance Work?
You describe the motorhome and yourself, choose the dates, and cover runs for exactly the period you picked and then stops.
You describe the motorhome
Make, model, weight, value and whose it is.
You describe yourself
Age, licence history, claims and convictions.
You say where you are going
Around Britain, or across the Channel.
You choose the period
The start time and how long the trip is.
What it covers
What Does Temporary Motorhome Insurance Cover?
The usual motor sections, written comprehensive in most cases, for a period you set. What it does not automatically do is insure everything you have packed into it.
| Section | Where it sits | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Injury and damage to others | Core | Included throughout the period |
| Fire and theft | Comprehensive | The motorhome you are driving |
| Accidental damage | Comprehensive | Including damage while manoeuvring |
| Belongings inside | Usually a separate question | The motor policy insures the vehicle |
| European use | Declared in advance | Commonly capped in days |
| Letting it out | Normally excluded | Hiring to others needs its own arrangement |
| The cover period | Fixed at purchase | It stops on the hour you chose |
A motorhome is a vehicle and a holiday home at once. The motor policy answers for the vehicle and your liability on the road. Bedding, bikes, awnings and electronics inside are a separate question worth settling before you set off.
Exclusions
What Temporary Motorhome Insurance Does Not Include
Temporary motorhome policies are more tightly drawn than car ones, mostly because of what these vehicles are worth and how large they are.
Vehicles above the weight or length limit
Larger motorhomes have far fewer providers.
Vehicles above the value limit
High-value and American models are often outside it.
Letting or hiring it out
Peer-to-peer hire needs a policy written for it.
Living in it permanently
Full-time occupation is a different arrangement.
Anything after the end time
Cover stops on the hour, not at the end of the day.
Driving while unfit
Under the influence of drink or drugs.
Reasons people buy it
When Temporary Motorhome Cover Is the Right Answer
Nearly all of it is bought for one trip with a known end date, which is exactly the shape of the product.
Borrowing a family motorhome
The commonest reason by a distance.
Sharing the driving on a holiday
A second driver for a fortnight.
Driving a newly bought one home
From a dealer, a seller or an auction.
A single trip in a borrowed van
A festival, a tour, a wedding.
Trying one before buying
An extended test drive.
Bridging a gap
Between annual policies.
Driving a campervan instead? See our campervan insurance.
Who it suits
Who Temporary Motorhome Insurance Suits
It suits people who need a large, valuable vehicle covered for a short known period, and it suits them badly once the use becomes regular.
Family and friends borrowing one
With the owner’s permission.
Second drivers on a long trip
Sharing the miles across Europe.
Buyers collecting a motorhome
Cover from the forecourt.
People trying before buying
A weekend in one.
Owners between policies
Bridging a short gap.
Occasional users
A fortnight a year, no more.
Own one outright? See our motorhome insurance page.
Borrowing or letting
Borrowing a Motorhome vs Letting One Out
These look similar and are insured completely differently. The moment money changes hands for the use of the vehicle, a temporary policy is the wrong product.
| Borrowing | Letting it out | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is driving | You, with permission | A paying hirer |
| Is money involved | No | Yes, for the use of the vehicle |
| Temporary cover available | Yes, routinely | No, it needs its own arrangement |
| What the owner needs | Nothing more | A policy written for hire |
Comparing annual cover? See our motorhome insurance page.
Cost
What Temporary Motorhome Insurance Is Priced On
Your details, the motorhome, the length of cover and your claims and conviction history. We do not print average premiums.
Why the vehicle matters more than on a car
Weight, length and value all narrow the field before a price appears. Temporary insurers set firmer vehicle limits than annual ones, and a large or high-value motorhome will find fewer providers willing to quote at all.
Why the first day costs the most
A day costs less than a fortnight, but not proportionally. A short policy carries the same administration and the same underwriting as a longer one, so the first day you buy is always the most expensive one.
What the quote is rated on
The main factors
- Your detailsAge, experience and licence historyBase
- The motorhomeWeight, length, value and ageRate
- Where you are goingBritain, or Europe as wellRate
- Length of coverDays or weeksRate
- Claims and convictionsRecent yearsAdjust
Check the weight limit first
It rules out more vehicles than value does.
Declare the trip abroad
Before you travel, not after.
Buy the period you need
Extending later costs more.
The details
The Details That Decide a Temporary Motorhome Policy
Temporary motorhome cover is quick to buy and easy to get wrong, largely because of the vehicle. Four details come up again and again.
Check the weight and length
These are the limits that rule vehicles out, and they are firmer than on a car policy.
Make sure your licence covers it
What you may drive depends on the weight of the vehicle and when you passed your test.
Declare any trip abroad
European use is a rated item and it has to be on the policy before you travel.
Do not use it for hire
Letting the vehicle out for money needs a policy written for that, not a temporary one.
Quote checklist
What You Will Be Asked for a Temporary Motorhome Quote
Six things shape the quote: you, the vehicle, where you are going, how long you need it, where it is kept, and any claims or convictions.
The car
Make, model, weight, value and whose motorhome it is.
The drivers
Everyone who will drive, and their licences.
Claims and convictions
Recent claims and any motoring convictions.
How it is used
Social, commuting or business, and mileage.
Where it is kept
Postcode and overnight parking.
Where you are going
Britain, or across the Channel.
Comparing
Checking Temporary Motorhome Quotes Side by Side
Four areas decide whether a policy suits you: the cover, the excess, the vehicle limits and the period terms. The price is only one of them.
The cover
- Level of cover and courtesy car
- Windscreen cover
- Driving other cars
The excess
- Compulsory excess
- Voluntary excess
- Windscreen excess
The vehicle limits
- Maximum weight and length accepted
- Maximum value accepted
- Whether use abroad is included
Terms
- No claims bonus protection
- European driving
- Paying monthly or upfront
Ask what the weight limit is before anything else. It rules out more motorhomes than price does. Unfamiliar terms are explained in our plain English jargon guide.
Cutting costs
How to Reduce the Cost of Temporary Motorhome Insurance
The levers are buying the right period first time, the vehicle itself and the excess. We publish no savings figures.
Buy the right length at the start
Two short policies cost more than one.
Check the limits before you plan
A declined vehicle costs you the trip.
Choose the excess deliberately
A higher voluntary excess is a lever, worth using only at a level you could pay.
Compare against a named driver
For anything beyond a few weeks.
Declare everything up front
A refused claim costs far more.
Insure the contents separately
If what is packed inside matters.
Glossary
Temporary Motorhome Cover Terms Explained
The words that come up most on a temporary motorhome insurance schedule.
- Temporary motorhome cover
- A motorhome policy bought for days or weeks rather than a year.
- Standalone policy
- Cover in its own right, separate from any annual policy on the vehicle.
- Gross vehicle weight
- The loaded weight of the motorhome, which sets both licence and insurer limits.
- Own use
- Driving the vehicle yourself rather than letting it to a paying hirer.
- Peer-to-peer hire
- Renting a privately owned motorhome out, which needs its own policy.
- Cover period
- The fixed start and end of the policy, usually set to the hour.
- Main driver
- The person who drives the car most.
- Named driver
- Someone else allowed to drive the car under the policy.
- No claims bonus
- A discount built up through claim-free years.
- Compulsory excess
- The part of a claim the insurer sets that you pay.
- Voluntary excess
- An extra amount you choose to pay on a claim.
Why MyMoneyComparison.com
Why Compare Temporary Motorhome Insurance with MyMoneyComparison.com?
MyMoneyComparison.com is an FCA-authorised UK comparison service that introduces drivers to specialist brokers. We do not sell insurance and we do not give advice: the broker you choose arranges the policy. Using us is free.
One form, one trip
Describe the trip once, instead of repeating yourself to each broker.
Advice given
We are an introducer, not a broker. We do not sell policies and we do not recommend one insurer or product over another. Read our editorial policy.
Authorised and regulated
MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd appears on the FCA register under FRN 916241.
Incorporated
A UK company since 2013. FCA authorisation is separate and later; the register carries its date.
FAQs
Temporary Motorhome Insurance FAQs
Answers on borrowed motorhomes, hired ones, weight limits, European trips and letting.
What is temporary motorhome insurance?
A standalone policy that covers a motorhome for a short set period, commonly from about a day up to a month or so. It works like an annual policy while it runs, then ends on the date and time you chose.
Can I borrow somebody else’s motorhome?
Yes, with their permission, and it is the commonest reason people buy this cover. You do not need to be the registered keeper, and because the policy is yours the owner’s annual cover and bonus are left alone.
Will a claim affect the owner’s no claims bonus?
Normally not. The temporary policy stands in its own right, so a claim falls on it rather than on the annual policy protecting the vehicle. That is much of the point of buying it this way.
Are all motorhomes eligible?
No, and the limits are firmer than on a car. Weight, length and value all rule vehicles out, and larger or high-value models find far fewer providers. Check the vehicle before planning around the cover.
Does my licence let me drive it?
That depends on the weight of the motorhome and when you passed your test. Check your entitlement before booking a trip, because insurance will not put right a licence that does not cover the vehicle.
Does it cover what is inside?
Usually not. The motor policy insures the vehicle and your liability on the road. Bedding, bikes, awnings and electronics are a separate question, and on a long trip they are worth thinking about.
Can I take it to Europe?
Often, once it is declared, and normally with a cap on the days abroad. Tell the insurer before you travel rather than assuming the cover crosses the Channel with you.
What about a hired motorhome?
Hire companies usually include cover in the rental, sometimes with a substantial excess. Check what you already have before buying anything separate, and check whether the hire agreement permits outside cover at all.
Can I let my motorhome out on this?
No. Renting a vehicle to a paying hirer is a different use entirely and needs a policy written for it. Using temporary cover for peer-to-peer hire would leave a claim unpaid.
Can I live in it?
Not on this kind of policy. Temporary cover is written for trips and borrowing, and permanent occupation is a separate arrangement that a specialist broker would need to place.
How quickly does cover start?
Often within minutes. You can normally choose an immediate start or set it for later the same day, which suits collecting a motorhome from a dealer or setting off early on a trip.
Can I extend it if the trip overruns?
Sometimes, and sometimes you have to buy a second policy. Either way it has to be arranged before the first one ends, because there is no grace period once the end time passes.
Does it build a no claims bonus?
No. Years are earned on annual policies, so a run of temporary cover leaves you no further forward when you come to insure a motorhome of your own for a full year.
Is comprehensive cover included?
Usually, because lower levels are rarely offered on temporary policies. That matters on a vehicle of this value, where damage to the motorhome itself is the claim that would hurt most.
What if I am only a second driver?
That is a common use. A temporary policy in your own name covers you driving it, while the owner’s annual policy continues to cover them. The two sit alongside each other.
How do I compare temporary motorhome quotes?
Start with the vehicle limits rather than the price, because a cheaper policy that will not accept your motorhome is no offer at all. Then compare the excess, the use abroad and the exact cover period.
Ready when you are
Get Quotes for Your Trip
Tell us the dates and who is driving. UK providers can then come back with quotes. Free to use, with no obligation to buy.
- Cover by the day, the week or the month
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- FCA authorised and regulated
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About this page
This page explains UK temporary Motorhome Insurance: what it covers, what it leaves out, and how the length of cover and the size of the vehicle decide a claim. It is general information rather than advice. Policies differ between insurers, so read your own documents and put the questions raised here to your insurer or broker.
Our partnership with GoShorty. Short term and temporary cover through this page is arranged by GoShorty, who we work with in partnership and who provide the service. You will be taken to their site to complete the quote, and their terms apply to any policy you buy there.
How we approached this page
- Published UK temporary motor and leisure vehicle policy summaries
- Cover periods, weight and value limits, and use abroad
- Financial Ombudsman material on motor insurance complaints
Legal & Regulatory Information:
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