Insuring a hired motorhome (1 Viewer)

[Broadside1]

Hi all. We are first time hirers, who will be driving a MH around France and Spain with family in August.

Regarding insuring the vehicle, we're aware of some negative feedback about the insurers offered by the motorhome company, and so have been advised to look at getting our own insurance for the hire arranged.

Does anyone have any experience with this, or any suggestions? Most of the companies I've come across so far are offering insurance for MH owners rather than hirers.

An additional complexity is that the hiring company won't give us a registration number until we pick up the vehicle, as it may change. So we will have to get the insurance finalised at the pick up site. However, that's not a major hurdle.

Many thanks in advance for any tips or pointers!

 

[Sneds]

Hi
What’s the issue with the hire companies insurance?
You can buy stand alone insurance for any excess if that is what you are looking for?

 

[MisterB]

Hi all. We are first time hirers, who will be driving a MH around France and Spain with family in August.

Regarding insuring the vehicle, we're aware of some negative feedback about the insurers offered by the motorhome company, and so have been advised to look at getting our own insurance for the hire arranged.

Does anyone have any experience with this, or any suggestions? Most of the companies I've come across so far are offering insurance for MH owners rather than hirers.

An additional complexity is that the hiring company won't give us a registration number until we pick up the vehicle, as it may change. So we will have to get the insurance finalised at the pick up site. However, that's not a major hurdle.

Many thanks in advance for any tips or pointers!

Have you checked Goboony for motorhomes to hire in France?

 

[Jev88]

Won't give you the reg? Why not?
Smells fishy.

 

[The Wino]

Won't give you the reg? Why not?
Smells fishy.

Not really I doubt most vehicle hire places would allocate a guaranteed particular vehicle if someone returns it from the previous hire damnaged they might substitute a different one.

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[Geistguy]

There are legal implications of insuring anything that doesn't belong to you. You need to have an "insurable interest" .
The motorhome hire company would be quite silly not to have a policy to cover their motorhome and property. Ask to see a copy of the policy before hiring. As already said any policy excess can be insured separately by you in the UK.

 

[rolosroller]

Pay by credit card might give you other benefits.

 

[Sneds]

Or find another supplier, doesn’t seem quite right to me.
Again, why do you think their insurance suspect?
They own the van and would be mad not to insure it.

 

[Figaro]

The hirer should provide adequate insurance for you and the vehicle and id be surprised if they weren't.
When hiring a car abroad on holiday I always used to take out cover with money maxim to cover the excess and anything that wasn't covered by the packaged insurance which in the USA is actually quite a lot.
They relied on you arriving at the hire desk exhausted after the flight and hit you with a request to buy additional coverage for CDW, collision damage waver, usually about 250quid.
Same cover from Money Maxim about 30 quid.
Maybe that's worth looking into buy I don't know if they cover motorhomes

 

[RM_Marine]

I used these a while ago and I had to claim after paying the excess from the insurance company for the damage that happened (on a car)

They paid everything back with some statement and photos

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Car Hire Excess Insurance covers up to £7,500. UK and Europe and Worldwide policies available. Worldwide policy including CDW and SLI coverage.

www.bettersafe.com

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[pappajohn]

I always thought you couldn't insure a vehicle if your name wasn't on the V5.
The hirer will have insurance to cover the hirer.... As in any driver cover.
You be able to buy to cover any excess not covered by the hire... Collision damage waiver, tyre damage etc on top of the hirer supplied insurance. .

 

[gus-lopez]

and hit you with a request to buy additional coverage for CDW, collision damage waver, usually about 250quid.
Same cover from Money Maxim about 30 quid.

and now they insist on 1500or 2k credit card debit as they want any money instantly & not go through yiur insurance.Therefore you have to swallow, paythem via cc in event of an accident & then claim back.

. As in any driver cover.

which is what I would want on any vehicle i would be insuring.as it always used to be & is in most normal countries. vehicle is insured.

 

[Widge]

The hirer should provide adequate insurance for you and the vehicle and id be surprised if they weren't.
When hiring a car abroad on holiday I always used to take out cover with money maxim to cover the excess and anything that wasn't covered by the packaged insurance which in the USA is actually quite a lot.
They relied on you arriving at the hire desk exhausted after the flight and hit you with a request to buy additional coverage for CDW, collision damage waver, usually about 250quid.
Same cover from Money Maxim about 30 quid.
Maybe that's worth looking into buy I don't know if they cover motorhomes

Interesting when we hired with Cruise America in 2016 , i do not remember their insurance being that bad, but they also had a policy that they would not let you pickup the van until the following day, after an international flight.

Back to the original post

I use worldwideinsure.com for excess insurance cover.

 

[Gizmouk]

1.They won't know which motorhome you're going to be allocated just yet. Chances are it'll be the one least destroyed by the last hirer.
2. Not sure why you want to insure it yourself, as it'll come with full comp insurance. My understanding (which might be pish), is that you can't have two (or more) insurance policies covering one vehicle.

 

[Widge]

1.They won't know which motorhome you're going to be allocated just yet. Chances are it'll be the one least destroyed by the last hirer.
2. Not sure why you want to insure it yourself, as it'll come with full comp insurance. My understanding (which might be pish), is that you can't have two (or more) insurance policies covering one vehicle.

Yes I think you are right you cannot have more than one full insurance on a vehicle.

But both times I have hired there has always been the option of having a large excess or paying the hire company for additional insurance, in the states I opted for the company insurance, in Australia I accepted the large excess, but bought a third party insurance to cover the excess, which worked out much cheaper.

Its more hassle if you have a problem as you have to pay up, then claim from your own insurance.

If you do get your own top up insurance, make sure it also covers for downtime of the van, with a camper it is more likely to end up in the garage for many weeks while they source parts etc. So it wont be available for further rental, the rental company will want compensation for that downtime.

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[Broadside1]

Thanks all for these useful comments.

Having looked into it a bit further, I think what we are after is hire liability insurance. We were just a bit concerned about having to pay out large amounts for bits that were not covered in the policy. Having spokent to the company, it seems that it's not unusual for people to take this out.