Thinking about purchasing a campervan or motorhome? Admiral gives you the low-down
If you like the idea of just packing up and taking off your next holiday, road trip or summer festival, check out our guide to find the right vehicle for you and how best to insure it.
What’s the difference between a campervan and motorhome?
Broadly speaking, a campervan is considered to be a self-contained travelling home, generally with no divide between the cab and the living quarters. A motorhome tends to feature an interior divide, and is built on a truck or bus chassis.
Additionally, campervans can be split into two further categories:
Standard campers contain fixtures and fittings which are built-in from manufacture and are part of the vehicle’s standard specification.
Camper conversions are typically a conversion of a van, either by a DIY build or a professional conversion built by specialists such as Danbury or Wellhouse.
A motorhome, however, is purpose-built and is a motorhome from first registration; they're coach-built using a conventional chassis cab as a base.
At Admiral, we identify the type of vehicle based on the registration number, and can therefore determine whether the vehicle is classed as a car or a van. It’s from this you’re then able to find the right type of policy for your vehicle – this may be MultiCar or Campervan Insurance.
What type of insurance do I need for my campervan or motorhome?
Admiral's five star-rated (Defaqto) Van Insurance covers all types of vans - small and transit up to 3.5 tonnes, and offers:
- New vehicle replacement
- Windscreen repair
- Sat-Nav cover
- Courtesy van
MultiCar Insurance covers all the cars in your household on one policy- it's flexible and, as long as all the cars belong to immediate family members, you don't even have to be registered at the same address to start your policy.
At the moment, you can't mix vehicle types, such as a car and a van, on the same policy.
• You can have cars and standard campers on the same policy
• You can have vans and camper conversions and motor homes on the same policy
• You cannot have vans and standard campers on the same policy
• You cannot have cars and camper conversions or motor homes on the same policy
Which camper should I buy?
We have found three great campers which we’re sure you’ll love, with examples of a standard camper, a camper conversion and a motorhome.
1) Volkswagen California Beach
Type: Standard Camper
Price: Start from £38,214
Features: Heated seats, two double beds, climatic semi-automatic air conditioning, body-coloured pop-up aluminium roof, high-gloss black grille with chrome trim
Admiral insurance type: Car insurance
The contemporary equivalent of the retro T2. The California Beach can come with either four or five seats as standard, with extra chairs available upon request. It doesn’t offer a kitchen, like its more pricy California Ocean counterpart, but cooking outdoors could allow consumers to save some money while also embracing the full camping experience.
Product manager for Volkswagen, Alice Halliwell, said: “The California is Volkswagen’s original, full factory-designed and produced campervan; compact and convenient enough to be used as an everyday vehicle, yet easily turns into a home-from-home for days out, weekend escapes or longer adventures.”
2) Ford Evie Connect Zetec by Wellhouse
Type: Camper Conversion
Price: £30,800
Features: Air Conditioning, Power Steering, Electric Mirrors
Admiral insurance type: Car or van insurance
Based on the Ford Transit Connect, this conversion by Wellhouse has extreme levels of versatility and customisation. With great storage and space facilities, it’s not designed to be an off-roading vehicle, but the hefty suspension can handle rougher terrain than basic city-based vans.
Wellhouse convert a number of campervans of this nature, which can all be found on their website, including a standard base price, with the choice of optional extras such as black alloy wheels and a diesel engine.
With a variety of models available from Wellhouse, it’s best to double check to see if your camper conversion is better suited to our Van Insurance or MultiCar policies.
3) Knaus Sky Traveller 650 DG Superlight
Type: Motorhome
Price: Varied
Features: Double dinette, six seats, under 3.5 tonnes, alcoves foldable (optional), swivelling cassette toilets, central power supply through service box
Admiral insurance type: Van insurance
Knaus describes this motor home as their “family residence” for when “your small adventurers want to explore the world”. Its super light body allows for a light and easy drive in comparison to some of its competitors. The Sky Traveller boasts a spacious interior with a large double bed and doesn't sacrifice standing height.