Campervan Insurance: The Best Insurance Options for Van Life (2024)

Finding campervan insurance can be a tricky endeavor, and it’s a hot topic in van life Facebook groups and forums. People have many questions, like, will my insurance cover the stuff I’m storing in my van? Will they cover a DIY campervan conversion? Will they cover my van if I live in it full-time?

Many van lifers have been through insurance nightmares with companies giving them the boot once they start a DIY conversion, or not covering claims.

In fact, Geico just dropped my Sprinter van in the summer of 2022 because we were doing a DIY conversion. They discovered we’d added Flarespace flares and a Flarespace bed to the van, and that was the last I saw of Geico. I had two months to find a new insurance provider.

Finding insurance for a Class B campervan like a Storyteller Overland or Winnebago Revel is way easier than insuring a DIY conversion or even sometimes a custom conversion.

In this post, I’ll tell you about all the options and what I chose for my 2021 Sprinter Van 4×4 2500, which we’re in the middle of turning into a camper.

Prefer to listen? Check out my podcast episode on campervan insurance:

How I’m Insuring My Sprinter Van Camper

When Geico gave me the boot, I frantically called around to various insurance companies and getting roadblock after roadblock. They didn’t like that my van didn’t stay in South Dakota, where it’s registered. They didn’t like that I stored it half the year in Yuma. They didn’t like that I was doing a DIY campervan conversion.

Finally, State Farm agreed to cover my van at the whopping price of $329 per month. I signed up, desperate to get insurance as the days ticked down to August 1st, when my plan with Gieco was slated to end. I hated having to pay so much money per month to insure my DIY campervan!

Why I Switched to Roamly for Campervan Insurance

Roamly is a new insurance company that’s insuring DIY and custom van builds. You can also get a policy that lets you rent out your van on sites like Outdoorsy.

In the beginning, Roamly only worked in three states, but has expanded a great deal in 2022. Now, you can get insurance on a DIY campervan conversion if you live in these states: OR, CA, AZ, UT, ID, CO, TX, OK, SD, MN, MO, WI, IL, IN, TN, AL, GA, NC, OH and PA.

I’d been waiting with bated breath for Roamly to start insuring vans based in South Dakota, and when I found out they’d opened up shop this August, I immediately signed up for a quote.

Insuring my van with Roamly saved me over $250 per month on my campervan insurance.

I am ELATED. Plus, Roamly is even covering the contents both inside and outside my vehicle up to $10,000. I’ve never found another insurance company willing to insure personal items without a separate Personal Articles Insurance policy. I do have a $1,000 deductible for comprehensive or collision claims.

Roamly will also cover my Sprinter van when it’s stored in Yuma, Arizona during the winter months when we are on our sailboat in Mexico. Other insurance companies couldn’t figure out how to insure in both South Dakota and Arizona.

Overall, I’m really happy with the service I’ve received from Roamly so far. They do require an itemized list of the products we’ve put into our van, as well as receipts. They are also asking for the Bill of Sale and a current KBB (Kelly Blue Book) quote.

I hope you have good luck with Roamly!

Why is it so hard to insure a DIY Campervan?

It’s way easier to insure a custom or professionally-built camper van than DIY. Vans such as the Storyteller Overland, Winnebago Revel and Sportsmobile are a known entity amongst insurers. They are registered as RVs and follow safety guidelines.

Basically, an insurance company understands the true value of those Class B RVs as it’s listed with the VIN number.

A self-converted van is a totally different animal with lots of unknowns for an insurance company to consider.

Zachary Schneiderman is an agent with Farmer’s Insurance in California and helps people insure professionally-built out vans. He’s now running policies with Roamly and thinks the company is making huge headway in the campervan insurance space.

He tried to explain why it’s so difficult to get insurance on a DIY campervan.

“There’s a lot of concern related to the what modifications may have been made and if those were done taking weight distribution and other safety features into account,” Schneiderman told The Wayward Home.

“Campervan conversion companies take on a manufacturer’s liability when they make changes to vehicles and have insurance in place if and when a claim arises related to the modifications they made.”

“DIY owners take that exposure on themselves and therefore don’t leave the insurance carrier with an at-fault party beyond the vehicle owner should a claim arise from the conversion itself.”

So, there are more hurdles you have to jump through to get a DIY campervan insured.

You may have to make a lot of phone calls to a lot of different insurance companies. You’ll most definitely need to be armed with documents, receipts and photos. This is what I did for my insurance policy with Roamly. Click here for a free quote.

What Type of Campervan Insurance Do You Want?

There are a few different ways to insure a campervan, and it depends on the type of build-out you have and how much money you spent on the upfit.

For example: Do you need all your campervan conversion materials covered? How about all the gear you’re storing in your van? What is the value of your campervan conversion that you’re hoping to get covered?

Here are a few different ways to go about it.

Auto Insurance

You could just get regular old auto insurance on a converted campervan. However, this won’t cover any of your build materials or whatever you’re storing in your van, like your fridge, electrical system, solar panels, camera gear, water systems, etc.

My first van is a Chevy Astro, but the value of the van and whatever inside it isn’t very high. I use a basic Geico insurance policy for my van. It’s $50-ish per month and insures the van like it’s a regular vehicle. When the van is in storage, my bill is only $17 per month.

This is a great option if you don’t have tons of build materials and goods inside your van. Plus, car insurance can be easier to get than RV insurance for a campervan.

RV Insurance

If you’ve spent a lot of time and money on your build, whether it’s a professional or a DIY build, you’ll want to get more covered.

This means you’ll need to go for an RV insurance policy or a DIY campervan insurance policy with Roamly. The qualifications to get RV insurance vary by state, but here are a few components you’ll need:

• A toilet and running water (plumbing)
• A place to cook and store food
• A place to sleep
• Heating

Rules vary by state, so do your research. You can also go to the DMV and register your campervan as an RV, which might help with the underwriting process. I did not register my new Sprinter van as an RV and had no problems at all getting the van and everything we put into it and outside of it covered.

However, many insurance companies don’t require your campervan to be registered as an RV. Again, this varies by state so do your checking.

Stephanie and Nate Yarborough of Explorist.Life decided to go this route.

“When we first bought the van, we had 90 days to register our vehicle and it took us 90 days to build it out,” said Stephanie. “So, by the time we went to register it as a motorhome it was already converted.”

The couple installed running water, residential floors, a refrigerator and a toilet. They also brought the DMV a certified weight slip with the van’s gross weight to the Colorado DMV. The entire process took 2-3 hours.

The couple said their entire van was insured for about $40,000, but this doesn’t cover any of the equipment inside the van. For that, they got a personal articles policy, which we’ll talk about next.

Read the fine print when getting an RV Insurance policy for your campervan. Many of these policies include extras like personal articles insurance, flat tire insurance, travel costs associated with a breakdown, etc.

We’ve also heard that often, RV Insurance policies for a campervan are cheaper than regular auto insurance.

Note: I have heard that it can be hard getting RV insurance if you don’t have another vehicle, or if you live in your vehicle full-time. Definitely something to research and ask insurance agents when you call around.

Personal Articles Insurance

Personal articles insurance covers all the equipment and conversion products inside your van. This can be for bicycles, computers, camera equipment, etc.

According to State Farm, personal articles insurance covers property anywhere you might travel in the world. There is usually no deductible, and the insurance company will pay to repair or replace your items.

This is handy if you’re out on a hike and drop your camera – it will be replaced under this policy. Probably a good one to have if you have expensive personal equipment inside your campervan conversion.

Stephanie and Nate of Explorist.Life also uses a personal articles policy.

“These are all the things in our van that aren’t permanently secured, like our clothes, our computers, all of my husband’s cameras,” said Stephanie. “Some people do this through a renter’s policy, but we don’t rent a house so we wouldn’t get that type of policy. The personal articles policy covers every individual item – we have a list of all our high-dollar equipment.”

I was lucky that Roamly had the option of adding on a personal article insurance clause, and $10,000 worth of gear both inside and outside the van is covered. Click here for a free quote from Roamly on a DIY van.

Best Tips on Getting Campervan Insurance

So, you’re ready to get insurance on your campervan? Here are some things to keep in mind for the best luck at success.

Keep detailed receipts, records and photos for van insurance

If you’re trying to get camper van insurance for a DIY build, you’ll want to keep very detailed records.

This includes receipts, photos, order numbers, associated documents, etc. These help prove the value of your build for insurance underwriting purposes.

Stephanie and Nate of Explorist.Life got their policy through State Farm, which asked for a breakdown of all the expenses to convert the van into an RV.

“They didn’t ask for receipts, but I showed them a detailed spreadsheet of the cost of materials, what exactly we did to the van, and what it looked like in the end,” said Stephanie. “They wanted to see pictures, and that was it.”

I am also required to provide a spreadsheet and receipts for my Roamly insurance plan.

Sign up below to grab a copy of our Campervan Insurance Records Google Sheet Template!

Talk to a local agent for campervan insurance

Many people looking to insure a campervan start out getting a quote online or through a broker on the other end of the main phone number. Then, they walk away disappointed when that particular insurance company turns them down.

Stephanie has had the same insurance company since she was 16-years-old, so she walked into State Farm and spoke directly to her agent.

“I laid out my situation, what I needed, and told my agent I’d be putting a lot of money into building out this vehicle,” said Stephanie. “State Farm helped me out a lot and explained what I’d need to do to insure my campervan.”

If you’re having bad luck calling the main line of an insurance company, look for a local agent. Some of them have had experience insuring DIY campervan and understand the process.

Be prepared to get a different answer within the same company if you call multiple agents. So, if one agent tells you “no”, it’s probably worth it to try another.

PRO TIP: Stephanie’s biggest piece of advice is this: “Be honest with your insurance agent. Not every agent can find a policy that fits your needs, just be honest and up front. If you lie and say it’s a work van, that’s insurance fraud .”

Read your van insurance policy very carefully

Once you lock down campervan insurance, it’s important to read through your policy to make sure you are truly covered. We’ve heard scary examples of van lifers who’ve found words that excluded them from insurance payouts.

These are words like “self-built” or “homemade.”

Know your campervan’s value

It’s important your van and the conversion are valued properly before you sign up with an insurance company.

The value of your van will most likely impact the overall cost of your insurance plan.

Be prepared to call around (a lot)

Don’t get frustrated if the first person you call turns you down. Since there aren’t really any specified insurance policies for self-built vans, some of it depends on luck of the call.

You might reach an agent who’s done this before and is super helpful. Or, you might get on the line with someone who will immediately tell you no.

Don’t be afraid to call multiple companies and multiple agents within the same company.

Be persistent!

Be Honest with Your Insurer

It’s necessary to be honest with your insurance agent when discussing campervan insurance, whether that’s RV coverage or auto insurance.

If you aren’t honest about your modifications, you may have a hard time getting money back in a claim if someone happens to your vehicle.

PRO TIP:Stephanie says: “Not every agent can find a policy that fits your needs, just be honest and upfront. If you lie and say it’s a work van, that’s insurance fraud.”

Consider Full-Timer Liability Coverage

According to Zachary Schneiderman with Farmer’s Insurance, it’s a good idea to add Full-Timer Liability Coverage if you’re living in your campervan.

“This provides liability coverage when the owner is parked and uses their camper as a residence. (example: your dog bites someone),” Schneiderman wrote in an email to The Wayward Home.

Progressive’s website says you can get full-timer liability coverage if you live in your campervan (designated as an RV), for six months out of the year. Here’s a few things you’ll get with Progressive’s full-time coverage:

• Personal liability: Pays for property damage and injuries you’re responsible for due to an accident while parked.
• Medical payments: Covers medical expenses for those who are injured while near or in your RV.
• Loss assessment: Pays for fees charged by an association to cover repairs to common areas or other parts of the property where your RV is parked.

Ask About Roadside Assistance

Some campervan insurance policies offer a roadside assistance add-on. This is something to ask about if you want that type of emergency coverage.

RV Insurance Companies to Try for Camper Van Insurance

If one thing is true about getting insurance for your campervan, is you have to be persistent. We’ve heard stories of some van lifers making tons of phone calls before finding someone to underwrite campervan insurance.

Here are a few places to try:

Roamly

Roamly is a new insurance company that’s mission is to insure DIY and custom van builds. In the past year, Roamly has expanded exponentially and is now available in these states: OR, CA, AZ, UT, ID, CO, TX, OK, SD, MN, MO, WI, IL, IN, TN, AL, GA, NC, OH and PA.

If you’re in a different state, Roamly writes joint policies with Safeco, Foremost or National General. My contact with Roamly says those three companies won’t insure DIY builds but will insure professional custom builds.

Roamly will be live and in most markets across the U.S. by the end of 2022, so keep checking back to see if your state is covered. This is the plan we are currently using with our Sprinter van camper.

DIY and Pro builds must include one of the following to be insured:

• Cooking area (include permanent stovetop, i.e. bolted down)
• Refrigerator (can include bolted-down RV coolers)
• Bathroom facilities (does not require permanent plumbing)

Foremost

Foremost is part of Farmers Insurance Group and insures RVs. Farmers Insurance Agent Zachary Schneiderman works with Foremost to insure professionally-built vans.

He did tell The Wayward Home that Foremost will insure a van someone is living in full-time, but they require you have a primary auto for commuting. (tricky if you’re a van lifer!)

Also, your van does NOT necessarily need to be registered as an RV to join, but Scheiderman recommends checking the rules in your state.

State Farm

State Farm is another RV insurance company that some van lifers have luck with. Before I signed up with Roamly, I got an insurance policy with State Farm on my Sprinter van but it was really expensive, about $250 more than my Roamly plan. However, it goes to show they do insure DIY builds.

Betsy Woods with TheWanderingWoods.org did get her campervan insured successfully with State Farm.

“Long story short, our Sprinter was insured the next day by State Farm as a Class B camper ($414 for a year) with conventional comprehensive coverage and the only thing we had to provide were a couple of photos of the interior and a photo of the outside,” Betsy wrote on The Wandering Woods.

Progressive RV Insurance

Progressive is another insurance option popular among van lifers. Kristen Borr of Bearfoot Theory uses this for her Class B campervan, which you can read about here.

You can sort through a variety of options if you go with Progressive, including coverage for personal items, flat tires and reimbursem*nt for emergency expenses.

The company recommends knowing your RVs value before getting coverage. You can use RVTrader.com and Nada.com to do this.

We aren’t sure if Progressive will cover a self-built van. Some van lifers claim they’ll only convert a professionally-built van. Worth a try, though!

Good Sam RV Insurance

When I asked the Insurance Information Institute about insuring campervans, their rep told me Good Sam is the main insurance company which insures vehicles people live in.

On its website, Good Sam Insurance Agency says it knows your motorhome is your primary residence, and works with you to craft the best plan.

However, this is really only for people who have professionally-built RVs, like if you have a Winnebago or Storyteller Overland van.

HUGE CAVEAT: Many van lifers report Good Sam WILL NOT INSURE self-built campervans, only RVs.

But if you have a Class B RV, you may want to call Good Sam for a quote, especially if you live in your RV full-time.

Here’s some of what you’ll get with State Farm – this information taken directly from the website:

• Personal Liability for Full Timers – This is similar to vacation liability and pays for injuries that happen around your RV or on your property.
• Medical Payments to Others – Covers the costs of medical expenses incurred by those who are injured while visiting your RV and/or the property around it.
• Personal Belongings Coverage – As a full-timer, we know you’re carrying most of your possessions with you. We offer up to $3,000 of full replacement cost coverage at no extra cost to you.
• Emergency Expense Allowance – The Good Sam Insurance Agency covers the costs of food and lodging if you’re ever involved in a covered claim more than 100 miles from home.

Again, this isn’t a good option if you have a self-built campervan.

Conclusion on DIY Campervan Insurance

The key takeaway is this: it is possible to get insurance for your DIY campervan. We had great success recently with Roamly, which insures both DIY and custom conversions. Click here for a free quote with Roamly.

If you want to register your campervan as an RV, you’ll need to make sure it qualifies as a motorhome. You’ll need things like a toilet, bed, interior stove and interior plumbing.

If you can’t get RV insurance, you can go with a regular auto insurance policy and also get a personal articles policy to insure your van’s contents.

It can really hard to find a company that will insure a self-built van. Make sure you call around, keep documentation (including photos and receipts), and know your vehicle’s value and gross weight.

In the comments below, let me know what works for you!